Cattleman's Pride

by Diana Palmer

  “Yes, sir,” she said, picking up her pad. It was always better to stay busy. That way she didn't have so much time to think.

  She was walking into the courthouse when she met Calhoun Ballenger coming out of it. He stopped and grinned at her.

  “Just the woman I was looking for,” he said. “On the assumption that I win this primary election for the Democratic candidate, how would you like to join my campaign staff in your spare time?''

  She caught her breath. “Mr. Ballenger, I'm very flattered!”

  “Duke Wright tells me that you have some formidable language skills,” he continued. “Not that my secretaries

  don't, but they've got their hands full right now trying to get people to go to the polls and vote for me in May. I need someone to write publicity for me. Are you interested?”

  “You bet!” she said at once.

  “Great! Come by the ranch Saturday about one. I've invited a few other people as well.”

  “Not the Merrill’s or Jordan Powell?” she asked worriedly.

  He glowered at her. “I do not invite the political competition to staff meetings,” he said with mock hauteur. He grinned. “Besides, Jordan and I aren't speaking.”

  “That's a relief,” she said honestly.

  “You're on the wrong side of him, too, I gather?”

  She nodded. “Me and half the town.”

  “More than half, if I read the situation right,” he said with a sigh. “A handful of very prominent Democrats have changed sides and they're now promoting me.” He smiled. “More for our side.”

  She smiled back. “Exactly! Well, then, I'll see you Saturday.”

  “I've already invited your boss and Duke Wright, but Duke won't come,” he added heavily. “I invited Grier, and

  Duke's still browned off about the altercation he had with our police chief.”

  “He shouldn't have swung on him,” she pointed out.

  “I'm sure he knows that now,” he agreed, his eyes twinkling. “See you.”

  She gave him a wave and walked into the courthouse lobby. Jordan Powell was standing there with a receipt for

  his automobile tag and glaring daggers at Libby.

  “You're on a friendly basis with Calhoun Ballenger, I gamer?” he asked.

  “I'm going to work on his campaign staff,” she replied with a haughty smile.

  “He's going to lose,” he told her firmly. “He doesn't have name identification.”

  She smiled at him. “He hasn't been arrested for drunk driving, to my knowledge,” she pointed out.

  His eyes flashed fire. “That's a frame,” he returned. “Grier's officers planted evidence against him.”

  She glared back. “Chief Grier is honest and openhanded,” she told him. “And his officers would never be asked to do any such thing!”

  “They'll be out of work after that hearing,” he predicted.

  “You swallow everything Julie tells you, don't you, Jordan?” she asked quietly. “Maybe you should take a look

  at the makeup of our city council. Those were people who once owned big businesses in Jacobsville and had tons of money. But their companies are all going downhill and they're short of ready cash. They aren't the people who

  have the power today. And if you think Chief Grier is going to stand by and let them railroad his employees, you're way off base.”

  Jordan didn't reply at once. He stared at Libby until her face colored.

  “I never thought you'd go against me, after al I've done for you and Curt,” he said.

  She was thinking the same thing. It made her ashamed to recall how he'd tried to help them both when Janet was first under suspicion of murder and fraud. But he'd behaved differently since he'd gotten mixed up with Senator Merrill's daughter. He'd changed, drastically.

  “You have done a lot for us,” she had to agree. “We'll always be grateful for it. But you took sides against us first,

  Jordan. You stood by with your mouth closed in Barbara's Cafe and let Julie humiliate me.”

  Jordan's eyes flashed. It almost looked like guilt. “You had enough support.”

  “Yes, from Harley Fowler. At least someone spoke up for me.”

  He looked ice cold. “You were rude to Julie first, in your own office.”

  “Why don't you ask Mr. Kemp who started it?” she replied.

  “Kemp hates her,” he said bluntly. “He'd back your story. I'm working for Senator Merrill and I'm going to get him reelected. You just side with the troublemakers and do what you please. But don't expect me to come around

  with my hat in my hand.”

