[What does 'used to' mean?] Nora typed back.
The phrase was far too vague. It could mean the son had worked at the ranch for years and happened to be there when Frank took over.
It could mean he was hired after Frank bought the place.
Or maybe he just worked there for a few days and quit. In the grand scheme of things, even a single afternoon counted as having worked there.
Perhaps finding typing too tedious, or maybe because his hands were full, Nathan bypassed the chat and called her directly.
The sudden ringtone made Nora jump. She caught her breath and answered quickly. "What is it?"
Nathan's instincts were incredibly sharp. He caught the slight hitch in her breathing instantly. "Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Nora let out a soft laugh. "I'm fine. Your call just startled me."
Nathan hadn't anticipated that. He chuckled softly. "Sorry. I'll give you a heads-up next time."
Nora brushed it off. "It's no big deal."
A fleeting thought crossed her mind—a sense that she was overlooking some small detail—but her curiosity about the case quickly pushed it aside.
"What exactly is the situation?"
Hearing that her tone had returned to normal, Nathan dropped the pleasantries and got straight to the point. "The stall owner's family dynamic is quite complex."
"The son who worked at Frank's ranch is the eldest, Jude Cross."
"Jude is actually the owner's nephew. His parents died when he was young, so his uncle took him in and raised him."
"The owner is a remarkably resilient guy. He lost his wife to cancer early on and single-handedly put several kids through college just by running that late-night food stall."


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