[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Cag noticed. He didn't look at her, though, because he'd become more readable lately where she was
concerned. He finished his coffee and got up.
"Well, I'm off. I'll try to be back by next weekend. You can reach me at the Airport Hilton in Kansas
City if you need me."
"We won't," Leo said with a grin. "Have a good time."
Cag glanced involuntarily at Tess, thinking how empty life without her was going to be, even for a
few days. He'd grown all too fond of that red curly head of hair and those heavenly blue eyes.
"Take care of Tess while I'm gone," he said, trying to make a joke of it and failing miserably.
"I'll take care of myself, thanks very much," she shot right back and forced a smile, so that he'd think
it wasn't killing her to watch him walk out the door.
"You never told us how your application went," Leo said suddenly.
"Oh, I was accepted on the spot," Tess said. "They've scheduled me for three classes when fall quarter
begins. I went to the financial aid office and applied for tuition, which they say I can get, and it will
pay for my books."
Cag frowned. "You've already applied?"
"Yes," she said with determined brightness. "I start in three weeks. I can hardly wait."
"So I see." Cag finished his goodbyes, added a few things for his brothers to take care of while he was
away and left without another word.
Tess wondered why he was irritated that she'd applied for admission to the vocational school, when
he'd already said he wanted her to do it. She knew he hadn't changed his mind.
His behavior was puzzling.
Cag was thinking the same thing as he slammed his hat on his head, picked up his suitcase, and went
out the front door. He'd known she was applying, but now it was definite. He thought of her in his
arms the night before, hungry for his kisses, and then he thought of all the young men she'd meet
when she started classes. She might meet a young man who liked roses, too. He had visions of her
youth-ful crush on him melting quickly away in the heat of a new romance, and it made him vaguely
sick.
He'd tried not to get in over his head, but it looked as if he was only fooling himself. Tess had
wormed her way under his skin, right where his heart was. He wondered how he'd ever imagined that
he could make a little love to her and walk away. He'd never been quite so confused or worried in his
life. He wanted Tess as he'd never wanted anything. But he was afraid that she was in love with love,
not him, because he was the first man who'd ever been intimate with her even in a slight way. He
couldn't forget the fiancee who'd dropped him for someone younger. He couldn't bear to go through
that a second time.
He got into the ranch truck and drove toward the airport, but his heart wasn't in it. Tess was going to
go away to school, and he was going to lose her. But not right away, he comforted himself. She'd
still be living at the ranch. He'd have time to get himself sorted out. And it wasn't as if she was going
to meet someone else at once. He had plenty of time. The thought comforted him, and he put that
worry aside.
Cag wouldn't have been quite so comforted if he'd seen the big black limousine that drew up in front
of the Hart ranch house barely two hours after he'd left.
Rey and Leo had already gone out with the men to look over a new batch of bulls when someone rang
the doorbell.
Tess wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and left the pots she'd been scrubbing in the sink when she
went to answer it.
A tall, taciturn man in a suit, carrying a briefcase, was standing there.
"Miss Theresa Brady?" the man asked politely.
It was a shock to hear her given name. She'd been called Tess for so long that she'd all but forgotten
that it was a contraction of Theresa.
"Yes," she said hesitantly.
He held out a hand. "I'm Clint Matherson," he said, shaking hands. "Your late mother's attorney."
Her hand went limp in his. "My... late... mother?"
"I'm sorry to tell you that your mother passed away almost a month ago in Singapore. It wasn't
possible to get word to you until now. I found you through a detective agency, but I've been out of
town and the message only reached me a week ago. I'm very sorry," he said belatedly.
She hadn't thought of her mother in years, and only then with regret. It might have been sad to lose
her if she'd ever shown the slightest affection for her only child, but she hadn't.
"I didn't know where she was," Tess said honestly. "We hadn't communicated since I was sixteen."
"Yes, she, uh, made me aware of that. She left you a portfolio of stocks in a trading company out of
Singapore," he added. "If we could sit down and discuss her will?"
"I'm sorry. Of course. Come into the living room, please."
He sat down in an armchair and laid out the documents on the spotless oak coffee table, moving her
flower arrangement aside to make room for them.
"I can't tell you much about this company. Frankly the stocks are as much a surprise to you as they are
to me. She didn't ask my advice before she sank her money into them. You did know that she married
a wealthy Singapore importer six years ago?"
"No," Tess said stiffly. "As I said, we haven't corresponded."
"A pity," he replied. "She gave up drinking and led a fairly ad-mirable life in her last years.
