it was her life.” Palmer handed him a thick envelope. “I’ve looked into the Carter ranch. And you’re right, it’s too good a deal to pass up. Consider that a wedding present.”
Jace tried to hand it back to him. “Palmer, I just wanted a loan to get the cattle. I can make payments. You don’t have to purchase them for us.”
“I didn’t. I purchased the ranch. And it’s yours.” Jace looked at Holly, then at him again. “There are no stipulations on the ranch, Jace. It’s yours. If you want to live there with my daughter, I’m all right with that as well. You were right, it’s a good deal. This was purchased before today, and in my mind a long time before that. Like I said, you’re a good man. Honest and trustworthy. All the Douglas men are. And if you’d see your way to make me a grandda a couple of times before I pass from this world to the next, you’ll make me even happier.”
“I’ll never hurt her. Not with any kind of maliciousness.” He said he knew that. “And I would very much like to live there with her. I’m not sure about the marrying part just yet. We’re still working things out—like how to tell a shifter from a real animal—but I’m happy to have her in my life.”
“You can tell the difference?” Holly sat up and looked at them both. “And I don’t know about living together either, if anyone cares for my two cents worth.”
Jace stood up when she did. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her while she trembled. She’d scared herself as well as them. Jace lifted her chin up and kissed her gently on the mouth.
“Please don’t help an animal again unless he talks to you, okay?” She nodded and he brushed away the tears that fell over her cheeks. “You are the most amazing person I know. But you are also the scariest.”
“Thanks. My dad tells me that all the time.” She laid her head on his chest. “But I’m starving. Do you think your aunt can fix me something to eat? I could eat a bear.”
As she walked away, he looked over at Palmer, who was laughing. After a few seconds, Jace joined him. Christ, she was going to put him in an early grave at this rate.
Chapter 7
Palmer headed to the bank early the next morning. He didn’t have any money in this one, but he was going for the show. And he figured it was going to be one hell of a show. As soon as he entered, he took one of the seats intended for the people opening an account or applying for a loan. Palmer thought there hadn’t been a great deal of use for these seats in a long time.
The town was dying. Not slowly either. In the past five years, maybe less, there were fewer and fewer people coming into town, and even less were moving in. He blamed it on the fact that people didn’t want to farm much anymore, but it had taken his daughter looking into things to make him realize it was the town, not the economics.
He’d had a few inquiries made since then too. First and foremost was the bank. Then there was the feed mill and the loan offices. All three of them were corrupt. Not to mention he’d found that they were all owned and operated by Rogers. Nigel Rogers should have been put behind bars, not behind a desk.
He saw the two men come in just as Rogers was going into his office. If either of them saw him, they ignored him. They didn’t work for him, but he’d talked to them before on other business dealings that he’d had. These particular two men were not ones to fuck with. He was sure just as these two were asking to see Rogers, there were many more at Rogers’ home as well. The man was about to get the worst kind of audit.
When someone sat down next to him, Palmer smiled. Ed wiped his brow with his handkerchief and smiled back. Ed Clarke was another person that Palmer would not fuck around with.
“What have I missed?” About then they heard a shout from the office. “I guess I’m right on time.”
Palmer watched as Rogers was led out of the bank by the two men. He wasn’t in cuffs
Jace tried to hand it back to him. “Palmer, I just wanted a loan to get the cattle. I can make payments. You don’t have to purchase them for us.”
“I didn’t. I purchased the ranch. And it’s yours.” Jace looked at Holly, then at him again. “There are no stipulations on the ranch, Jace. It’s yours. If you want to live there with my daughter, I’m all right with that as well. You were right, it’s a good deal. This was purchased before today, and in my mind a long time before that. Like I said, you’re a good man. Honest and trustworthy. All the Douglas men are. And if you’d see your way to make me a grandda a couple of times before I pass from this world to the next, you’ll make me even happier.”
“I’ll never hurt her. Not with any kind of maliciousness.” He said he knew that. “And I would very much like to live there with her. I’m not sure about the marrying part just yet. We’re still working things out—like how to tell a shifter from a real animal—but I’m happy to have her in my life.”
“You can tell the difference?” Holly sat up and looked at them both. “And I don’t know about living together either, if anyone cares for my two cents worth.”
Jace stood up when she did. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her while she trembled. She’d scared herself as well as them. Jace lifted her chin up and kissed her gently on the mouth.
“Please don’t help an animal again unless he talks to you, okay?” She nodded and he brushed away the tears that fell over her cheeks. “You are the most amazing person I know. But you are also the scariest.”
“Thanks. My dad tells me that all the time.” She laid her head on his chest. “But I’m starving. Do you think your aunt can fix me something to eat? I could eat a bear.”
As she walked away, he looked over at Palmer, who was laughing. After a few seconds, Jace joined him. Christ, she was going to put him in an early grave at this rate.
Chapter 7
Palmer headed to the bank early the next morning. He didn’t have any money in this one, but he was going for the show. And he figured it was going to be one hell of a show. As soon as he entered, he took one of the seats intended for the people opening an account or applying for a loan. Palmer thought there hadn’t been a great deal of use for these seats in a long time.
The town was dying. Not slowly either. In the past five years, maybe less, there were fewer and fewer people coming into town, and even less were moving in. He blamed it on the fact that people didn’t want to farm much anymore, but it had taken his daughter looking into things to make him realize it was the town, not the economics.
He’d had a few inquiries made since then too. First and foremost was the bank. Then there was the feed mill and the loan offices. All three of them were corrupt. Not to mention he’d found that they were all owned and operated by Rogers. Nigel Rogers should have been put behind bars, not behind a desk.
He saw the two men come in just as Rogers was going into his office. If either of them saw him, they ignored him. They didn’t work for him, but he’d talked to them before on other business dealings that he’d had. These particular two men were not ones to fuck with. He was sure just as these two were asking to see Rogers, there were many more at Rogers’ home as well. The man was about to get the worst kind of audit.
When someone sat down next to him, Palmer smiled. Ed wiped his brow with his handkerchief and smiled back. Ed Clarke was another person that Palmer would not fuck around with.
“What have I missed?” About then they heard a shout from the office. “I guess I’m right on time.”
Palmer watched as Rogers was led out of the bank by the two men. He wasn’t in cuffs
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