Ladd Springs (Ladd Springs, Book #1) (8 page)

“I
do,” Delaney replied and hated to put a damper on Ashley’s good mood, but she
was here with a purpose. Best to get to it and get on with it. “I have that
paper for you to sign.”

Without
a second’s hesitation, Ashley said, “Whip it out, Delly, and I’ll get my pen.” Ashley
snatched a dishtowel from the counter beside her and wiped the flour from her
hands.

“I
think you have to go to your bank to sign it. Something about it has to be
witnessed.”

“Not
a problem. I’ll put it over here in my ‘to do’ pile. I’m going to town
tomorrow, I’ll do it then.” Ashley stopped short. With hands to her hips, blue
eyes lined in black swamped with concern. “Why so glum, darlin’?”

Delaney
shrugged. “Ran into Annie at Ernie’s place on the way over here.”

“What’s
that wild cat want with the old coot now?”

Ashley
was Annie’s godmother and loved her like a daughter, but she called a skunk a
skunk and a young woman with a wild streak, exactly that—wild. Delaney sighed. “She’s
still making noise about getting the property for Casey.”

“It’ll
never happen,” Ashley said, all signs of light-hearted fun erased from her
tone. That property belongs to you and Felicity. She knows that.”

“I
don’t want it for me, Ashley. It’s for Felicity,” Delaney defended.

“I
know you say you don’t, but your momma’s spirit lives on that land and you need
to be there, to be close.” Ashley picked up a raw chicken breast and dredged
the prickly pale skin in a pan of flour, speckled with orange and black. Cajun
fried chicken was one of her specialties, and Delaney almost wished she could
stay for dinner. “It was important to Susannah that you live here ‘til your
dyin’ day. And she would have loved Felicity to do the same.”

Delaney’s
throat closed and she nodded.

“She
deserved half that property and she would have passed it on to you—you know as
well as I do, it’s true.”

“But
Jeremiah is entitled to his share, isn’t he?”

“He
was until he ran off with that little vixen and left his father to rot.” Ashley
patted the flour around the breast, filling in around the rib cage, packing it
onto the flaps of hanging skin, mincing no words when it came to family. “Whether
Casey is really Jeremiah’s offspring or not is irrelevant. As far as I reckon,
he surrendered his rights the day he deserted his father—whether the man
deserved his devotion or not.”

Delaney
rubbed a hand over her forehead. As much as she’d like to agree with Ashley,
she couldn’t. Legally speaking, Jeremiah could contest any will that didn’t
include him. Stood a better chance should Ernie die without one.

“Don’t
you fret, Delly. We’ll get this done. A deathbed promise will hold up in a
court of law. He wrote it down himself and I watched him do it.”

And
burned it three months later
. Grief at losing his sister had
overtaken Ernie in the beginning but eventually festered into hatred. He
couldn’t think straight, he couldn’t see straight. He could only feel the loss
of his sister—the one person in this world who cared about him had died. Wanting
to keep her close, Ernie buried his sister near the slope between his cabin and
hers. In his own weird rationale, it was his way of taking care of her, watching
over her. He built a wooden cross to mark the spot, even planted flowers. He
was pitiful—and over a loss he could have avoided.

After
a brief visit with Ashley, Delaney drove home. Predictably, Ashley had invited
her to stay, but she needed to get home, to be there for Felicity. Passing the
main house, Delaney fumed inwardly at the greedy hands working to massage Ernie
their way. Although she felt sorry for Annie and her pathetic past, Casey was
an illegitimate heir. Annie and Jeremiah had never married. Hell, they barely had
a relationship! He used her for his pleasure. He knew she’d be there any time
he snapped his fingers, and he took full advantage. To make matters worse, he
ran off to Atlanta with Annie’s sister Lacy, leaving Annie pregnant and alone.

