Texas Forever (The Tylers of Texas 6)

She ended the call, wondering why she wasn’t more eager for an evening in the city. It wasn’t as if she was still angry with Kyle. It was more like she didn’t care—as if her attitude had undergone a subtle shift. Maybe it had something to do with Beau’s advice to take her time until she was sure of her feelings.

Drying her hands on a dish towel, she walked into the den, where Will and Rose were watching a newscast on the big screen TV. Beau’s family had gone into town for pizza, probably to avoid any chance of an ugly confrontation over the evening meal.

“Here you are,” her father said, using the remote to switch off the TV. “Sit down. I have a big favor to ask of you.”

Erin sank onto a footstool, knowing that, coming from her dad, any request for a favor would be more like an order.

“You may not like it,” he said.

Erin braced herself and waited for him to continue.

“Tomorrow, when we take Jasper to the Hill Country, I’ll need somebody to stay behind and supervise the ranch work,” he said. “The best person available for that job is you.”

Erin stifled a murmur of disappointment. She’d wanted to make the drive and see Jasper laid to rest. But she was old enough to know that ranch duties had to come first. “I thought Pete Waxman was going to do that,” she said. “He’s been here long enough to handle things.”

“Pete’s had a family emergency. He’ll be gone most of next week. And since Sky will be going with us tomorrow, we’ll need somebody in charge who knows the horses and can make sure Maddox has enough work.”

Maddox. Something that felt like a coiled spring tightened in Erin’s stomach. The surly farrier wasn’t going to like her bossing him. But that was his problem.

“As long as you’re staying here,” Will continued, “you may as well clean out Jasper’s side of the duplex. Throw away the junk, box his clothes and things for donation, and save anything that looks important. I know that might be hard on you, Erin, but somebody’s got to do the job. Strip the bed and put out clean sheets for Maddox. You can leave the dishes and some coffee, too.”

“Maddox?” It was more of a protest than a question. “But Jasper lived in that duplex for years. It was his home.”

“Well, it’s not like he’s coming back,” Will said. “Maddox is a tradesman, not a cowhand. He deserves better quarters than the bunkhouse. You can tell him it was my decision.”

Erin sighed and nodded. On the Rimrock, even for her, Will’s word was law. But she wasn’t looking forward to the next day.

As if sensing some tension, Rose broached a different subject

. “Erin, I met your young man and his mother at the luncheon today,” she said.

“My young man?” Erin didn’t recall having told Rose about Kyle.

“That’s how his mother introduced him to me,” Rose said. “Not as your young man—I suppose that’s an old-fashioned term these days—but as your boyfriend. He seemed very nice and polite—and handsome, too. Of course, it’ll take more than a pretty face and good manners to make the kind of husband you’ll want to stand by your side and help you run this ranch someday.”

Erin had learned that Rose tended to speak her mind. But even she was startled by the older woman’s frankness.

“Kyle’s young,” Will said. “He’s got a lot to learn. But his father manages the old Prescott Ranch for the syndicate. He’s a capable man. I’m guessing that given time, his son will be the same.”

Erin had to stop her jaw from dropping. She’d guessed that her father approved of her dating Kyle. But she’d never expected Will to defend him, let alone talk as if he might have plans for their future.

Arguments sprang into her mind. She was only nineteen. She hadn’t made up her mind about Kyle. She wasn’t even sure she was in love. But Erin kept her silence. Her dad had been through an emotional three days. He deserved some peace. They could talk later. Right now, there was only one thing to do.

Rising from her seat, she said a subdued good night and walked out of the room.

The long day had drained her. But it was too early to go to bed, and she was too restless to settle somewhere and read the novel she’d started. After the luncheon, she’d shed her dress and sandals and changed into jeans, sneakers, and a plain black tank top. Now she wandered out the front door and onto the porch.

The night was warm, the breeze no more than a whisper. She inhaled the parched air, yearning for the fresh scent of rain. But there was nothing to smell but dust, blended with the odors of horses and cattle and the lingering aromas of ham and beans that drifted from the bunkhouse kitchen. A mosquito whined around her ears. She brushed it away. The pesky insects had never plagued her like they did some people. They’d never bothered Will, either. Maybe there was something in Tyler blood that drove them away.

Needing to move, she headed down the front steps. Her father had never liked her wandering the ranch alone after dark, but she wasn’t a child anymore, and she didn’t plan to be gone long.

The security light clicked on as she reached the bottom of the steps and moved out into the yard. Her shadow stretched behind her, elongated by the angle of the light. With each step, gravel crunched under her sneakers. She’d hoped that walking might help clear her thoughts, but her father’s words kept replaying in her mind. His support of Kyle had caught her by surprise. What had he been thinking?

Maybe Jasper’s death had made Will more aware of his own mortality. Maybe he wanted to see her safely settled. Or maybe he was hoping for grandchildren to carry on his line. Erin loved her father, but marrying anyone just to please him could turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life.

Pausing, she scanned the yard for any sign of Henry. But if the big bull snake was out of his den, he was evidently hunting somewhere else. A smile teased Erin’s lips as she remembered how Luke Maddox had grabbed her in a panic to keep her from stepping on the scary but nonvenomous snake. She’d glimpsed the vulnerable, human side of the farrier that night.

But she certainly hadn’t seen that side of him since. The word prickly didn’t do the man’s disposition justice. She didn’t look forward to working with him tomorrow.