The Maverick of Copper Creek Read Online Free Page A

this rain.” Mason stepped around her and set down the briefcase on the kitchen table before offering his handshake first to Brady Storm, then to Maddock, and then to Whit, murmuring words of sympathy as he did. His son smoothly followed suit.
    â€œThanks, Mason. Lance.” Mad pointed to the kitchen counter. “Would you prefer coffee or something stronger?”
    Lance smiled his gratitude. “After a hundred miles in this weather, I wouldn’t mind a splash of your fine Irish whiskey in my coffee.” He turned to Mason. “You could probably use some, too, Dad. And all of you.”
    Mad turned to his daughter-in-law, his grandson, and the ranch foreman. “Care to join us?”
    Willow glanced at her son, then at their foreman, and when both nodded, she did the same.
    â€œDone.” Mad wheeled his chair across the room and filled six cups with steaming coffee, then added the bottle of whiskey to the tray that fit perfectly over the arms of his chair.
    Seeing it, Lance remarked, “My father told me you invent things, Mad. That tray one of your inventions?”
    â€œYeah.” Mad looked pleased that the younger lawyer had noticed. “I’m always looking for things that can make my life a bit easier.”
    Minutes later, as they gathered around the big oak table, Mason lifted his cup in a salute. “Here’s to Bear.”
    The others followed suit and sipped while he shook his head. “Sorry. I still can’t believe he’s gone.” He looked around the table, seeing the lingering shock in all their eyes. “I know I’m preaching to the choir, but of all the people in this world, Bear MacKenzie seemed the least likely to ever die before me.”
    Taking a deep breath, he opened his briefcase and removed a sheaf of papers. “Willow, you asked me to try to locate Ash, to alert him of his father’s death.”
    She looked up hopefully. “You found him?”
    â€œIt took some digging, but Lance located him on a ranch in Wyoming.”
    Whit’s head came up. “Are you telling me that all the time we’ve needed help here, my brother’s been working for someone else?”
    Lance shook his head. “He works for himself. It’s Ash’s ranch. It was small when he bought it, but he acquired the land on either side until it’s grown into quite a spread.”
    While his son spoke, Mason handed Willow a document, which she scanned quickly before handing it over to Maddock.
    The old man looked it over. “So much land. The lad took quite a gamble buying that much.”
    Mason nodded. “Seems to me gambling runs in the family.”
    That had Maddock smiling. “Yeah. But a gambler’s got to be prepared to lose as often as he wins.”
    â€œThat could be in Ash’s not-too-distant future.” Mason pointed to the upper portion of the document before turning to his son to let him explain.
    Lance said matter-of-factly, “If Ash can’t come up with enough to pay some heavy-duty debts, he could lose everything, including the original ranch. Right now, with family holdings being auctioned off every week, I wouldn’t put my money on Ash beating the odds.”
    Willow interrupted. “Has he been notified about his father’s death?”
    Lance shook his head. “I have an associate driving out there now. Dad didn’t think it was something you’d want him to hear over the phone.”
    â€œNo.” She turned to the old lawyer. “Thank you for thinking of that, Mason.”
    He patted her shoulder.
    She folded her hands atop the table. “Do you have a phone number for Ash?”
    Lance spoke for his father. “There’s no landline. I figure he has only a cell. But I’ll have that information for you by tomorrow evening.”
    â€œThank you. I need to hear his voice. To know that he’ll be here for his family.”
    She started to shove away from