Dark Legacies

Now What - Walker

Well well. Dylan, I mean Ms. Robins is here, standing in front of me. Looking her over I feel blood rushing to my groin. Even in ranching clothes she's a stunner. The hunter green henley and jeans accentuate her full and curvy figure. She's got a few more buttons done up than I'd prefer but what I can see is very nice. Her blond hair is down and covered by what looks like a well loved straw hat. She looks even better with her fresh face than the make up I saw her in on Friday.

She's pretending not to know me and I'll play along for now. The last thing I need is Jackson begin a busy body and taking my business back to father. When our hands met I had to keep myself from pulling her into my chest. It felt like a lightening strike to my whole body. Interesting. Is it her or is it the fact I've been so stressed I haven't enjoyed a female in a while? I release her hand before my wolf decides to test which answer is correct.

"So Ms. Robins, you're interested in our Ag Spec position?" I lean back on the fence to bring some space between us again.

"Yes Mr. James.." her voice is firm but I stop her.

"Please, Walker will be fine. Continue." I encourage.

Giving a slightly irritated smile, she starts again. "Walker. As I was going to say, I recently graduated with a bachelors degree in Agriculture with an emphasis on sustainable land management practices." She stands a little taller.

I give a little whistle, "Wow! That's quite a mouth full there."

She's blushes a little. God its sexy.

"A degree is all well and good Ms. Robins..." I begin.

"Dylan is sufficient. Please, continue." interrupting me she flashes a satisfied grin.

She's not a pushover, noted. I start again. "A degree is all well and good BUT what kind of real world experience do you have? Or did you come out here with a plan to simply regurgitate textbook ideas at me."

"As a matter of fact I grew up on a farm. Granted it's nothing as large or grand as the Jagged J Ranch but the smaller scale translates well." her eyes flash with hidden irritation.

"Just last year I devised and implemented a plan that brought the farm back from the brink of foreclosure with herd sharing, rotational crop strategies, and converting certain utilities to more sustainable practices." She crossed her arms over her chest a little smug.

"Great, so how do you plan to use your skills here?" I ask.

"To better answer that I'll need to look over your current practices and find areas of improvement. Removing redundancies is one way to ensure you're getting the most out of your property." She looks from me to Jackson.

"That is more privileged in nature, something Mr. James, the owner, would be able to discuss with you." Jackson clarified. "However, from the sounds of it, you'll likely be a shoe in. We've got some projects in the works that need the kind of oversight you're familiar with."

"Yes, I read that you're in talks to purchase 100 acres from the Elk Mountain Ranch?" She states.

I grind my teeth at the reminder of the bullshit situation my sister is in.

"None of that has been finalized," I bark out. "I wouldn't worry bout that, you have other get through talking to my father first and he likes to eat little girls like you for breakfast."

I shove away from the fence and walk past her back towards the house.

"Walker that was uncalled for!" Jackson yells at me.

I shake my head and keep walking. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on someone who isn't involved. My temper is on edge and the slightest push is setting em off. I have to find a way to prevent Silvy from marrying Zane. That asshole is bad news and I won't have my sister subjected to his perverted tendencies.

Getting into the house, I immediately take the stairs two at a time to go check on Silvy. Her room is on the first landing where my old room is. Mother and father's rooms are on the second landing. In true "old money" fashion, they didn't share rooms but more often than not father stayed with her in hers. I stop in front of Silvy's door and give a gentle knock.

"You can come in Walker," she calls through the door.

I open the door to see her sitting at her writing desk in front of the window. Her laptop is open and it looks like she's been taking some notes on something. I step in and close the door behind me.

"How are you doin kiddo?" I ask gently.

"As well as is expected Wawa." She speaks softly and uses her childhood nickname for me. She was born when I was eleven and couldn't say "walker" for a long time. The nine year age difference wasn't always easy but we've had each other through everything. Looking at her now, I would give anything for her to be a toddler again instead of this twenty one year old young woman. Seeing her walk towards me on chubby legs with her whole life in front of her. Free of this contract and what comes after.

"You don't have to do this Silvy" I plead.

"Yes I do Walker. I'm more scared of what would happen if I didn't than of Zane." He voice hitches.

Taking a seat on the edge of her bed, I can see she's been looking at society blogs.

"Researching how to host parties all ready?" I try to joke to lighten the mood.

"Well, the Timber pack are considered "new money" so I have to be sure to put my best foot forward with the other families." She sighs and closes her note book.

"If you don't want to do this, we can go. Leave tonight and figure it out. Brax has family across the country." Brax would help me in the blink of an eye.

Silvy gets misty eyed. "As if someone in his family wouldn't rat us out. You know how loyal Jackson is. He'd expect his relatives to act the same way."

I take off my hat and rake my hands through my hair.

"You have to come to terms with this Wawa. I'm going to marry Zane and that's all there is. If I didn't, father would hunt me down, you know that. A dead daughter is better than a disgraceful one." She takes a deep breath and stands.

I raise off my seat and grab her into a big hug.

"You know this is the last thing mother would want" I squeeze her when I stay the words.

"I know big bro. But she's not here to have a say." She pulls back and rubs my arms like she's trying to comfort me.

"It will be ok. We'll get through this and father will get what he wants." A weak smile is all she can muster.

"I promise you, if he so much as breathes a negative word about you, I will end him and have no regrets about it." I draw her hands down into mind.

"No matter what Walker, you need to keep going, do you understand? There is more for you than this life. Let at least one of us live the life we dreamed." A tear falls down her face and she hugs me again.

"I'm not giving up yet Silvy. We have time. The negotiations stated they wanted to wait until the Harvest Gathering to perform the ceremony. That gives me four months to figure it out." Leaning away I wipe the tears from her face.

She gives me a watery, "ok" and sits back down. "In the mean time I'm still going to prepare. At the very least it's a distraction", she cajoles.

Walking over to her door I grab the knob and turn back. "We've got this sis."

I head to my childhood room and fall across the bed. How am I going to save her from this. There has to be a way but I'm not seeing a plan that doesn't involve me overthrowing my father which is the last thing I want to do. I need to figure something out and I don't know where to start.