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at her place setting to unfold it and lay it across her lap.
“Since your attorney will have the papers ready for our signature tomorrow,” Dyson was saying as he picked up his wineglass, “I don’t think it’s premature to drink a toast to our new partnership, do you, Ty?”
His action attracted Cat’s attention. Startled by his announcement, she accidentally knocked her salad fork off the table. It clattered noisily to the floor, drawing everyone’s attention to her.
“Sorry, I—” She didn’t bother to finish the apology as she stared at Ty. “What’s this about a partnership?”
“E.J. and I are going into the coal business together,” he replied smoothly. His rawly handsome features held an expression of calm decision, irrevocable and firm, as Ty lifted his glass to Dyson.
“I’ve looked forward to this day ever since you and Tara were married.” Dyson wore a very self-satisfied look, and Cat stared at him, hearing the trace of premeditation in his statement. Her glance swung to Stricklin and fell away immediately when she saw he was watching her from behind those thick lenses of his glasses. Harassed by doubts and unproven suspicions, she kept silent.
All through dinner she listened to their talk of coal with growing trepidation—the potential tonnage that could be mined annually, sale negotiations with various high-usage companies, the fortunes to be realized. All the while the fear kept nagging at her that her brother was going into business with the two men who might be responsible for their mother’s death.
At the meal’s conclusion, Cat managed to waylay Ty before he could follow the others into the living room for coffee. “You can’t do it,” she insisted, trying to keep her voice low. “You can’t go into business with them, Ty.”
“It’s done.” His glance was hard, although his voice held patience.
“You haven’t signed the papers yet,” she reminded him earnestly. “It isn’t too late to change your mind yet.” She knew she had to give him a reason. Without proof, she was reluctant to tell him of her suspicions, brainwashed by Culley’s many protests that she wouldn’t be believed. “You know how Dad feels about mining coal. You can’t do this.”
“Financially, I have no choice.” His mouth thinned out. “I’m in charge, Cathleen. You were at the hospital last Sunday. You heard him say it was up to me. It’s my responsibility to see that we start bringing in some money, any way I see fit. Which is exactly what I’m doing. There isn’t any room for sentiment in business decisions, although you’re probably too young to understand that.”
“It isn’t that at all,” Cat protested. “What if I told you that—”
“Ty?” Tara appeared in the archway. “Aren’t you having coffee with us?” She glanced from Ty’s hard features to the desperate and beseeching look on his sister’s face. “What’s the problem, Cathleen?” She smiled indulgently. “Won’t Ty relent on his midnight curfew edict for the party Saturday night? I’ll speak to him about it for you. In the meantime, I’m going to steal him away from you. Daddy has a lot of details he wants to discuss with him.”
Her chance was gone; so was the urge to tell him what she and Culley suspected. Just seeing Tara reminded Cat that her brother was unlikely to believe his wife’s father was capable of doing such a thing. She wasn’t sure herself.
29
No announcement was made; no word was given out. But when the first surveyor stepped onto Calder land to stake out a new road, the news reverberated across the Triple C like a shock wave.
The pickup had barely rolled to a stop in front of The Homestead when Jessy came charging out of it, up the steps and through the front door. A tautness claimed every long inch of her as she demanded of the first person she saw, “Where’s Ty? I want to see him.”
Tkra stiffly faced her, icily controlled. “I don’t think he wishes to see you.”
“I don’t give a damn what he wants, and put your claws back in,” Jessy retorted, having no time for petty jealousies. “I’ve already handed in my notice and I’ll be drawing my pay and leaving at the end of the month. Where is he? In the study?”
“He’s busy.” She tried to block the way to the open doors of the study, but Jessy moved lithely around her.
“This won’t take long,” she promised grimly.
The half-raised voices had already aroused Ty’s attention. He was just stepping out from behind the desk when Jessy burst into the room and stopped, her hands resting on her hips in a challenging stance.
“There’s just one thing I want to know.” Her voice was flat and hard, like the look in her hazel eyes. “Is it true?”
There was a second’s pause when Ty almost pretended not to know what she was talking about. Then he dropped his gaze and made a half turn to the desk to pick up some papers. “Yes, it’s true. The Triple C is now in the coal-mining business.” The tension in the room was thick and oppressive, licking at his nerves.
“I didn’t want to believe it when I heard it,” Jessy declared. “I thought you were a Calder. I thought you had some feeling for this land.”
His decision had raised a clamor of disapproval among the veteran hands. It rankled Ty that he was being made to feel an outsider again when his sole interest was in keeping the ranch from going broke. It hardened his stand against her.
“Was there anything else you wanted?”
“I want you to take a ride with me. There’s something I’d like to show you,” she stated, not altering her challenging stance one degree.
“I’m busy just now.” Ty didn’t wish to argue with her over his decision. It seemed simplest to avoid any opportunity to do so.
“You aren’t so busy that you can’t spare one hour.” Anger trembled through her control. “Have I ever asked you for anything, Ty?” she demanded when he hesitated. “Well, I’m asking this from you now!”
