for certain taller than Kalli. With a silent sigh, Kalli
reflected it didn't take much to be taller than she was.
"Hello." Becky shook her hand then stepped
back, looking boldly around her. She met Kalli's eyes again and
studied her for a long minute.
"Are you part Indian, too?" the girl asked
asked.
"No, are you?" Kalli replied, surprised by
the girl's question.
Becky nodded and looked at her father. Trace
had put his hat on the rack and turned to face them. His eyes
became watchful and his stance wary.
"We're part Shoshone," he said.
"Well, I'm full Italian, though my family has
been over here for three generations. Not a long time in comparison
to yours, I guess," Kalli said easily, smiling at them both. She
had wondered if he was part Indian.
"Dinner is just about ready. Do you want to
eat and then move to the living room? Do you think it's cool enough
for a fire?"
Trace nodded, motioning to Becky to take a
chair, holding it for her. He moved behind Kalli's chair as she
brought the platters to the table. He seated her, then took the
chair he normally used.
Serving the plates, Kalli made sure her
guests had everything they needed. Becky watched her warily the
entire time. Kalli wondered if it was because there was no woman at
their place and Becky was curious. Or was there something more?
Conversation was stilted, awkward, erratic.
Father and daughter ate steadily, apparently unconcerned at the
silence. Kalli was used to her volatile Italian family, where
everyone talked at the same time, and conversational topics changed
rapidly. These two were silent.
"So," Kalli said brightly when she could no
longer stand the silence. "Tell me all about the new mother and
baby. What are you going to name it?"
Trace nodded to Becky to answer. "We're
calling her Cloud's Pride. My dad owns the Flying Cloud Ranch,"
Becky said with arrogant pride. "And before long he says he'll own
this one, too."
4
Kalli stared at Trace, feeling as if one of
the horses in the corral had kicked her in the stomach. Was she
never to escape his claim? Was he bragging about it to his
daughter? Every chance he had, he told her she'd never make it,
undermining any confidence she felt in her ability to run her
ranch, constantly urging her to accept the buy-out offer. And why
not? He coveted her ranch.
Trace remained silent, his dark eyes watching
her, his lips pressed tightly together. Becky stared wide-eyed
between the two adults, her expression unsure and worried.
"You have some nerve bragging to your
daughter that you're getting this place. I'm tired of you telling
me I don't belong here—''
"You don't belong here," he interrupted.
"You're some starry-eyed romantic city girl who thinks the wild
west is alive and waiting to fulfill your fantasies. That living on
a ranch would be the same thing as visiting it
when you were a kid. Sweetheart, as soon as
the novelty wears off, you'll leave so fast it'll make your head
spin. I'm just trying to keep you from running the place into the
ground before you take off."
"And the kisses, were they to try to seduce
me out of the ranch?" A tearing pain pierced her. Had his kisses
only been a way to manipulate her? Try to get her to agree to sell?
She'd almost relaxed her guard around him. It had been a
mistake.
He flicked a glance at Becky. "Go see Josh,"
he ordered.
"I want to stay here." She pouted.
"Go!"
She frowned but slowly shoved back her chair
and pushed away from the table. With a glare at Kalli, the girl
stomped out of the room, letting the screen door bang shut behind
her. For a few seconds her footsteps in the gravel could be heard
and then they faded away.
Trace's eyes never left Kalli. He could see
the hurt and anger reflected in her eyes and didn't like it. He
hadn't meant to hurt her. But he knew as sure as he was sitting
here that she'd never make it. And he'd been up-front with her, he
wanted the ranch.
"I'm sorry," Kalli said. "I shouldn't have
said that in front of Becky."
"You
reflected it didn't take much to be taller than she was.
"Hello." Becky shook her hand then stepped
back, looking boldly around her. She met Kalli's eyes again and
studied her for a long minute.
"Are you part Indian, too?" the girl asked
asked.
"No, are you?" Kalli replied, surprised by
the girl's question.
Becky nodded and looked at her father. Trace
had put his hat on the rack and turned to face them. His eyes
became watchful and his stance wary.
"We're part Shoshone," he said.
"Well, I'm full Italian, though my family has
been over here for three generations. Not a long time in comparison
to yours, I guess," Kalli said easily, smiling at them both. She
had wondered if he was part Indian.
"Dinner is just about ready. Do you want to
eat and then move to the living room? Do you think it's cool enough
for a fire?"
Trace nodded, motioning to Becky to take a
chair, holding it for her. He moved behind Kalli's chair as she
brought the platters to the table. He seated her, then took the
chair he normally used.
Serving the plates, Kalli made sure her
guests had everything they needed. Becky watched her warily the
entire time. Kalli wondered if it was because there was no woman at
their place and Becky was curious. Or was there something more?
Conversation was stilted, awkward, erratic.
Father and daughter ate steadily, apparently unconcerned at the
silence. Kalli was used to her volatile Italian family, where
everyone talked at the same time, and conversational topics changed
rapidly. These two were silent.
"So," Kalli said brightly when she could no
longer stand the silence. "Tell me all about the new mother and
baby. What are you going to name it?"
Trace nodded to Becky to answer. "We're
calling her Cloud's Pride. My dad owns the Flying Cloud Ranch,"
Becky said with arrogant pride. "And before long he says he'll own
this one, too."
4
Kalli stared at Trace, feeling as if one of
the horses in the corral had kicked her in the stomach. Was she
never to escape his claim? Was he bragging about it to his
daughter? Every chance he had, he told her she'd never make it,
undermining any confidence she felt in her ability to run her
ranch, constantly urging her to accept the buy-out offer. And why
not? He coveted her ranch.
Trace remained silent, his dark eyes watching
her, his lips pressed tightly together. Becky stared wide-eyed
between the two adults, her expression unsure and worried.
"You have some nerve bragging to your
daughter that you're getting this place. I'm tired of you telling
me I don't belong here—''
"You don't belong here," he interrupted.
"You're some starry-eyed romantic city girl who thinks the wild
west is alive and waiting to fulfill your fantasies. That living on
a ranch would be the same thing as visiting it
when you were a kid. Sweetheart, as soon as
the novelty wears off, you'll leave so fast it'll make your head
spin. I'm just trying to keep you from running the place into the
ground before you take off."
"And the kisses, were they to try to seduce
me out of the ranch?" A tearing pain pierced her. Had his kisses
only been a way to manipulate her? Try to get her to agree to sell?
She'd almost relaxed her guard around him. It had been a
mistake.
He flicked a glance at Becky. "Go see Josh,"
he ordered.
"I want to stay here." She pouted.
"Go!"
She frowned but slowly shoved back her chair
and pushed away from the table. With a glare at Kalli, the girl
stomped out of the room, letting the screen door bang shut behind
her. For a few seconds her footsteps in the gravel could be heard
and then they faded away.
Trace's eyes never left Kalli. He could see
the hurt and anger reflected in her eyes and didn't like it. He
hadn't meant to hurt her. But he knew as sure as he was sitting
here that she'd never make it. And he'd been up-front with her, he
wanted the ranch.
"I'm sorry," Kalli said. "I shouldn't have
said that in front of Becky."
"You
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