happy for any chance to repay Calder for leaving him in that wash, he told himself. But after the incident with the stallion, he had nothing but contempt for Loman Janes. Any scheme the man devised was bound to be cruel and dirty. The memory of trying to steal Calder’s cattle was fresh in his mind. He wanted no part of this. When he got his revenge on Benteen Calder, it would be clean and legal.
The cook brought in blueberry pie with whipped cream for dessert. After that, Loren and the three other men went into the study for drinks and cigars. Joe was not invited. He was tempted to disappear, but that would be the coward’s way out.
After Boston and Loman left, and after Giles and Lady Crawford retired to their rooms, it would be time for Joe to face his wife and father-in-law and own up to what he’d done.
Whatever happened, he sensed, things would never be the same between them again.
* * *
Joe faced his father-in-law in the study, the two of them separated by the width of the heavy walnut desk. Joe had expected to see Amelia here, too. But after their guests had retired, she’d gone upstairs to the bedroom without a word.
Loren Hollister was a small man—a half head shorter than Joe. Standing face-to-face might have put him at a disadvantage. But seated behind the imposing desk, in his leather banker’s chair, he appeared powerful and in charge.
“Do you think I let you marry my daughter so you could betray our family?” he demanded in an icy voice. “First you ask me to help you find some good land. Then you turn around and do a damn fool thing like this. What the hell have you got to say for yourself, Joe Dollarhide?”
“I know why you encouraged me to marry Amelia.” Joe spoke boldly. “You wanted a man you could use to build your own holdings—a man who could claim more land for your ranch. A man you could control. But I have my own dream, my own plans. And they don’t include adding to your property, working your cattle, and waiting years for you to die so I can take over.”
Joe had known his words would make Loren even angrier. He could already see the color rising in the man’s face and see his fists clenching on the surface of the desk. For the first time Joe found himself wondering if his father-in-law was capable of killing him.
He forced himself to ignore that concern. He wanted to make his intentions absolutely clear—to get the truth out once and for all.
With visible effort, Loren brought himself under control. “What about Amelia?” he asked. “Did you even talk to your wife about this before you filed on an extra parcel for her?”
“There was no need for that. As her husband, it was my decision. I plan to raise our family on that land—in a home as fine as this one. I’ve already chosen the site for the house and marked it off. Of course, I’ll need to put up a cabin first, to meet the terms of the claim.”
“You stupid, mule-assed fool!” Loren had sprung to his feet behind the desk. He was shouting now. “You could have worked with me, for the good of the ranch and your future family. Now, instead, you do this. Do you have any idea how much work and expense you’ll be taking on—and believe me I’m not putting one red cent toward helping you. That land isn’t even fit for cattle. What’ll you do with it when you get tired of chasing wild horses? Raise sheep?”
“Now there’s a thought.” Joe couldn’t resist saying it. Cattlemen hated sheep.
“I’ll give you six months before you lose it all and come crawling back to me, if Amelia hasn’t thrown you out by then,” Loren snarled. “Now get the hell out of here and leave me alone. God, I need a drink.”
Joe left him, relieved that the confrontation was over for now. But the clash had left him drained, and he had yet to face Amelia.
Needing some air to clear his head, he wandered out onto the porch and stood leaning on the rail. The darkness was alive with the sounds of the summer night—the whine of insects, the faraway howl of a coyote, the shifting and lowing of cattle, and the rustling breeze in the long grass. A waning crescent moon hung low over the horizon.