But
Annie had been fairly loose back in the day. Casey could belong to anyone and
without a positive paternity test, Delaney was not willing to grant her rights
to Ladd Springs. As far as Clem went, Delaney would be damned if he got
anywhere near the title to the property.

Sure
as she was breathing, that man and his cohorts were up to no good in her forest,
and she would expose him to be the con artist she knew him to be. But first,
she had to secure the proof.

Chapter Eight

After
slipping her gun into the loop inside her boot, Delaney pulled her pant leg
down and stood. Felicity had already left for the day, getting an early start
on her history exam in first period. It was a study ethic to be envied and one
that earned her the partial scholarship to UT. But the scholarship didn’t cover
living expenses. It didn’t cover car insurance, gas or clothes, all of which
were expensive. Felicity offered to work, bless her heart, but Delaney was
against it. She’d have the rest of her life to work. Right now, she needed to
focus on her studies and her flute practice, and as her mother it was her job
to see that it happened. That it
all
happened.

Skipping
breakfast, Delaney headed for the stables. Most of today would be spent
working, but this afternoon she was going to learn once and for all what was
going on with Clem and his men—right after she retrieved Ashley’s signed
affidavit and delivered a copy of it to Ernie. If that didn’t put a bug in his
bottom, nothing would. And if her attorney was right, time was running out. The
property would go up for auction to settle the taxes, but she didn’t have the
cash to bid, though she knew someone who did.

There
was no doubt in her mind that Nick Harris had the money and would gladly step
in and scoop this property up for pennies on the acre, but he’d have to step
over her dead body before he could sign on the dotted line, and even then he’d better
be afraid she’d drag him down by the boot strap. This property belonged to
Felicity, not some stranger who solely wanted to profit from its riches.

When
Delaney finally made it home after her rounds, she turned into the driveway and
her heart sank. Nick’s car was parked in front of Ernie’s. Did the man ever
quit?

She
had business with Ernie and she could do without the complication of
him
.
As she rolled the truck alongside Felicity’s red compact, anger detonated in
her chest, as over by the wishing well, she saw Nick and Felicity were sitting
alone together.
Alone
.

Delaney
jammed the brakes, flung the gearshift into park and leaped out of the truck,
catching her knee hard against the door frame. Damn! That was going to leave a
mark. But despite the throb she stormed over to them, her pulse rampaging through
her veins. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Felicity
jumped to her feet, her eyes clouding with apprehension. “What?” She glanced
nervously between Nick and her mother.

Nick
rose slowly, his broad chest outlined by a tailored red button-down, his legs
long and solid in fitted blue jeans.

Delaney
pointed a finger in his face. Heat rose beneath her tank top, the air warm, the
sun passing in and out of clouds overhead. “You stay away from my daughter, do
you hear me?”

“Whoa,”
he said, holding palms up between them. His dark eyes took on a cautionary
alertness. “We’re just talking. I’m not causing any trouble here.” He glanced
at Felicity. “A friendly conversation, right?”

“Taking
advantage of a teenager? Really?” She looked to Felicity. “What’s he trying to
do—convince you to sell him the property?”

“No,
Mom—
honest
.” She chanced a timid glance up at him and said, “We were
just talking about the University of Tennessee.”

“You
have nothing more to say to him.”

“Why
don’t you let her decide that? She is eighteen, which makes her an adult in my
book.”

Delaney
grunted. “I want you off my property.
Now
.”

Nick
looked to Felicity, as if seeking her opinion, but she would not look at him. “Okay,
I’m going. Like I said, I’m not here to cause trouble.”

When
he didn’t budge, Delaney pressed, “Well? What are you waiting for?”

He
peered down at her with a quizzical expression. “Do you know the taxes haven’t
been paid on this property for the last three years?”

She
didn’t reply.

“And
that the clerk is scheduling this land to go up for sale at auction?”

She
knew it and didn’t need his reminders.

