Page 38 of Calder Country

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When Joseph discovered four Triple C steers among the Dollarhide cattle in the north pasture, he knew without being told what had to be done. With the help of his well-trained horse, he cut the four branded animals out of the herd and headed them back toward Calder land, riding behind to hurry them along.

If the Calder hands missed their steers and came looking for them, things could get ugly fast. There was probably a fence down somewhere. Joseph would find it, herd the steers through the gap, and take time to mend it with the tools that were part of his everyday range gear.

The days were getting shorter now. On the mountains, the aspens were turning to gold below the timberline. The first flocks of geese were starting their journey south, their long V formations crossing the sky.

On a day like this, being outdoors was a pleasure. Joseph didn’t mind cowboying. Anything was better than spending time in the sawmill. But inside him, the deep discontent was still churning.

A few mornings ago, as he rose before dawn to start his chores, Joseph had heard the drone of an airplane flying low over the house in the direction of the Hollister Ranch. Rushing to the porch, he had tried to spot the plane, but he was too late. The sound had faded into the distance. After a few seconds it had stopped altogether.

Was Mason Dollarhide up to his old tricks, getting his contraband liquor shipped in by air this time? After the trouble his natural father had gotten him into five years ago, Joseph wanted nothing to do with Mason and his shady ways. But the throb of the engine as the plane passed overhead had set his blood on fire.

As punishment for his airborne adventure, Joseph had been confined to the ranch and sentenced to mucking out the stables for a week. In addition, Blake had forbidden him to mention flying or airplanes in his hearing—ever. Joseph knew when to toe his father’s line. He’d been on his best behavior since the punishment ended. But that couldn’t change his desire to become a pilot. Somehow, when the time came, he would find a way.

Now he was coming up on the property line, one of the few places where the Triple C and the Dollarhide Ranch came together. Along most of their borders, the two rival ranches were separated by other holdings—Angus O’Rourke’s ramshackle place in the foothills and lower down, the horse pastures owned by Logan Hunter, the man who’d married Blake Dollarhide’s sister, Kristin. But here the demarcation was marked only by a barbed wire fence. To cross onto Dollarhide land, the four steers must have come through the fence in this area. The break shouldn’t take long to find.

Fifty yards ahead, Joseph could see the fence. But somebody was already mending the downed wire. As he rode closer, herding the steers toward the opening, he recognized Chase Calder, son of Webb Calder and heir apparent to the Calder ranching empire.

Seeing Joseph with the missing livestock, Chase waved and moved the wires aside so the steers could pass through the damaged fence. Returning the wave, Joseph herded the animals back into their pasture. Then, turning his horse, he rode to where Chase was righting the tilted fence post before reattaching the loosened strands of barbed wire. Both young men were tall and dark, but Chase was older, his build huskier, while Joseph’s body was still filling out. Years ago, the two had been good friends. They’d since grown apart, drawn by separate lives and the bitter rivalry between their fathers. Still, their relationship was cordial enough for Joseph to dismount and offer his help.

“Could you use an extra pair of hands?” he asked. “I can steady that post and hold the wires for you.”

Chase looked up and grinned. “Thanks. And thanks for herding those steers back home. I had other plans for the morning, but this emergency couldn’t wait. Your help just may have saved my day.”

Wearing his gloves, Joseph thrust the post deep into the hole and held it upright. “By any chance would those other plans include a girl?” he teased.

“They might.” Chase filled in around the post with dirt and rocks, packing it tight. “I just hope she’ll be waiting when I finish this job.”

“Anyone I know?” Joseph had met a pretty brunette at a dance a couple of weeks ago—Lucy Merriweather was her name. Lucy had mentioned that she and her father were guests of Webb Calder’s. Maybe Lucy was Chase’s new love. If so, that was too bad. Things had cooled between Joseph and Annabeth since the night she’d brought up marriage. If Chase hadn’t staked his claim, he wouldn’t mind romancing Lucy himself.

“Is it Lucy you’re seeing?” he asked.

Chase laughed. “Nope. Lucy’s a bit too prim and proper for me. You’ll never guess who it is.”

“I hope that means you’re going to tell me. I need to know which girl I should leave alone.”

Chase picked up a loose section of barbed wire and pulled it into a taut line. “All right.” He paused, heightening the suspense. “It’s Maggie O’Rourke.”

Joseph couldn’t suppress an outraged gasp. “You mean Culley O’Rourke’s little sister? Chase, she’s just a kid—what, fifteen maybe? And she wears her brother’s hand-me-downs.”

“You’ve never seen what she looks like under those baggy old clothes. She’s a beauty.”

Joseph held the wire in place while Chase hammered it to the post. “The O’Rourkes aren’t exactly your class of people,” he said to Chase. “Does your father know about this?”

“No, and he’s not going to find out.”

“So you’re not interested in Lucy?”

“If you can impress the girl, she’s all yours.”

“I know she and her father are staying at your place. How long will they be around?”

“It might be a while,” Chase said. “Lucy’s father, Nigel, has been hired to build an airstrip for my dad. Once it’s done, along with the hangar, Dad plans to buy a couple of planes. Then we’ll be able to fly in and out of the ranch.”

Joseph’s pulse broke into a thundering gallop. This was like his first glimpse of a dream. Whatever the cost, he had to pursue that dream. “If your dad’s getting planes, he’s going to need pilots,” he said.

“We’ll have to hire somebody at first,” Chase said. “But next year, Dad’s going to send me to flight school. Then I’ll be able to pilot the planes myself.”

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