Why else was Clint still here?
And, dear God, there was a posse forming.
She shivered, and Kate looked worried.“Perhaps we should get the doctor back here to look at you.”
“I’m just tired,” she said, and Kate looked immediately apologetic.
“Of course you are,” she said.“But are you sure I can’t stay and help?I don’t like leaving you alone.”
“I won’t be alone.Mr.Edwards said he’ll be around, and several of the remaining hands.I’ll sleep in my father’s room.”She was careful to avoid naming Clint, afraid of the familiarity of his name on her tongue.
Kate nodded, rising.“I’ll be over in the morning with some clothes.Send for me if you need anything before then.”
Shea looked at her gratefully.“I’ll go talk to Mr.Edwards a moment.She hurried over to the bunkhouse, hesitating at the door, uncertain whether she should enter.She knocked, and Nate came to the door.
“How’s Mr.Randall, miss?”he said.
“Conscious on and off,” she said.“He still doesn’t remember anything.”
“I guess that makes you the boss now,” he said.
Shea hesitated.“I understand a lot of men have left.Thank you for staying.”
Nate shrugged.“I’ve been here a lot longer than most.Mr.Randall’s always been real fair.”
“That’s what I keep hearing,” she said, wanting to probe a little more, but there was greater urgency in talking to Clint.“Can you tell me where Mr.Edwards is?”
“The barn, ma’am.Taking care of the horses.”
“Thank you,” she said, and turned away.
“Miss Randall?”
She turned back.“Anything I can do to help,” he said, “just let me know.I’m sorry you came here when there’s so much trouble.Damn thing, what’s happening.The Circle R was … is a real nice spread.”
Before the robberies.Before Rafe Tyler.
“How bad is it?”she said.
“I guess you have a right to know.We’re losing cattle every day because we don’t have enough men to keep them out of the canyons where there’s not enough grass to keep them alive.It doesn’t look like we’ll have enough men to take them to market this fall, and even if we did, there won’t be enough to meet the note.Mr.Randall’s lost three monthly payrolls; none of the men have been paid in four months.Can’t blame them for leaving, ’specially when the prospects ain’t very good.”
Shea nodded.“Thank you for being so honest.”
“You need to know in case …”
In case her father didn’t make it.And then Rafe Tyler would win.He would have destroyed everything Jack Randall had built.
Don’t think about it.
But she couldn’t help thinking about it as she walked to the barn and opened it.Clint turned around from the horse he was saddling and looked at her warily as she closed the door.They were alone.
“He’s still up there, isn’t he?”she asked.
Clint’s jaw set stubbornly, and he said nothing.
“Are you going to tell him about the posse?”
“If he’s still there, he’ll find out.Do you give a damn?”His eyes bored into her in the dim light of a lantern.
