Sally: Autumn Storms (F&L Story #4)

Sally: Part 27

Part 27

Wilson and his family sat around the kitchen table at the ranch house and stared at the offer in front of them.  Irritation flared inside Wilson.  It was a good offer, but not as good as it had been months ago.  A real estate developer heard about the ranch’s financial problems and wanted to buy the majority of the land to be subdivided.  At the time of the first offer, Linc refused, mainly because he knew he didn’t have the sole right to sell the property. 

He should have come to see me in prison, Wilson thought, and told me what was happening. Wilson liked to think that he would have understood, but that was before Sally…and before he’d been ready to move on.

This offer would provide the brothers with several million dollars each, but that was before the bank mortgage and bills ate up half of it.  Still, it was enough.  Wilson could go back to Sally a free man, both from prison and the chain around his neck from owning half a ranch.  He could go back and marry that woman, give her everything he had, which was a lot more than when he left her.  A weight lifted off his chest.  Money didn’t make a man, but this man needed some way to provide for the woman he loved.  It was the Martin way.  Both brothers would be emancipated with the swipe of a pen. 

“Do it,” his mother said, looking up into the faces of her sons.  Wilson got his eyes from her, while Linc’s green eyes came from their father, but both brothers resembled their dad flawlessly.  Tall, dark haired and carved from sterner stuff.

Some people used to say that Linc had a kinder smile.  Not any more, Wilson thought, studying the grim expression on his brother’s face.  Wilson learned to smile again – thanks to Sally – and Linc had forgotten how.  Sad, really.

“You will both be able to follow your dreams this way,” his mother went on.  She glanced first at Linc.  “You can buy that business you want.”  She turned to Wilson, “And your lady friend will be very happy as well when you return a rich man.”

“She will be happy if I return poorer than dirt,” he replied with a small smile.  “Just as long as I return.”

His mother placed a warm hand over his.  “I’m happy that you’ve found someone, Wil.  And that she loves you.”

Wilson chuckled.  “Keep your happiness until you finally meet her.  She’s a feisty little thing.”

“I’ll love her anyway.”

“We both will,” his father piped up.  He looked at his oldest son’s expression of solemn anger.  “Linc, we all know you are still grieving for Macie, but someday, you’ll find love again.  You’re too good of a man not to draw the eyes of another woman.  And you’ll love her, too, maybe more than you remember loving Macie.”

Linc closed his eyes to hide the tears.  “I can only hope, Dad.”

Wilson watched as Linc scribbled his name on the bottom line, and then hand the pen to him.  Wilson inhaled deeply.  Wilson Jeremy Martin.

It was done.

He pushed that paper aside and signed his name on another form, relinquishing his partial ownership to the log cabin in which Linc lived and the five acres surrounding it.  That had been the only stipulation to the sale of the ranch.  That Linc got to keep the house and a small bit of land as his personal property.

Wilson pushed up from the table.  “I’m going to turn in.  I want to leave early in the morning.”

His parents stood up as well.  “She means that much to you?” his dad asked.

“More than anything.”

“So, you’ll be asking her to marry you?”

Wilson smiled.  “First chance I get.”