Abandoned at 19, She Met the West’s Richest Cowboy—And He Refused to Let Her Go
Chapter 4
The ranch faced a serious problem that winter.
A cattle disease spread through nearby properties.
Ethan’s ranch remained unaffected.
But several neighboring ranches lost animals.
Then the state announced new restrictions.
Ethan would have to reduce livestock movement.
It could cost him millions.
Clara noticed the ranch workers were worried.
Ethan stayed calm.
“We’ll manage.”
But she saw the financial reports.
The ranch couldn’t absorb another major loss.
She began studying the numbers.
One night, she found an old ledger.
The property taxes were unusually high.
She compared the records with county assessments.
Something was wrong.
“Ethan.”
He looked up.
“What?”
“You’re being overcharged.”
“For what?”
“Property taxes.”
He looked skeptical.
She showed him the numbers.
The ranch had been assessed using development values rather than agricultural values.
The difference was enormous.
“Who changed it?”
“I don’t know.”
Ethan called his accountant.
The accountant admitted there had been an error.
But it wasn’t accidental.
Someone had requested the reassessment.
Ethan looked at Clara.
“Who?”
They investigated.
The request came from a development company.
The same company that wanted to purchase part of Ethan’s land.
Clara discovered something else.
The company was also purchasing water rights from neighboring ranches.
Ethan’s property contained the last major water source they needed.
“They want your water.”
He nodded.
“And they know you’re vulnerable.”
Clara pointed toward the tax assessment.
“They’re trying to force you into selling.”
Ethan became silent.
“They nearly destroyed my father this way.”
“How?”
“They inflated taxes until he couldn’t pay.”
Clara looked at him.
“Your father was targeted too.”
“Yes.”
She understood.
The ranch wasn’t just a business.
It was the last piece of his family.
Clara dug deeper.
She discovered that the development company had connections to Daniel.
Her former fiancé.
She stared at the document.
Ethan noticed.
“What’s wrong?”
“He’s involved.”
Daniel had not returned because he missed her.
He had returned because Ethan’s ranch stood in the way of a development deal.
The betrayal became even clearer.
He hadn’t just abandoned Clara.
He had chosen money.
Again.
Ethan took the document.
“You don’t have to deal with this.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“Because they don’t just want your land.”
He looked at her.
“They want to make sure you lose it.”
Ethan smiled faintly.
“Then we make sure they don’t.”
The ranch had become a battlefield.
And Clara had just found the one thing that could save it.
