“Well, it wasn’t his time. He’s meant to do other things in his life.”
“I recall you saying that to me once. I guess it’s an easy way to explain why some live and some die young. It’s the close calls that rattle me. Anyway, I want to talk about something else. When Trace said you called, I figured you’d talked to Gabe.”
“I did. And I have to tell you, he threw me. I expected you to jump at the offer to manage the Marsh spread for a few years. I never imagined you’d flat-ass turn me down. Especially since the idea of partnering was all yours.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not known for being predictable.”
“Any way I can change your mind?”
“Out of the question. In fact—” he hesitated “—I’m ready for a new assignment.”
Silence followed his statement.
“Is that a problem?” Colt finally ventured.
“What’s your rush? It’s your job to stay until Gabe’s negotiations are completed. You’ve only met with him once. And it’s my understanding that was hit-and-miss.”
“We covered everything either of us had to say,” Colt admitted grudgingly. He heard Marley leafing through papers.
“According to Gabe, you’ve recommended we go into a lifetime partnership on an eight-million-dollar property with a Mrs. Marsh.”
“That’s right. She’s running the place now. Been doing it since her dad took sick, and that was before she married Frank Marsh. By all accounts, he spent lavishly, yet Summer still kept the Forked Lightning in the black. She’s the fourth generation to ranch this spread. I happen to think her son, Rory, deserves a chance to do the same when he’s grown.”
“That’s quite an endorsement speech for you, Trane. Usually you go out of your way to remain neutral.”
It was Colt’s turn to fidget. Marley was fishing. For what?
“You wouldn’t have a more personal interest in Summer Marsh, would you?”
Bingo! Colt recalled what Gabe had flung at him—that if he married Summer, both their problems would be solved. It never dawned on him that Gabe would relay that particular remark to Marley. “If I do,” he muttered gruffly, “it’s one-sided. She fired me today. So if you don’t have a new assignment, after tomorrow, you can reach me at my place in Idaho.”
“Fired you? And Tracey?”
“Mostly me. I hope Trace stays, if you consent to buy out Frank. Then if you place the ranch in an estate trust, you could pay Summer a salary to maintain the Forked Lightning, say as a model working ranch and ecological preserve. She’d need wranglers.”
“Tracey, you mean?”
“Yes, with one catch. SOS needs to be aboveboard, unlike Ed Adams. Frank Marsh’s deal with Adams includes a management job at his new resort. It also includes a huge real estate fee for Marsh’s main squeeze.”
“How do you propose we get around Marsh? We’re not offering any extras, that’s for damn sure. But he’s a big factor in making this deal. I’ve got a copy of Oregon divorce law. He automatically controls fifty percent of the property.”
“Ah, but Frank’s only interested in cash. He’s trying to force an outright sale. Don’t you remember my saying the circuit court judge who heard the case gave Summer until April to produce half the assessed value of the ranch?”
“You did. I assumed Mr. Marsh would fight that.”
“His lawyer missed the date to file an appeal. I suppose he didn’t think she had a prayer of raising that kind of cash. The way I figure it, all you have to do is put up the funds to buy Frank’s share. My guess is he’ll jump at it—the money’s available immediately and he’ll actually get slightly more from SOS. Then any contract you draw up after that is with Summer alone.”
“Hmm. And our contract with her could include all of SOS’s usual stipulations regarding conservation? I suppose you’d also like a clause allowing her to run the ranch in perpetuity, which would include giving her son and his children the same options when the time comes?”
“Exactly.” Colt breathed a sigh of relief. Marley was beginning to see how his plan could work.
“It’s all predicated, of course, on Mrs. Marsh agreeing to observe the SOS goal of showing that cattle and wildlife can coexist.”
“From everything I’ve seen, her conservation ethics run deep. She has a natural and deep affinity with the land. Trace will confirm her efforts to rehabilitate injured wildlife.”
Marley sighed. “I hope she knows and appreciates the cheerleader she has in you, Coltrane. Are you absolutely positive you’re willing to pass on managing this property? Because as soon as I phone Gabe, he’ll put the wheels in motion. By next week, Summer Marsh will be in a ground-breaking position—sole manager of her property, with SOS as a silent partner.”
