by Cora Seton
“It’s a splendiferous day, sir!”
“Lena?”
Lena shrugged.
“Jo,” the General growled.
“Fucking splendiferous!”
“Alice.” She had a feeling he was losing his cool, but she simply couldn’t help herself.
“Well, I just got laid—in the maze. So I agree with Jo and Sadie. Fucking-A splendiferous!”
When the General’s face went purple, Alice felt a pang of remorse.
“Out! OUT!” he bellowed. “All of you! Before I—”
Alice didn’t hear the rest.
She ran.
Chapter Fifteen
‡
“I heard another rumor about that task force of yours,” Richard said when Jack answered his call later that morning.
“Oh yeah?” Jack’s grip on the phone tightened. Couldn’t Richard leave it alone?
His body was still buzzing from his incredible encounter with Alice this morning. He couldn’t think about anything else.
“I heard that every man on the task force had gotten themselves in trouble. Something you want to tell me?”
Hell. Exactly what he’d hoped wouldn’t happen.
“Might’ve had some trouble. I hope you know me well enough to realize my intentions were good.”
“Is the Army going to kick you out?”
“Not if I do my job on this task force.”
“The General’s blackmailing you?”
This conversation was getting worse by the minute. “Let’s just say he’s offering me a way to expunge my record.”
“I don’t like this,” Richard said. “None of this makes sense, Jack, and from what I hear, the men who landed in Montana before you are married and settled in Chance Creek. They’re ranchers, not soldiers.”
“They weren’t soldiers to begin with.”
“All the more reason this whole situation stinks. How’s the General grabbing men from other branches of the military?”
“It’s a joint task force.”
“It’s a joint scam, if you ask me. Probably illegal in fifty different ways. If I shine a spotlight on this—”
“You won’t shine a spotlight on it,” Jack snapped. “You’ll back off and keep out of it altogether.”
“If he’s forcing you—”
“He’s not forcing me. I want to be here. I want to marry Alice. I want to ranch, Pop. I don’t want to be an intelligence officer, and if that makes you not want to know me anymore, so be it. This is the life I want. It’s the life I’ve always wanted. Don’t fuck it up.”
Richard’s silence left Jack sick with remorse. He hadn’t meant to hurt the man who’d raised him. He couldn’t live a lie anymore, either.
Richard hung up before he could apologize, and Jack thought about calling him back but decided to wait until they’d both calmed down.
“Jack?” Emerson poked his head into the kitchen. “General’s got a doctor’s appointment in town this morning. Mind driving us?”
“Sure. How’s your foot?” Jack struggled to get his temper back under control.
“Healing. I’m seeing the doctor, too. Not sure it’ll ever be quite right again.”
“Sorry to hear that. You seem to be getting around okay.” What was Richard doing now? Pacing, probably. Trying to connect the dots.
Emerson shrugged. “Career’s over.”
It was the first time Emerson had admitted that in Jack’s hearing, and Jack focused on him, grateful to let go of his own problems. “Any idea what you’ll do next?”
Emerson was looking out the window at the area between the house and the carriage house where everyone parked. Jack realized Wye had just pulled in and was climbing out of her truck. Will the plumber had just arrived, too. He still hadn’t managed to fix those pipes. “Not really.” Emerson caught Jack watching him. “Everyone knows I like her.”
“She seems to like you, too.”
“She likes him more. Don’t blame her. What can I offer her? Thought I’d make something of myself, but now—”
“You’ve got the General on your side. That’s something,” Jack pointed out. “He’s a man with a lot of connections. I don’t think he means to see you sidelined.”
“He can’t fix this.” Emerson pointed to his foot.
“Maybe not, but he’ll do what he can. He’s sure throwing you at Wyoming.”
“So? Doubt she’ll want a man who’s going nowhere.” He watched Will pull his tools out of the bed of his truck.
Jack straightened. “Know what? That might be exactly what she wants—and what the General wants for her.”
Emerson scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means Wye is Cass’s best friend. Cass is staying here, but now the General is home. The General knows his girls are upset with him. What if they decide to move on?”
“I don’t follow.”
“Cass is the heart of this family, the way her mother was before her. If Cass stays, her sisters will stay. And if Wye stays, it’s more likely that Cass will stay, right? Women like to be near their best friends.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“I think the General plans to marry you off to Wye so you settle down right here at Two Willows. He hasn’t mentioned it to us, and he did promise us each a fifth of the ranch when he’s gone, so maybe I’m completely wrong, but I don’t think so. I think your future is right here if you want it.”
“But—” Emerson shoved his hands in his pockets. “You all wouldn’t want that. Like you said, wouldn’t that diminish your shares?”
“This is a big ranch,” Jack told him. “The more men we have to work it for free, the fewer we have to pay. Wouldn’t bother me one bit to have you here. Besides, you’re the only one who knows how to handle the General.”
“That’s true.” For the first time since Jack had known him, Emerson grinned. When the back door opened and Wye came in with Will, the two of them chatting, Emerson went to meet her, ignoring the plumber, even as he blocked the man’s way.
