Calder Storm (Calder Saga 10)

Coming to a decision, she turned briskly from the window and walked to the black telephone on the sofa’s end table. She picked up the receiver and punched the area code and phone number from memory.

Her call was answered after the third ring. “Slash R Ranch.”

“Is that you, Bennett?” she guessed, but never gave him a chance to confirm it. “This is Sloan. I need to talk to Uncle Max if he’s there. It’s important.”

“One moment,” was the reply.

And she was put on hold. As the seconds continued to tick away, Sloan sat on the arm of the sofa and impatiently tapped a hand on her leg.

After what seemed an interminable wait, the familiar voice of Max Rutledge came over the line. “Yes, Sloan. Bennett said you needed to talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Everything—”

“What is it? Has something happened to the baby?”

The concern in his voice was like balm to her raw nerves. Sloan took a long, steadying breath and said, “No. The baby and I are fine. Did I tell you it’s going to be a boy?”

“A son. That’s wonderful. But I take it that isn’t the reason you called.”

“No, it isn’t.” The tension came back, along with the confusion. “Why didn’t you tell me that you knew the Calders? Why did you let me think you’d never had any dealings with them?”

“So they have learned of your connection to me, have they?” he said with a degree of resignation. “I suppose it was bound to come out sometime. And it’s my fault for not providing you with the details of that unfortunate business with Boone. But you sounded so happy and so very much in love when you told me of your engagement to Trey that it seemed unkind to bring up that unpleasantness.”

“I wish you had,” Sloan declared with feeling. “Now they think I deliberately kept it from them.”

“Is that what they said?” Surprise and anger crept into his voice.

“Not in so many words, but they implied it.”

“Why? What reason would they have?”

“It’s a long story. But you have to understand that the Calders are convinced that whatever Boone did, it was on orders from you.”

“What?!” Max exploded, outraged and indignant.

Sharing the same view, Sloan released a disgusted sigh. “I know. It’s ridiculous, and I told them so. Even worse, though, they actually think it’s possible you want to get back at them for Boone’s death.”

“You can’t be serious?”

“I am. Trey told me himself. At the time, I didn’t really believe him. Then tonight at the dinner table, the way the family grilled me about you—”

“You?! Why? What has any of this to do with you? Wait. Let me guess. They’re probably wondering whether your marriage to Trey is part of some conspiracy of mine.”

The instant he said it, Sloan felt a little chill as she remembered the mocking way Laredo had asked if Rutledge had congratulated her upon hearing the news of her engagement. It was exactly what they suspected.

A short, derisive laugh came over the phone line. “Obviously the Calders don’t know you very well, Sloan, or they would realize you would never consent to such a thing.”

“Trey knows better.” She clung to that.

“I’m relieved to hear it. For a moment I thought they were all against you, and I was about to order my plane to come get you.”

“That isn’t necessary,” Sloan assured him. “I’m upset, and I’ve probably made it sound worse than it is. The Calders couldn’t understand why you never told me about the trouble Boone had caused. And I couldn’t give them a reason. That’s why I called.”

“I’m glad you did. And if they start giving you a rough time, don’t you dare sit there and take it. Call me, and I’ll have you out of there in a heartbeat.”

“Thanks, Uncle Max.”

The line of her mouth softened into a near smile when she hung up the phone. It took her a moment to realize that all of the Calders’ suspicions about Max had planted a few seeds of doubt in her own mind about him. Yet his reaction when she told him about it had echoed her own. It served to solidify her convictions concerning his lack of culpability.