“Do it,” Colt said without hesitation. “When next week? You know her son’s had an accident. I assume the doc will hospitalize the kid for observation. If he does, that’ll give Tracey and me a chance to round up the remainder of her herd before I blow town. If Trace stays on, and I hope he will, he can ship my horses back to Mossberger. Otherwise, I’ll see if Gabe will handle the arrangements before he winds up here.”
“I have a feeling you’re not leveling with me about why you’re so anxious to get away from this case. But I’m comfortable trusting your judgment. So, I’ll take you at your word, Coltrane. I’ll give Gabe the green light to draw up papers for Mrs. Marsh. If she turns us down, we’re back to outmaneuvering Ed Adams.”
“Summer loves ranching. I’m betting she’ll accept your offer.”
“Okay. So that’s it, then.”
“Marley, wait. If by some remote chance Summer does refuse, you have the means to keep Frank from selling out to Ed Adams, don’t you?”
“There are no guarantees in this business. Based on past experience, though, once Ed hears we’re dickering on a property, he sometimes folds. But you never know what Ed will do. Between you and me, I think he’s wary of possible government investigations into various aspects of his resort development process. If I ever had time to pressure folks on the Hill into requesting an all-out investigation, I suspect we’d find Adams is prone to cutting corners in places he shouldn’t.”
“You ought to do that, Marley. I’d hate like hell to see him cover more grazing land with tennis courts, golf courses and a zillion patio homes.”
“One last chance to reconsider, Colt. Want to hang on there as temporary manager?”
“Nope. I’m flattered you’d consider me. Another place, in another state, I’d probably jump at the opportunity.”
Marley cleared his throat. “We’ll see if you get as attached to the next site. I’ve had correspondence on two smaller ranches. One’s in northern California, and the other in South Dakota. I’ll decide next week which, if either, is worth going after. I’ll be in touch. You’ll be back in Idaho, right?”
“Yeah.” Colt tried to keep the reluctance out of his voice. Damn, he wished things had turned out differently. He wasn’t gone yet, and already he felt his life unraveling. “I’ll be waiting for your call. Bye, Marley. Tell your wife hello.”
On his way back to the hospital, Colt imagined Frank Marsh’s face when Summer presented him with a cashier’s check for his half of the ranch. It’d likely cause a furor in the town worth paying admission to see.
Slipping through the hospital’s side entrance, he stepped into a nearly empty emergency room. He didn’t think he’d been gone that long. The examining room where Rory had been was vacant, too. Nor did he see Summer anywhere around.
“I brought Summer Marsh and her son into Emergency half an hour or so ago,” he told a nurse seated at the registration desk. “I went to make a phone call, and…they don’t seem to be where I left them.”
The nurse shoved her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. “Are you a relative?”
“I work for Mrs. Marsh,” he lied, suffering again from Summer’s blow. “I need to talk to her for a moment. To make sure she has transportation back to the ranch.�
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“All right.” The woman leafed through a stack of charts and finally tugged one out. “Dr. Madison admitted Rory. Room 110 in Pediatrics. Through those doors, turn left, then right at the end of the hall. The room’s almost at the end.”
“I hope the doctor didn’t find anything seriously wrong.” Colt’s stomach did a sick somersault.
“Mrs. Marsh can fill in the details. From the doctor’s notes, it appears X rays confirm a minor skull fracture and probable mild concussion. Kids bounce back quickly,” she rushed to say with a smile. “I’m guessing he’ll be as good as new in a few days.”
“Uh. Thanks. I’ll go look in on him.” Colt spun, then turned back. “Oh, is there a gift shop nearby? I’d like to pick up something that might cheer him up.”
The nurse happily gave Colt directions. He found the small shop without a problem; the difficulty came in selecting an appropriate gift. Colt realized how little he knew about Rory’s likes and dislikes—at approximately the same time it hit him how much he was going to miss the boy. He’d miss Audrey and Virgil, too. And… Summer. A rare hour went by that he didn’t think about her.
