“I’m Just A Hired Girl,” She Sobbed — But The Rancher’s Children Begged Her Not To Leave
Chapter 5
By dawn, the snow had stopped.
Samuel spread every document he had across the kitchen table.
Mara sat opposite him.
The children slept upstairs.
They had finally fallen asleep just before sunrise.
Samuel hadn’t slept at all.
Neither had Mara.
“This is my father’s signature,” Samuel said.
He pointed to an old trust document.
“My father transferred the ranch into the Reed Family Trust twenty-seven years ago.”
“Who was the trustee?”
“My mother.”
“Is there a successor?”
Samuel scanned the page.
“No.”
Mara leaned closer.
“There.”
A small paragraph at the bottom.
Samuel read it twice.
His face went still.
“What?”
“If the trustee dies, control passes to the eldest surviving child.”
Mara looked at him.
“You’re the eldest.”
Samuel nodded.
“So the ranch is protected.”
“Not exactly.”
He reached for another document.
“The trust was dissolved six years ago.”
“Why?”
“I signed the dissolution.”
“Why?”
Samuel stared at the paper.
“I was told it was necessary for refinancing.”
Mara understood.
“Who told you?”
“The bank.”
“Which bank?”
Samuel looked at the foreclosure papers.
“Red Valley.”
Mara’s heart sank.
“Blackridge bought your debt from them.”
“Yes.”
“So they knew the trust was dissolved.”
“And they knew exactly how to take the ranch.”
Mara sat back.
“This was planned.”
Samuel didn’t answer.
A small sound came from the stairs.
Noah appeared.
“Daddy?”
Samuel immediately folded the documents.
“Go back upstairs.”
“Is Mara staying?”
Samuel looked at Mara.
She didn’t know what to say.
Noah’s eyes filled with tears.
“Please.”
Samuel looked away.
Mara touched Noah’s shoulder.
“I’ll stay today.”
Noah smiled.
“Promise?”
Mara nodded.
“Promise.”
He ran upstairs.
Samuel watched him disappear.
“You shouldn’t promise things you can’t keep.”
Mara looked at him.
“Then don’t make me break it.”
Their eyes met.
Something changed.
Neither spoke.
Then the phone rang.
Samuel answered.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice came through.
Mara couldn’t hear the words.
But she watched Samuel’s face.
“What do you want?”
Silence.
Samuel’s hand tightened around the phone.
“You killed my brother.”
Mara froze.
Samuel listened.
Then his expression hardened.
“You’re lying.”
He hung up.
“Who was it?”
Samuel looked at her.
“Caleb.”
“What did he say?”
“He said my brother isn’t the one who died.”
Mara’s stomach turned.
“What?”
Samuel looked at the old family photograph on the wall.
“The man buried twenty years ago wasn’t Caleb.”
“Then who was it?”
Samuel’s eyes moved to Mara.
“My father.”
Mara stared.
He continued.
“Caleb disappeared after my father’s death. My mother told everyone he was killed in a ranch accident.”
“And you believed her?”
“I was twenty-three.”
“You never questioned it?”
“I did.”
“Then why did you stop?”
Samuel looked down.
“Because Claire asked me to.”
Mara felt a chill.
“Your wife knew?”
“She knew everything.”
Mara stood.
“Then the photograph wasn’t just a warning.”
Samuel looked at her.
“It was a message.”
A loud engine roared outside.
Both turned toward the window.
Three black SUVs were coming up the driveway.
Samuel stood.
“Stay here.”
Mara shook her head.
“No.”
“Mara.”
“You said this was about the ranch.”
He looked at the vehicles.
“It is.”
She stared at him.
“No.”
Mara’s voice dropped.
“It’s about your family.”
The first SUV stopped.
Four men stepped out.
And the man leading them was the county banker who had approved Samuel’s foreclosure.
