The Legacy of Copper Creek (12 page)

“I looked out for my mother. My father was a drunk. I don't remember ever seeing him completely sober. He drank in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night until he passed out.”

She turned to study Brady's stern profile. “Was he…abusive?”

He nodded. “It's the nature of drunks, I guess. They hate themselves for their weakness and take out their anger on whoever happens to be handy. At first it was my mother, until I got big enough to stop him. When he managed to drink himself to death, it was too late for my mother. She followed my father in death just a year later.”

“And then you left?”

He shook his head. “By then I'd married, and I thought I could make a life there for my wife and our son.”

“You had a wife and child?”

He met her look of surprise. “With them, I knew I'd finally found heaven. My wife's name was Maria. Our son was Daniel.”

Was
. That single word had all her breath backing up in her throat.

Willow waited, afraid to breathe. “What happened to them?”

Brady's tone was low, controlled, holding back any emotion he might be feeling. “Daniel got the fever first. Maria never left his side. She was such a good, loving mother. When I'd tend the cows in the morning, she'd be holding him. When I'd come in from the fields, he'd still be in her arms. On the very day that we buried him on a hillside beside my parents' graves, Maria came down with the fever. Within two days she was gone.”

Willow reached a hand to his, squeezing gently. “Oh, Brady. That's just horrid. I'm so sorry.”

His tone lowered. “I buried her beside our son, and then I packed up whatever I could carry before driving the herd to my nearest neighbor, almost a hundred miles from me. I told him they were his. He could have them free. And then I rode away.” He paused. “I thought I'd leave Montana for good. I never wanted to stay anywhere near my memories.”

“What changed your mind?”

“I made the mistake of stopping at Copper Creek. I walked into Wylie's. Not for a drink,” he said with a wry smile. “The last thing I wanted to do was become my father. But I needed food. And while I was eating, I ran into Bear.”

“You met Bear at Wylie's? He never told me.”

“I'm sure he wasn't proud of himself. He was so drunk he could barely stand. I wanted to get as far away from him as I could. But when I saw him leave, I noticed two shifty cowboys follow him outside. I knew what they were up to. I found him in the dark, trying to fight off two gun-wielding tough guys. After I knocked them unconscious, I drove Bear home. I was about to walk away when he insisted I stay the night. He promised to drive me back to town in the morning to pick up my truck. In the morning, when he was sober, Bear told me why he'd been so drunk. He said that the great love of his life had left him to take a job modeling, and he knew he'd never see her again. He was so despondent, he begged me to stay on and help with the ranch chores. I told him about my father, and Bear vowed that if I stayed, he'd never drink too much again. We shook hands on it.”

Willow was too stunned to say a word.

Brady smiled then. “When you came back to him, I understood why a strong man like Bear MacKenzie would be so crazy in love. He was a different man, a better man, with you. So I stayed on, as I'd promised, because Bear deserved to spend time with you. And then the years just blended one into the next, with Ash coming along, and then Whit, and I knew I'd found my place in this world. They were like my own sons. And you and Bear and your boys became the family I'd always dreamed of. You see, I owe everything I have here—the home I've enjoyed, the hard, satisfying work, the family—to that chance encounter with Bear.”

With tears brimming, Willow leaned close to wrap her arms around his neck, her words muttered against his throat. “Thank you for telling me all this, Brady. I want you to know that you made Bear's life so much easier. He trusted you completely and knew that you would see to it that everything was done to perfection.” She looked up into his eyes. “He used to tell me that meeting you was the second best thing that ever happened to him, after meeting me.”

Instead of the grin she'd expected, he frowned and removed her arms from around his neck before pulling away, putting some distance between them.

His words were unexpectedly gruff. “It's not something I ever wanted to tell you. For Bear's sake, I thought it best to keep it a secret. I guess you…caught me in a weak moment.”

He tossed aside the last of his coffee, causing the flames to sputter and flare. “Now, I think we'd better get some sleep.”

Without another word, he rolled to his side and pulled his wide-brimmed hat low over his face.

Beside him, Willow lay listening to the night sounds around her, while the things Brady had told her played through her mind.

