Texas Forever (The Tylers of Texas 6)

He’d hoped to take Erin to town with him, so that she could see and hear for herself where they stood with the bank. Maybe then she’d be more interested in the ranch and less interested in her own love life. But never mind, Will told himself as he went out to his pickup truck. He wanted to confront the bank president now, while he had a head of steam worked up. Otherwise, he’d be liable to put it off, letting other urgent matters interfere. Now, while he could still maneuver, was the time to get a solid plan in place.

He was climbing into his truck when, from inside the house, he heard the shrill ringing of the landline phone in his office. He was tempted to rush back inside and pick up the call. But no, Carmen could answer the phone. She knew where he was going, and she could take a message.

With the phone still ringing, he climbed into the cab, started the motor, and headed for town.

* * *

Erin had found some leftover posts and chicken wire in one of the sheds. Now she and Rose were working to fence off the grave of Rose’s grandfather, Professor Cletus McAdoo. It was hard work. The metal posts were de

signed to be hammered into the ground, but pounding the points into the hard earth had proven to be more than the two women could do. Instead they were forced to dig a hole for each post.

“I’m glad we got an early start on this,” Erin said. “We’ve barely begun, and the day’s already getting warm.”

Rose thrust her shovel into the dirt. Again, today, she’d strapped on her pistol. “Thanks again for helping me. I could never have managed this on my own. And I’m sorry I wasn’t more help with your dad last night. I tried to soften him up before you came in, but it wasn’t enough.”

“It’s all right. I should’ve known what he’d say when I told him I wanted to be with Luke. Why does he have to be so judgmental?”

“Your father loves you,” Rose said. “He only wants to keep you safe.”

“Oh, I know.” Erin tossed a shovelful of dirt out of the post hole she was digging. “Ever since I was thirteen and got kidnapped by that awful woman, he hasn’t let me out of his sight. But I’m not thirteen anymore. Why can’t he see that?”

“He can see it, dear. And it scares him to death.”

“But Luke’s a good man. Why else would he insist on letting my father know we were seeing each other?”

“I agree with you,” Rose said. “But your father’s being cautious. Now that your mother’s gone, you’re all he has—you and the ranch. You can’t blame him for wanting to protect you and keep you close.” Rose straightened, massaging the small of her back with one hand. “For now, I hope you’ll do as he says and keep your distance from Luke. If the two of you are meant to be together, love will find a way.”

But what if Rose was wrong? Erin thought. What would she do if she came back to the ranch to find that Luke had already been fired, packed his things, and left?

Or what if she found him leaving? Would he take her with him? Would she go?

She picked up a post and stood it upright in the hole she’d dug. “Can you steady this while I fill in the dirt?”

Rose put down her shovel and moved to hold the post, keeping it centered in the hole. “What about the flowers?” she asked. “Are you going to see Kyle again?”

“I don’t want to. It would only encourage him.” Erin shoveled the loose earth around the post and packed it down. It wouldn’t hold securely, but once the fence was done, it should be enough to discourage wandering cattle until Rose could enclose her entire yard.

“In that case, I hope you can have a friendly parting,” Rose said. “But Kyle strikes me as a young man who doesn’t like taking no for an answer.”

“Then maybe it’s time he learned. I wouldn’t mind staying friends with him, but after the last time I turned him down, I don’t know if that’s possible. I just hope he doesn’t make trouble for Luke.”

“Then don’t give Kyle any reason to make trouble. Until things get better around here, you and Luke will be walking a fine line. Try not to cross it.”

“Thanks. That’s good advice.” Erin paced off the hole for the second of four fence posts and started digging. The morning sun cast lacy patterns through the trees. Blackbirds called in the willows that grew along the creek. Water gurgled and splashed over the stones.

The morning was as cheerful and pleasant as anyone could wish. Given such a fine beginning to the day, it was hard to believe that anything could go wrong. So why, as she worked beside Rose, did Erin sense a vague darkness pressing down on her, like a whispered warning that everything she cherished was at risk?

* * *

Will had spent nearly an hour in the bank—all but the last fifteen minutes of it waiting to see the president, Sim Bartlett. He needn’t have bothered. Bartlett’s answer was the same as before. The payment was due as scheduled. If it wasn’t made by October 1, along with two years’ back taxes a month later, the Rimrock would be in foreclosure.

As if he needed more bad news, Bartlett had let it slip that an agent for the syndicate that owned the Prescott place had been asking about the Rimrock and the status of the loan. That could only mean one thing. The syndicate people were waiting for the Rimrock to go into foreclosure so they could buy it at a bargain price. There was no way they would buy land or livestock from Will. Not when the bastards were waiting like vultures for him to default on the loan. And Sim Bartlett was probably getting a fat piece of the action.

So scratch that option. Never mind. Somehow he’d find another way. But right now he needed a cold beer.

The Blue Coyote had just opened. Will parked in the meager patch of shade on the north side. Since the AC had gone out on his truck, any measure to keep the blistering sun off the cab was worth the trouble.

The look of the old bar hadn’t changed much over the years. The blue neon coyote on the sign out front had been a fixture for at least fifty years. But when former sheriff Abner Sweeney had taken the place over from Stella Rawlins, he’d kicked out the drug dealers and closed the upstairs room where the waitresses had carried on a side business.