  “I never did, Jordan,” she said calmly. “I'm just a nobody around Jacobsville and I'm very aware of it. I'm not sophisticated or polished or rich, and I have no manners. On the other hand, I have no aspirations to high society,

  in case you wondered.”

  “Good thing. You'd never fit in,” he bit off.

  She smiled sadly. “And you think you will?” she challenged softly. “You may have better table manners than I

  do and more money but your father was poor. None of your new high-class friends is ever going to forget that, Even if you do.”

  He said something nasty. She colored a little, but she didn't back down.

  “Don't worry, I know my place, Mr. Powell,” she re-plied, just to irritate him. “I'm a minor problem that you've put out beside the road. I won't forget.”

  She was making him feel small. He didn't like it.

  “Thank you for being there when we needed you most,” she added quietly. “We aren't going to sell our land to developers.”

  “If you ever get title to it,” he said coldly.

  She shrugged. “That's out of our hands.”

  “Kemp will do what he can for you,” he said, feeling guilty, because he knew that she and Curt had no money

  for attorneys. He'd heard that Janet was still missing and that Kemp's private detective had drawn a blank when he looked into her past. Libby and Curt must be worried sick about money.

  “Yes, Mr. Kemp will do what he can for us.” She studied his face, so hard and uncompromising, and wondered what had happened to make them so distant after the heated promises of those kisses they'd exchanged only weeks before.

  “Curt likes working for Wright, I suppose?” he asked reluctantly.

  She nodded. “He's very happy there.”

  “Julie had a cousin who trains horses. He's won trophies in steeplechase competition. He's working in Curt's place now, with my two new thoroughbreds.”

  “I suppose Julie wants to keep it all in the family,” she replied.

  He glared down at her. “Keep all what in the family?”

  “Your money, Jordan,” she said sweetly.

  “You wouldn't have turned it down, if I'd given you the chance,” he accused sarcastically. “You were laying it on thick.”

  “Who was kissing whom in the alley?” she returned huskily.

  He didn't like remembering that. He jerked his wide-brimmed hat down over his eyes. “A moment of weakness. Shouldn't have happened. I'm not free anymore.” Insinuating that he and Julie were much more than friends, Libby thought correctly. She looked past Jordan to Julie, who was just coming out of the courthouse looking elegant and cold as ice. She saw Libby standing with

  Jordan and her lips collided furiously.

  “Jordan! Let's go!” she called to him angrily.

  “I was only passing the time of day with him, Julie,” Libby told the older woman with a vacant smile.

  “You keep your sticky hands to yourself, you little liar,” Julie told her as she passed on the steps. “Jordan is mine!”

  “No doubt you mean his money is yours, right?” Libby ventured.

  Julie drew back her hand and slapped Libby across the cheek as hard as she could. “Damn you!” she raged.

  Libby was shocked at the unexpected physical reply, but she didn't retaliate. She just stood there, straight and dignified, with as much p
ride as she could muster. Around the two women, several citizens stopped and looked on with keen disapproval.

  One of them was Officer Dana Hall, one of the two police officers who had arrested Senator Merrill for drunk driving.

  She walked right up to Libby. “That was assault, Miss Collins,” she told Libby. “If you want to press charges, I

  can arrest Miss Merrill on the spot.”

  “Arrest!” Julie exploded. “You can't arrest me!”

  “I most certainly can,” Officer Hall replied. “Miss Collins, do you want to press charges?”

  Libby stared at Julie Merrill with cold pleasure, wondering how it would look on the front page of Jacobsville's newspaper.

  “Wouldn't that put another kink in your father's reelection campaign?” Libby ventured softly.

  Julie looked past Libby and suddenly burst into tears.

  She threw herself into Jordan Powell's arms. “Oh, Jordan, she's going to have me arrested!”

  “No, she's not,” Jordan said curtly. He glanced at Libby. “She wouldn't dare.”

  Libby cocked her head. “I wouldn't?” She glared at him. “Look at my cheek, Jordan.”

  It was red. There was a very obvious handprint on it.

  “She insulted me,” Julie wailed. “I had every right to hit her back!”

