“Yes, court. Yes, Fern’s will. As for how Tessa’s doing, call her and find out for yourself, you moron.”
Dillon huffed. It was shocking how annoying brothers could still be after all these years. “Can you at least tell me if there are any developments in the oil company’s case against Fern’s will?”
“I can.”
Dillon huffed again. “Well, tell me, then.”
“The judge dismissed Stillwater Basin Energy’s challenge in its entirety. With prejudice.”
Dillon went still. “They’re done?”
“They’re completely, comprehensively, you-can-stick-a-fork-in-them done. It was a slam dunk. Handwriting expert testified for exactly three minutes. The judge took twenty seconds to rule, which is how long it took him to move aside the case documents and find his gavel. Stillwater Basin is going to have to find someone else to bully.”
“Reno, that’s?—”
He didn’t have a word for it. Wonderful wasn’t right. A relief wasn’t right. The fury he’d been carrying about the forged letter was not going to sit down quietly just because a judge took twenty seconds throwing out a case built on a forgery. Some part of him still wanted to put Craig Westerfeld in a pasture full of rank bulls. “Congratulations. And thank you.”
“Mm.” A long, borderline theatrical pause. “Anyway, somebody needs to tell Tessa, I tried to call her just now but got no answer.”
Dillon’s jaw tightened. He hadn’t talked to Tessa in ten days.
“Which brings me,” Reno continued, “to the second item on the agenda. Are you sitting down?”
“I’m in a truck.”
“Driving?”
“Not yet.”
“Close enough. Tessa called Judith. Told her no. No to Whitmore, no to the money, no to moving back east, no to all of it. Side note: Tessa’s trust fund has in excess of a hundred million dollars in it. And she thumbed her nose at every penny.”
Dillon’s entire body sagged and he dropped his forehead against the steering wheel.
“You still there?”
“Yeah.”
“Figured you ought to know.”
“Thanks.” Even he heard the rawness in his voice.
“Third and final agenda item, I’m at the Valentine Clinic. Hank called a buddy of his here who’s a knee specialist and the guy’s fitting me in today for an exam. My knee’s been acting up ever since I twisted it again. Hank thinks it needs surgery. If that’s the case, are you gonna mind me shacking up at your place for a few weeks while I heal and rehab it?”
“Of course I don’t mind. But I expect you’re looking at months of recovery, not weeks.”
“You know us Steele men. We refuse to stay down for long.”
“Do what your doctor says, bro. Give it the time it needs to heal properly or it won’t ever be right. You’re not as young as you used to be.”
Reno made a rude comment about what Dillon could do with that remark, and they ribbed each other for a few moments. Then Reno asked seriously, “Do you want me to tell Tessa about the dismissal?”
Dillon closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. If she was staying in Cobbler Cove, he was going to have to face her sometime. No sense putting it off any longer. “No. I’ll do it.”
“Don’t call her. She deserves to have someone there to support her and celebrate with her.”
“Yeah, fair.”
A pause, then Reno said quietly, “She did this for herself, Dill. Her decision wasn’t about you. Whatever you’ve been waiting on her to prove, she just proved it. The life she has right now is the one she wants.”
