Amused at the flurry of activity over the next few days, Dwayne helped where he could and stayed out of the way whenever possible. When Brad suggested they rent a portable dance floor, Dwayne leaped at the chance. “I can knock out one of those in a few hours. No need to rent one.” He grabbed his keys and waved. “I’ll go to my equipment yard and get to work on it. Call if you think of anything else you want me to do.”
Brad smiled and waved him off. Silvia, Charlene, and Marla, frantically finishing up the last-minute details, took no notice of his departure.
His lawyer called as he was pulling in to his construction yard. “Dempsey here.” He’d been wondering when he’d get an update.
“Mr. Dempsey. It looks like your ex-wife and her husband are scrambling to come up with any delaying tactic they can. The latest demand is that you and Amber submit to a DNA test.”
“What! To hell with that.” His stomach churned. “I don’t have to do that do I?”
“You’re under no legal obligation to do so. As I said, they’re grasping at straws. I have a source who tells me their attorney is fed up with them and has advised they drop the suit. The original divorce and child custody ruling was reached after due process and was uncontested by them. He can find no loophole in the original judge’s ruling, and he wants to be paid.”
“Does that mean I’m off the hook?”
“There’s nothing to prevent the Henrys from attempting further legal maneuvering in the future, but my take on it is they thought by harassing you they might be able to force some kind of shared custody arrangement.”
“They can go f…to hell. I’m not intimidated by their antics. I did everything by the book. Amber is my daughter. As far as I’m concerned, Francine has screwed herself out of ever getting access to her. Especially after putting me and my family through this.”
“I understand. I’ll tell them you refuse the test and are prepared countersue if they don’t back off.”
“I can’t help wondering if Francine had some idea of extorting money from me. Maybe she got wind of my future inheritance of the land in Wyoming, but that’s not likely to happen for years.”
“I wasn’t aware you had any real estate holdings, other than your home and business here.”
“I didn’t think to mention it to you because my grandfather’s will stipulates the ranch as my mom’s as long as she’s alive, and she’s only fifty-four. I’ll be an old man before it ever comes into my hands.”
“What provision was made for your siblings?”
“My two brothers stayed in Spring Grove with Dad when our parents divorced. I went to live with Mom on the ranch. Grandpa had no hard feelings about their choice and when his lawyer drew up the will he asked them about their interest in the land.”
“Is there any chance they’ll contest the will later?”
“That’s unlikely. They had little interest in the land, and my mom has all the correspondence between her dad and my brothers. Dylan has a family and business here and Donovan is career military. All they cared about was having access to the family ranch for vacations and holidays. My mom’s door is open whenever they want to visit. She’s always asking them to come.”
“I see. Well, being a lawyer, I’m cautious. It would be good if you make sure your mother preserves those letters and any other documentation concerning their choice. I’m sure you don’t want to hear it, but inheritances have a way of bringing out the worst in families.”
He was right. Dwayne didn’t like hearing it, but he was no babe-in-the-woods. He’d make sure the papers were in a safe place and he’d discuss it with his mom and brothers when they were together next month in Wyoming.
“I’ll take your advice. But if it came right down to it, I’d be happy to split it three ways when the time comes. As far as I’m concerned, it’s Mom’s ranch.”
“Good. I’ll let you go. I have to be in court this afternoon. As for the Henry’s, I’ll let you know if I hear from their attorney again.”
“I’ll do the same. Thanks for calling.” He chuckled. “I’m sure I don’t need to say ‘send me your bill.’”
The man chuckled. “No, Mr. Dempsey. Barring the unexpected, you’ll have it in a couple of weeks. Nice doing business with you.”
“Likewise.” Dwayne disconnected and went inside the lumber storage area to find material suitable for constructing a portable dance floor.
God, I’m getting paranoid. Was that Francine’s car that just drove past? He shook himself and pulled down on the bill of his baseball cap. Get to work!
“You’re a lousy dancer, Dempsey,” Marla teased as the reception wound down on Friday night. Most of the guests had departed, and they were the only two left on the dance floor. “All you do is stand in one spot with your arms around me swaying from side to side.”
“Are you complaining?” He held her tighter and leaned in for a quick kiss. “Hmm?”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, the DJ packed up and left five minutes ago.”
“He did?”
“Yes.” She tilted her head toward the tables. “They’re laughing at us.”
He looked where she indicated and grinned at her parents and his dad and stepmother. “They’re just jealous.”
“More like they’re pooped. We should help by folding up those chairs and stacking them at the side of the house.” She pulled back.
He held tight. “No you don’t. Brad hired a crew to cleanup. You stay right here with me. I can still hear the music.” To prove it, he took a few dance steps and turned her in the other direction.
Donovan came up behind her. “We’re leaving. Charlene’s driving back to the base with me. We’re going to clean