She was widowed about the time she contracted cancer. Her illness perhaps changed her outlook
some-what. I understand that she had plans to ask you to come out and visit with her, but she never
carried them out." He smiled thinly. "She told me she was ashamed of the way she'd treated you, Miss
Brady, and not too hopeful of making amends."
Tess clasped her hands together on the knees of her jeans. "I would have listened, if she'd wanted to
talk to me."
He shrugged. "Perhaps it's just as well. But time is a great healer." He indicated the documents. "I'll
have these stocks checked out by the end of the week. I should be able to give you some idea of their
current worth on the Asian market then. You can decide whether you'd rather keep them or sell them.
There are a few odds and ends, like her jewelry, which will be sent on to me and I'll forward them to
you."
The thought of having something, anything, of her mother's made her uneasy. "Wasn't there any other
relative?"
“A stepdaughter who still lives in Singapore. But she was already provided for by her father's will."
"Wouldn't she like the jewelry?"
He was surprised. "Well, she was fond of your mother, I understand. They were good friends. Yes, I
imagine she would like it. But it's yours, Miss Brady. You were a blood relative."
"I never felt like one," she replied stiffly. "I'd like the daughter to have the jewelry and the
other...personal things." She glanced at him and away. "It's hard to put into words, but I don't really
want anything of hers. Not even the stock."
"Ah, but you have no choice about that," he said, surprising her. "There's no provision if you don't
accept it. There must be some
Diana Palmer379
goal you've set in life that it would help you achieve. I understand that you work as a housekeeper
here since your father's untimely death. Wouldn't you like to be financially independent?"
That remark changed her life. If she had a little money of her own, Callaghan wouldn't have to keep
her on here because he was sorry for her. It would give her some measure of independence, even if
leaving Callaghan broke her heart.
"Yes, I would," she answered the lawyer. "And I'll accept the stock. Thank you."
He indicated the places her signature was required, closed the documents up in his briefcase, shook
hands and promised to be in touch soon about the stock.
“How much do you think it could be worth?' she asked hesitantly when he was on the verge of
leaving.
"Hard to tell. It was bought for eighty dollars a share, but that was last year."
"And how much was bought?"
He smiled musingly. "About a million dollars worth." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
Cag noticed. He didn't look at her, though, because he'd become more readable lately where she was
concerned. He finished his coffee and got up.
"Well, I'm off. I'll try to be back by next weekend. You can reach me at the Airport Hilton in Kansas
City if you need me."
"We won't," Leo said with a grin. "Have a good time."
Cag glanced involuntarily at Tess, thinking how empty life without her was going to be, even for a
few days. He'd grown all too fond of that red curly head of hair and those heavenly blue eyes.
"Take care of Tess while I'm gone," he said, trying to make a joke of it and failing miserably.
"I'll take care of myself, thanks very much," she shot right back and forced a smile, so that he'd think
it wasn't killing her to watch him walk out the door.
"You never told us how your application went," Leo said suddenly.
"Oh, I was accepted on the spot," Tess said. "They've scheduled me for three classes when fall quarter
begins. I went to the financial aid office and applied for tuition, which they say I can get, and it will
pay for my books."
Cag frowned. "You've already applied?"
"Yes," she said with determined brightness. "I start in three weeks. I can hardly wait."
"So I see." Cag finished his goodbyes, added a few things for his brothers to take care of while he was
away and left without another word.
Tess wondered why he was irritated that she'd applied for admission to the vocational school, when
he'd already said he wanted her to do it. She knew he hadn't changed his mind.
His behavior was puzzling.
Cag was thinking the same thing as he slammed his hat on his head, picked up his suitcase, and went
out the front door. He'd known she was applying, but now it was definite. He thought of her in his
arms the night before, hungry for his kisses, and then he thought of all the young men she'd meet
when she started classes. She might meet a young man who liked roses, too. He had visions of her
youth-ful crush on him melting quickly away in the heat of a new romance, and it made him vaguely
sick.
He'd tried not to get in over his head, but it looked as if he was only fooling himself. Tess had
wormed her way under his skin, right where his heart was. He wondered how he'd ever imagined that
he could make a little love to her and walk away. He'd never been quite so confused or worried in his
life. He wanted Tess as he'd never wanted anything. But he was afraid that she was in love with love,
not him, because he was the first man who'd ever been intimate with her even in a slight way. He
couldn't forget the fiancee who'd dropped him for someone younger. He couldn't bear to go through
that a second time.
