The Texas Rancher

by Jane Corrie

  direction, Josie marvelled that Kade hadn't been

  attracted. She had everything in her favour_she was not only lovely, but was clever, too. Her only fault, it seemed, was in rushing her fences. She ought to have known a man of Kade's stamp preferred to make the running. If she had played her hand more cautiously, there was no doubt in Josie's mind that she would have been successful in her quest. Kade might be hard, but he was still very much a man.

  Her musings were broken off by her grandfather, who appeared by her side, and Josie, hoping he had had enough, waited to hear him say so, and was only too ready to accompany him home. Again she was disappointed as he said complainingly, 'Let's find us somewhere to park. There ought to be some seating somewhere.'

  His voice told Josie that he was getting tired, and she tried to capitalise on this by suggesting

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  they made tracks for home. This suggestion did not receive the hoped-for reaction, as he gave her a suspicious look under beetling eyebrows. 'Thought girls liked parties,' he commented.

  Josie sighed. He intended to stick it out come what may, and that meant that he had an object in mind, and Josie didn't need two guesses to know what. Well, as long as she stayed with him his hopes of a quiet talk with Kade would receive the same treatment as most of her hopes had where that man was concerned.

  When the band struck up shortly after the welcoming speech had been given, Josie sat watching the dancers. Dan had now joined them and sat next to Joseph. Not being able to dance, Josie felt reasonably sure of her ability to stay close to her grandfather, and when the vacant seat next to her was taken by a stout lady, she felt even more

  secure.

  The lady turned out to be Mrs Carver, who, knowing that Josie was a friend of Lucy's, told her that Lucy would be along a little later on, having had to wait until her baby-sitter turned up.

  So far, so good, thought Josie as she chatted amiably with Mrs Carver, noting the way Jessica had suddenly left hgr group of friends and headed across the room towards another small clutch of people, and where Josie presumed Kade was being

  kept entertained.

  No sooner had the thought come that she would

  be able to fend off any attempt by Kade to seek

  either her company or her grandfather's than he

  was standing in front of her requesting, with that

  wicked grin of his, the dance now starting up.

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  Josie had no hesitation in answering, 'Oh, dear,

  I'm sorry, but I don't dance.'

  Kade raised his eyebrows at this, and her grandfather, looking from Kade to Josie, growled,

  'Danged if I know what she did with her time ovei

  there, Boston, apart from studying.'

  Josie coloured, absolutely furious with her grandfather, for he had managed to let her know he was disappointed with her, and also managed to get in an oblique reference to her profession, confirming

  her suspicion that he meant to tackle Kade on what he thought had been an omission on his par-t in not nominating her for a school post.

  Seeing her discomfiture. Kade smoothly assured her grandfather that it was refreshing to meet someone who was dedicated to her profession, lea

  ing Josie with an impression of a double-edged compliment, that could be either sarcasm or simple

  fact, and she couldn't decide which.

  At this point Mrs Carver exclaimed quickly 'Oh, there's my husband. He's not much of a one for party affairs, so I'd better go and join him

  before he bolts for the door.'

  It was all Josie could do not to grab her hand and force her to sit down again, for her exit left an empty chair beside her and Kade had showed no

  sign of moving on.

  She might have known it, she thought miserably as Kade settled down beside her in a manner that suggested that he had been waiting for just such an opportunity, and very probably had, she mused unhappily.

  In np time Jessica was approaching them, and

  Kade was forced to stand up again as it was obvious

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  she wanted a word with him. 'Now don't settle too long, Kade,' she said in a low husky voice. 'Remember we've arranged to have a meeting about the opening ceremony.' Her glance of mute appeal left Kade and rested on Josie, and her eyes narrowed speculatively. 'What a pity you won't be joining the school,' she said spitefully, adding maliciously, "I'm sure you'll find something, though, talent is always needed.'

  Josie's hands clenched, and she heard Kade reply in a low furious voice, 'Don't worry your head about Miss West, Miss Hanway. Her talent will quite definitely not be wasted, I can assure you.'

