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“But you stayed with what you knew. Being a Calder means being a cattleman and having a commitment to the land and its people.”
“It’ll be a few months yet before the court makes a ruling on the disposition of that land,” Ty stated, drawing a heavy breath. “Even then it won’t be final. Depending on which way the court rules, if Dyson doesn’t appeal it, we will.”
“I’m not worried.” A smile broke across his rugged, lined features.
For an instant, Ty looked at him, then smiled, too. “Neither am I—not with both of us to stop him.”
The buildings of the ranch headquarters were in sight and Ty slowed the car. Vehicles crowded the wide yard area and the throng of ranch workers and their families pressed forward to meet the car.
“What’s this?” Just for an instant, Chase Calder was a little dazed by the turnout.
Ty’s expression gentled as he sat motionless behind the wheel of the stopped car. “I think they want to welcome you home.”
After a split-second hesitation, Chase reached for the door handle. A small cheer went up when he stepped from the car unaided. A walking cane was hooked over his arm, but he didn’t use it as he moved forward. When a raven-haired girl with eyes as green as Calder grass separated herself from the crowd to run forward to meet him, there was a second when Chase was transported back to another time when a young Maggie had run into his arms. He hugged his daughter tightly, loving her with a special love.
“Welcome home, Dad.” Tears were shining in her eyes, happiness radiating from her. She stayed by his side, an arm around him, as if she would never leave him, but Chase was wiser than to believe that. He’d already noticed Repp Taylor standing to one side, and the darkly possessive light in the eyes of the tall, lean cowboy when he looked at Cathleen.
After he had greeted Repp, he looked mockingly from one to the other. “I suppose you two have run off and eloped while I’ve been gone.”
“No, sir. Cat has some growing up to do,” he said smoothly, then slid a glance to her. “She’s still too spoiled to make a good wife.”
“Repp.” Her tone of voice sharply reproved him, but Chase merely chuckled at the exchange.
Ty was slower to get out of the car, hanging back to give his father center stage. This was his moment—his homecoming. As he stepped out of the car, he watched his father with Jessy, speaking to her briefly, then moving on to the next person. Then she was swinging across the ground with that long-legged grace to join him by the car. Ty felt his heart lift for this proud, earthy woman.
“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” she said, looking back to watch his father.
“Yes.” He curved an arm around her waist and drew her against his side. She looked thoughtful. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” There was a small shake of her head, accompanied by a faint smile. “When I spoke to him just now, he suggested that I should get in the habit of calling him Dad Calder.”
“I haven’t told him, but I think he guessed a long time ago that I’d be marrying you as soon as the divorce is final.” Ty smiled. “What’s between us hasn’t exactly been a secret.”
“No.” Her laugh was soft and her look was pleased. There was a brief silence while their attention went back to the tall, graying man being greeted with a kiss on the cheek by Sally Brogan. “I’m glad she came.” She turned a serious look on Ty, as if to warn him. “Your father is a man. There’ll come a time when he’ll need her, her company and her affection, but it won’t mean he’ll stop loving your mother or even missing her.”
“I know.” There was a lot he understood now about human hungers and illusions. But he also knew that they never equaled the solid strength of more enduring things.
As Chase worked his way into the crowd, he almost missed seeing Culley hovering on the fringe. Stopping, Chase changed direction to seek out Maggie’s brother. For a long second, they looked at each other.
“You’re looking fit,” Culley said at last.
“So are you.” Chase nodded.
Then Culley’s head dipped as he looked at the ground. “I know how much you loved her. I—”
“We both loved her,” Chase cut in quietly. “There may not be anything else, but we’ll always share that.”
“Year—I guess so.”
Old friends, men and women he’d worked with and grown up with, pressed around him to welcome Chase home. And the younger ones, to whom the Calder patriarch was someone they knew more by reputation, came to add their reserved words of welcome to the rest. There were a lot of husky male voices, many smiles accompanied by teary eyes.
The gathering was slow to break up, everyone wanting to draw out the moment of reunion for as long as they could. The Yates family was leaving. Chase had just told them goodbye and was turning to walk back to the scattered throng when he heard the remark made by the teenage son of Tiny Yates.
“Ty’s old man looks better than I thought he would after being in the hospital for so long.”
The phrase stopped him, and his eyes filled with shining tears as he turned them skyward. “Maggie.” His voice was choked with emotion. “Did you hear what he said? Ty’s old man.”
Together you’ll face the future,