He got into the ranch truck and drove toward the airport, but his heart wasn't in it. Tess was going to
go away to school, and he was going to lose her. But not right away, he comforted himself. She'd
still be living at the ranch. He'd have time to get himself sorted out. And it wasn't as if she was going
to meet someone else at once. He had plenty of time. The thought comforted him, and he put that
worry aside.
Cag wouldn't have been quite so comforted if he'd seen the big black limousine that drew up in front
of the Hart ranch house barely two hours after he'd left.
Rey and Leo had already gone out with the men to look over a new batch of bulls when someone rang
the doorbell.
Tess wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and left the pots she'd been scrubbing in the sink when she
went to answer it.
A tall, taciturn man in a suit, carrying a briefcase, was standing there.
"Miss Theresa Brady?" the man asked politely.
It was a shock to hear her given name. She'd been called Tess for so long that she'd all but forgotten
that it was a contraction of Theresa.
"Yes," she said hesitantly.
He held out a hand. "I'm Clint Matherson," he said, shaking hands. "Your late mother's attorney."
Her hand went limp in his. "My... late... mother?"
"I'm sorry to tell you that your mother passed away almost a month ago in Singapore. It wasn't
possible to get word to you until now. I found you through a detective agency, but I've been out of
town and the message only reached me a week ago. I'm very sorry," he said belatedly.
She hadn't thought of her mother in years, and only then with regret. It might have been sad to lose
her if she'd ever shown the slightest affection for her only child, but she hadn't.
"I didn't know where she was," Tess said honestly. "We hadn't communicated since I was sixteen."
"Yes, she, uh, made me aware of that. She left you a portfolio of stocks in a trading company out of
Singapore," he added. "If we could sit down and discuss her will?"
"I'm sorry. Of course. Come into the living room, please."
He sat down in an armchair and laid out the documents on the spotless oak coffee table, moving her
flower arrangement aside to make room for them.
"I can't tell you much about this company. Frankly the stocks are as much a surprise to you as they are
to me. She didn't ask my advice before she sank her money into them. You did know that she married
a wealthy Singapore importer six years ago?"
"No," Tess said stiffly. "As I said, we haven't corresponded."
"A pity," he replied. "She gave up drinking and led a fairly ad-mirable life in her last years.
She was widowed about the time she contracted cancer. Her illness perhaps changed her outlook
some-what. I understand that she had plans to ask you to come out and visit with her, but she never
carried them out." He smiled thinly. "She told me she was ashamed of the way she'd treated you, Miss
Brady, and not too hopeful of making amends."
Tess clasped her hands together on the knees of her jeans. "I would have listened, if she'd wanted to
talk to me."
He shrugged. "Perhaps it's just as well. But time is a great healer." He indicated the documents. "I'll
have these stocks checked out by the end of the week. I should be able to give you some idea of their
current worth on the Asian market then. You can decide whether you'd rather keep them or sell them.
There are a few odds and ends, like her jewelry, which will be sent on to me and I'll forward them to
you."
The thought of having something, anything, of her mother's made her uneasy. "Wasn't there any other
relative?"
“A stepdaughter who still lives in Singapore. But she was already provided for by her father's will."
"Wouldn't she like the jewelry?"
He was surprised. "Well, she was fond of your mother, I understand. They were good friends. Yes, I
imagine she would like it. But it's yours, Miss Brady. You were a blood relative."
"I never felt like one," she replied stiffly. "I'd like the daughter to have the jewelry and the
other...personal things." She glanced at him and away. "It's hard to put into words, but I don't really
want anything of hers. Not even the stock."
"Ah, but you have no choice about that," he said, surprising her. "There's no provision if you don't
accept it. There must be some
Diana Palmer379
goal you've set in life that it would help you achieve. I understand that you work as a housekeeper
here since your father's untimely death. Wouldn't you like to be financially independent?"
That remark changed her life. If she had a little money of her own, Callaghan wouldn't have to keep
her on here because he was sorry for her. It would give her some measure of independence, even if
leaving Callaghan broke her heart.
"Yes, I would," she answered the lawyer. "And I'll accept the stock. Thank you."
He indicated the places her signature was required, closed the documents up in his briefcase, shook
hands and promised to be in touch soon about the stock.
“How much do you think it could be worth?' she asked hesitantly when he was on the verge of
leaving.
"Hard to tell. It was bought for eighty dollars a share, but that was last year."
"And how much was bought?"
He smiled musingly. "About a million dollars worth." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]