Cut and Run 6 - Stars and Stripes

originally Garrett land, deeded to the Carters when we married as a dowry. Your mother inherited it and it folded back into the Garrett Ranch. Now, if something like, say, divorce papers got filed, the Carter half would revert back into the Garrett name, and that half is in my name alone. Beverly would walk away with nothing.”
    Zane gaped, unable to say anything.
    Harrison smirked. “We Garretts, we may be a lot of things, but we ain’t stupid.”
    “Jesus, Dad.”
    “Now, Beverly knows all that, and she knows if she raises a hand against you, or speaks against Ty as long as you’re with him, I got no need for her.”
    “So . . . I own the Garrett half, and you own the Carter half?”
    “That’s right. Meaning, one day, you’ll own the whole thing.”
    Zane opened his mouth to speak, but failed. He’d never had any inkling the Garrett half of the ranch was the ranch in power. His mother always ruled the roost as if her family’s money fed it. It made sense now, all those years of her heavy-handed ways; she was compensating for having no monetary importance in the alliance of the families. Harrison’s mellow temperament made it easy for her to control things, and her savvy business sense had made it a good arrangement.
    Now, though, Harrison was flexing his muscle. And it was a lot of muscle.
    “Dad,” Zane whispered. He shook his head.
    “Your granddaddy wanted you to have it, wanted you to know you had a place, no matter what.”
    “What about Annie?”
    “He left a significant cash inheritance for her. And I’ll do the same when I pass. She and Mark used it to set up her vet business. But the ranch follows the Garrett name.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    Harrison sighed and leaned back in the chair. “I wanted you to live the life you wanted, Z. Texas held more bad memories for you than good. Becky was gone, Beverly wouldn’t leave you alone, and I knew here was the last place you wanted to be. But if you’d found out, you would have dropped it all and come back here, no matter how miserable it made you in the end, simply because it was your granddaddy’s doing.”
    Zane inhaled sharply, trying to swallow down the swell of emotion. “Yeah. You’re probably right.”
    “Well. Now you know. The Garrett Ranch, and the Garrett name, are yours to do with what you will. The envelope’s got copies of all the legal paperwork, banking information and so on, but there’s really nothing you have to do. Beverly and I got it all set up to sustain itself and then some. I just need a few new hands, is all. Just like Cody.”
    Zane laughed in surprise at his father’s rueful words.
    Harrison winced. “Too soon?”
    “Probably.”
    “Ah, well. Three-quarters of profits are folded back into operations, the other quarter splits into three accounts: one for Annie, one for Sadie, and one for you to do whatever you want with.”
    They sat in silence for long minutes while Zane tried to let it sink in.
    “What about you, Dad?” he finally asked.
    “What about me?”
    “If the Garrett Ranch is mine, and Mother is . . . what do you have?” Zane was sure there were more questions to ask, but that one loomed large.
    Harrison waved a hand. “What do I need when I’m running the place anyway? I got a son and daughter who love me. I got a grandbaby whose eyelashes are going to take over the world someday. And I have my horses.” He leaned forward and covered Zane’s hand with his own. “Don’t worry about me, Z.”
    Zane laughed despite himself. “And I thought I was a stubborn ass.”
    “You come by it honest.” Harrison sighed and patted Zane’s hand a couple times, and then glanced up at the loft. Zane could hear the topic change coming a mile away. Harrison met his eyes and smiled. “You hang onto him with everything you’ve got. Not every man gets a second chance.”
    Zane eyes strayed to the loft, where Ty probably still lay sprawled on the bed. Zane smiled as the warmth of contentment spread through him. “I know.”

    They lucked into plane tickets that took a short hop from Austin to Houston, and then carried on in a single leg to Charleston, West Virginia. Zane even upgraded himself and Ty into first class.
    They both looked like they’d been dragged behind a tractor, and trudging through the airport in Houston didn’t help either of them. As they sat waiting for the connection, they watched the local news about the heroic tiger outside of Austin and sank lower in their seats.