“Want to take a field trip with us, Wye?”
Jack took in Will’s scowl and Wye’s interest.
“Where are you going?”
“Doctor’s office.”
“Better let me talk to Cass first. I’m supposed to hang out with her.”
“I thought you were supposed to hang out with me,” Will said.
“I think the General is going to blow his top if you don’t get those pipes fixed today,” Emerson said.
“The General better be a little more patient. I’m the one getting this job done, not him.”
“Except you aren’t,” Wye pointed out. “And we don’t want the General to get upset.”
Wye went in search of Cass. An hour later they’d made it to town, and Jack ushered the General and Emerson toward the doctor’s office, trailed by the women.
When both men had been examined and the group left the doctor’s office some time later, Emerson and the General were in good spirits, although the General was grumbling a bit about the changes in the physical therapy regimen he’d been prescribed. The doctor had only good things to say about their injuries. “Must be something in the water out there at Two Willows making you heal so well.”
“Who wants a burger?” Jack asked. He was having a craving for a Burger Shack bacon cheeseburger.
“I’m in,” Emerson said.
“Why not?” the General said.
“Sure thing,” Cass said. “Wye, do you have time to join us?”
“Of course.”
“Jack? Got a minute?”
Jack was surprised when a man who’d been loitering near the front of the building straightened and gestured with a tilt of his head for Jack to join him.
“Uh… sure thing. I’ll catch up with you all at the Burger Shack. I’ll just be a minute.” He strode away after the stranger before anyone could ask questions or offer to accompany him.
The tall man disappeared around the corner. Jack f
ollowed him.
“Steel Cooper,” the man said and offered his hand.
Jack shook it. “Jack—”
“I know who you are. Glad to see the General up and about.”
“You know him?”
“My family goes way back in this town. So does his. Look, I’ve got a message for you.”
“From who?”
“Can’t say, unfortunately. But I know you’re worried about trouble coming from Tennessee again.”
“That’s right.” He wondered how Steel knew.
“I’ve got a tip. Don’t know if it’ll come to anything, but my cousin—Ron Cooper—got himself messed up in all of this. He’s dead now.”
Steel didn’t sound too sorry about it. “Heard that, too,” Jack said.
“I heard Duke Manson pulled the trigger.”
“That’s right.”
“Don’t know if your people know this, but Manson’s got a son.”
That got Jack’s attention. “I didn’t know that.”
“Might want to look into him. That’s all I can say.”
“Wait—what’s your part in all this?” Jack asked.
“Wish I could say more, but I can’t.”
“Understood.” Jack didn’t understand, though.
The other man must have seen the doubts in his face. “Look,” Steel said. “I’m on your side. That’s all you need to know.” He walked away, leaving Jack to wonder just how the man was involved in all of this. He resolved to ask Cab if he had the chance. For now, he’d take the tip and run with it.
He was deep in thought about how best to track down Manson’s son when a movement across the street caught his eye.
Was that—Landon Clark? He wasn’t due back until the day after tomorrow, according to Alice.
The man in question disappeared out of sight behind a van parked on the side of the street. By the time Jack crossed against traffic, Landon—if it was Landon—was gone. He checked both the hardware store and the clothing boutique next to it but didn’t see Landon anywhere. He even ducked down an alley between them and searched behind the buildings. No one was there.
Had he been seeing things?
Jack didn’t think so, and with Steel’s message ringing in his ears, he couldn’t help but worry. He called Brian next and filled him in.
“I’ll keep an eye on Alice until you’re home,” Brian said. “I’m heading up to the house right now anyway.”
“Thanks.” Jack was beginning to doubt he’d even seen the man at all. It had only been the back of his head—maybe he’d been completely mistaken.
He didn’t know if he should call Alice. It would stress her out to think Landon had arrived early if it wasn’t really him. On the other hand, if he didn’t tell her and she found out, she’d be pissed off.
And what if Landon wasn’t who he said he was?
What if he was Manson’s son?
“Jack—hurry up!” Cass called from the entrance to the Burger Shack. “We’re ordering, and we’ve decided to get takeout. We need to get the General home.”
Jack increased his pace, relieved. That solved his problem. If Landon was here, he was in town for the moment. Brian was with Alice at home. They’d order their food and be back at Two Willows in a half hour, where he could take some time to research this new piece of the puzzle without upsetting Alice or getting ahead of himself.
“Coming!”
“Lake?” the General barked the next morning at their muster session. Alice, tired to the bone, jumped, then sighed. She had one last day to fix her dresses, and while she was sure she was making progress, she was also beginning to feel like she’d done nothing but sew for weeks.
Probably because it was true.
She’d used her salacious purposes knock last night. Jack had been at her door before she was through. He’d joined her in bed, and they’d made love twice more. She was hooked. Alice couldn’t imagine ever walking away from the soldier again.
She didn’t know what had made her tell the General—and everyone else—about being with Jack in the maze. Maybe it was her way of putting them on notice. She didn’t want to admit the General had done well with his pick.
Really well.
But he had.
