Page 74 of Calder Country

In the silence that followed, Ruby scrambled to her feet.

The two thugs lay dead on the front steps. As the dog sniffed at the bodies, Amelia strode out onto the porch, the rifle in her hands.

“Haven’t lost my touch,” she said.

* * *

Ruby, Amelia, and Sidney, who’d been in the kitchen, were waiting for the deputies to arrive when the telephone rang. Amelia took the call. Her face was transformed as she conversed for a few moments, then held the receiver out to Ruby.

“It’s Mason,” she said. “He’s in Miles City. He’s found the car and he’s coming home. He wants to talk to you.”

EPILOGUE

Three weeks later

LATE THAT NIGHT, A SNOWSTORM HAD BLOWN IN, FILLING THE DARKNESS with airy flakes that blanketed the ground like eiderdown. In the parlor of the ranch house, the flames in the fireplace had burned down to glowing coals. On the sofa, Ruby and Mason snuggled beneath a warm quilt, watching the storm through the windows.

Amelia, trailed by Brutus, had gone to bed earlier—without her special tea. Mason had discovered that the so-called “health tea” she’d been buying for years at the Chinese store in Miles City contained a torpor-inducing drug. With the drug’s effects filtering out of her system, her sharpness was returning.

“She’s still going to be a handful,” Ruby teased, resting her head against his shoulder. “I like your mother.”

“Amazingly, I think she likes you, too,” Mason said. “She always wanted me to marry a rich girl. But she’s realized that what this family needs more than money is a woman who can help me run the ranch.” He gave her a playful kiss. “Don’t worry, I’m not putting you to work until after the wedding. Then it’ll be too late for you to quit. But I promise you, we’re going to make something of this place. Even the Calders will envy us.”

She laughed. “That’ll be the day. This is Calder country, and they make sure everybody knows it.”

His arm tightened around her. “I heard from the prison doctor today,” he said. “Piston passed away in the hospital. The fall he took broke his ribs and affected his lungs. He saved my life. But there’s no place for someone like him—a killer as innocent as a child. Most hospitals for the criminally insane are worse than prison these days. I don’t know what waits for us on the other side, but I like to imagine Piston walking through the pearly gates as pure as an angel.”

“At least he’s at peace. So is my father.” Ruby wiped away a tear. She would be a long time mourning the man who’d only wanted to see her happy. “What about Taviani’s secret bootleg whiskey source? Did the feds ever find it?”

“The old man took that secret to his grave,” Mason said. “It doesn’t concern me anymore. I’m giving that cave back to the bats.”

“And what about the airstrip?” she asked.

He looked down at her, frowning. “We haven’t talked about that, have we? I’d never stand in the way of what you want, but if you were to crash and die, my life would be over.”

She smiled. “You can give the airstrip, and your worries, a rest. I can’t promise I’ll never want to fly again. But for now, other things are more important.”

More important than you know. Ruby’s body was sending subtle messages of change—the tenderness in her breasts, the absence of her usual monthly period, the slight nausea. It was too soon to tell Mason. She would wait a few more weeks to be sure the miracle had really happened. Then, if all went well, she would give him a happy surprise.

* * *

Webb Calder was waiting at a table when Blake walked into the restaurant. The lunch hour was busy. Webb had managed to find a quiet corner where they could talk, but his invitation, by telephone, had given Blake no hint of what he had in mind.

Webb rose as Blake approached the table. “Thanks for coming, Blake. Have a seat. Lunch is on me today.”

“I’ll buy my own lunch, thanks.” If Webb wanted a favor, Blake didn’t want to feel obligated. He sat down. Chili was on the menu today. That sounded all right. But damn, he missed having it with a cold beer. From the look of things, Prohibition could last forever.

“I guess you heard about the election,” Webb said as the waitress brought their coffee.

“Yup. Jake’s been a good sheriff, even on wheels. I’m glad the people voted to keep him. But now that he’s married to Britta, he’s got a family to think of. My brother-in-law, Logan, has offered Jake a job managing his horse and cattle operation. Britta and Kristin are friends. Raising their children together would be ideal for both of them.”

“We’d have to find a new schoolmarm.”

“True, but not right away. If Jake takes the ranch job, they’ll be having a home built out there, so they’ll both be in town over the winter, at least. Plenty of time to make up their minds.” Blake seasoned his chili with extra sauce. “But that’s not why you asked me here today. What’s on your mind, Webb?”

“Just something for you to think about.” Webb leaned back in his chair, the rival ranchers sizing each other up like two dominant herd bulls.

“You probably know I’m building an airstrip,” Webb said. “I’ve got a new engineer on the project, and it should be finished next spring.”

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