Suppressing his regrets, he made a tour of the shop and picked out a colorful book on dinosaurs. Standing in line at the cash register, he saw a table filled with stuffed animals. There was a plush dog that reminded him of Lancelot. Remembering how frightening his first night alone in a dark cell had been, even for a grown man, Colt added the stuffed dog to his purchases.
He approached Rory’s room, not knowing what kind of reception he’d receive from Summer. Oddly enough, the boy was by himself.
“Hi,” Colt called softly from the door. “I hear you get to stay here and be waited on hand and foot for a couple of days.”
“Colt!” Rory grabbed the side rails on his bed and sat up. It was clear from the streaks on his face that he’d been crying. “Mama went to phone Virgil and Audrey. I don’t like it here, but she promised she’s gonna stay all night.”
“You’ll be fine, won’t you, little buckaroo?”
The boy shrugged. “The doctor said I gotta cushion in my head. I guess that’s bad.”
“Concussion, you mean?” Colt clarified. “They’re pretty common among cowboys. We’re always getting tossed from horses. Go slow. Do what the doctor and nurses say, and you’ll be outta here in no time. Hey, I brought you something.”
“Another belt?” Rory asked, perking up.
“No.” Colt laughed. “A picture book, for one thing. The other I guess you could call a bed pal. This little guy looked lonesome in the shop.”
Rory reached out for the dog with both hands. “Gosh, thanks, Colt. How did you know Lancelot always sleeps on my feet at night?” He hugged the soft toy. “Would you read me the book? Please?”
Colt hesitated. He’d planned to pop in and out. “Sure. I’ll read till your mom returns. Then I’ve gotta head back to the ranch. The weatherman says another storm’s coming, so Tracey and I need to bring in the rest of your mom’s steers.”
The boy gazed at him from big eyes. “Mama said you weren’t gonna work for us no more. I told her I want you to stay. She said you can’t. Why not?” Freckles stood out on the boy’s pale nose, and his lips quivered. “Is it ’cause I was bad and didn’t run away from the bad man?”
“No. Jeez, Rory, that wasn’t your fault! The truth is, I only ever signed on to help your mom through roundup. I’ve got another job, Rory. It’s time for me to mosey on.”
“But why?” Tears spiked the boy’s lashes. A few spilled over his lower lids. “I’m gonna be in my school’s holiday show next month. We made ’vitations in class for our moms and dads. I made one for you, Colt. ’Cause Daddy never comes. I want you to come, Colt. Please!”
“Darn it, kid. Why did you do that?” More shaken by the child’s plea than he ever would’ve imagined, Colt heard his voice warble dangerously.
Summer chose that moment to return. She breezed into the room, saw her son’s streaked face and noticed Colt. “What’s going on? Did you make Rory cry?”
Colt sprang out of his chair. The big book on dinosaurs fell off his lap. “I, ah, said I’d read to him.” Bending, Colt scooped up the fallen book. “Before I got started, Rory mentioned a holiday show they’re doing at school.”
“Yeah,” the boy broke in. “I colored presents on the front of Colt’s ’vitation. Miss Robbins said it was good. But he still says he’s goin’ away, so I won’t be able to give him his ’vitation.” The tears slid faster now.
It made an awkward moment for the adults. Summer hurried over and gathered Rory close. Not an easy task, as the side rail on the bed got in her way.
Colt picked up his hat. “I have an idea. I’m leaving an address where your mom can forward my pay. Rory, why not mail me the invitation at the same time?”
Rory mopped at his eyes. “’Kay,” he agreed. “Then will you come hear me?”
Summer straightened, gently brushing back damp locks of her son’s hair. “Sweetie, Coltrane lives a long way from here.”
“That’s right,” Colt cut in. “I’m not much of a letter writer, but I’ll tell you what. I’ll send you a note to let you know how I like your drawing.”
Chewing her lip, Summer telegraphed a grateful look at Colt over the top of Rory’s head.
Noting the dark circles under her eyes and the worry etched on her face, Colt battled an urge to take her in his arms. “Since you’re here, Summer, you can read to him. Gotta run.” He didn’t think he could manage a last goodbye to Rory, so Colt dropped the book on his bed and squeezed the boy’s shoulder. Muttering a fast “Get better, you hear?” Colt left the room.
