Half a Dozen...Horses? Book 1

Half a Dozen...Horses? Chapter 16...

New Chappy hehehe

Enjoy xxxx

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Chapter 16...

After Jim and Dani settled in the study, Dani found herself once again in the hot seat as she had been with the Sheriff, only this time Jim sat calmly next to her, with his arm slung over the back of the sofa behind her, glaring at Mr Colbert.  There was no love loss either from Mr Colbert as he arranged his files and documents on the table between them, doing so with and intense frown directed at Jim.

A sharp elbow in Jim's rib and a harsh throat clearing brought the men's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Yes well, obviously this isn't the most ideal setting to be having this kind of conversation for anyone, but I'll try to keep it a smooth as possible." Mr Colbert explained ruffling his papers again.  "Before we get onto the will and the estate matters, your parents instructed me to hand this to you."  He added passing her a sealed brown A4 padded envelope.  "I believe the content will be self explanatory.

Dani taking the envelope, stared blankly down at the first letter that had ever been addressed to her, knowing that it would also be the very last correspondence she would ever receive from her parents made her unsure if she was ready to open it.

"Am I supposed to open it now?"  She mumbled back.

 "I think that's the idea Hun!"  Mr Colbert replied smoothly.  Dani glanced at Jim who gave her an encouraging nod and calmly ran his hand in slow circles up her back, almost as if to give her the added strength she required.  On the count of three in her head she flipped he envelope over, noted the signature written across the seal, and torn it open to peek inside.  With another glance at Jim she dumped the contents onto the sofa between them, quickly separating the items.

 "Is that a birth certificate?"  Jim asked pointing to one of the documents she was holding.

"Yea mine... and my parent's."  She listed as she sorted, "Their Marriage Certificate, some insurance documents and what looks like a property deed to...hmm..." A small gasp.  "...The Kennedi Ranch."

"Ah, that's where that got to I was so worried I had somehow misplaced it."  Mr Colbert beamed and relaxed visibly sinking back into his seat.  "I must say that is quite a relief."

"Oh why?"

 "Just because it completes all the estate documents, that's all."

 "Oh right."  Dani placed the pile of documents into a neat pile and put them to the side reaching for a small key and another smaller envelope.  Dani examined the key for a minute and then holding onto it in her hand as she sliced open the letter.  Dani froze as she took in the neat handwriting and then sprung to her feet, pacing as she breathed through the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

 "Dani Girl...?"

 "I'm ok Jim, it just hit me."  She took a deep calming breath in and slowly released it as she moved back to her seat. Dani angled her back towards Jim, much to Mr Colbert's amusement, and started reading, at the end of the first page her eye's flickered briefly to him before returning to the letter.  By the end of the four page letter, tears were running freely down her cheeks, Jim handed her a tissue and she quickly wiped her eye's dry, casting a small smile in his direction.  Then folded the letter again and put back in its envelope.  Jim opened the bigger envelope for Dani to slip the letter back inside but she hesitated at its opening, then quickly slipped it into Jim shirt pocket instead, placing his hand over it for safe keeping.  Jim watched her features for a moment before nodding and removing the letter, folding it in half and slipping it into his back pocket without another word.  Dani took another deep breath and examine the key again, as she rotated it through her fingers.  Seconds later she hand it too to Jim and then promptly gathered all the other documents together and slide them back into the original envelope and placed it on the table in front of her.