  “She never struck you, Miss Merrill,” Officer Hall replied coldly. “Striking another person is against the law, regardless of the provocation.”

  “I never meant to do it!” Julie wailed. She was sobbing, but there wasn't a speck of moisture under her eyes.

  “Please, Jordan, don't let them put me in jail!”

  Libby and Officer Hall exchanged disgusted looks.

  “Men are so damned gullible,” Libby remarked with a glare at Jordan, who looked outraged. “All right, Julie, have it your way. But you'd better learn to produce tears as well as broken sobs if you want to convince another woman that you're crying.”

  “Jordan, could we go now?” Julie sobbed. “I'm just sick!”

  “Not half as sick as you'll be when your father loses the election, Julie,” Libby drawled sweetly, and walked up the steps with Officer Hall at her side. She didn't even look at Jordan as she went into the courthouse.

  Chapter Seven

  Calhoun Ballenger's meeting with his volunteer staff was a cheerful riot of surprises. Libby found herself working with women she'd known only by name a few months earlier. Now she was suddenly in the cream of society, but with women who didn't snub her or look down their noses at her social position.

  Libby was delighted to find herself working with Violet, who'd come straight from her job at Duke Wright's ranch for the meeting.

  “This is great!” Violet exclaimed, hugging Libby. “I've missed working with you!”

  “I've missed you, too, Violet,” Libby assured her. She shook her head as she looked at the other woman. “You look great!”

  Violet grinned. She'd dropped at least two dress sizes. She was well rounded, but no longer obese even to the most critical eye. She'd had her brown hair frosted and it was waving around her face and shoulders. She was wearing

  a low-cut dress that emphasized the size of her pretty breasts,and her small waist and voluptuous hips, along with high heels that arched her small feet nicely.

  “I've worked hard at the gym,” Violet confessed. She was still laughing when her eyes collided with Blake

  Kemp's across the room. The expression left her face. She averted her eyes quickly. “Excuse me, won't you,

  Libby? I came with Curt. You, uh, don't mind, do you?” she added worriedly.

  “Don't be silly,” Libby said with a genuine smile. “Curt's nice. So are you. I think you'd make a lovely couple”

  “Still happy with Duke Wright, Miss Hardy?” came a cold, biting comment from Libby's back.

  Blake Kemp moved into view, his pale eyes expressive on Violet's pretty figure and the changes in the way she dressed.

  “I'm very happy with him, Mr. Kemp,” Violet said, clasping her hands together tightly. “If you'll excuse me”

  “You've lost weight,” Kemp said gruffly.

  Violet's eyes widened. “And you actually noticed?”

  The muscles in his face tautened. “You look nice.”

  Violet's jaw dropped. She was literally at a loss for words. Her eyes lifted to Kemp's and they stood staring at each other for longer than was polite, neither speaking or moving.

  Kemp shifted restlessly on his long legs. “How's your mother?”

  Violet swallowed hard. “She's not doing very well, I'm afraid. You know about the exhumation?''

  Kemp nodded. “They're still in the process of evaluating Curt and Libby's father's remains, as well , at the crime

  lab. So far, they have nothing to report.”

  Violet looked beside him at Libby and winced. “I didn't know, Libby. I'm so sorry.”

  “So am I, for you,” Libby replied. “We didn't want to do it, but we had to know for sure.”

  “Will they really be able to tell anything, after all this time?” Violet asked Kemp, and she actually moved a step

  closer to him.

  He seemed to catch his breath. He was looking at her oddly. “I assume so.” His voice was deeper, too. Involuntarily, his lean fingers reached out and touched Violet's long hair. “I like the frosting,” he said reluctantly. “It makes your eyes look bluer.”

  “Does it?” Violet asked, but her eyes were staring into his as if she'd found treasure there.

  With an amused smile, Libby excused herself and joined her brother, who was talking to the police chief.

  Cash Grier noticed her approach and smiled. He looked older somehow and there were new lines around his dark eyes.

  “Hi, Chief,” she greeted him. “How's it going?”

  “Don't ask,” Curt chuckled. “He's in the middle of a controversy.”

