“You would’ve been paying your respects to me if I hadn’t been on the phone when that bomb went off. Otherwise, I’d have gone for the mail myself. I can’t help feeling guilty for that. Cyrus was one of the kindest, most honest men I’ve ever known. He didn’t deserve to end his life that way.” Brock gazed out over the pastures where his cattle grazed on well-watered native grass. “I know I invited you to bring Lexie here to see the ranch and the bungalows. But for now, until the person who planted that bomb is behind bars or dead, I don’t want your family anywhere near this place. You shouldn’t even be here now.”
“So you said. Anyway, with the baby almost due, Lexie doesn’t feel like going anywhere.”
“Do you think she’ll like this place?” Brock asked.
“Anybody would. But with a new baby, she’ll miss having other women around, especially her sisters. Except for when she was in college, she and Tess have never been apart.”
“Not that this is the time, but I’ll be hiring a new cook and housekeeper. A woman or a couple might not be a bad idea.” Brock gazed back down the slope. He could see the hired men coming up the trail on their horses. They were only a few minutes away. “How much have you told Tess about your plans to move here?” he asked.
“Not much. We’re waiting until after the baby comes to make the big announcement. But something tells me she’s already guessed—and that she’s none too happy about it. If Val leaves, too, Tess will be left to run the ranch alone.”
“I suppose we can cross that bridge when we come to it,” Brock said, although he couldn’t help wondering how Tess was going to manage and how he could involve himself.
As the riders reached the hilltop and dismounted, Brock climbed out of the ATV holding the canister. Since he wasn’t much for speeches, he settled for going around the circle of men, including Shane, and inviting each one to say a few words if they wished. Most of them were willing. They mentioned Cyrus’s friendliness, his wisdom, and his folksy sense of humor. Brock was fighting tears by the time the last turn—Jim’s—came.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to offer a prayer that my grandma taught me,” the young man said.
The men nodded and bowed their heads. Some closed their eyes as Jim began to speak, intoning the words like an old-time preacher.
“Dear Lord, we give the soul of this good man into thy keeping. Welcome his innocent spirit as a lamb unto thy fold.” There was more. He droned on for several minutes before ending with a theatrical “Ah . . . men!”
Brock removed the lid of the canister and shook it off the brow of the hill, letting the breeze carry his old friend’s ashes out over the pastures. The men stood for a moment, then turned away and climbed onto their horses. Rusty was the first to break the silence.
“Say, Jim, where’d you learn to pray like that? You sounded like an honest-to-goodness preacher. You say your grandma taught you?”
“That’s right. Grandma pretty much raised me after my dad died. She always wanted me to be a preacher. But I had my heart set on the cowboy life. I guess if I get tired of mucking stables and roping steers, I can always change my mind. Grandma would like that. She’s in a nursing home now, but she’s still pretty sharp.”
The conversation faded as the men rode off. Brock climbed back into the ATV with Shane. “I’m taking you straight to your van,” he said. “Then you’re to leave and not come back here until I tell you it’s safe. Losing Cyrus was bad enough. I don’t want to lose you, too. If anything were to happen to you, I’d never forgive myself.”
“Does that mean you blame yourself for what happened to Cyrus?” Shane asked.
Brock nodded. “Somebody’s out to get me for something that happened in the past. If I’d gone for the mail that day, it would’ve been me, not Cyrus, who caught that blast. Whoever did this won’t give up until they kill me—or until I stop them. So you’re to steer clear until I do. You’ve got a wife and baby to think about.”
Brock started the ATV and, with the engine roaring, headed downhill. Now that Cyrus had been honored, it was time he declared all-out war on the unseen enemy who could be watching the ranch even now.
* * *
With the bulls loaded in the trailer and Ruben ready to go, Tess took a moment to say goodbye to her sisters. As they did most evenings, Val and Lexie were sitting on the front porch, watching the blazing hues of sunset pale and fade.
“I take it you’ll be seeing Brock,” Val teased. “If he makes a move on you, go for it. Something tells me that man could give you just what you need.”
“If I see Brock, it’ll be strictly business.” Tess was grateful for the fading light that hid a rush of heat to her face. “I know the family gave me the go-ahead to sign that contract, but I still have a few questions for him. And if I don’t hear the right answers, I won’t be signing anything.”
“Andyou, little sister.” She turned to Lexie. “You hang on to that baby until I get home. There’s no way I want to miss the chance to welcome little Jackson into the world.”
Lexie shifted her position on the chaise. She looked swollen and miserable. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m not due for another couple of weeks. I’m sure I’ll be here when you get home, still looking as big as a pregnant cow. But I do want you here, Tess. I want both my sisters here. Promise you’ll be with me when the baby comes.”
“Of course, I promise. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Tess turned to go. “I’ll see you on Sunday. Wish us luck in Las Vegas.”
“Bring us home some cash,” Val said. “And remember what I said about Brock. Go for it.”
Ignoring her sister’s teasing, Tess strode to the truck and climbed into the passenger side. Ruben would be driving the first part of the night. Then Tess would take over. They’d both be tired by Saturday morning, when they reached the Core Arena where the event would be held. But they’d have most of the day to relax and doze before evening when the bulls would be bucking.
Brock had taken a suite at the Plaza Hotel adjacent to the arena. They could meet there to finalize the hayfields contract. As Tess thought about him, Val’s teasing words came back to her.
“Go for it!”
Even the thought made Tess shake her head. The only man who’d ever made love to her was Mitch. So many years had passed since then, she’d almost forgotten what it was like. And with Brock? That could turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life.