reach my new home. And Mr. Pentwhistle was certainly eager to get them."
After digging into her bag, Abby finally pulled out a sheaf of papers. She gripped them tightly for a moment. Then, handing them to Samuel, she said, "Here is my copy of the will, Samuel. You can see for yourself."
Abby was thinking fast. She couldn't lose her home! Not now… not after she'd come so far. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. How did she know her uncle had sold this giant his property? Did he have a paper to prove what he said? She did.
As he read over the papers, Abby restlessly began moving around the cabin. From the corner of his eye he saw her run one finger over the long shelf that held his cooking supplies.
Grimly she shook her head at the layer of grime she'd picked up.
Samuel grunted and let his eyes go back to the papers he held. She was right. The old bastard really had left her his property. Why the hell would he do something like that when he knew he had no right?
Abby was down on her hands and knees, poking into a low cabinet. Lord alone knew what she'd find down there. Samuel shook his head again and told himself it was none of her business what his place looked like. After all, he had no reason to keep the place clean… no one ever saw it but him. At least, not until now.
Fingers tightening around the useless will, Samuel forced his gaze away from Abby and tried to think. Reluctantly he allowed himself to remember that Abby had said she'd spent every last cent of her money to reach the mountain cabin.
His full lips thinned into a grim line. What would she do if he made her leave? Where would she go? How would she live if he forced her out?
He sat up straight. If? Of course she had to leave. There were no ifs about it. And it wasn't any concern of his what happened to her, either.
Chapter Two
"Abby?"
She didn't answer.
"Abby?" Samuel looked down. All he could see was her back side. The upper half of her was completely hidden in the cabinet she was inspecting. He rubbed a hand across his bearded jaw and ground his teeth together. "Abby, about this will… "
She backed out slowly. When her head was clear, she sat back on her heels and looked up. Samuel sighed. With that streak of dirt across her forehead and the splotch of grime on the tip of her nose, she looked far too vul nerable. He forced his gaze back to the papers he held, then calmly he said what he must, knowing that it would no doubt bring tears to her golden eyes.
"Abby," he began, "this will don't prove anything. All it says is that Silas left you prop erty that didn't belong to him."
Samuel waited uneasily for the tears to start.
He didn't enjoy doing this. But dammit, this cabin belonged to him. And he had to make her understand that.
Abby reached up and patted at her cobweb-covered hair, then brushed at the front of her dress. For several minutes she didn't say a thing. Samuel finally realized that she didn't look the least bit upset, and somehow, that didn't really surprise him.
"The will says this place is mine," she said quietly. "Do you have a paper proving that Uncle Silas sold it to you?"
Samuel squirmed a little under her steady gaze. He should have known this wouldn't be easy. "No, I don't have a bill of sale… "
Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. "But," he continued, "the sale is recorded at the county seat."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Well, then," Abby said determinedly, "we'll simply have to let the court decide who the cabin belongs to."
"The court?"
"Of course." Abby pushed herself to her feet and dragged one of the rickety chairs over to the wall. She glanced over her shoulder at Samuel before stepping up onto the chair seat. "You say the land is yours, and I know it's mine. So, we'll tell our stories to a judge and let him decide."
Dammit, he thought indignantly. The court! Hell, there was no court in Rock Creek. The closest thing they had to law around there was a fat sheriff everyone called Sunshine, 'cause he
After digging into her bag, Abby finally pulled out a sheaf of papers. She gripped them tightly for a moment. Then, handing them to Samuel, she said, "Here is my copy of the will, Samuel. You can see for yourself."
Abby was thinking fast. She couldn't lose her home! Not now… not after she'd come so far. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. How did she know her uncle had sold this giant his property? Did he have a paper to prove what he said? She did.
As he read over the papers, Abby restlessly began moving around the cabin. From the corner of his eye he saw her run one finger over the long shelf that held his cooking supplies.
Grimly she shook her head at the layer of grime she'd picked up.
Samuel grunted and let his eyes go back to the papers he held. She was right. The old bastard really had left her his property. Why the hell would he do something like that when he knew he had no right?
Abby was down on her hands and knees, poking into a low cabinet. Lord alone knew what she'd find down there. Samuel shook his head again and told himself it was none of her business what his place looked like. After all, he had no reason to keep the place clean… no one ever saw it but him. At least, not until now.
Fingers tightening around the useless will, Samuel forced his gaze away from Abby and tried to think. Reluctantly he allowed himself to remember that Abby had said she'd spent every last cent of her money to reach the mountain cabin.
His full lips thinned into a grim line. What would she do if he made her leave? Where would she go? How would she live if he forced her out?
He sat up straight. If? Of course she had to leave. There were no ifs about it. And it wasn't any concern of his what happened to her, either.
Chapter Two
"Abby?"
She didn't answer.
"Abby?" Samuel looked down. All he could see was her back side. The upper half of her was completely hidden in the cabinet she was inspecting. He rubbed a hand across his bearded jaw and ground his teeth together. "Abby, about this will… "
She backed out slowly. When her head was clear, she sat back on her heels and looked up. Samuel sighed. With that streak of dirt across her forehead and the splotch of grime on the tip of her nose, she looked far too vul nerable. He forced his gaze back to the papers he held, then calmly he said what he must, knowing that it would no doubt bring tears to her golden eyes.
"Abby," he began, "this will don't prove anything. All it says is that Silas left you prop erty that didn't belong to him."
Samuel waited uneasily for the tears to start.
He didn't enjoy doing this. But dammit, this cabin belonged to him. And he had to make her understand that.
Abby reached up and patted at her cobweb-covered hair, then brushed at the front of her dress. For several minutes she didn't say a thing. Samuel finally realized that she didn't look the least bit upset, and somehow, that didn't really surprise him.
"The will says this place is mine," she said quietly. "Do you have a paper proving that Uncle Silas sold it to you?"
Samuel squirmed a little under her steady gaze. He should have known this wouldn't be easy. "No, I don't have a bill of sale… "
Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. "But," he continued, "the sale is recorded at the county seat."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Well, then," Abby said determinedly, "we'll simply have to let the court decide who the cabin belongs to."
"The court?"
"Of course." Abby pushed herself to her feet and dragged one of the rickety chairs over to the wall. She glanced over her shoulder at Samuel before stepping up onto the chair seat. "You say the land is yours, and I know it's mine. So, we'll tell our stories to a judge and let him decide."
Dammit, he thought indignantly. The court! Hell, there was no court in Rock Creek. The closest thing they had to law around there was a fat sheriff everyone called Sunshine, 'cause he
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