Bucked (The Invincibles 6)

He told me about how his father had threatened that once he left the ranch, he’d never own any of it. He also told me that when the attorney read the will, he learned he had to do two things. First, that he maintain full-time residency on the ranch for a period of one year, which was what the forty-eight-hour thing was all about. The second thing was that by the end of that year, the ranch had to be profitable.

“He knew that if it was just me, I’d walk away and never look back. He also knew I’d never do that to my brothers and sister.”

“You’re a good man, Buck.”

“Am I?” I asked, shaking my head. “Wouldn’t anyone in my position do the same thing?”

“Not everyone would be able to. What if you’d been in the middle of a mission when the call came in that he died? You might have had to choose between the lives of others and your siblings’ inheritance.”

“My father wasn’t a good man, Stella. He wouldn’t have cared. All that would’ve m

attered was that he found a way to control me. I often wonder how long it took him to come up with this idea. The attorney said the will was drafted around the same time I left for college.”

“He was hurt and lashed out.”

Buck stood. “This isn’t about being hurt. This is him being a controlling, manipulative bastard who found a way to hurt his son. He did it my whole life and not just to me.”

“I’m sorry, Buck.”

“Don’t be. If we somehow manage to hang on to this place by turning a profit, then on day three hundred and sixty-six, I’ll be signing my rights to this place over to my four siblings. I don’t want a penny for it, I just wanted it out of my life.”

I wanted to tell Buck not to be hasty in his decision, but it wasn’t my place. He had shown me the utmost respect earlier when we were meeting with Ali, Cope, Decker, and Irish. I would do the same for him.

“I want you to know I’m here for you, Buck. the same way you’re here for me.”

“Because you love me?”

I smiled and put my arm around his shoulders like he so often did with me. “Because I love you.”

25

Buck

I could feel the tension seep off of her the minute she came out of the bedroom and she found Cope was saying goodbye to Ali.

It didn’t matter we’d spent last night and every night for ten days naked in each other’s arms. I’d lay money down that Stella had convinced herself that the minute Cope walked out the front door, I’d only have eyes for Ali. It wasn’t remotely true, but that I had to show her. Words wouldn’t be enough.

In the world of journalism, she was a barracuda. When it came to a story, nothing would make her back down, not even her aunt’s murder. Personally, particularly with relationships, Stella second-guessed her second guesses.

I’d never heard her mention friends other than last night when we were talking about Casper and she said she wished she were friends with more powerful women. I knew she and Ali were tight, because I’d witnessed it. I was her friend. Hell, she’d said I was her best friend, but that had only come after I put in the time and effort to get her to let me in.

Her insecurity was easy to understand. From the brief I’d read on her before I was assigned to Ali’s detail, I learned that her mother had died from AIDS when Stella was nine. Her father had left her mother right after she was diagnosed, citing infidelity as his reason for filing for divorce.

From what I remembered from the brief, Stella had had no known contact with him since the day he walked out. I knew where he was, as did everyone else who’d been given the brief.

Her aunt had raised her without a replacement father figure. That explained her attraction to Jinx, a man far older. I even saw it in the way they interacted. Jinx took care of her without attempting to find out what she really needed.

My approach was the opposite. I saw what Stella needed; my relationship with her wasn’t about something inside of me desiring to control or possess her. I loved her and wanted the best for her. Plain and simple.

“Cope, is there anything else you need to inform us of before you leave?” Stella asked.

I almost laughed out loud at the stunned reaction on his face. Obviously, he’d forgotten Decker’s announcement that Stella was the lead on the mission. “I don’t believe so,” he responded. “Other than I reached out to Doc and he arranged for Smoke and I to meet after I’ve finished briefing Money.”

“We’ll expect an update after your meetings conclude.”

“Roger that,” he muttered.

Unlike me, Ali couldn’t contain her laughter. In fact, the drink of coffee she’d just taken, came out through her nose. “I’ll walk you out,” she said to him, covering her mouth.