He'd once comforted her by saying that he understood her grief.

Only now was she beginning to realize just how much he understood pain and sorrow. It broke her heart to know that he'd been forced to grieve alone, without the comfort of family or friends.

It soothed her somewhat to know that her family had offered him a measure of love through the years. Brady had always been infinitely kind and patient with both Ash and Whit, treating them as his own. But could another man's family be enough for a man who'd suffered the painful loss of a much-loved wife and child?

Her heart continued to ache for the man who lay beside her, until sleep gradually stole her thoughts and brought her a measure of peace.

B
rady and Whit shoveled sand while Willow eased the tractor out of the ruts and onto a dry, flat stretch of soil.

Brady turned to Whit with a wide smile. “I'm glad you were able to ride up here this morning and lend a hand, son.”

“Hey. Any time.” Whit laughed. “It beats mucking stalls.” He looked over at his mother. “Okay. Who drives the rig, and who rides behind on the horses?”

Willow climbed down from the tractor. “I'll leave the driving to one of you. I prefer riding Dancer.”

Whit hauled himself up to the seat of the tractor and put it in gear.

Behind him, Willow pulled herself into the mare's saddle before catching the reins of Whit's gelding.

Beside her, Brady shot her a smile. “Smart move. Driving that beast down the side of this mountain will rattle a body's bones.”

Willow nodded. “We've all done it a time or two. I figure Whit has younger bones to rattle.”

With a laugh they followed the flatbed at a leisurely pace, enjoying the warm spring sunshine and the beauty of the countryside.

Brady turned in the saddle. “You were a good sport last night when everything went south. I'm sure you'd have preferred your own comfortable bed to a bedroll in the grass.”

She shook her head. “I wasn't kidding when I said I've missed this. There are a lot of chores I'd prefer to skip on this ranch, but I consider sleeping under the stars a bonus for all the hard work.” She reached over to lay a hand on his arm. “It was a real treat for me, Brady. And I'm grateful you were there to share it.”

Several hours later, as they approached the barns, a sleek plane circled before coming in for a smooth landing on the asphalt strip behind the barn that housed the family's Cessna.

Brady glanced at Willow. “Did you know young McMillan was coming today?”

She shook her head. “I wasn't expecting him.” She sighed. “I'm sure he's bringing me more documents to sign. Since Bear's passing, I feel like I'm being buried in paperwork.”

As they led their horses into the barn, she turned to Brady. “I want you with me when I meet with Lance.”

He frowned. “I'm not Bear, Willow. I don't know any more about those legal documents than you do.”

“But having you with me will keep me from feeling overpowered by Lance. When he starts talking about dour rights and estate taxes and trusts, I feel totally inadequate. He always manages to gloss over my protests and get his way every time.”

“You're a smart woman. You'll figure it out. Besides, that's why you have a lawyer.”

She looked so unhappy he put a hand on hers. “Hey. If it means that much to you, of course I'll stay with you.”

She brightened. “Thank you, Brady. I know you have a million things you'd rather be doing, but I want you there watching my back.”

He sighed just as Lance McMillan paused in the doorway of the barn, walking carefully so he wouldn't step in anything that might ruin his expensive shoes.

“Willow.” Lance remained where he was. “I guess you didn't get my e-mail.”

“I've been in the hills.” She stuck out her hand.

Instead of a handshake, he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

She took a step back. “Do I have time for a shower?”

“I have less than an hour. I have another appointment scheduled out this way before I fly to Canada to take my father fishing.”

“How is your father?”

“Getting older. But I think he's enjoying retirement.”

“I miss him. Please give him my love.”

As Lance turned toward the house, Willow waited for Brady to join her.

Seeing him, Lance raised a brow. “Morning, Storm.” He turned back to Willow. “Is he thinking of joining us?”

“Yes.” She kept her tone even. “Do you mind?”

“Of course not.” Lance made a point of holding the back door and allowing them to enter ahead of him. “As I said, this won't take long.”

The kitchen was empty, and Willow could hear laughter in the great room and the deep voice of Whit, probably telling Myrna and Cara about coming to the rescue of his mother and Brady.

