Whoever it was had opened the barn door and was inside.
When he dismounted from Crash, Willy stepped out of the barn, holding the reins of Bolt, leading the horse out towards the trailer.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing with my horse?” he asked, tying Crash’s reins off before storming over to Willy.
“Just cleaning the place out,” Willy said, jerking the reins away from him. “Pa told me to have the place empty by the time he gets here.”
“I don’t give a fuck what your father said. This is my property. My horse.” Nick reached up and took Bolt’s reins back. The horse, now completely spooked, jerked his head several times.
He marched over and tied Bolt next to Crash, letting both horses settled down.
The meeting with his uncle had been pretty much what he’d thought it would be. His uncle demanding Nick move out of his property, even though the will hadn’t been read yet. In the end, he’d thought he’d convinced his uncle to leave everything alone until after the will had been read. His uncle had stormed out, and Nick had thought that was the end of it.
“You’re just putting off the inevitable,” Willy said, heading back into the barn.
Nick was on his heels and stopped him from opening Thunder’s stall door.
Willy spun on his heels and caught Nick off guard. The first punch to the jaw hadn’t hurt. The second one to the eye did. By the time Willy swung at him a third time, Nick was ready and easily ducked and swung back.
His first hit Willy in the jaw, hard enough that his cousin flew back against the stall door before sinking to the cement floor.
“You did it. My pa is going to have everything now,” Willy spewed. He spit blood as he started to get up.
“Stay put,” he warned and pulled out his phone. He dialed 911 and as he started to relay what had happened, Willy pulled out his phone and called his father.
By the time the police showed up, Nick’s left eye was swollen shut and he had finally got his lip to stop bleeding. Willy had a red jaw and was arguing with his father when the police arrived.
Gary Laird and Kyle Morgan were two of his father’s old buddies. But both men knew Wilbert as well.
When they started walking towards Nick, Wilbert stepped in front of him and held up his hands as if to stop him.
“Thanks for coming out, Gary, Kyle.” Wilbert nodded to each man. “I’m here now and can…”
Nick sidestepped his uncle and broke in.
“Willy was trying to steal my horses.” He motioned to Bolt and then the trailer. “He told me his father wanted the place cleared out. When I tried to stop him, he hit me twice. So I hit him back. Once,” Nick said firmly.
Both men looked between Nick and Willy.
“Is this true?” Gary asked.
“Yeah, I hit him. Only because he snuck up behind me. I was just taking the horses out for exercise,” Willy said.
“Wilbert told him to say that if you arrived,” Nick said dryly. He’d overheard his uncle prepping Willy. “I have really good hearing,” he told his uncle, whose face grew red with anger. “They honestly thought they could clear out the barn before I returned,” Nick added. “Until my father’s will is read, this is still my property.”
“According to who?” Wilbert asked.
“The law,” Nick replied. “I was in the room when Stephen McKinney told you so,” he pointed out.
“He’s right,” Kyle said. He turned to Nick. “Do you want to press charges?”
Nick thought about all the mess and hassle that would cause. “No, but I don’t want either of them stepping foot on my land again,” he said firmly. “Not until after the will is read.”
Kyle and Gary turned towards Wilbert and Willy.
Then Kyle said, “That’s a nice new truck you got there, both of you.” He motioned to the new truck with the trailer and to the one Wilbert had driven up in. Nick hadn’t noticed it until Kyle pointed it out. Both trucks were brand new and had temporary stickers on them. “Must be nice to be able to afford something like that.” Kyle walked over to Wilbert’s truck.
Wilbert’s smile doubled. “Sure is. We just picked these up this morning. I even got the missus a new SUV.” Wilbert was always one to brag.