  “So are we,” Libby replied. “We're on the wrong side of the election and Jordan Powell is furious at us.”

  “We're on the right side,” Cash said carelessly. “The city fathers are in for a rude awakening.” He leaned down. “I have friends in high places.” He paused. “I also have friends in low places.” He grinned.

  Libby and Curt burst out laughing, because they recognized the lines from a country song they'd all loved.

  Calhoun Ballenger joined them, clapping Cash on the hack affectionately. “Thanks for coming,” he said.

  “Even if it is putting another nail in your coffin with the mayor.”

  “They mayor can kiss my” Cash glanced at Libby and grinned. “Never mind.”

  They all laughed.

  “She's lived with me all her life,” Curt remarked. “She's practically unshockable.”

  “How's Tippy?” Calhoun asked.

  Cash smiled. “Doing better, thanks. She'd have come, looking, but she's still having a bad time.”

  “No wonder,” Calhoun replied, recalling the ordeal Tippy had been through in the hands of kidnappers. It had been in all the tabloids. “Good thing they caught the culprits who kidnapped her.”

  “Isn't it?” Cash said, not giving away that he'd caught them, with the help of an old colleague. “Nice turnout, Calhoun,” he added, looking around them. “I thought you invited Judd.”

  “I did,” Calhoun said at once, “but the twins have a cold.”

  “Damn!” Cash grimaced. “I told Judd that he and Crissy needed to stop running that air conditioner all | night!”

  “It wasn't that,” Calhoun confided. “They went to the Coltrains' birthday party for their son his second birth-day and that's where they got the colds.”

  Cash sighed. “Poor babies.”

  “He's their godfather,” Calhoun told Libby and Curt. “But he thinks Jessamina belongs to him.”

  “She does,” Cash replied haughtily.

  Nobody mentioned what the tabloids had said that Tippy had been pregnant with Cash's child a few weeks I earlier and lost it just before
her ordeal with the kidnapping.

  Libby diplomatically changed the subject. “Mr. Kemp said that you can put up campaign posters in our office windows,” she told Calhoun, “and Barbara's willing to let you put up as many as you like in her cafe,” she added with a grin. “She said she's never going to forgive Julie Merrill for making a scene there.”

  Calhoun chuckled. “I've had that sort of offer all week,” he replied. “Nobody wants Senator Merrill back in office,' but the city fathers have thrown their support behind him and he thinks he's unbeatable. What we really need is a change in city government as well. We're on our second mayor in eight months and this one is afraid of his own shadow.”

  “He's also Senator Merrill's nephew,” Curt added.

  “Which is why he's trying to make my officers back down on those DWI charges,” Cash Grier interposed.

  “I'd like see it. Carlos Garcia wouldn't back down from anybody,” Calhoun mused. “Or Officer Dana Hall, either.”

  “Ms. Hall came to my assistance at the courthouse this week,” Libby volunteered. “Julie Merrill slapped me. Officer Hall was more than willing to arrest her, if I'd agreed to press charges.”

  “Good for Dana,” Cash returned. “You be careful, Ms. Collins,” he added firmly. “That woman has poor impulse control. I wouldn't put it past her to try and run somebody down.”

  “Neither would I,” Curt added worriedly. “She's already told Jordan some furious lies about us and he believes her.”

  “She can be very convincing,” Libby said, not wanting to verbally attack Jordan even now.

  “It may get worse now, with all of you backing me,” Calhoun told the small group. “I won't have any hard feelings if you want to withdraw your support.”

  “Do I look like the sort of man who backs away from trouble?” Cash asked lazily, with a grin.

  “Speaking of Duke Wright,” Libby murmured dryly, “he's throwing his support to Mr. Ballenger, too. But he

  had, uh, reservations about coming to the meeting.”

  Cash chuckled. “I don't hold grudges.”

  “Yes, but he does,” Calhoun said on a chuckle. “He'll get over it. He's got some personal problems right now.”

  “Don't we all?” Cash replied wistfully, and his dark eyes were troubled.