AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll think about it. No promises.”
Pete hammered down another shingle. “At least buy a ticket. The money’s going toward a new schoolhouse that the townfolks want to build.”
“I can go along with that. Bring me a ticket tomorrow and I’ll pay you. Whether I use it will be up to me.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” Pete grinned. “You can only buy tickets in town, on Saturday. Now that you’ve promised to buy one, you’ll have to go.”
“I guess maybe I will.” Logan felt a gust of wind on his perspiring face. Looking west, beyond the barn, he could see a cloud of brown dust sweeping across the pastures in its path toward them.
“Time to get down,” he told Pete. “Take any loose shingles with you, and let’s hope the others are nailed down tight. You can put the horses in the barn and ride it out in the house or head on home. Work’s over for the day.”
Pete had seen the dust. “I’m right behind you. Doesn’t look like a big storm, but it could be a nasty one.” He called out a warning to Lars and Angus, who were laying the first section of floor in the stable.
“I’m heading for home.” Angus swung onto his horse. “I need to make sure the wife and kids are safe.”
Logan watched him ride away. In the pasture, the steers had huddled close together and bedded down, the way a herd did on the trail. That morning Logan had counted them. There were forty-nine, not fifty. He remembered Webb’s warning, but he didn’t want to believe Angus would steal from him. After the dust storm, he would check the fence for breaks and give the missing animal until tomorrow to show up.
Lars was moving the horses into the barn. Pete was taking down the ladder and gathering up anything that could blow away. Logan thought briefly of Kristin, hoping she wasn’t caught in the open somewhere. She was a strong woman and knew how to take care of herself. Still, it was frustrating to imagine that she could be in danger when he was unable to help.
He scanned the yard for anything that might have been left outside. Then, with dust blowing around him, he hurried to close the windows and secure the house.
* * *
Mason checked the stacked boxes in the barn to make sure they were concealed with canvas and hay. For the hired help on the ranch, he’d concocted a story about setting up a mail-order business to sell pest extermination supplies, with stock that included some dangerous poisons. The uneducated cowhands had actually bought the story, along with the admonition that they weren’t to go near the barn. Still, Mason knew he couldn’t be too careful.
After bolting the barn doors from the inside, he left by a side door, locked it, and headed for the house. Dust storms always made his mother nervous. She would have already brought the dogs inside—the filthy, drooling beasts. He would find them crouched like stone lions on either side of the chair he called her throne.
He’d never had much affection for the old woman. When he’d headed home after twelve years, he’d hoped to find her frail and fading, ready to surrender her ownership of the ranch. But no such luck. She was as sharp as a tack and as tough as old boot leather. For all he knew, she would outlivehim.
On the front porch, he took a moment to watch the dust storm sweeping across the lower pasture. Business was good, with plenty of customers showing up in the dead of night. But his store of liquor was getting low, and the shipment he’d ordered appeared to be stalled somewhere. Next week, if nothing had shown up, he would make a trip to the Western Union office in Miles City and use their telephone service to make a call.
Meanwhile, he was due for a little old-fashioned fun. The town’s annual Fourth of July celebration would be going on this Saturday. He could show up at the dance and twirl the ladies around the dance floor—give them a thrill. He might even steal a few kisses from that pretty little Anderson girl. Blue Moon didn’t have much to offer in the way of a good time. But who knew? He might be pleasantly surprised.
The storm was getting close. Opening the front door, Mason braced himself to ride it out with his mother and those damned dogs.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE PASSING STORM HAD LEFT A PATINA OF BROWN DUST EVERYWHERE—a portent of disasters to come, people said. By Saturday, however, most of the dust had either been swept up or blown away. Blue Moon was dressed in its festive best with bunting and banners strung along Main Street.
The festivities would begin at eleven o’clock with a children’s parade from the log schoolhouse to the site of the picnic and dance, which had been set up at the far end of Main Street. The children, dressed in their holiday best, would wave miniature flags and march in unison to the beat of a toy drum, played by Miss Britta Anderson, who would follow along in the rear to keep them in line. When they reached the bandstand, they would sing several patriotic songs and lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Even the ranch children who were homeschooled, like Elsa and Annie, were invited to take part.
Lunch would follow, served from a lavishly laden buffet table. Afterward there would be family activities and a baseball game set up in a vacant lot. After a break, the band would tune up, and the dance would begin.
Kristin had arrived early to cheer her nieces as they passed in the little parade. She was also hoping to find Blake and make peace with him. Growing up, despite their age difference, they’d been close. And Hanna was like a sister to her. They were all the family she had. It was time she moved to mend the rift between them.
She was scanning the crowd for her brother when she heard the children’s parade coming from the far end of the street. She stood at attention, hand on her heart, to show respect for the flags and the youngsters who carried them. The sixth-grade boys—Joseph, Cully, Buck, and Chase—were missing. They’d declared themselves too grown-up to march with the younger children. According to Gerda, Britta had excused them; but she’d made it clear that they wouldn’t be sharing the cookies and punch that were waiting to reward the marchers after the program.
Gerda would be here today, doubtless looking her prettiest and keeping an eye out for Mason. Every time she thought about the girl, Kristin wanted to shake her. Not that it would do much good. The little fool thought she was in love and there was no convincing her that she’d made a bad choice.
Kristin had promised to keep Gerda’s secret if she ended the relationship. But every instinct told her that the girl was still sneaking around. Somebody—maybe Blake—needed to corner Mason and read him the riot act. Or better yet, maybe she and Blake should confront their half-brother together.
The children were lining up in front of the bandstand to sing when Kristin caught sight of Blake and Hanna. Slipping through the crowd, she managed to reach them before the program started.
Blake gave her a sidelong glance as she came up to him. “Are we on speaking terms yet?” she asked.
His gaze narrowed. “That depends. Where’s Webb?”
“Do you see him anywhere?”
