Read Letter Perfect ( Book #1) for Free Online Page B

tock of the wall clock’s pendulum was the only sound in the room as he silently read the will. Finally he grimaced, glanced up, and gave Joshua a strained look.
    “Miss Caldwell, there was a gentlemen’s agreement. A few of us were aware of it, but for the sake of your father’s dignity, it wasn’t written down. Your father’s remedy for it was contained in his last will and testament.” He picked up the paper and read aloud, “‘Since I made other financial arrangements for my wife, Leticia Porter-Caldwell, she is to receive nothing from my estate. As there was no issue from our marriage, I hereby bequeath all of my possessions, both real and personal, as well as my portion of Broken P including lock, stock, and barrel in equal portion to Joshua McCain Senior and Junior.”’
    Ruth Caldwell didn’t react.
    Joshua’s blood ran cold as Rick set down the legal document and placed his hand on it, as if to obscure the words. “This will is now invalid since we’ve established you exist, Miss Caldwell.”
    Joshua unfolded from his chair and gritted his teeth. He paced as far away from her as he could get, stared out the window, and didn’t say a word. He wasn’t a man to cuss or drink, but if he were, he’d be doing plenty of both right about now. Instead, he held his tongue and searched his mind for a way to handle this devastating blow. Later on, he and God were going to have to hold a lengthy conversation about this.
    “I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Miss Caldwell said softly.
    Joshua wheeled around. “What he’s saying, Miss Caldwell, is that you’ve just inherited a chunk of my family’s ranch.”

C HAPTER F OUR

    I mpossible,” Ruth said. She looked from one man to the other. Her gaze kept swinging back to the black-haired cowboy. His hazel eyes commanded attention—the golden centers had glittered with intelligence earlier; now they burned with fury. Pointing out the obvious to him felt ridiculous, but it had to be done. She crumpled her hankie into a ball and said, “In case it escaped your notice, I’m a woman. Women cannot own land.”
    “They do in California,” the attorney informed her.
    Confessing her shortcomings ought to be second nature by now, but Ruth still hated to parade her flaws. Nonetheless, she had to admit, “I’m an unmarried woman, not a widow.”
    “We guessed that.” Joshua McCain’s dry tone hovered in the room.
    The attorney leaned across his desk. “The rest of the nation based property laws on English common law, where a widow is permitted to keep her dowering portion of the marital property or a woman can inherit if a gentleman oversees the funds or property; California constitution took the Spanish heritage of allowing women of single, married, or widowed status to own property in their own right.”
    Ruth stared at him for a moment before she realized her mouth was hanging wide open. She snapped her jaw shut.
    “The will specifically states the marriage was without issue.” The attorney’s voice sounded more than reasonable, but Ruth picked up on the strained undercurrents as he went on to explain himself. “The property was divided in accordance with that belief. Since the division was predicated on a falsehood, what we need to do is establish your true identity.”
    “Look at her.” Joshua McCain waved a callused hand at her. “She’s Alan Caldwell in a dress.”
    Once again Ruth found herself gaping. She spluttered, “Sir!”
    “I mean … well, there’s no mistaking she’s her father’s daughter,” Joshua stated.
    “It remains, I’d be remiss in not tracing the paper work,” the attorney persisted.
    “Very well.” Suddenly beyond weary, Ruth decided to humor the man just to get all of this taken care of. Then she’d go to the hotel, bathe, and sleep for a week. “What do you require?”
    “Something official. If you happen to have a birth certificate, that would be the best.”
    She shook her head. “My birth is recorded in