As she led the way to the office, she said, “I intend to hold you to that time limit, Lance. Because after the night I put in, as soon as this meeting is over, I intend to take a very long, very hot shower.”

In the big, masculine office, with its towering fireplace, rough wood shelves filled with Bear's books and memorabilia, Lance pulled his chair next to Willow's at the massive desk, while Brady chose to stand. Restless, he moved to the window, where he stood with arms crossed over his chest to stare at the hills beyond, listening to Lance as he removed half a dozen documents from his custom-tooled briefcase.

“These just require your signature, Willow.”

“What are they?”

“Documents required by law, since you're now assuming the assets of Bear's trust.” He pointed. “Sign here and date. And since your foreman is handy, he can be a witness.”

At his words, Brady crossed the room to stand slightly behind Willow.

As she accepted Lance's pen, Brady said, “You'll want to read those before signing.”

She glanced up. “Yes. I suppose I should.”

Lance set a second document on top of the first, and then a third on top of that. “If you intend to read every one of these, you'd better ask Myrna to bring your lunch on a tray. You'll be here for hours.”

“That's all right.” Willow smiled at him. “I have time to at least give these a quick scan before I sign them.”

“I don't.” Lance looked at his watch. “As I said, I have another stop to make before heading up to Canada.” He pressed a finger on the line that required her signature.

Brady's tone was patient. “Why not read these at your convenience and then mail them?” He turned to Lance. “We wouldn't want to make you late for your next appointment.”

Before Willow could say a word, Lance sat back and swiveled his chair to fix Brady with a look of surprise. “We?”

He turned to Willow with a look that changed to amusement. “Do you allow your foreman to overstep his bounds? Or has he been appointed your partner since the last time I was here?”

Willow ignored the documents. “Brady is here at my invitation. He was Bear's most trusted friend.”

“I see. I wasn't aware of your…relationship. Like my father before me, Willow, I'm entrusted with your future, and the future of your family for, hopefully, generations to come. I can't imagine that Bear, who spent a lifetime amassing all this land and fortune, would be happy seeing you ask someone other than your life-long family counselor to make legal decisions.”

“I'm certainly not disregarding your advice, Lance.” Willow pushed back her chair and got to her feet. “But I think Brady's suggestion that I take the time to actually read these documents before signing them is a good idea. I'll mail them to you in a day or two.”

“That's a fine idea.” The lawyer scooped up all the documents and stuffed them back into his briefcase. “I'll have my assistant draft documents that you can read at your leisure.”

“After studying them carefully, you'll need to take them to town to have them witnessed and dated, something we could have done here without all that trouble, since I'm authorized to witness the signature on documents.” He started toward the door. “I should warn you, Willow. My father will not be pleased by the careless way you're dealing with Bear's estate.”

“It's my estate, Lance. And please tell your father that I would welcome a visit from him.”

The young lawyer strode out of the office.

When the door closed behind him, Willow turned to Brady. “Lance certainly didn't inherit his father's patience. His shabby treatment of you was inexcusable.”

“Don't worry about my feelings, Willow.” The foreman glanced out the window at the figure striding toward the waiting plane. “He's just doing his job, which is to look out for you. But he seemed hell-bent on having you sign a lot of papers without reading them. And I'm glad you held off signing until you have time to read everything. After years of working with Bear, I've never known him to sign anything without taking the time to read every word. Bear MacKenzie was a stickler for dotting every
I
and crossing every
T
. And I know for a fact that it's something he'd want you to do in his absence.”

Willow gave a long, deep sigh. “I have to agree with you.” She caught his hand. “Thanks for being here. I think, if I'd been alone, I would have just signed the papers and trusted Lance to see that they were delivered to the proper officials. Not that I don't trust him. We've known his father for a lifetime, and Mason has never been anything but helpful. But I doubt that Mason would have argued if I'd asked for time to read the papers before signing them.”

She turned away with a thoughtful look. “I guess for now I'll just wait for Lance's assistant to send me the documents. In the meantime”—she started toward the door—“I'm going to take that long, hot shower.”

Dinner was a boisterous affair, since the entire family was there.

