Page 21 of The Cowboy's Redemption
His heart, however, had committed itself elsewhere a long time ago, and even though his head knew it had made an unwise and futile decision, that decision appeared to be final.
Chapter Seven
Levi
Levi arrived, carryinga to-go cup of coffee that was lukewarm at best, along with the croissant, just as George Cooper and Ryan O’Connell were leaving. George, briefcase in hand and his usual game face in place, stood on the porch talking to Dana, who’d positioned herself next to Otto’s favorite chair.
His throat tickled at the sight of the rocker. There’d be no more evenings spent under the night sky, drinking a beer with the old man, exchanging opinions on the ethics of breeding, because the number of pills in the small plastic bottle was tellingly sparse. The instructions totake as requiredsaid a lot, too.
Ryan was already in his truck, engine running. He leaned out of his window. “Go ahead and take the week off,” he said to Levi. “Let me know if there’s anything Otto or Dana needs.”
The Endeavour’s owner appeared to be confused as to Dana’s level of involvement. She’d be on her way to Billings in a bit. The tickle in his throat thickened.
Then, the tail end of what George was saying to Dana claimed his attention, and Ryan’s words made more sense.“If you stick around until after the will is read and the dust settles down, then Tanoa is yours.”
What the hell, Otto?
Dana looked as confused as he felt.
She pressed a palm to her chest and fingertips to the base of her throat. “But I owe Otto thirty thousand dollars.”
George gave her arm a light squeeze, offering reassurance that her hearing was fine. “Not if you stick around.”
Levi had no issues with Otto giving Dana a horse—Otto didn’t need the money and she’d take good care of Tanoa, for sure—but asking her to stay wasn’t right. She had her career to think about. And what was she supposed to do? Sleep on his floor? Because someone would have to stay in his cabin with him at night.
“Let me talk to Otto,” he said, bounding up the few steps to the porch.
“Not so fast.” George cut him off with a hand to his chest before he could reach the door. “You’ve got a similar deal. Stick around, help the new owners settle in, and Nova is yours. The specifics are in his will, but he gave me permission to disclose that information—and I quote—’to anyone who might give a damn.’”
A layer of worry encased Levi’s gut. Otto had cut Dana a good deal on Tanoa already. Between her horse and Nova, this would be the equivalent of a hundred thousand dollars he was giving away, and Levi couldn’t imagine Otto’s family being happy about it. Chances were good they’d give more than a damn.
“I don’t feel right about this,” Dana said, doubt in her eyes.
She looked to Levi as if seeking his opinion, but he didn’t have one. It was one thing for him to reassure her that it was okay for her to take Tanoa, because it was, except he didn’t feel right about taking Nova from Otto, either.
“He can give his horses away to anyone he wants,” George said. “You don’t get them for free, though,” he reminded them. “He expects you to help him out, and this is your payment in return. The will is more specific about the conditions attached, but from a legal perspective, the conditions are fair.”
They might be fair, but Otto hadn’t taken one or two things into consideration. “Dana has rodeo commitments.”
“Missing the next two or three won’t make much difference,” she said. “All I can realistically expect from this season is to maintain my pro status and maybe one or two larger paychecks. But are yousurethis is legal?” she said to George.
A slight smile erupted, lending humor to his response. He patted his briefcase. “The papers are signed and witnessed. A medical doctor has sworn to his mental fitness. It’s my job to be sure. And I am.”
“I should thank him.” She made a move toward the door of the cabin, but George stopped her, too.
“He asked to speak to Levi, and Levi’s the one with the medication. Why don’t you let him go first?” George gently suggested.
“Oh… Oh, of course. I wasn’t thinking.” Her cheeks took on the faint hue of a ripening peach. She stepped aside to make room for Levi to squeeze between them.
Levi could only assume that she hadn’t yet put Otto’s terms into context. They were going to have to stay here. Together. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, caring for the old man and his horses.
Or maybe he was the only one who saw it as a problem.
He remembered the croissant and coffee and passed them to her. “I thought you could use these.”
She juggled the to-go cup and the crumpled, white paper bag with the focused care of a weapons expert handling live explosives. She opened the bag cautiously, as if the contents might blow up any second. Then her face cleared, and long-lashed blue eyes lit with pleasure. She cast him a smile, blowing his brain to tiny pieces that settled south of his fly. “A chocolate croissant. Thank you.”
One brain cell continued to function. It slapped a few coworkers back to life, and together, they sent him a memo.You can bet this is going to be a problem for you, sir. And a mighty big one, at that.
