Heart of Eden (Colorado Hearts #1)(9)

“You’ll all be wealthy beyond anything you could have imagined. But where the ranch is involved, there are a few stipulations. To be awarded the fifty percent of the ranch—which is the largest piece of John’s estate at this time—all five sisters must remain in Eden for six months. That’s a short enough time that if you have ties back in Philadelphia you don’t want to break, your stay here won’t disrupt them too much. It’s also a long enough time for you to get to know Eden and perhaps desire to remain here, on the land John loved, and his father before him. If you decide to return to Philadelphia before the end of six months, you’ll each be granted fifteen thousand dollars. Accepting it forfeits your claim on the ranch to Blake. You may do what you want with whichever business you each acquire. You may not sell the mine for five years.”

Finally, Blake chanced a look down the row. The girls were glancing around in confusion.

Henry made a dismissive waving motion. “Please don’t worry too much about all the particulars at the moment. It’s a lot to digest in one sitting. Concerning the businesses, there are managers running them now who will continue until you take over the reins, whether that’s right away or not at all, if you choose to sell. I’ll go into greater details after I read the letter John left, and after you’ve had a little time to absorb such a shock.

“The ranch is the largest holding, and will be worth the most. If after the six months you decide you want to sell, you can do so, but all sisters have to be in agreement so it’s the full fifty percent of the ranch that would be sold—not ten, twenty, or thirty. Most importantly, Blake gets the first chance at buying your fifty percent at a fair market price. If he doesn’t want your fifty percent, you can sell to whomever you choose. If, after six months, you decide you all want to keep the ranch, the sisters who want to remain in Eden can do so, and anyone who wants to return to the city can, without giving up her share.”

Everyone sat as still as marble. Blake doubted if they’d remember any of the details at all.

“And now, here’s a personal letter from John.”

Henry pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose and began to read aloud.

Blake braced himself. He hadn’t expected any of this.

I’d still give it all up to have John back.

“My dearest daughters, if you’re hearing this now, I have passed from this world into eternity and am now reunited with your mother. I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. I have missed her deeply, and am now comforted that we are again together.

“Welcome to Eden. I hope after Henry explains everything, you will understand why I made the decisions I have. There is much I’d like to say to each of you, and so much I’d like to learn about you. But now, that is not possible. I want you to know that I do not blame your mother for taking you away. She did what she felt she must to keep you safe, away from Indian skirmishes and death. It is true; your lives were in peril every day. Back then, Eden was a much different place than you see now. Indian raids were common. The cemetery usually added one or two fresh graves each month. Our ranch was remote, rough, and mere survival required hard work. Harsh winters went on for months. Too few females were here with whom she could share her feelings. But her breaking point came when the couple at a ranch a few miles west was murdered and scalped. Katie had only been born three months before. At some point, everyone has to make a choice as to what they will endure. Celeste made her choice and took you back east, despite the ongoing war. That is a day I never forgot.”

Henry cleared his throat and continued.

“Blake, you have been like a son to me. After those days when my family left, you kept me sane. You made sure I ate, and the chores got done. You are the reason I survived. Since then, you have worked tirelessly at my side. Thank you for that. I hope you know I couldn’t have loved a son more.”

Hot moisture sprang to Blake’s eyes, and he glanced toward the window.

“Daughters, Blake Harding is a good man. He’s smart and capable, with a good, level head on his shoulders. If you decide to stay in Eden, you will need guidance to keep the ranch running smoothly. Knowing his character as I do, I expect him to watch out for you all and make sure you learn our ways, which may be different from the way you were raised. My most ardent wish is that the Five Sisters Ranch will always be owned by Blake and my daughters—and eventually your offspring.”

Loud gasps ricocheted around the room.

“The Five Sisters Ranch?” Mavis repeated in a tear-filled voice.

Henry nodded. Blake sat, stunned. More than once he felt curious eyes turned his way, but he kept his gaze trained forward.

John never let on about his intent for the property—or, maybe there had been a hint or two, now that I think back.

He’d always assumed John meant to keep him on as foreman, but he’d never dreamed of ownership of Five Sisters. The reality made his head buzz.

John’s monthlong battle with infection was still as fresh as a knife wound across Blake’s heart. The last days of delirium, when John drifted in and out of consciousness, imagining his daughters and wife had returned, were agony. He cried their names and babbled promises, the emotion in his pleas enough to make a hardened killer weep with pity. Blake had done his best to ease John’s strife, spending hours at his bedside, wiping his sweaty brow and drying his tears. Before the end, John had rallied, becoming once again the man who’d raised him, offering comforting platitudes about death not being the end, just a new direction. He had tried to ease Blake’s own distress, knowing that he was dying.