“Working on that lead, sir. The one Jack got from Steel Cooper,” Brian said.
“Well, Sanders?” The General turned to Jack. “What have you learned so far? Got a photograph of Manson’s son yet?”
“You skipped O’Riley, Powell and Hughes,” Lena said. Logan nudged her.
“I’ll get back to them. I want to hear about this,” the General told her.
“Not yet, but I will soon, sir,” Jack said.
“Is his son part of the organization?” Lena asked.
“We don’t know yet,” Brian told her. “We’re tracking down all the information we can.”
“There’s something else,” Jack said. “It’s possible that Landon’s back.”
Alice turned to him in surprise, the warm glow that had enveloped her all morning shattering in an instant. “Since when? He’s supposed to come back tomorrow.” She wasn’t done with her dresses.
“I saw him yesterday—”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Alice couldn’t believe it. Jack knew how important this all was to her. But he considered Landon a rival, didn’t he? Is that why he’d held the information back?
“I wasn’t sure it was him. I didn’t want to upset you if it wasn’t.” He was steeling himself, she realized. “I’m wondering if Landon is connected to Manson’s son.”
“Or maybe is Manson’s son,” Brian added.
Alice’s temper flared. Not because what they were saying was impossible, but because she didn’t want it to be true. Was it too much to ask for this opportunity to be real—and for her to have the chance to do her best work?
“Keep on it,” the General said.
“Will do, sir,” Jack said.
Alice burned with frustration. Just because Landon had come back early didn’t make him Manson’s son.
“Hughes?”
“Just helping Jack, along with my regular chores, sir.
“Powell?”
“The same, sir.”
Jack didn’t even look remorseful that he’d kept the information about Landon from her, Alice thought. He’d spent all night exploring every inch of her body and never said a word.
Just like a man.
“O’Riley?”
“Keeping out of trouble, sir.”
“Cass?”
“Wye and I are finishing up the pre-holiday cleaning. Thanksgiving’s coming up soon.”
“Good job. Looking forward to a homemade turkey dinner.”
“Me, too,” Emerson said, then dipped his head and blushed.
“Alice, I—” Jack began, moving closer to her.
“Don’t want to hear it,” she snapped. She was furious at his betrayal. How could he have kept something so important from her?
“Sadie?” the General asked.
“Helping to turn Jo’s old room into the nursery. I’m doing the painting since Cass shouldn’t be inhaling fumes. We’ve moved Wye into the attic room for now.”
The General’s expression softened. “Will be splendid to have some young pups around here. Jo?”
“Uh… I’m okay.”
The General narrowed his eyes. “Are you?”
Jo swallowed. “No, sir.”
Alice, tangled up in her own thoughts, heard the sudden silence that followed Jo’s pronouncement and played the last few lines of the conversation over again in her head. She held her breath. Out of all of them, Jo was the one who had missed their father the most. She’d been his shadow as a girl and had been hurt so badly when he’d stopped coming home.
“You always had a lot of spunk,” the General said. “You’d fall off a horse and climb right back on it. You were as loyal and courageous as those dogs you always had following you around.”
“That was a long time ago,” Jo
said, reaching down absently to pet Champ, who lay by her feet. “I’ve learned not everyone deserves that kind of loyalty.”
Alice braced herself for an angry answer from the General. Instead, his shoulders lowered, and he leaned back against his pillows. “Isn’t that the truth,” he said wearily. “I guess you learned not to be loyal to me.”
Jo wavered, and Hunter steadied her with a hand to her back. “I… tried to be loyal. For a long time,” she said. “But you never came home.”
“You gave up on me. I don’t blame you.”
Pain made Alice’s throat raw. They’d all lost so much time to this rift between them.
“I didn’t want to,” Jo said baldly. “But I didn’t want to be stupid, either.”
“You never could be stupid.” The General sat up. “You hear me, Jo? You are the smartest soldier I know. Worth a dozen of the recruits I see each year.”
“Not smart enough to make it clear to you I needed you home.”
Her assertion hung in the air. It was what they all meant to say but hadn’t been able to find the words. Jo had made it plain. Now the General had to face it, Alice thought.
Would he face it, though? Or would he find another way to escape?
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” the General said heavily, “But the worst was not facing all this sooner. I thought I was afraid to face your mother’s absence. Now I know that wasn’t it. It was her presence I was afraid of, and I see her here everywhere I look. Most of all in my daughters.”
Jo bit her lip.
“Come here.” He gestured her over, and Jo crossed the room to him. “Jo, I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. Of all of you. You have an ass for a father, and you kept your stations, performed your duties. Accomplished the mission when your ranking officer was nowhere to be found.”
“It was… hard,” Jo managed.
“I know. I’m… sorry.” When he opened his arms, Jo went to him, her shoulders shaking as she sat on the bed and leaned into his embrace.
Lena huffed out a breath, turned on her heel and left the room.
“I’m looking for Landon Clark,” Jack said into the phone again. “I know you’re not supposed to talk about your clientele, but I’ve got a delivery for him. I know he was in room nineteen during his last visit. Has he taken his old room back?”
