The Rancher's Redemption

“That’s what he wanted to talk to you about yesterday?”

Adam had come over to see her last night, spent ten minutes chatting to Roman on the video link, and then had gone home, his gaze so distracted that she had let him leave without a murmur.

“That was just his parting shot. He and Leanne wanted me to know they’ve left me the ranch outright.”

“That’s good, right?” Lizzie asked cautiously.

“I said I wanted to talk it through with my siblings first.”

There was an inflexible note in Adam’s voice that Lizzie knew rather well.

“They won’t be that surprised, will they? I mean you’ve always been your father’s right-hand man. You deal with the majority of the work now, and only Ben works alongside you full-time.”

“That’s true. Kaiden has the carpentry business, and Danny and Evan work part-time in construction. Daisy has that whole Silicon Valley thing going on, so I don’t think I need to worry about her.”

He turned into the road leading up to the ranch, and got out to open and then close the gate. “I still want to hear everyone’s opinions, though.” He paused. “It feels kind of grabby.”

“I don’t think they’ll see it like that at all. They’ll all be pleased the ranch is in safe hands.”

He gave her a sidelong glance. “We’ll see, won’t we?”

Lizzie was welcomed warmly by the Millers, and ate her dinner sitting next to Adam who always lightened up when surrounded by his family. He loved them very much and it showed. Lizzie had never been loved like that. What would it be like if Adam included her in this circle? She suspected she’d never feel alone again.

Her parents had treated her more like a valued guest in their home than a living, breathing part of the family. They’d never gotten angry with her, or overinvolved in anything she experienced because they’d been too involved and happy with each other to have any emotion left over. Sometimes she felt like she’d grown up in a vacuum of benign neglect.

Even when she’d ended up pregnant and alone, they’d not chastised her, but had offered all the practical and financial help she’d needed to survive. She was extremely grateful for what they’d done. They’d been amazing. Perhaps she needed to finally understand that love came in all shapes and sizes, and that they’d simply been doing their best.

“So, seeing as Adam’s being a pain in the rear about this, I suppose I’d better tell you that I’ve left the ranch to him in my will,” Jeff Miller suddenly stated. “Anyone have a problem with that?”

Lizzie winced as all the Millers sitting around the table went silent. Maybe being in a family who expressed their innermost feelings over the dinner table wasn’t much fun, either. Should she sneak out and let them get on with it? But she had no way to get home without stealing someone’s truck, and she wasn’t that desperate.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ben asked slowly.

“Leanne and I went to see Henry. I rewrote my will, taking her completely out of it, and I left the ranch to Adam.” Jeff elaborated on his original statement.

“What about the rest of us?” Ben’s gaze shifted between his parents and Adam.

“Leanne’s got pots of money now, and you’re all beneficiaries.” Jeff shrugged. “You won’t starve.”

Lizzie winced and put her hand on Adam’s rigid thigh.

“Jeff thought it would be better to leave the ranch to Adam, and then let him make the decisions about how he wants to share it with you all,” Leanne added.

“I trust Adam.” Kaiden spoke up. Danny and Evan nodded. “I don’t think he’s going to do us wrong.”

Daisy turned toward her oldest brother. “And I trust him, too. I don’t need money from this place, anyway. I have my own. Jackson and I are going to live on the Gardin ranch once everything’s sorted out.”

Adam finally stirred. “I won’t go ahead with this unless all of you are on board.” He turned to Ben who had gone silent. “You’re the person most affected by this. What do you think?”

“I’m happy to go along with the majority,” Ben said. “I’m working with BB Morgan on his new venture right now, so I’ll have my own income soon.”