  It was Jessica's turn to look discomfited, and with set lips she again reminded him about the meeting, to which Kade replied in an almost insolent voice, 'As it's only a preliminary meeting, I'm sure you can manage without me. Just let me have the minutes, and I'll let you have my com

  ments.' A dull red flush stained Jessica's features, and : Josie felt really sorry for her, but she had asked for j all she had got. She was pushing again, and as | before she had come up against an immovable | object, Kadel In this she had Josie's sympathy,! who knew just how she felt. |

  As Jessica swept away, barely attempting to hidej the fact that she was furious, Josie saw her grand-j father glance at Kade. There was admiration andjj

  satisfaction in tha.t glance, and she knew wouldn't rest untiFhe found out just what Kad|| had in mind for her�jobwise, that was�for hi|| remarks had left little room for doubt that hjjj did have an obiect in view. '&|�S

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  Josie's hands clenched tighter as an answer to Kade's extraordinary statement hit her. So that was it! He was hoping to make a deal with her grandfather about her future�on a certain understanding, of course! No wonder he had told her to forget Carella! She must have been blind not to have seen what he had in mind.

  Now that she had worked that out, it was of vital importance that her grandfather was not given a chance of a private word with Kade. No matter what, Josie wasn't going to move from his side. The next thing she knew, Lucy was walking over

  -to her with an expression on her face not unlike her grandfather's a moment ago. She must have witnessed Jessica's furious exit from the scene and put her own interpretation on it.

  When Kade got to his feet at her approach, Jbsie knew that he would have to offer his chair to Lucy, and felt a surge of relief that quickly turned to dismay as her grandfather, stealing a march on her, idly suggested to Kade that they ought to try a beer, a suggestion that met with instant approval

  from an amused Kade, who had not missed Josie's dilemma at the turn of events.

  He knows, thought Josie furiously, as her apprehensive eyes went from her grandfather now leading the way to the bar section, and the tall, broad figure of Kade following him, with Dan bringing up the rear. He knew that she'd worked it out, but he didn't care one jot for anyone's feelings�-or the fact that he was playing on an old man's wish for his niece's happiness.

  She was so engrossed in her thoughts she did not hear the first part of Lucy's comments as she

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  settled herself down next to her. 'Josie, don't you dare ever tell me Kade is a hard man!' she exclaimed. 'I could kiss him for what he did just then. I didn't hear quite what that woman said to you, but I did hear Kade's reply�and so did quite a lot of folk. I told you she was a trier, didn't I? and brazen with it. But even she must have got the

  message by now�as well as half the townsfolk!'

  Josie did not reply to this, and let Lucy happily ramble on. Her attention was riveted on the other end of the room, where her grandfather and Kade had drawn apart from the rest of the gathering round the bar and were having a long discussion.

  If her grandfather agreed to the proposition Josie was sure Kade was now putting to him, she

  would never spea
k to him again, she thought

  wildly. He was a fine one to talk about pride when

  he was willing to agree to such a deal!

  Lucy stayed with her until the men returned,

  and giving Josie's hand a slight squeeze she said

  that she ought to be making tracks back, as her

  sitter hadn't turned up, and Nat was holding the

  fort, and that he'd never forgive her if the beer ran

  out before he got there. "

  With another of those enigmatical looks of his,

  Kade settled down next to Josie again, and in a

  bland voice asked her how things were going at the

  school, and he trusted Maryanne had apologised

  for her bad behaviour. Josie, hard put to it not to scream at him that Maryanne and the rest of the entourage at Blue Mount could jump off the Empire State Building for all she cared, somehow managed an answer. As her grandfather had elected to stay at the bar talk

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  ing to a colleague of his, Josie, seeing that Dan's attention was being held by the mayor who had come across to have a word with him, took the bull by the horns, and meeting Kade's amused eyes demanded, 'What did you say to my grandfather?'

  Kade's brows lifted at this bald attack. 'What should I have said to him?' he countermanded blandly, then_'frowned as if concentrating, but Josie wasn't fooled. 'I think,' he went on deliberatingly, 'I thanked him for the fine speech he gave on my arrival.' His now mocking eyes met Josie's. 'Satisfied?' he queried softly.

