Montana Reunion Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Soraya Lane
anytime soon.”
“Don’t think you can’t trust anyone
again, Maddie . Because then you’ll just end up
cynical and bitter like me.”
“Oh, Jack.” She refused to think of
him like that, not ever. “That’s not who you are. I know it and deep down so do
you.”
The mood changed between them, it
was impossible not to notice, but she tried her best to ignore it. All she
wanted was to be herself , to relax with Jack, and now
he looked like he was going to throw his plate across the room he was so angry
on her behalf.
She needed to change the subject,
talk to him instead of think about
him.
“Jack, you know when we were young,
how we could just talk about anything?”
“Or not talk, in my case,” he
smiled as he spoke. “That’s what I always liked most about you. That you would
sit beside me and not say a word, and it was exactly what I needed.”
Maddison had a warmth creeping into her body that she hadn’t
felt in a long time. A contentedness that she’d longed for without realizing
it. “Let’s talk about you. What’s going on, Jack? You said you had some
troubles?”
He ate a few mouthfuls of his
dinner, carefully cutting his chicken and covering it in gravy. She did the same.
That was what she did with Jack. She’d always taken his lead, waited him out,
knowing that he’d tell her what was on his mind when he was good and ready.
“You sure you want to hear my
problems?”
Hearing his issues was exactly what
she needed. Something else to focus on other than her own
soap opera of a life. “Shoot.”
He smiled, so gently, and she was
close enough to him to see the genuineness in his dark brown eyes. “Try not to
laugh, okay? Because this is going to blow you away.”
“Okay.” She had no idea what he was
going to say, but she agreed anyway.
“We had the reading of my father’s
will last week,” he said. “It’s a wonder you didn’t hear me cursing him from
L.A.”
“Oh no, don’t tell me he didn’t
leave you the ranch?” As if that would
have ever made her laugh.
Jack chuckled. “Oh no, he left me
the ranch. Just to me, like we always knew he would, but as soon as it’s mine
I’ll be transferring half ownership to my brother. So long as
he still agrees to come back here and work the land with me.”
Now she was confused. “So you have
the ranch and Scott’s coming back. Did I miss where I was supposed to laugh?”
“Oh no, wait for it.” Jack paused,
leaning back again. “He left a clause with his last will and testament,
that was read out in the lawyer’s office. He wanted it noted what a
disappointment I’d been to him, from letting my mom die to not having a wife
and family of my own.”
Maddison couldn’t believe it. “Once an asshole always an asshole, huh? I can’t believe he actually put that in there to be recited like that.” The old
bugger had blamed Jack for his mom’s death all these years, despite the fact
that he’d been a scared twelve year old boy who’d witnessed a horrific accident
and run for help. “Your mom would be more than proud of you, and that’s what
counts. You know that, right?”
He nodded, but she could tell it
was troubling him. That it upset him more than he would ever admit.
“But here’s the good part,” he
said, pushing his chair back so it leaned back on two legs. “To inherit, I have
to get married within the year. It’s bogus, because legally it won’t stand, but
I’ll still have to have the clause officially overturned, and that’ll take time
and money. Or I can just get married.”
Jack married ? Right now the thought of him with any woman , let alone married, had her tingling with… jealously. She
was jealous. How the hell would he find a wife that fast anyway?
“You know what would really make
him flip in his grave?” Jack had a twinkle in his eye that she remembered from
childhood, that glint that had warned her they were about to get into trouble.
“What, Jack?” she asked, eyes
locked on
“Don’t think you can’t trust anyone
again, Maddie . Because then you’ll just end up
cynical and bitter like me.”
“Oh, Jack.” She refused to think of
him like that, not ever. “That’s not who you are. I know it and deep down so do
you.”
The mood changed between them, it
was impossible not to notice, but she tried her best to ignore it. All she
wanted was to be herself , to relax with Jack, and now
he looked like he was going to throw his plate across the room he was so angry
on her behalf.
She needed to change the subject,
talk to him instead of think about
him.
“Jack, you know when we were young,
how we could just talk about anything?”
“Or not talk, in my case,” he
smiled as he spoke. “That’s what I always liked most about you. That you would
sit beside me and not say a word, and it was exactly what I needed.”
Maddison had a warmth creeping into her body that she hadn’t
felt in a long time. A contentedness that she’d longed for without realizing
it. “Let’s talk about you. What’s going on, Jack? You said you had some
troubles?”
He ate a few mouthfuls of his
dinner, carefully cutting his chicken and covering it in gravy. She did the same.
That was what she did with Jack. She’d always taken his lead, waited him out,
knowing that he’d tell her what was on his mind when he was good and ready.
“You sure you want to hear my
problems?”
Hearing his issues was exactly what
she needed. Something else to focus on other than her own
soap opera of a life. “Shoot.”
He smiled, so gently, and she was
close enough to him to see the genuineness in his dark brown eyes. “Try not to
laugh, okay? Because this is going to blow you away.”
“Okay.” She had no idea what he was
going to say, but she agreed anyway.
“We had the reading of my father’s
will last week,” he said. “It’s a wonder you didn’t hear me cursing him from
L.A.”
“Oh no, don’t tell me he didn’t
leave you the ranch?” As if that would
have ever made her laugh.
Jack chuckled. “Oh no, he left me
the ranch. Just to me, like we always knew he would, but as soon as it’s mine
I’ll be transferring half ownership to my brother. So long as
he still agrees to come back here and work the land with me.”
Now she was confused. “So you have
the ranch and Scott’s coming back. Did I miss where I was supposed to laugh?”
“Oh no, wait for it.” Jack paused,
leaning back again. “He left a clause with his last will and testament,
that was read out in the lawyer’s office. He wanted it noted what a
disappointment I’d been to him, from letting my mom die to not having a wife
and family of my own.”
Maddison couldn’t believe it. “Once an asshole always an asshole, huh? I can’t believe he actually put that in there to be recited like that.” The old
bugger had blamed Jack for his mom’s death all these years, despite the fact
that he’d been a scared twelve year old boy who’d witnessed a horrific accident
and run for help. “Your mom would be more than proud of you, and that’s what
counts. You know that, right?”
He nodded, but she could tell it
was troubling him. That it upset him more than he would ever admit.
“But here’s the good part,” he
said, pushing his chair back so it leaned back on two legs. “To inherit, I have
to get married within the year. It’s bogus, because legally it won’t stand, but
I’ll still have to have the clause officially overturned, and that’ll take time
and money. Or I can just get married.”
Jack married ? Right now the thought of him with any woman , let alone married, had her tingling with… jealously. She
was jealous. How the hell would he find a wife that fast anyway?
“You know what would really make
him flip in his grave?” Jack had a twinkle in his eye that she remembered from
childhood, that glint that had warned her they were about to get into trouble.
“What, Jack?” she asked, eyes
locked on