to best the man and see him cut down to size. But that would have to wait. Right now, he had more urgent matters on his mind.
He rode through the ranch gate and up to the house. By the time he’d dismounted, Mason was out the front door and running across the porch to meet him. A movement from the corner of the house caught Joe’s eye as Ralph Tomlinson slipped out the kitchen door and disappeared around the corner of the house.
What did it matter? Joe scooped the boy up and carried him to the front door, where Amelia was waiting.
“Come in, Joe.” She looked pretty in a yellow gown, her hair tied back with a matching ribbon. “I’d invite you for supper, but we’ve already eaten. Can I get you a drink?”
“Don’t bother.” Joe lowered his son to the floor. “I just came by to see Mason and to pay my respects to your father—and to talk with you, if you have a few minutes.”
She tossed her hair, a gesture he remembered from their courting days. “Your timing’s perfect. I need to talk with you as well,” she said. “I’ll meet you on the front porch, after you’ve seen Daddy.”
“Grandpa’s really sick.” Mason tugged at Joe’s hand. “But you can go in and see him. I’ll show you where he is.”
Joe let Mason lead him down the hall to Loren’s bedroom. Amelia’s father lay in his bed, freshly washed and wearing a clean nightshirt. His head and shoulders were supported by pillows. Abraham hovered nearby, a bowl of soup, a spoon, and a crumpled napkin in his huge hands.
“Hello, Loren,” Joe said.
Loren’s mouth moved, but the sound that emerged was less than a word. He’d lost weight since the stroke. His frame was skeletal beneath the bedding. His cheeks were hollow, his eyes like burned-out coals in the sunken pits of their sockets.
“The ranch looks good. You don’t need to worry about that.” Joe was groping for words. What could one say to a man who’d given up on life?
Loren’s mouth moved again, but Joe couldn’t understand what he was saying. He gave Abraham a questioning look.
“He said to thank you for coming,” Abraham translated. “And he wants you to look after Amelia and Mason.”
“I’ll do my best.” Joe took the thin, lifeless fingers in his in the semblance of a handshake. “I’ll go now and let you rest.” He turned to Abraham. “Is it all right if Mason stays with you for a little while? I need to talk to his mother.”
“You bet.” The big man gave him a smile. “We’re good friends, Mason and me. He even helps me look after his grandpa. Come on, Mason, let’s go to the kitchen. I think there’s a couple of cookies in there just waiting for us.”
Joe found his way back to the front porch, where he found Amelia on the swing, her skirt spread prettily around her. He pulled up a chair so he could sit facing her. He’d come prepared to lay out the terms of the divorce he wanted. But she’d mentioned that she needed to talk to him. It might be wise to hold back until he’d heard what she had to say.
They sat in silence for a moment, the twilight deepening around them. “We both mentioned we wanted to talk,” Joe said. “How about we start with ladies first?”
She sighed and nodded. “My father is dying, Joe. He doesn’t have much time left.”
“I guessed as much when I saw him. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m not. He walked away when I was a baby, and he didn’t really want me when my mother sent me here. You know that he didn’t waste any time in marrying me off.”
“He’s your father, Amelia. That has to mean something.”
“Actually, it does.” She swung her feet to the porch and turned to face him. “I’m his only child. When he dies, I’ll inherit this ranch. Except that, since I’m a married woman, you, as my husband, will be the one who owns and runs it.”
Her words startled Joe. In figuring his assets today in Miles City, he hadn’t thought to include the Hollister ranch because it belonged to Loren. While the ranch was nowhere near as large as the Calder spread, it was still a sizable property. The land was rich in grass and water, with a fine house on it and plenty of livestock. For anyone who owned it, the place would be a prize.