“Are
you willing to allow that to happen?” Nick glanced down at Felicity, currently
mired in a look of complete and total agony. The poor thing was caught square
in the middle and not of her own accord. Delaney knew full well that Felicity
would rather walk away from the land than allow it to cause a rift in the
family. Nick’s voice drew her back to him. Soft, sensible, it pulled at her. “You’re
willing to jeopardize her rights to ownership, the same ones you claim to be
fighting so hard for?”

Hot
sun splashed on her head and shoulders, setting fire to her ponytail and
flushed skin. Of course not! The last thing she wanted was for anyone to
jeopardize her rights, but as it stood, she had none. Knowing he could swoop in
and take everything didn’t help matters. “I said, ‘Get off my property,’”
Delaney repeated.

He
shook his head. “I think you two need to do some serious talking. I’m offering
you a way to keep this land and enough money to secure her education and your
future. Why are you so dead set against it?”

She
bristled. “Keep this land?” She flung an arm toward the forest. “A measly
hundred acres? That’s what you’re so proud to be offering?”

“Can
you afford the over thousand you have?”

Darn
right she could, but she wasn’t about to let him in on how. Delaney settled
hands to her hips and said directly, “I know men like you, Mr. Harris, and
you’re interested in one thing and one thing only—money. Yours.” She whipped a
finger toward Felicity. “You don’t care about us, and I don’t appreciate you pretending
otherwise.”

Nick
eased away from her and drew the sunglasses down from his head. “You must know
something I don’t know then, because you’re not making a whole lot of sense.”

“I
know about family and tradition and I know about loyalty. Values I imagine may
be foreign concepts to you, but around these parts they’re worth their weight
in gold.”

For
the first time, he smiled. Arrogant, comfortable with himself. “You don’t know
the first thing about me, Ms. Wilkins.”

“I
know enough.”

“You
don’t, but I’ll be happy to fill you in any time you’d like. Just say the word
and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

The
supple, intimate tone rattled her. Under any other circumstance, it was an
invitation she might accept, he a man she might like to entertain. But not when
he was trying to get her land. She couldn’t. “Let’s go, Felicity.” Delaney reached
out and took her daughter by the arm. “If you’ll excuse us.”

Without
waiting for a reply, Delaney steered Felicity’s slender figure straight over to
Ernie’s cabin, her temper clanging between Nick’s audacity at approaching her
daughter and the extent of his knowledge about the property auction. If she had
any reservations about what was at stake, she didn’t anymore. Nick Harris had
his eye on the tax deed and Ernie was going to hear about it.

“Mom,
I’m sorry,” Felicity whined at her side. “I didn’t know you’d be mad if I
talked to him.”

“I
don’t blame you, honey, I blame him.” She loosened her grip on Felicity’s arm,
a sudden stream of guilt washing through her.

“But
he seems like a nice guy.”

Delaney
heard the question unspoken.
Why did you have to be so rude to him
?

Felicity
was an innocent. She didn’t understand the way people manipulated and twisted. She
saw what she wanted to see, what she understood. Her daughter couldn’t fathom
deceit. She couldn’t fathom greed and underhanded dealing. It wasn’t in her
nature. It wasn’t who she was, and Delaney wasn’t about to taint her heart with
it now. “Mr. Harris wants to buy the property and turn it into a hotel.”

“I
know. He told me. He wants to make it a hotel and spa, called Serenity Springs,
like all the others he owns.”

She
turned to Felicity, her spine jarred as she stepped on a large rock and stopped.
“How long have you two been sitting there?”

“Not
long. But he told me most of this yesterday at Fran’s.”

Panic
stabbed her side. “He followed you to Fran’s?”

Felicity
rolled her eyes. “He didn’t
follow
me. I was there eating lunch and so
was he. He introduced himself and told me about his plans.”

Thank
goodness they were in public, was all Delaney could think. She’d go see Fran
tomorrow and get the real deal on what transpired between the two. Fran Jones
was more than diner owner. She was the town’s source for information and there
was no doubt in Delaney’s mind that Fran had noticed the tall, dark stranger
speaking to Felicity. Nothing got past the woman and she would spill the
goods—willingly. “What else did he tell you?”