Ash and Brenna's puppy, Sammy, lay happily under the feet of little Casey and Ethan, ready to devour any scrap of juicy steak that happened to drop from their plates.

Mad was in a rare jovial mood after spending a day at Hope Ranch with Griff and Juliet.

“Three hours in the saddle today, and not even a twinge of pain,” he boasted.

“That's amazing.” Willow smiled at her father-in-law across the table. “Before you know it, you'll be riding with the wranglers at roundup time.”

“That's my goal.” The old man winked at his grandson's wife, who had made such a radical change in his life. “Now that Juliet is a licensed therapist, she's busier than ever. I'm just glad I was able to have her all to myself when I could. Now that the word is out that she's a miracle worker, her schedule will be so crowded, she'll have no time for me.”

“I'll always have time for you. And don't put this all on me. You worked your own miracles, Mad.” Juliet glanced around at the others. “It isn't easy to force dormant muscles to learn to work again. It takes a person with real discipline and determination. The kind of physical transformation Mad has made requires a will of steel.”

“We're not surprised,” Ash deadpanned. “Everyone here knows that Mad's real name is Clark Kent.”

That had everyone laughing.

Whit added to their laughter by saying, “Did all of you hear about Mom's night? She planned on driving the flatbed back to the ranch yesterday, but after all that snow melted, and the herd churned Stone Canyon into a muddy mess, the trailer was buried up to its wheels in muck. So she had to spend the night up in the hills until Brady and I could dig her out this morning.”

“You're lucky it didn't rain,” Cara said with a mock shiver.

“You're right.” Willow turned to her. “But if it had rained, I was prepared to sleep under the flatbed to stay dry. As it turned out, it was the perfect night. I love falling asleep watching the stars. Bear and I used to make a point of bunking up in the hills whenever we could.”

“You weren't afraid?” Cara asked.

“Of what?”

Cara shrugged. “I don't know. Bears. Wolves.”

“They're more afraid of us than we are of them. But I had a rifle. And Brady had one, too.”

Cara blinked. “Oh. I didn't realize both of you were there.”

Brady grinned. “I'd planned on going up higher with the herd, but now I'm glad I decided to wait and see if Willow could drive that tractor out of the mud before I left with the wranglers.”

“Not that I needed a man to protect me,” Willow said in protest. “But it was nice having someone along who actually had some supplies.” She turned to Myrna. “That care package you made for Brady came in handy. With coffee and biscuits, hard-boiled eggs and beef jerky, we had all the comforts of home.”

The old woman looked from Willow to the foreman before saying, “Remind me to pack some fresh supplies tomorrow.”

Brady shook his head. “No need. I talked with Carter today. The herd is settled. The wranglers will let me know if they need more help during calving, and I'll work here unless I hear from them.”

Myrna stood. “Want to have coffee and dessert here or in the great room?”

Willow motioned to the doorway. “The great room.”

Before Myrna could begin loading things onto the trolley, Cara nudged her aside. “You've done enough. Join the others and I'll bring this in.”

The old woman looked absolutely delighted to do as she was asked before she walked away.

When the others were gone, Whit walked to the trolley and brushed a quick kiss over Cara's cheek.

She looked up in surprise. “What was that for?”

“Just thanking you for a great supper.”

“You're welcome.” She backed up when he bent close as though ready to kiss her again. “But you don't need to thank me every time. It's my job.”

His smile grew. “We both know you do way more than your job. You keep spoiling Myrna like that, she'll start thinking you're after her job, too.”

“Nobody could ever do all the things she does.”

“You come in a close second.” He brought his hands to her shoulders and felt her tremble slightly. “Cold?”

“No. I…”

“Say yes. That way I won't feel guilty about offering to warm you.”

She couldn't help laughing. “You? Guilty?”

“Okay. So I won't feel guilty. But I get the feeling you're avoiding me. Why?”

“I'm not—”

“Just tell me what I've done wrong.”

She shook her head. “It's not you, Whit. It's me.”

“Oh no.” He stepped back and lifted his hands as if to shield himself. “Whenever a woman says ‘it's not you; it's me,' it means she's about to break a guy's heart.” Though he spoke the words with a grin, he was watching her intently.