While they had been away, she’d taught her brothers to surf it had been a blast for all three of them. She left Kaleb editing more pictures and went to check on Jackson’s progress. He and Dirk were immersed in the design program that would give them a rough draft of what the car would look like finished. She was still keyed up after all of that and decided she would go for a swim. This way she could get a bit of tension out. She wasn’t sure what time she went in, but it was nearly ten when she came out. She had swam at least three miles doing laps.
It had worked too, now she felt she could go get a shower and get some much needed, rest without her brain keeping her awake.
After her morning exercise and breakfast with everyone she headed out to the barn, she needed to check up on how everything was going. Cody had two mares here the day before to be covered by Heartbreaker and she needed to see how it had gone. According to him it had gone off without a hitch. Now they just had to see it if took. If not, they’d be back with the mare again. She had just finished going over things with him when her phone rang, to her surprise it was Dean. He told her that his fences had been cut this morning and the mares she’d given him were gone.
Looked like her day just became full. They left Marco in charge at the ranch and piled up in the vehicles and headed to Dean’s place, calling the Sheriff before they arrived so he could meet them. They arrived about the same time he did, it took a few for them to get their horses saddled and ready to go. While they were waiting, she placed the call to Steven to tell him what was done. He told her he had waited until today to tell Seth, he figured now was as good a time as any. They had just made it to the fence line when Seth appeared telling them they couldn’t come on to his property. The Sheriff informed him since the fence was cut down that he had probable cause to cross onto his property and search for the horses. It only took the Sheriff and his men twenty minutes to round the girls up and get them back across the property line, with a glaring Seth staring on. At which point his cellular phone began to ring and Angel began to smile. Apparently, his girlfriend had given Steven his cellular number. She watched as he became more and more agitated, and finally as he blew and yelled into the phone “You can’t do this to me. You can’t take the money away. It doesn’t matter how I got it done, it’s done!” He then glared at Angel and said “You, this is all your fault. You did this, I don’t know how but you did. You ruined everything!” When, he would have crossed the property line coming after her the Sheriff’s barred his way. He yelled “I will get you back for this!” Angel responded, “Good luck with that, by next week you’ll be in foreclosure.” At which point her cellular rang, it was Steven, he was apparently concerned that Seth would try and come after her. She responded “Yes, so he just told me. He’s going to get me back.” She kept the call short.
Angel looked at Dean and asked “You have supplies to fix the fence handy? We can help you while we’re here.” Dean looked shocked as he asked, “You’re going to help fix the fence?” She arched her brow and asked, “Something wrong with that?” She didn’t wait for an answer just went to help, Cody, Jackson, and Kaleb with the fence. Dean couldn’t have answered anyway; he was too flabbergasted to know what to say.
By the time they made it back to Dean’s barn her father was present and apparently out for blood, he looked at the Sheriff and demanded “Seth threatened my daughter, in front of you, I’d like you to arrest him.” Grant wasn’t far behind her father and from the look on his face he completely agreed with her father. Grant warned the Sheriff “If he steps one foot onto Wild Creek Ranch, you’ll be mopping up the mess, he will leave in a body bag.” After which point, they all hustled her off.
It was also the point her grandmother Denae drew the line, while she was allowed to speak ill of her granddaughter no one else was allowed to. No, she was determined that Seth should be thrown into jail or ruined and when Marigold Denae set about something it happened. She still wasn’t on speaking terms with her grandchild but, no one was, allowed to threaten the well-being of her only granddaughter. Angel herself was more worried about her grandmother’s erratic behavior than she was Seth.
A judge issued an order of protection and Seth was ordered to stay, 250 feet away from her at, all times. Not that Angel was very, concerned she wasn’t. It had been a week since that incident, and it had just mushroomed out of proportion.
Her Aunt had heard from the bank she told Angel that for 5 million she could buy everything on the Rocking N property. That included farm equipment, livestock, everything had been mortgaged down to the family jewels. Which included the one that Seth had put on Elizabeth’s finger. The kicker here was that when he had obtained the Dalton property Seth had used it as leverage to extend his family’s ranches mortgaged so she had been getting two properties for the price of one. She’d quickly told her Aunt to get it done. All it had taken was a phone call and the bank had begun the paperwork which made Angel the new owner of both properties.
