Love on the Buchanan Ranch (A Romance Story) Read Free

so I am just going to blurt it out…I’m pregnant with Edward’s baby!”
     
    Stacey had just been about to take a sip of her coffee. She choked on it and spit it back into the cup instead.
     
    She stood up abruptly, and then felt bad when she saw the girl flinch and sink back into her chair. She covered her abdomen again with her arm, and this time Stacey recognized it as a protective gesture.
     
    “It’s okay,” Stacey told her in as gentle a tone as she could muster, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
     
    When the girl looked back at her she had tears in her eyes, “I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Your husband just died, and here is some bimbo telling you that he’s been cheating on you. I’m sorry, I just didn’t know what else to do. Edward was paying my bills…I don’t have a job…”
     
    Stacey sat back down and took the girls hand in hers. It didn’t surprise her that Edward was cheating on her. She had suspected it for some time now. Selfishly, she had just allowed it to go on, thankful that he was pawing all over some other woman rather than her when he was in the mood. What did surprise her was the pregnancy. Edward hadn’t allowed her to use birth control, although she had tried a few times. She’d had hell to pay when Edward had found out, so she finally just resigned herself to the fact that she would probably end up pregnant. When she didn’t, she had just assumed that there was a problem with Edward.
     
    “Are you sure you’re pregnant? You’ve seen a doctor?” Stacey asked her.
     
    “Yes, I’m sure. Edward took me to a gynecologist friend of his. He was so angry with me. He told me that I was a worthless, home-wrecking whore.” she teared up again.
     
    Stacey sighed, “Listen, Victoria. Edward was a mean-spirited man who had no respect for women. He spoke to me the same way, often. It was his responsibility to remain faithful to me. He broke his vows. You may have made some poor decisions, but that never gave him the right to speak to you that way.”
     
    This sent the girl into full-blown sobs. Stacey sat silently and let her get it out, and when she could finally speak she said, “I thought you would be so mad. I expected you to slap me or cuss me out, or something. It almost feels worse that you’re being so nice.”
     
    Stacey laughed, “Trust me, there is someone I want to slap and cuss out, but he went and died before I got the chance.”
     
    Victoria laughed at that as well. Stacey eventually calmed the girl down enough to send her on her way. She promised that she would help her, and that she’d call as soon as the probate hearing was over.
     
    That left her here, now, rushing through the heavy glass doors of Grunwald, Grunwald and Dow, Edwards trusted attorneys.
     
    She entered the room where the will was being read just as they were ready to begin. Nodding at Mr. Grunwald she muttered a quick apology and took a seat at the long oak table between Abuela and Emma.
     
    “Okay then, we all seem to be here,” Grunwald said in his thick, attorney voice. He looked around the table. Seated there were Stacey, Abuela, Edward’s Uncle Xavier, his cousin Luis, Emma, and his business partner, Sal.
     
    “I need to start by telling you all that after a careful combing through of Edward’s assets this past week, I am afraid you may be in for somewhat of a shock.”
     
    Stacey sat up straighter in her chair, I guess one more today won’t matter, she told herself.
     
    “Edward left a very detailed will. The problem is, the will was written over five years ago. Since then, his financial situation has substantially changed.”
     
    “Changed how?” Xavier asked warily.
     
    “Edward, I’m afraid, made some very poor investments over the years. Plain and simple, there is not much left of what he had willed to you all.”
     
    Stacey felt the room spin a bit, and she visualized her dreams growing wings and flying out of the big, glass windows that surrounded