Texas Forever. Janet Dailey

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СКАЧАТЬ killed him?” Erin stifled a gasp as the horror sank in.

      “A shotgun blast to the midsection will do that to a man,” Rose said. “Ham didn’t die easy. But that’s a story for another time.”

      Erin’s throat had gone dry, leaving her with no words. Her father had said Rose was tough. She was just beginning to understand how tough.

      * * *

      After an early supper of tamales and beans, prepared by Carmen, the ranch’s attractive, middle-aged Latina cook, Rose and Will retired to the front porch to watch the last rays of sunset fade above the caprock. From the dining room, Rose could hear the faint clatter of china and cutlery as Erin cleaned up after the meal. Will’s daughter, she sensed, was deliberately leaving them alone so they could relax and talk.

      “Your daughter is lovely, Will,” Rose said, settling back in her chair.

      “Being her dad has been the best thing I ever did.” Will popped the tabs on two cold cans of Dos Equis and passed one to Rose. “Tori, my wife, was only able to have one child. Bull never forgave her for not giving him grandsons. But I never minded. We had a perfect daughter.”

      Rose reached out and laid a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry about your wife. You must miss her terribly.”

      “I do. Every minute of every day. But at least I’ve got Erin. Tori and I tried to talk her into going away to college, but she wanted to stay here and learn to run the ranch. Now I’m glad she made that choice. I don’t know what I’d have done without her these past few months. And she’s going to make a first-rate rancher.”

      He fished a half-empty cigarette pack out of his shirt pocket and held it out to her. Rose shook her head. “No thanks. I’ve never taken to the habit. But you have one. I won’t mind.”

      He took his time, tapping out the cigarette and slipping the pack back into his pocket. His lighter flamed in the shadows.

      As he smoked, Rose studied his profile in the fading light. Even as a boy, Will had reminded her of Bull. Now the resemblance was even stronger. But Will had a tender side that Bull had lacked, or at least kept buried. Now, with his wife and his best friend both gone, he was visibly suffering.

      “What are you thinking?” she asked after a few moments of silence.

      He exhaled, blowing a thin shaft of smoke. “I was thinking how I used to sit out here with Jasper, and the things we talked about. He was the wisest man I’ve ever known, and the best.”

      “I know,” Rose said. “I miss him, too. I hope he’s off somewhere with his Sally.”

      “Some men only love once,” Will said. “It was true of Jasper, and I think it must be true of me, as well.”

      “Don’t count yourself out.” Rose sipped her beer, which was already getting warm. “You’re a good-looking man, and still young. Don’t be surprised when the single women in town start coming around with chicken soup and apple pie—if they aren’t doing it already.”

      “It’s too soon.” Will sounded almost angry, so Rose changed the subject.

      “I’m anxious to see Beau again. How soon will he be getting here?”

      “Tomorrow. But don’t expect them to stay long. Beau and I . . . we didn’t exactly part on good terms.”

      “And Sky? When do I finally get to meet Bull’s other son?”

      “He’ll be around. I’ll introduce you.”

      “What’s he like? What can you tell me about him?”

      “What can I tell you about Sky?” Will puffed on his cigarette and watched the smoke drift upward. “He inherited all of Bull’s good qualities and none of the bad ones. He’s quiet, modest, and a genius with horses. When Bull died, he willed Sky a hundred acres of prime land. Sky lives there, in the house he built for his family.”

      “I still can’t believe he married Garn Prescott’s daughter. I hope his wife’s better looking than the Prescott men. Garn was certainly no Paul Newman.”

      Will laughed. “Lauren’s a stunner, and smart as a whip. She does the bookkeeping for the ranch. And they’ve got three of the most beautiful kids you ever saw.”

      “So there’s hope that the ugly gene’s been weeded out of the Prescott line for good.”

      “You’re terrible, Rose.”

      Rose grinned in the darkness. “Yes, I know. But speaking of the Prescotts, I do have one question. I’m aware that Ferg passed away before Bull did. But I’ve never been told how it happened. It would give me some satisfaction to know.”

      Will flipped his cigarette butt over the porch rail, onto the gravel, where it glowed for a few seconds, then faded in the dark. “I know you’re hoping that Ferg got the ending he deserved. You might say he did, but not in the way you’d expect. A few years after you left for Wyoming, Ferg developed early onset Alzheimer’s. He went downhill pretty fast. Garn came home, bundled his father off to a nursing home, and put the ranch up for sale. By the time Ferg died, with his mind pretty well gone, the syndicate had taken over, and Garn was using the money to buy himself a seat in Congress.

      “That sounds like Garn.” Rose shook her head. “And you’re right about what happened to Ferg. It wasn’t what I expected. Nobody deserves to go that way. Not even a greedy, lying slimeball like Ferg Prescott.”

      The stars were coming out. Rose leaned back in her chair to sip her beer and watch them appear, one by one, in the deepening sky. She’d meant to mention her land and the condition of her grandpa’s grave. But she and Will were both talked out. It might be best to wait until after the funeral. For now, it was good to be back on Rimrock soil. The place was beginning to feel like home again.

      * * *

      Hunter Cardwell, manager of the syndicate-owned Prescott Ranch, glared at his son, across the dinner table. “I’ve noticed that that diamond ring of your grandma’s is still in the box,” he said. “I expected the Tyler girl to be wearing it by now.”

      Kyle’s gaze dropped to the half-finished beef stroganoff on his plate. “I asked her. But Erin says she needs more time. Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll ask her again soon. She can’t say no forever.”

      “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t let her,” Hunter said. “Do you think I like working my ass off for wages? Do you think I want the same for my son? That girl is our one chance to get a ranch in the family. She’s Will Tyler’s only heir, and when he goes—”

      “Will Tyler’s got a brother, who works for the DEA in Washington.”

      “Don’t you argue with me,” Hunter snapped. “I’ve looked into it. Will Tyler arranged to buy out his brother’s share a few years ago. The deal left him cash poor, with a mortgage from the bank, but Will’s the sole owner now, and that daughter of his is pure gold. So help me, son, if you screw this up—”

      “I won’t, Dad. I promise.”

      “Then why aren’t you with her right now? That old-timer the Tylers set so much store by croaked a couple of days ago. СКАЧАТЬ