Lone Calder Star (Calder Saga 9)

Boone feigned surprise. “How do you know that?”

“About the same time I discovered the fire, I saw a man running away.” Quint paused. Something that wasn’t amusement curved his mouth. “I even managed to get off a shot at him.”

Surprise splintered through Boone at the news that it hadn’t been old man Garner wielding the shotgun. The discovery that it had been Echohawk rankled.

But Boone had played too many hands of poker to let his reaction creep into his expression. “I hope you hit him.”

“Unfortunately he was out of shotgun range,” Quint replied.

Boone knew better; he had the bandages on his back to prove it. “Too bad. The sheriff might have had a chance of catching him then. Now he’ll have to make do with just a description of your arsonist. You did get a good look at him, didn’t you?”

Quint cocked his head to one side. “Is that why Max sent you over here? To find out if I got a good enough look at your man to identify him?”

Boone shook his head and smiled broadly. “You’ve got us all wrong. I think you’ve been listening to her grandfather too much,” he said, indicating Dallas with a nod. “That isn’t why I’m here at all.”

“Then why are you here?” Dallas said in quick challenge, using anger to mask the fear that lurked around the edges.

“Because Max learned that the fire destroyed your hay,” Boone replied smoothly. “Along with passing on his regrets for the loss of it, I’m to tell you that we’re sending some hay to tide you over until you can get more delivered.”

“That’s generous,” Quint murmured dryly.

“In Texas, neighbors help neighbors,” Boone responded, shrugging it off while secretly relishing the irony of the gesture.

On the heels of his remark, there was a movement in his side vision. Boone glanced around as Empty Garner padded into the kitchen in his stockinged feet, looking all mussed and sleepy-eyed.

“Any time a Rutledge helps a neighbor, you can bet he’ll stab him in the back before he’s done.” The accusation was accompanied by a layer of loathing. “Don’t let him fool you,” Empty said, issuing the warning to Quint. “Him sending you over hay, it’s all for show, and to fool people into thinking he didn’t have anything to do with your hay getting burned.”

“His motives for sending it don’t really matter,” Quint replied with a touch of grim resignation. “We need the hay.”

“Echohawk is more pragmatic than you are, Garner,” Boone observed with a complacent smile. “He knows better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

The old man snorted. “Might be smarter if he did. Look what happened at Troy.”

Boone gave him a puzzled look, failing to make the connection between Troy and the Trojan horse. Rather than admit his lack of knowledge, he switched back to the original subject. “Like I said, we’ll be bringing the hay over some time today.” He paused a beat. “I can’t say for sure when it will be, but probably this afternoon. You might want to let Dallas know where you want it stored. That way you won’t have to hang around here waiting for it to show up. I i

magine you have a lot of other things you need to get done.”

Quint made no reply to that, saying instead, “I’ll expect to receive a bill for the hay.”

Boone shrugged his indifference. “If that’s what you want.”

“I do.”

Boone reached behind him for the door. “Let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help.”

“It’d be a big help if you’d just leave the Cee Bar alone,” Empty retorted. “But it’s not likely you’ll do that.”

Boone shot a look at Dallas as he opened the door. “I’ll be seeing you.”

When the door closed behind Boone, Dallas turned away in agitation, fighting the turmoil inside, angry and scared both at the same time.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Rutledge sends over hay that’s been treated with something that will make the livestock sick,” Empty grumbled behind her.

“He wouldn’t,” Quint stated. “Not on hay that could be traced directly back to him.”

“Maybe not,” Empty conceded with reluctance. “Where’d I put my damned boots?”

“I think you left them in the bathroom,” Dallas answered. “At least they were there when I took my shower.”