“That
he wants to give us land to live on, and enough money for my college.” She hesitated.
“That’s good, right? Then we wouldn’t have to cut all those trees down?”

Delaney’s
heart split. Felicity was focused on the trees instead of the forest. She was
irrationally bound by the image of tree stumps instead of taking in the big
picture. Delaney brushed the loose curls from Felicity’s eyes and said,
“Sweetheart, if we sell to him, we’ll have sealed the fate of this land, a fate
far worse than a few trees. We’ll have lost control of our legacy, our future.”

“But
we don’t need a thousand acres to live on. A hundred is enough, isn’t it? You
could have your horses, we could still back up to the forest.”

Ladd
Springs was so much more to Delaney than a place to live. It was home, yes, but
it was history. It was her childhood, her mother’s childhood and her mother
before her. This was Ladd land, her family birthright. But staring into
delicate, trusting eyes, she feared her child would not understand. “This
property belongs to us, to you. I’m giving Uncle Ernie a chance to do the right
thing.”

“What
if he doesn’t?”

“He
will.” Ernie Ladd was a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them. He
wouldn’t lose this property to a tax sale. In the end, Delaney believed he’d do
what was right by his sister and pass it down the line.

“Delaney!”

She
and Felicity turned at the sound of his voice bellowing from the porch.

“Get
over here!” he hollered, and like a man expecting to be minded, he sought out
the nearest rocker and dropped to a seat.

“Time
to pay our respects,” she said, a sweep of anticipation zipping through her.

Delaney
retrieved Ashley’s affidavit from the front seat of her truck and met Felicity
on the porch. She intentionally refused to make eye contact with Nick as he
passed her en route to his car. She didn’t want him to mistake her attention as
second thought.

She
couldn’t afford second thoughts.

Envelope
in hand, she hustled up the steps and briefly wondered where Albert was. Usually
he was molded into a chair beside his brother. He sure as heck didn’t have
anything else to do.

“I
have the paper from Ashley,” Delaney said and handed it over.

“Keep
your paper. I’ve got one for you, instead.”

Her
surprise was swift. “A paper for me?”

“Here.”
He shoved it her way with one hand, the other clutching his pipe between bony
fingers.

Handing
her envelope to Felicity, Delaney reached for his manila file folder and opened
it. Scanning the document in short order, she looked at him. “No deal.” She
slid the piece of paper into the folder and gave it back.

But
Ernie wouldn’t take it. “You’re a fool if you don’t.”

“I’m
no fool, Ernie and neither are you.”

He
muttered under his breath, but nothing audible. Delaney took her document from
Felicity and handed it to Ernie. “Ashley has signed a sworn affidavit that says
she saw you write down your promise to my mother about giving this property to
Felicity.”

Ernie
glared at her, bitterness dripping from his gaze. If he’d been an ax murderer,
her head would be rolling on the ground.

“Mom
wanted this land for me and Felicity and you told her you’d do it. You should
be happy that I’m relieving you of the pain of giving anything to me.” Delaney
gestured toward Felicity, hating that she had to hear any of this ugly
business. But to deprive her? It was unthinkable.

“There
ain’t no such paper,” he said to her, sidestepping Felicity’s gaze as best he
could.

“There
was until you destroyed it.”

Ernie
grew very quiet. He flicked a glinty eye toward Felicity then settled his wrath
on Delaney. “You’re nothin’ but a greedy gold-digger. Ever since you took up
with Jack Foster, you showed your true colors.”

“Felicity,
go on up to the cabin,” Delaney directed. “I’ll catch up with you.”

Felicity
didn’t hesitate. With a curt nod, she scrambled off the porch and up to their
cabin. Her mother’s cabin. Susannah’s cabin.