“Grams.” I didn’t want our seedy neighbors to get the money any more than she did but this was my life she was talking about—and someone else’s. My future wife’s.

“Emilia.” Patience laced Dad’s voice. He was good with Grams. He’d married Mama right after high school graduation. She’d been pregnant with me and they’d been too scared to go against Grams and DB when they’d laid out how it was going to be. Get married. Mama, stay home and keep the ranch going. Dad, start at the oil company. Because of all that, Grams and Dad had history. He could handle her moods and redirect her ire.

She shook her head. “DB and I worked too hard for that money.” Grandpa DB was long gone, which was for the best. He had a worse temper than Grams and this news would’ve put him straight in the hospital. “We trusted Sarah with that money. It was our legacy to pass to our grandkids,” she hissed. “I’d been too busy to deal with it. I should’ve known better.”

Should’ve known that Mama had a tender heart that wasn’t driven by the bottom line? Yeah, Grams should’ve known. But this trust didn’t make sense.

Grams stabbed a finger at me. “You’re the oldest, Aiden. If you do this, you can show your brothers that this money is rightfully theirs and they’d better do what they need to in order to keep it in the family.” A disgusted sound left her. “And keep it away from the damn Cartwrights.”

“Now, let’s talk about this.” Dad had learned to be part politician. But he wasn’t dragging me out of the office, grabbing the first single woman we passed, and hauling us to the altar like I was sure Grams wanted to. Dad eyed Ellis. “Is there nothing we can do?”

“Every contract has loopholes but Sarah paid extra to minimize them, and…you’re running out of time.” No wonder Ellis was so nervous. Grams’s fingers twitched like she wanted to wrap them around his neck and squeeze. “Additionally, if Danny were to hear about this and we didn’t do everything to the letter…”

Dad’s expression darkened.

Grams radiated rage, her hands fisting. Dad’s jaw clenched and his shoulders tightened. I could practically see his blood pressure climbing. This news was hard on them.

Grams was right. I was the oldest. It was up to me to set the example. To pave the way for my siblings, like I’d done with the company.

Dad cleared his throat. “I can’t argue that what you decide to do, Aiden—”

“Which had better be finding a wife,” Grams snapped.

“—will dictate how your brothers handle the trust. But”—Dad shot Grams a quelling look she ignored—“the decision is yours. No matter what.”

No matter what.