Texas Forever (The Tylers of Texas 6)

Erin opened the back of the wagon and pulled out two rakes and a shovel, along with a pair of leather work gloves. “Let’s go,” she said. “If there’s something special you want done, just let me know.”

With a nod, Rose followed her to the littered grave beneath the old fallen tree. The condition of the place made her want to weep. But everything would be all right, she told herself. Her land was beneath her feet, and today she was starting work on her new home.

* * *

Screened by a patch of mesquite, Marie watched the two women carry the tools toward the creek. After seeing the station wagon leave the ranch, she had cut through the foothills on her bike. It had been easy enough to guess that the women were coming here. They were driving north on the road that was more of a trail, and this place was where it ended.

By the time the wagon had stopped, Marie was in her hiding place, close enough to watch, but too far away to get a good shot with the pistol she’d taken off the old man. When she was ready to fire, she would need to move in closer. That might mean showing herself, but if she killed both women, which she would have to do, it wouldn’t matter if they saw her.

She could see them through the trees, moving in and out of sight. They appeared to be raking and digging at a spot near the creek, talking as they worked. It would be easy enough to get closer, but difficult to get a clear shot without hitting a tree. It might be better to wait until they came back to the car.

Marie sighed in frustration. She knew how to make a simple bomb and wire it to the ignition of a car. But she had no way to make one here. Too bad. For this situation, it would have been perfect.

She was about to move in closer when the smaller, older woman turned to one side. That was when Marie saw the holstered pistol at her hip. A woman wearing a gun in that fashion would know how to use it. If she happened to be a fast draw and a good shot, the risk of being hit was greater than Marie was willing to take.

Moving soundlessly, she backed away. By the time the two women returned to the station wagon, Marie was back in the foothills, waiting for them to leave so she could start her bike.

Maybe it was time to do some creative thinking.

* * *

Erin loaded the tools into the back of the station wagon and closed the hatch. It had taken a little less than an hour to clean off the grave and erect a protective barrier of sticks and branches around it.

“I can’t thank you enough for your help.” Rose brushed the dust off her jeans before climbing into the passenger seat. “My grandpa was a wonderful man. He taught me everything I know about science, math, and history, and he died protecting me from the Prescotts. His resting place deserves to be honored, not trampled by cows.”

“It was an honor to help.” Erin settled into the driver’s seat and started the vehicle. “We might have some leftover fencing materials in the shed. If I can find what we need, we can come again and put up a real fence around the grave.”

“You’d do that for me? Thank you. That would make me feel so much better about the place.”

“What are your plans?” Erin turned the wagon around and headed back toward the heart of the ranch. “I know you’ve talked to my dad, but he hasn’t told me much.”

“I’m still making plans,” Rose said. “What I hope to do is sell my Wyoming house to Tanner’s brother and use the money to build m

y own little home here, on my property, with chickens and goats and maybe a dog or two.”

“Then we’d be neighbors. I’d love that.”

“So would I. But I’m still getting a grip on how much work it’s going to involve. Just burying that ugly water pipe and fencing off the boundary will take some doing. I only hope your father will go along with my plans.” Rose took a moment to lower her side window. “And what about your plans, Erin? Will tells me you want to stay on the ranch. But what about the rest? Are you going to marry that young man of yours?”

“He’s not my young man, and I’m not going to marry him. We broke up last night. For good.”

“Oh.” Rose sounded almost pleased. “I could say I was sorry, but it would be a lie. You can do better than that boy.”

“I hope my father agrees with you. I haven’t told him yet.”

“Will loves you. All he really wants is for you to be happy.”

“I know. But his idea of happy is for me to be married to a suitable man who’ll stay on the ranch and breed a new generation of little Tylers, or whatever their names will be.”

“So, what’s your idea of happy?” Rose asked.

“I’m still figuring that out. What my father wants for me is fine, I guess. But it’s not enough. I want to be in love—truly in love, like my parents were. Right now, I’m not even sure what that feels like. I only know I didn’t feel it with Kyle.”

“You’re still young,” Rose said. “Give it some time. I was twenty-six when I fell in love with Tanner. It took me that long to find the right man, but the wait was worth it—not that I was waiting. I wasn’t even looking for love. He just happened along, and I knew.”

“But how did you know? Was it like a sky full of fireworks going off the first time he kissed you?”

Rose gave Erin a knowing look, as if she’d already guessed about Luke and that wild, forbidden kiss. “It can start like that,” she said, smiling. “But the real thing goes much deeper. When his happiness comes to matter more than your own, when you’d risk any danger or hardship to be with him . . .” She paused, perhaps remembering. “When it feels like that, you’re on your way.”