Her remark drew a frown from Chase. “Why?”
“Allie wants me to run into town. According to the trusty range telegraph, Fedderson’s received a batch of fresh strawberries this morning, and Allie wants some for dessert tonight,” Laura explained, referring to the woman who ran the kitchen at The Homestead, and had for the last ten years. “I offered to go after lunch, but she’s worried that they’ll be sold out by then. I was going to ask Sebastian if he wanted to ride along with me, and we could grab a bite to eat at Harry’s”
“If he was here, I’d give you odds that he would jump at the chance,” Chase observed dryly.
“Probably.” She took another idle sip of her coffee. “You do know that Sebastian is very anxious to get his hands on my money.”
“I know.” Chase nodded and slanted a twinkly look at her. “Judging from the way he looks at you, I think he’d enjoy getting his hands on you as well.”
Laura clicked her tongue in mock dismay. “You aren’t supposed to notice such things, Gramps.”
“I may be old, but I’m not dead,” he retorted.
She laughed. “I should hope not.”
But Chase didn’t choose to get sidetracked by her comment. “I get the impression you might have some feelings for this Englishman. Otherwise, knowing what you do about him, you would have already shown him the door.”
Laura pitched her shoulders forward in an uncaring shrug. “If Sebastian chooses to stay, knowing that I am going to marry Boone, it’s his time he’s wasting.”
“That reminds me,” Chase said. “Crockett called earlier this morning. He said he’d try to reach you tonight sometime.”
“You might as well give up, Gramps. You are not going to rile me anymore by calling him Crockett.” A trio of riders approached the home-pasture gate. Laura crossed to the edge of the veranda, put two fingers to her mouth, and whistled shrilly. Trey answered with an acknowledging wave and swung the gate open from horseback, held it open for the other two, then maneuvered it shut.
One rider split away to head for the corrals while Trey and the second man branched off toward The Homestead. Laura watched them approach at a steady trot, her attention centering on Sebastian. A straw Resistol sat atop his head, its brim shading his face. He wore a pair of faded Levis and a plain blue shirt. From a distance, he could have passed for one of the ranch hands, but the riding boots gave him away.
When the pair reined up near the front steps, Laura declared, “You almost look like a cowboy in that saddle, Sebastian.”
“If I do, the credit belongs to your brother,” he replied. “He informed me that if he caught me posting at the trot—his words—he would knock me out of the saddle straight to kingdom come.”
“Trey!” Laura was too stunned by his rudeness to a guest to do more than stare at her brother.
“Good God,
Laura, it’s one thing for you to do it, but if he started bouncing up and down, you know all the other guys would look at him sideways the whole time he’s here,” Trey said with force.
Sebastian made light of it. “When in the West, do as the westerners do. Of course, I also didn’t know how far it might be to kingdom come, and I felt certain I didn’t want to find out.”
As always, the dryness of his humor made Laura laugh. “I’m glad you’re back all in one piece. I have to go into town. Want to ride along and see what one of our western villages looks like?”
“It’s almost lunchtime,” Trey said in protest.
“We can grab a bite at Harry’s. The food won’t be as good as what Allie will put on the table, but it’ll do,” Laura replied and looked at Sebastian. “What d’you say? Are you coming or not?”
“After tangling with that steer, I’ll need to wash up a bit.”
“No problem,” she said. “I still have to get my purse and the keys to the pickup.”
“I’ll take care of your horse,” Trey offered. “You go on inside and clean up. Knowing Laura, she’s just as apt to leave without you.”
“Only if he dawdles,” Laura teased as Sebastian swung out of the saddle and handed the horse’s reins to Trey.
“I have been accused of many things, but never dawdling,” Sebastian countered as he came up the steps.
“There’s always a first for everything,” Laura retorted and headed for the door.
After it closed behind them, Chase fired a glance at Trey. “Did he really tangle with a steer?”
“I guess you could say that. After we got the steer down, he sat on his neck to hold him while Baker and I doctored the gash on his hip. At least he pitched in to help, which is more than I can say about Crockett.” Clicking to the horses, Trey reined away from the house and set out for the barns.