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“I guess so.”
Chase threw him an admonishing look. “Don’t make me feel any more ancient than I am, Trey.” Redirecting his attention to Jake, Chase explained, “The Triple C raises Herefords and Hereford crosses now, instead of Longhorns.”
“Oh. So are they astink?”
“What?” Sloan asked, puzzled.
“I want to know if the Longhorners are astink,” Jake answered his mother patiently. “Astink like the dinosaurs,” he clarified.
Chase chuckled. “The word is ‘extinct,’ Jake. And no, they’re not. But you don’t see too many Longhorns these days, especially not in Montana.”
“Why?”
“They like the weather in Texas better,” his father answered.
“Wish we had one. With horns this wide.” Jake extended his arms as far as they could go, then put them down again. “That’d be neat, huh, Greypa? I could show my friends, a real live one instead of just Old Captain’s horns.”
“They would be impressed,” Chase agreed.
Jake’s wistful words lingered in Chase’s mind long after the meal was finished and the dining room emptied. A plan took shape, but Chase waited to implement it until Trey scooped up the sleepy-eyed youngster and nestled him against his shoulder.
“Bedtime for this guy,” he said softly to Chase.
“I’m half-tempted to turn in myself. But I can’t. You know, ranch business,” he said vaguely. “Gotta make a few calls.”
As Trey climbed the stairs with Jake, Chase crossed to the den and closed the door behind himself, going to his desk. He sat down and dialed a number he knew by heart.
“Quint?”
“Hey, Gramps. Nice to hear your voice,” came the warm reply. “It will be even better when we can actually see you at Christmas time. We can’t wait to get to Montana.”
“Looking forward to it myself,” Chase agreed. “How’s Dallas? How’s Josh? Never thought the day would come when there’d be a red-headed Calder running around.”
Quint caught his grandfather up on his wife and toddler son, and then asked, “So how’s everything up your way?”
“Everything’s fine. But I need a favor.”
“Sure. What is it?”
Chase got right to the point. “I want you to buy me a registered Longhorn calf. A bull calf.”
There was a pause of disbelief on Quint’s side of the call. “Did I hear you right? You want a Longhorn?”
“It’s a Christmas present for Jake,” he explained. “If you find one in time, you can have it shipped to South Camp. I’ll let Stumpy Niles know it’s coming. If it gets too close to Christmas before you find one, you’ll need to fly it up in a cargo plane.”
“Sounds like you have this all thought out,” Quint marveled, faintly amused.
Chase grinned a grin that activated all his wrinkles, laughing. “I sure have. I stuck you with the hard part.”
He raised his head when a knock came on the closed door. “Come in.”
Cat opened it halfway and looked around the edge of the door. “Dad, are you busy?”
“Just talking to Quint.” He spoke to his grandson again. “Your mother’s here. Want to talk to her?”
“Of course.”
Chase gestured Cat into the room and handed her the receiver. He looked around for his cane and walked out slowly, still wearing that same grin.
