Deadly Inheritance (completed)

Chapter 1

"You're first as owner Charlie. What are we naming her?" Pops asks as I crawl over and help wipe her down.

"You name her, Pops." I say softly. I can't do it. I'm choked up. I haven't seen a birth in so long.

"Charming Charlie, I think fits." Pops grins at me and I hear Ryan snort as he hits his hat against his leg. "Ryan, this is Charlie Layton, Gramps granddaughter."

"I know who she is. So you birthed a horse and seen the ranch. Now, go back to where you came from and leave us to it." Ryan growled and walked out.

"Ryan!" Pops yelled, but I touched my hand to his arm and shook my head. I deserved that one, but it's the only free swipe at me he's gonna get.

I made it back to the main house and carried in my laptop and suitcase. Looking around not much has changed. It was basically a large room that was separated into different areas. Other than the bedrooms and bathroom the living room and kitchen was joined. I laid my laptop on the dining room table and looked at the old desk covered in bills and invoices and documents that I would need to sort through. I looked over at the kitchen and could remember seeing my grandma cooking there morning and night. That was her domain. She was the one who taught me to cook, the reason I pursued my catering business and the reason I love to cook. I use only her recipes. She used to cook every holiday meal for all the hands and she would have a full house. Her family was everyone on this ranch. My parents were never missed. I wonder if I ever was.

Walking over I grab my suitcase and carry it to the bedroom. Setting it down I smile at the pictures on the walls. Of the hands, of my parents and grandparents and me. Everyone was important in their lives were here. My eyes were burning. I haven't let myself cry yet. It's not been time. I've been so busy and had so much to think about and deal with and now with these decisions of what I should do with this ranch. I have one week to decide. What am I going to do? How do you say goodbye to your past in a week? What happens to the hands and the animals and Little Miss and Charming Charlie? How do I make these kinds of decisions?

I go into the bathroom and strip down, I need a shower and a good night sleep before I can do anything. Turning on the hot water I step in under the hot spray and sigh. I bet my Gramps left a bottle of whiskey around here somewhere. That sounds good right now. I clean up and dry off and change into some yoga pants and a hoodie then go on my hunt in the kitchen, I'm bent over searching through the lower cabinets when I hear the front door open. Turning around I see Ryan staring at me.

Ryan

I wasn't expecting to see her again tonight. Nope, I'm standing here staring at her and she's not the social city bitch that I left in the stables. Her hair still damp, but down in natural waves long down her back. Her face is clear of any makeup and I can see that she obviously doesn't need to wear it. She's stunning without it. She's wearing a fucking hoodie and those tight exercise pants that show off a woman's ass, and damn if I didn't walk in when she was bending over just right in the kitchen. Those pants showed off her ass so much better than that skirt and high heels did. Now she's standing there looking at me. Like I'm the one trespassing. Fuck! I probably am. It's her house now.

Christ, I was rude as fuck when I walked out of the stables. You'd think the girl would be a little pissed off at me for being such a dick. Nope she's smiling at me. Like she knows I want do some things to her that my Pops would string me up for. I don't like any of this and I'm really not liking the fact that I'm standing here with a hard on for the woman that's about to put me out of a job. What the fuck is wrong with me?

"Ryan? You okay? Can I help you with something?" Charlie asks as she takes a step towards me.

Damn! she's tiny. I didn't realize how small she was. She reminds me of Stella. Same beautiful blue eyes. Shit! Get it together! She's selling the ranch you idiot!

"Sorry, I'm just dropping off some papers for tomorrow." I tell her and walk over to the desk. Setting down the paperwork then quickly turn to leave the way I came.

"Ryan? Do you by chance have any whiskey you're willing to share?" She asks I can hear the hope in her voice. "Or know where Gramps hid his?"

I smirk, whiskey, huh? I took her for a wine drinker or one of those fruity drinks. I walk back over to the old desk and open the bottom drawer and pull out a bottle of whiskey. It's dusty and hasn't been touched in a while but it'll still have a good kick to it. I know I've had a drink of it when I got the news of Gramps passing. Pops and I shared a drink in his honor. I held out the bottle for her. She looks like she needs it.

"Thank you." Her voice is smooth and soft. Her eyes stay on the bottle like she recognizes it. Maybe she does. "I sent him this for Christmas last year." Shit! This was from her? Well she knows her whiskey. "Would you like to join me?"

"I've still got some work to do." I tell her. Drinking with her isn't a good idea. I turn around and head back the way I came.

"I'm not a bad person, Ryan. I loved them so much." She yells at me as I go to leave. It was the wrong thing to say to me. I turned and glared at her with all my attitude ready to explode at her. She pushed on the wrong day.

"You fucking left them when they needed you. They were old. They were struggling and you were the only family they had left and you walked on them. You want to tell me you loved them. Where were you when Stella died or when Gramps broke his hip? Where were you when the bank tried to take the ranch for the third time? You weren't fucking here. So don't tell me you cared. The only one I see you caring about is yourself. Good night Ms. Layton." I slammed the door and walked out. I couldn't hold that in. I stood by and watched the closest two people I had to grandparents suffer because their blood refused them, I wouldn't stay quiet. Not now.

Charlie

I've only felt this horrible once before in my life. The one time I was down for days and could barely move without pain. I think this is worse but again I'm alone. I took the bottle of whiskey and one of my Grandma's blankets and curled up in the corner of the couch. Sipping straight from the bottle, I let the tears fall hot and wicked down my cheeks. I deserved every word he said. I called as often as I was allowed. I even snuck some calls when he didn't know. I worked hard so I could send the bank the money to keep the ranch going. I never told them I did that half the time because I knew they'd get mad. But most of my money went into this ranch for them. I did what I could for them, at least I thought I had. Nothing was ever enough.

In the end everyone I love has left me and now I'm alone, stuck with him. Ryan was right. I'm a horrible person, and I didn't deserve them. I cried and cried as I curled myself into a ball and eventually fell asleep on the couch as the sun slowly began to rise. The ranch would soon be waking and I would have to put my emotions on hold yet again for another day.