  Josie flushed and looked away quickly. She might have known she wouldn't get a straight answer; she couldn't expect him to show her the ace he held in the silent and extremely unfair game they were playing.

  When the mayor turned his attention to Kade and drew him into a discussion on town affairs, Josie breathed a sigh of relief, and catching her grandfather's eye from across the room gave a quick nod in answer to his suggestive look towards the door, asking her if she were ready to leave. Josie was more than ready, and murmuring a swift, 'Goodnight,' to anyone who happened to be listening, and Kade was, as he immediately turned towards her and got to his feet, saying in what sounded like a rueful voice, 'Must you go so early?'

  'My grandfather tires easily,' she answered coldly, adding, 'He's no longer as strong as he was�or as young,' managing to inject much emphasis on the last word for Kade's benefit, then she turned away quickly before he could say anything else.

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  Nat was waiting by the door to take them back to Carella, for as Dan had offered to pick them up, he had arranged for his son to take them home, knowing that Joseph would be leaving long before the end of the party.

  As Nat was with them, Josie had to hold back the questions she was longing to put to her grandfather and wait until they arrived home. When they said goodnight to Nat a few minutes later, she was in a fever of impatience to hear what her grandfather had to say.

  'Well?' she demanded, fixing him with an 'I want the truth' look. 'Just what did Kade mean when he said my talents wouldn't be wasted? And don't tell me you have no idea what I'm talking about,' she warned him swiftly, knowing that innocent look of his. 'I saw you buttonhole him after you lured him to the bar.'

  Joseph West grinned, and rubbed a horny hand over his chin. 'Seems you caught me redhanded, sheriff,' he growled, putting both hands in the air.

  .Instead of laughing at her grandfather's favourite trick of amusing her when she was young, Josie could have cried, for she knew with absolute certainty that whatever he had learned from Kade Boston he was going to keep himself, and no amount of persuasion would prise it out of him.

  Swallowing a lump in her throat, she gave him a half-smile and turned towards the stairs to show him that she understood. 'Goodnight, Gramps,' she said in a low voice with the weariness showing through, as did the way she held her head. She was beaten. Kade had won, as she had known he would.

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  Her grandfather's voice'stopped her as her foot touched the first rung of the stairs. 'No call for the miseries, girl,' he ordered. 'You ought to be right proud that Kade's got work lined up for you. He'll see you right, just as I thought he would.'

  Josie turned and looked back at her grandfather. So he had made a deal with him, and it must have been much as she had thought. For her future he had signed away Carella 1 No wonder Kade had been so pleased with himself. 'Oh, Gramps!' she cried, not being able to bear it a moment longer. 'Can't you see why he's helping me? He's helping himself, too, it's Carella he's really after.'

  Her grandfather blinked at her in astonishment, then a slow smile lit up his features. 'I know that, don't I?' he said happily, just as if it were of no consequence, and gave the astounded Josie another shock by adding, 'And I've a notion to hand it to him on a plate after the way he shot that little besom down in flames tonight.'

  And that was as much as Josie was going to hear, for before she could attempt to ask him any more questions, he had muttered, 'Sleep well, girl,' and was on his way into the sitting-room to get his usual nightcap.

  CHAPTER TEN

  JOSIE did not fall asleep until the early hours of

  the morning, and then only through sheer ex

  haustion. Her mind was too active to allow her to

  fall into the state of tranquillity so necessary for

  sleep.

  Her grandfather's advice that she had nothing to worry about proved a fallacy, and had caused her more worry. How Kade had got her grandfather's approval, not to mention the happy way he was considering actually giving him Carella, Josie was at a loss to understand, and she suspected he had made some reference to the state of the homestead. Although this was much improved since Josie's return, it was still a large house, and Kade would only have to refer obliquely to the fact that it must have been hard tor her to manage, and keep a job as well. As these were much the same thoughts that her grandfather had had, such a reference would strike an immediate choisd with him, and, thought Josie miserably, -pave the way for the success of Kade's enterprises.