He wasn’t aware that Summer had followed him until she spoke in a ragged whisper at his elbow. “It was good of you to bring him a book. And…I saw the dog. I’m so rattled, I didn’t stop to think he might like a toy.”
Colt watched her wrap her arms around her middle, nervously rubbing her sides as if to keep warm. “Admitting him’s just a precaution, right?” he murmured. “Rory’s not hurt bad, is he?”
Summer pursed her lips. “Dr. Madison indicated he’s been lucky. Given the weather, he could have suffered far worse. I don’t understand, Coltrane. Why would you—why would anyone make off with a child to…to…” She shuddered. “Go. I don’t even want to know what’s behind something that obviously got out of hand. Dane can’t believe I have no idea who’d do such a thing. He’s vowed to get to the bottom of this.”
“Good. Great, in fact,” Colt blazed. “Dammit, Summer, how could you…” Throwing up his hands, he, too, let his sentence trail off. “Oh, what’s the use. You’ve got that stubborn mind of yours made up.” He grabbed the hat he’d left on a chair outside Rory’s door and jammed it on his head, then stormed down the hall.
His chest was still tight and his throat burned when he reached the ranch. Tracey came running out of the house, took one look at Colt’s grim face and waited for him to speak first.
“Saddle up. You and I are going to comb the hills for the rest of Summer’s herd. We’ll have them all at the stockyard before tomorrow night when the next storm’s due.”
“Sure.” Tracey couldn’t hide his surprise. “Summer phoned Virgil not half an hour ago. He heard her say she fired you. And me. I didn’t think that sounded right. Virgil does admit he’s going deaf.”
“He heard right. In fact, I’ll probably load up and get out ahead of the storm. With any luck, I’ll make it over the pass before the highway department closes it.”
“With or without me?” Tracey entered the barn and began saddling one of Colt’s horses.
“Without. I phoned your uncle. Gabe’s gonna draw up a contract to present to Summer. SOS will be offering to pay Frank off and set Summer up as permanent caretaker of the Forked Lightning. If Marley gets what he wants, keeping you on as full-time wrangler will be part of the package. Based on your continued performance, of course,” Colt said, swinging into his saddle.
“I wo
n’t say I’m not excited about that. I like it here a lot,” Trace said, vaulting onto his horse. “Why would Summer can you? And what’ll you do next?”
“Why is between her and me. What I’m going to do is go to another job for the consortium. Marley’s got a couple of irons in the fire. My job will be to scope out the land again. Now, will you quit jawing and kick your nag into high gear? That wind blowing down from the north face of the mountains doesn’t bode well.”
Colt was right. They’d herded one good-size group of animals into the holding pen when intermittent snow flurries began. They hunkered down for the night in a scraggly stand of trees.
By morning, a thin sheet of ice covered their sleeping bags and coated the tree branches. “Tracey, after coffee, you move the animals in the pen to the rail yard. I’ll go into the gorge and rustle up whatever stock Summer missed. They’ll be huddled together to keep warm. It should make finding them easy.”
“You’re the boss. But damned if I know why you’re driving yourself like this. Summer won’t want your death on her conscience, man.”
“Now, there’s where you’re wrong. I suppose you’ll find out sooner or later, so I’ll give it to you square. The guy who owns the general store in town saw me palavering with Gabe in the park the day before Rory disappeared. Summer’s got it in her head that Gabe’s the stranger Rory claims kidnapped him and stashed him in that cabin.”
“You’re kidding! Well, why didn’t you set her straight?”
“Because she damn well ought to know I’d never be party to such crap. I was ready to—never mind. Anything we had going is finished. I was hired on to do her roundup, and I’ll be damned if I’m leaving the job half done.”
“I think you should call Gabe, get him out here to explain the whole thing. She’s going to figure it out, anyway, once he delivers SOS’s terms of contract. Aren’t you being bullheaded, Coltrane?”
Colt shot him a dirty look before he tossed a cold saddle on Spirit’s back. “Haul ass. I’ll expect you back here by noon. I want to have the last steers to market before the snow really hits and buries us alive.”
Wide Open Spaces (Harlequin Super Romance) Page 23