It took Grant two days to locate the Dalton’s. When Angel finally ran them to ground, she found them living with Henry Dalton’s wife’s sister. To say it was overcrowded was an understatement. When she arrived and asked for him, his wife was understandably wary. She told Angel that he’d gotten a job working at a stockyard; he wouldn’t be home until later. When Angel had asked which stockyard, she’d become even more wary. Angel simply said “Look Mrs. Dalton, I understand you’re being wary, I do. But once I explain why I’m here to your husband you’ll understand. You’re more than welcome to come with me to his work.” She got her sister to agree to watch the children and climbed into Angel’s truck.
She followed Mrs. Dalton’s instructions and when she pulled up at the stock pens with his wife, she didn’t have to hunt down Henry Dalton he came to her. She glanced at her watch and asked, “Do you get a lunch anytime soon Henry?” like his wife he eyed her warily too. He opted out of going somewhere and asked his boss if they could use the conference room to talk. The owners of the stockyard had eyed her curiously but given their permission. Once they were seated, she said “Mr. Dalton, I understand you ran cattle on your family’s ranch, is that correct?” Henry nodded and replied, “Black Angus, yes we raised them there.” Angel nodded and said, “If I were to tell you that you could have your family’s home back would you want it?” Henry asked angrily “Is this some kind of joke?”
Angel sighed heavily and said “Let me introduce myself, I’m not sure you’ve heard of me. I’m Angel Denae McDaniel’s.” It was his wife who said, “You’re Hunter McDaniel’s daughter, the one whose mother left her to be raised by a drunk.” Angel nodded and replied “That’s an accurate assessment, yes I am that girl. I just found my father a couple months ago. Since then, I’ve been trying to help various people and, in the course of doing so I came across your name.” His wife asked, “What do you mean you came across our name?” Angel told them in detail about the Kingsley’s and how they had sold her horses to Dean, and then how Dean had told her what Seth had done to the Dalton’s. She paused before continuing to say “Look I’ll just put it out there. I really can’t stand someone who will take advantage of decent people for their own personal gain. I found out Seth was in debt, serious debt.
The man he counted on for backing had no idea that Seth was swindling people. When he found out he removed his backing. The Rocking N was foreclosed on, your ranch had been put up as collateral on the Rocking N, when I bought it, and your ranch came with it. I haven’t been to your place to check its condition I can’t even guarantee it’s still standing. I mean we are dealing with Seth here. But, if you’d care to take a ride out there with me and see it, decide if you’d still want to live there with your family. I would like to give it back to you, under one condition.” Henry, asked skeptically “What’s the condition?” Angel replied “That the property can never switch hands; it can never be sold or mortgaged. That way your family will hold the land until your ancestors are no more.” At this point his wife was in tears and Henry was staring at her as if she would disappear. He asked, “Are you for real?” Angel held out her cellular phone and said, “You can phone the bank they will tell you that I hold the deed to the property.” She watched as he did just that, after she gave her permission and he listened to the bank manager he was stunned.
He asked “Why? Why would you do this for complete strangers?” Angel replied “Someone did it for me. Maybe someday you can be in the place to help someone too.” She paused and asked, “How many head did you run on your ranch?” Henry looked confused and said, “Roughly a hundred head.” Angel nodded and motioned for them to follow her out. When she saw the owners, she asked “Do you have any Black Angus on hand or know who does?” The owners were two brothers the younger of which asked, “What would you want with cattle?” Angel asked calmly “Does it really matter if I pay for them?” It was Henry who got the conversation moving in the right direction by saying “Hank and Zachary Livingston I would like you to meet Angel McDaniel’s.” They were both staring at her wide eyed now. Henry said simply “She’s giving me my place back.” If he’d hit both men over the head with a hammer, he couldn’t have gotten a more stunned look. The older one looked at her curiously and asked “Why?” Angel sighed and laughed “That seems to be the question of the day.” She paused then said “Look I need to take these guys out there, I’m not sure what that idiot Seth did to the place. I asked about cattle because Henry said he used to run about a hundred head. He’ll need new cattle, calves, heifers, and bulls. So, see what you can scrounge up and I will pay for it.” Zachary Livingston asked “Are you serious? Do you know how much that is?” Angel shook her head and said, “If my math is correct somewhere around 350,000 dollars.” Zachary handed her his card and said, “When the property is ready, we’ll have what he needs.” That said they walked out leaving two completely lost brothers.