Claiming Her Cowboy

Lucy glanced around the room. Had she missed something here? Why was he so irritated?

“Visiting the ranch is out of the question, Ms....” He faltered for a moment. Clearly, he’d forgotten her name.

“Maxwell. Lucy Maxwell.”

“Ms. Maxwell, I can’t—won’t—leave my aunt.” Harris gathered up his papers and stood without sparing another glance in her direction.

Lucy folded her hands and willed herself not to panic.

The other boot had officially dropped.

* * *

“Jackson? Is Lucy gone?” Meredith asked from the doorway of the great room.

Jack turned from the tall window that overlooked the front lawn and circular drive. “If she drives a beat-up mustard-colored Honda, then yes, Aunt Meri, she’s gone.”

Lucy Maxwell. He shook his head. He’d never met anyone like her before. A sunflower. That was exactly what she reminded him of, with that cap of dark hair and round chocolate-brown eyes, along with a smattering of freckles on her golden face. A petite woman, she wore a pale yellow dress along with red hand-tooled cowboy boots. When she walked, the dress fluttered around her calves, capturing his attention, whether he liked it or not. And he did not. Con artists came in pretty packages too, he reminded himself. He’d been taken in once before, and even put a ring on her finger. Never again.

“When will you start at the ranch?” Meredith asked.

“Hmm?” He blinked and met her gaze.

“What are you thinking about?” His aunt smiled. “Lucy, perhaps?”

“What? No.” He gave his aunt his full attention. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked when you will be heading to Big Heart Ranch.”

He paused for a moment at the question, planning his strategy. “I’m not leaving you to spend time observing a ranch.”

“Oh?” She smiled. “Then you’re approving the original donation amount?”

Jack crossed the room and put an arm around his aunt’s thin shoulders. “Aunt Meri, you know you’re my favorite aunt.”

She chuckled. “I’m your only aunt.”

He grinned. “True. And while you are as generous as you are kind, you can’t give away the foundation money to every shyster that comes along.”

Meredith gasped. Her sharp blue eyes blazed, taking him back to his childhood days of misbehaving and facing his aunt’s wrath. She had never hesitated to serve up well-deserved punishment for his crimes. Jack took a step back when she straightened to her full five-foot-nothing height.

“Lucy Maxwell is not a shyster!”

“What do you really know about the woman, Aunt Meri?”

“What I know is that the bulk of the foundation’s income is from mineral and oil rights. My husband inherited those rights from his great-great-grandfather, who was one-half Osage Indian. The foundation was set up to ensure that the funds were invested locally.” She pinned her gaze on her nephew. “Big Heart Ranch is as local as it gets, and they are an investment in this community’s future.”

He wasn’t going to point out that she hadn’t answered his question. Instead, he tried another tactic.

“You’ve proposed nearly doubling the donation to this ranch. Why?”

His aunt narrowed her eyes and exhaled sharply. “Have you been talking to your father?”

“What makes you say that?”

“He’s made it quite clear that he believes I’m not fit to manage the foundation. Oh, he thinks he’s being subtle, sending you out here as in-house counsel, but I know what he’s up to.”

“Aunt Meri, Dad’s concerned about your health, that’s all.”

She offered a harrumph at his words. “I’ll tell you what I told him, Jackson. Vertigo does not equal diminished mental capacity.”

“What about the chemo?”

“My treatments are completed and I’ve been given a clean bill of health by my physicians. The cancer is in remission. Shall we have my oncologist contact your father?”

“Aunt Meri, please don’t get upset. The bottom line is I’m here as the foundation’s attorney. Not to inspect a ranch in Timber.”

“I don’t see why you can’t do both. They have internet and telephones at the ranch, so you’ll be able to stay in touch. My assistant has all the numbers. Besides, while the ranch is on the outskirts of Timber, you’re still only twenty minutes away.”

“Twenty minutes is forever if you need me.”

She paused and gave him a hard, assessing glance. “What are you really doing in Oklahoma, Jackson? You’ve been in New York since forever. I have a hard time believing your father didn’t pressure you to come out here.”

“Not at all. Dad would never do that.”

“Oh, please. Your father could talk a peacock out of his feathers.”

He laughed. She was right, he’d give her that. Except the truth was more complicated. His father did want him to check on his aunt. It was a coincidence that Jack desperately needed a change of scenery.

“He told me the position was open, and you were vetting candidates. Perhaps it was... What’s that saying of yours? A God thing.”

Her expression said she didn’t believe him for a second. “You made it clear once you left for college that you prefer the big-city skyscrapers over the red clay of Oklahoma. You’ve been gone a long time. What happened to make you quit your job and take on the foundation position?”

“Let’s just say that I’m reevaluating my options.”

“In my day, a man like you would have been considered a catch. Why haven’t you settled down, Jackson?”

“Aunt Meri, I’m not much of a family man.”

“What does your fiancée say about that? Isn’t she still one of your options?”

“That’s over.”

She slowly shook her head and glanced past him, out the window. “I’m so sorry to hear that. What happened?”

“Let’s just say she was more interested in my wallet than me.”

“Ahh, so that’s why you’re being so hard on Lucy.”