  Turning restlessly over on to her side, she wondered what sort of a job Kade had got lined up for her this time. The children would shortly be going to the new school, so her work as a teacher would be finished. Even Maryanne was going, for she had told Josie that her parents were expected back about a week before the start of the fall term.

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  Josie sighed. There had to be an answer some

  where. The work would have to be in the teaching

  line, for she couldn't see her grandfather agreeing

  to a deal otherwise. Her mind went back'to Blue

  Mount. It had to be something connected with the

  ranch, tor there was no other school she could work

  at.

  The answer came quite suddenly, and Josie

  wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. She

  would still teach�not children this time, but their

  fathers! Hadn't Kade said something about them

  not being able to read or write, and how the chil

  dren had shown signs of following in- their foot

  steps? He had also said that although they felt that

  way now, they would regret it later. So�mused

  Josie, something the men had said must have given

  Kade this insight into their feelings.

  If this work was in fact what he had in mind, she found she had no objection. It wasn't quite what she had been trained for, but it was needed nevertheless. She frowned. Was it really worth Carella? And for how long would it last? Not all that long, she told herself, for she doubted if there were more than half a dozen hands in need of such help�and what then? Had Kade plans of starting up a kindergarten for the rest of his employees' children? Was she to spend her time wondering what other work he would find her when each avenue dried up�work that he would deem suitable fo
r her talent�the talent he had so strongly assured Jessica Hanway would not be wasted?

  No, no, no! she repeated vehemently to herself. She would not be a puppet�Kade's or anyone else's! Her grandfather might think he was doing

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  the right thing for her, but he didn't know what had gone before�or how Josie had got herself tangled with Kade in the first place.

  He could have Carella! It didn't belong to her anway, and if her grandfather decided to sell, then there was nothing she could do about it, but she would not be a party to the deal. It was unfair of her grandfather making her one, and all because of a wretched job 1

  On this thought she sat straight up in bed. It was because he wanted her settled that he had been willing to listen to Kade's proposition�and Kade had known this, and played on it. What if Josie found her own job? Dallas wasn't all that far away, and she did have a car now. Her eyes gleamed. So it might not be teaching�not at first anyway, but if she could find something that would rank as a suitable occupation in the eyes of her grandfather ... Her thoughts ran on; why not try for a position as a governess? Surely they had them there as they did everywhere else. Some parents preferred their children to receive private tuition. Her heart lifted as she considered the probabilities in front of her. Oh, why hadn't she thought of this before and not allowed herself to become enmeshed at Blue Mount? But it wasn't too late now; all she had to do was go to Dallas and make a few enquiries as to the likelihood of her gaining such employment. There were bound to be agencies that catered for her profession. The eager look in her eyes vanished for a moment as she considered the fact that she would have to spend the week away from her grandfather, returning at the weekends, and she couldn't see this state of affairs

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  pleasing him, but she had no choice�not now. At least there would be a faint hope that he would decide against selling Carella, for there would no

  (longer be a reason for him to do so. There was just five weeks left for Josie to find herself employment, and each weekend would be used for this purpose. From now on her Saturdays would be spent in Dallas, going round the agencies. If she was lucky she might get suited at hei first call. She sighed; it would be so wonderful if she were. To be able to tell her grandfather that she had got a job, and would not be requiring the help of Kade Boston or anyone else, would give her a great deal of pleasure, not to mention her satisfaction when telling Kade. She was now grateful that she did not know the ins and outs of the proposition her grandfather had made with Kade, and in this case, ignorance was bliss, for she could go ahead with a clear conscience and make her own arrangements. She would have to make some excuse for the. Dallas visit, though, for she had no intention of telling her grandfather what she intended to do�it might force him to reveal the pact he had made with Kade, and Josie would then be under an obligation to help him keep it. It was something her grandfather said at breakfast that gave her a perfect excuse for her visit to Dallas, for he had been talking about the party the evening before, and how Josie ought to attend more social occasions. 'All work and no play isn't much of a life, girl, and from what I can gather you've done your share of work, over there as well as here.' Josie knew he was referring to the fact