“I had a bull get loose,” Cole said from the doorway. “Going to chase him right now.” He turned and left.
“You’ll need help, Dad! I’ll come, too!” John said, with exaggerated enthusiasm and a pointed glare at Josie, and followed his dad out the door.
“Do they always do that?” JJ asked, looking up at Heather.
She grinned. “Every holiday. So I could use a willing volunteer...”
“I’m game,” Josie said, getting up.
“You’ll mess up your dress,” Heather said.
“Don’t you have aprons?” Josie asked, and grinned.
“She sure does. And I’ll help you, Josie!” JJ said.
She hugged him. “That’s a deal!”
So Josie and JJ got most of the dishes in the dishwasher, and hand washed the crystal and china, which was more fragile.
They were just finishing when John came back without Cole.
“Where’s Cole?” JJ asked. “He was going to play checkers with me.”
“He’ll be along,” John said, but he looked wary and he said nothing else about it.
At least, not until after Heather had said her farewells, and Josie was in the truck with him, headed back to her motel.
But about a mile from the ranch house, he turned into a wagon track that led just off the dirt road and stopped the truck.
She ground her teeth together, anticipating another interrogation. He was always suspicious of her.
“After we rounded up the bull, we noticed tire tracks near a deserted line cabin and at the loading station near it where we store stuff in the spring,” he said. His pale eyes were flashing.
She met his gaze evenly. “And this involves me how... ?” she asked slowly.
“Dad had a phone call from some man who claimed he was involved in real estate,” he said, his pale eyes narrow on hers. “He made an offer for the Big Spur.”
She drew in a slow breath. She had a sneaking hunch who was behind it and she didn’t dare say a word. “Was it a good one?” she asked.
“Twice the assessed market value,” he replied. “And the man was insistent.”
“What did your dad say?”
“I won’t repeat it,” he mused, and his expression lightened, just for a few seconds. “My dad can be eloquent when he uses the right words.”
A smile escaped her. She could imagine what the words were.
“Are you involved in something illegal?” he shot at her.
She gaped at him, stunned by the suddenness of the question. “Wh-why would you think so?” she stammered.
“You’re kidding, right?” he drawled, eyes narrowing. “I have contacts in Percell. The man you’re hanging out with, Raines, has ties to a notorious drug dealer who has connections in Dallas.”
“Raines...” She hesitated and swallowed, and thought, hard. “Raines is involved in a real estate deal with me,” she replied. “We’re working on a huge property purchase for a wealthy man in New York who doesn’t want publicity.”
“Is that so?” John asked, visibly unbelieving.
“Yes,” she said, trying to sound firm.
