Sea Of Grass (21 page)

Claire nodded, and as Tess stepped back, she reached up and cupped her tanned face. “Yes, I was.”

“Well, you were laughing with him and everything,” she mumbled.

“I don’t care about Ethan Drummond.”

“You don’t?” Tess looked at the floor.

Claire smiled inwardly at the vulnerable pose. “No, and if we could, I’d dance with you all night long and nobody else.”

Tess grinned wildly. “You would?”

Claire returned her grin and nodded happily. “With all your ranch hands included. I’m surprised you didn’t have Jack come over.”

“Speaking of Jack. I think we might need to talk to him. He was watching me tonight. I’m not sure what’s going through his mind, maybe nothing.”

Claire leaned against the wall. “It will have to come. I know. He deserves to hear it from me. But for now, get back out there, Miss Rawlins, before you’re missed.” She pulled her down for one more passionate kiss, then let her go.

She was pleased to see the stunned look as she walked away.

Chapter 13

At the end of the evening, only Hank Patterson and two other ranchers—Mark Farrell and Claude Holcomb—were left sitting around the kitchen table talking to Tess and Jed. Tess was desperately trying to listen, but her gaze kept wandering to the yard where Ethan Drummond was talking to Claire for at least twenty excruciating minutes.

“
Whattaya
think, Tess?” Mark asked.

Tess felt a kick under the table and winced. She looked at the three men. “Sorry. What were you saying?”

“I was saying that Warren Telford has almost got Claude’s ranch.”

“I have to come up with seven thousand dollars now. Telford wants the land.” Claude let out a sad heavy sigh.

“What about the cattle?” Tess asked. “Claude, you have at least a thousand head.”

“Telford told me he’s taking the whole thing if I don’t come up with the money by week’s end.”

With that, Claire came into the kitchen. Tess gave her an odd look, which she ignored. “I’m sorry for interrupting. Seems like you’re deep in conversation. Would anyone like some coffee?”

All agreed and Claire stood by the stove and listened.

“So what now? If Telford takes over Claude’s place, he’ll have water rights, Tess, Jed,” Mark said helplessly.

Jed scratched his head and looked to Tess, who stood and walked over to the kitchen door and gazed into the darkness. In a moment or two, she spoke. “How much is your cattle worth?”

“Hell, Tess, you know the prices. I’ve got at least twenty to seventy-five thousand dollars in that beef. If not more.”

“No, I think you only have seven thousand dollars, Claude. The Double R can afford seven thousand dollars.” Tess walked over to the table and placed a booted foot on a kitchen chair and leaned in with a grin.

All three men sported confused looks. “I don’t get you, Tess. That’s nowhere near what it’s worth.”

“True, but it’s all that Telford and the bank need. Now with my father’s permission, I’ll go to the bank tomorrow and buy your cattle for seven thousand dollars cash. I take your cattle and drive it to Colorado with ours. You get our price. The country gets quality beef. Telford gets his measly seven thousand dollars and you walk away with whatever your beef sells for and your ranch. All just for giving me the privilege of seeing Warren Telford’s face turn red,” Tess said with an evil grin.

“It’s brilliant!” Hank slapped Claude on the back.

“I-I can’t let you do that, Tess. We’re all struggling. I know the Double R is one of the wealthiest, but I also know it’s been hard on all of us. What if something happens? What if the price of beef goes down? What if…”

“What if you stop and listen to reason?” Jed interjected. He knew how much cash they hand on hand. It wasn’t much. Tess was taking a gamble. “We’re in this together, ever since our grandfathers started ranching. Now my daughter is a gambler, gets that from her great-granddad. He gambled on this land and won, so will we. We all need this cattle drive. It may be the last big one we have. With big companies buying up ranches and making corporations out of ’em. The Double R will hold out as long as we can, and as long as we can, we’ll help our friends. If situations were reversed, you’d be helping the Double R,” Jed said in a firm voice and stood behind Tess, who smiled and looked back at her friends.

“We gamble on each other. We stick together and fight. Right?” She looked at all three men.

“Right,” they said collectively.

Claire stood there and watched Tess as she once again held their part of Montana together. Tess looked over at her and winked. Claire smiled and nodded as she served the coffee.

After all was settled and the ranchers gone, Jed yawned wildly. “I’m bushed.
G’night
, girls. Tess, lock up?” he asked and kissed her.

“Of course. Good night, Dad.” Tess hugged him. “This will work.”

“I know it will. Hank was right. It’s a great idea. That California big city college was good for something,” he said with a wink. “
G’night
, Claire, and thank you. You were marvelous.”

“Thanks, Jed. I enjoyed every minute.” Claire kissed his cheek.

“Well, I’d better check the stables. I’ll be right back,” Tess said and headed out the kitchen door.

As she fed Stella an apple, she heard the music.

Allegheny moon, I need your light to help me find romance tonight. So shine… shine… shine…

She grinned and walked out of the stable to see Claire standing there in the moonlight. She quickly stepped into Claire’s outstretched arms and slowly waltzed by the stable.

