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Her look was cool and unflinching. “You seem to have forgotten he made that choice a long time ago.”
Ballard’s eyebrows arched up, his eyes widening in sudden revelation. “You’re gettin’ back at him for that—by takin’ the one thing that means more to a Calder than anything else. The land. He’ll never get his hands on it, not even if he leaves Jessy and marries you, will he?”
“What utter nonsense.” Tara laughed in derision. “You surely don’t believe I’m that devious.”
He ignored her response, his thoughts running ahead. “It’ll work. Not right away maybe, but over time, it will work, especially if you keep on being all friendly-like and helpful. Eventually he’ll talk himself into believin’ it’s you he wants and that his decision’s got nothin’ to do with Wolf Meadow.”
“You have a very vivid imagination, Mr. Ballard,” Tara chided.
“What are you gonna do about Jessy and the kids?” He mulled the question over in his mind, not seeing the answer. “You’re gonna have a bit of a problem gettin’ them out of the picture.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” Tara demanded, her dark eyes ablaze with indignation. “Why don’t you go to Ty with all your ludicrous accusations?”
“Simple. He wouldn’t believe me, not for long. You’d see to that.” Everyone else might underestimate her ability, but Ballard didn’t.
He couldn’t prove a single thing. At best, he could plant some doubt, delay the inevitable. But he couldn’t think of any way that might change the outcome.
Her eyes widened in a look of sudden alarm. “You’re insane,” she whispered and moved quickly away from him, her shoes click-click-clicking over the brick as she walked hurriedly toward the opposite end of the barn. She saw Ty and almost ran the last few steps to his side. “You’re back. That didn’t take long.”
His frowning glance skipped over her, darting to the cowboy still standing in the middle of the alleyway. “Did Ballard show you the pens?”
“You surely don’t think he wouldn’t. You practically made it a direct order.” Tara slipped a hand under his arm, but he detected something in her voice that was a little too bright, a little too dismissive of the question.
“Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? Why on earth would you ask that?” Wearing a fixed smile of unconcern, she tried and failed to meet his eyes.
“You seem upset. Did Ballard say something out of line?”
“It wasn’t anything he said. It was the way he looked at me. He frightened me a little.” She gave a faint but expressive shudder.
“He puts the make on anything in a skirt. Sometimes he comes close to going too far.”
Tara darted another glance at Ballard. “I wish you’d let him go, Ty.”
“As I recall, you are the one who suggested that we take advantage of his experience and put him in charge of handling a lot of the details for the auction.”
“I know I did. It seemed a good idea at the time, but I am living here now. I can easily handle them for you.”
The offer raised all sorts of red flags. “Under the circumstances, Tara, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Ty was cool in his rejection of it.
Tara made an attractive little moue of mock chagrin. “I forgot. To just about everyone on the Triple C, I’m persona non grata. But not with you, I hope.”
“Our neighbors are always welcome here.”
The word was like a shield Ty threw up to ward off any suggestion their relationship was more personal than that. His constant use of it was enough to set Tara’s teeth on edge.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she lied with ease. “Just the same, though, there are plenty of other people qualified to handle all the auction details. Let me find one for you.”
“Thanks, but the auction’s not that far away. I would just as soon not change horses when I’m nearly to the other side of the stream.”
Although far from pleased with his decision, Tara gave in with as much good grace as she could muster. “You’re the boss. But if you should change your mind, let me know.”
“It’s not likely.”
“In the meantime, Ty, please don’t mention to Ballard that I complained about his behavior to me. I’m sure everyone here already hates me for buying Wolf Meadow. They will think I’m just trying to stir up more trouble. And I’m not. I’m trying to do the opposite and make everything right again.”
“I understand,” Ty said with a nod.