Tess waltzed Claire into the stable as the song ended. They stood for a moment in the darkness barely seeing each other’s eyes but looking deep into each other’s heart.

“What’s happening, Tess?”

Tess heard the wonderment in her voice and felt the same. “Could it be love?”

For an instant, neither said a word, but their heavy breathing seemed to fill the air around them. Claire reached up and touched her cheek. Tess sucked in her breath, feeling her blood rushing through her veins at the lightest touch.

“Tess…”
                             

“Tess!”

Her head shot up at the sound of Chuck’s urgent voice. “Shit!” she cursed and pulled back. Claire let out a disappointing groan as she quickly pulled herself together. Tess ran her fingers through her hair and ran from the stable.

“Chuck, what the hell?” Claire heard Tess hiss.

“Tess, we’ve got a problem. Stan was watching the herd. Somebody slaughtered a few head of cattle. Two steers and a cow.”

“What? Where?” Tess yelled as she grabbed at his shirt.

“The north pasture.”

“Let’s go,” Tess growled and ran back into the stable, quickly saddling Stella. She looked over at Claire with deep regret. “Claire…”

“Go, for heaven’s sake. Please be careful,” Claire begged as Tess swung up on the chestnut mare.

She smiled sadly and leaned down to Claire. “I’m sorry. Damn it. Tell Dad. I’ll be back,” she said firmly, kissed her, then let her go.

Claire stood there as both galloped out of sight into the darkness.

Chapter 14

As Tess and Chuck approached the north pasture, the glittering light of the flashlights led the way in the pitch dark. Luke, Stan, and Kyle stood holding the lights over the slaughtered cattle.

Tess pulled the reins on Stella and dismounted. “Anybody see anything?” She cursed under her breath. The cow’s throat had been cut cleanly through.

“No. Stan and I heard the cattle making a bit of a ruckus. We thought for sure it was another stampede. We scouted around the pasture and came up to this mess,” Luke said sadly.

“Ya think it was a wolf, Tess?” Stan asked.

Tess shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair in an angry gesture. “Look at that cut, boys. This was no animal. If it were a wolf, he’d have ripped her to shreds. Fuck!” she hissed. “Okay, Stan, go back to the ranch and tell my father what’s going on. Then ride into town and bring that worthless sheriff out here, not that it’ll make a difference. I’m going to the south pasture. The rest stay here. Go on,” she said, and Stan swung up on his horse and rode into the darkness.

Tess held the flashlight and knelt beside the slaughtered animal. It was a gruesome sight. “I take it there’s more?” she asked tiredly.

Chuck nodded sadly. “Two more, about fifty yards up on the ridge. It’s the same thing as here. Clean cut right across the throat as if…” He stopped and Tess looked up at him and finished his sentence.

“Somebody knew exactly how to do it. Someone with experience in slaughtering livestock. Someone like Ed Chambers and Warren Telford.”

Both men glanced at each other. “Tess, let’s not fly…”

“I’m not going into town and kill Warren Telford, Chuck, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she said and stood. “As much as I’d like to. Get to the south pasture and guard the herd for the rest of the night. You two stay here.” She swung up on her horse. “I’ll check out the south pasture and be back in a while.”

Chuck and Luke watched as Tess galloped through the meandering herd and out of sight.

All was quiet on the south pasture. It was almost too quiet. The half moon that hung low in the sky illuminated the grassland as Tess slowly cantered through the herd. She saw nothing out of the ordinary as she pulled Stella to a halt and looked around, realizing that this is where they found Stephen’s body. Damn Warren Telford and his money-grubbing ways.

Jed Rawlins paced back and forth in the big living room. Claire sat on the couch and watched him patiently. “Jed, you’ll wear a path in the carpet.”

Jed sighed and sat by the fire, glancing at the clock on the mantel; it was nearly two in the morning. With that, Stan came bounding in through the kitchen door.

“Stan! In here,” Jed called out and met him in the living room. Stan, tired and dusty, explained the situation. Jed was breathing heavily through his nose as he listened. Claire noticed how much Tess was like her father. Tall and proud with a quick-fire temper.

“Damn that man,” Jed said in a low angry voice that scared Stan and Claire. They let him rant and rave for a minute or two until Claire walked up to him, remembering what Tess had said about his heart. She put a calm hand on his arm. “Damn that man!”

“Jed, please take it easy,” she said. Jed nodded and Claire looked at Stan. “Where is Tess?”

“She’s out at the south pasture, rode out alone while…”

“Alone!” Claire barked, and Stan stopped, his mouth hanging open.

“Uh, yeah…”

“And you let her?” she continued angrily.

Both men exchanged hidden grins.

“Let her? Tess? My boss?”

“Damn that woman!” Claire exclaimed, and now Jed walked up to her and put a calming hand on her shoulder.

“Claire, please take it easy,” he said with a small grin. He turned to Stan. “Now what?”

“Tess wants me to ride into town and get the sheriff.”