now.”
Missy and Earl Alden had combined their ranches and were now the largest landowners in Twelve Sleep and Big Horn counties. Joe had recently speculated Missy would likely be looking to add to her holdings now that she had access to Alden’s millions, and would likely soon acquire a Third World country.
Missy said, “It just saddens me that . . .”
“You don’t have to finish,” Marybeth said sharply and showed her palm as if saying Stop . “I know what you’re going to say.”
Said Missy, “I’m sure you do. It’s just that you had—and have—such promise. And here you are . . .”
Marybeth set her cup down with enough force that both women looked to see if she’d cracked it.
“If you want to continue down this road with me right now, I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Marybeth said, keeping her voice even. “I’m not kidding.”
Missy appraised her coolly. “I know you’re not.”
“So what do you need, Mom? I mean, it’s nice you dropped by and all, but I took the day off of work so I could get some things done around here. I’m on edge waiting for Joe to call. And I know you well enough to guess that you didn’t just drop by to have my cheap coffee.”
Missy nodded. “I do wish you would serve that coffee I brought you from Africa.”
“Okay, that’s it,” Marybeth said angrily, pushing away from the table.
“Please, sit down,” Missy said. “I’m sorry I said that. Everything I say seems to come out as an insult, even when I don’t intend it to come out that way. Please sit down.”
Marybeth glared at her mother, pointedly looked at the clock above the stove, then back. Meaning, You’ve got five minutes.
Missy said, “I’ll get to the point. You know that friend of yours—Nate? The falconer who got in so much trouble a while back? I need to talk with him.”
“Why do you want to talk to Nate Romanowski?” Marybeth said, surprised.
Missy didn’t break her gaze. She never broke her gaze. “Do I really have to spell it out?”
“Yes, you do.”
“Well, actually, The Earl thought of him,” Missy said, sipping and trying to conceal the displeasure she got from the last swallow of her daughter’s coffee. “I was thinking I’d take care of the problem myself.”
“What problem?”
“Bud.”
“What about Bud? He’s a ruined man. You ruined him. Why pick on Bud Longbrake?”
Missy said, “He can’t let go. He can’t move on. He just stays in Saddlestring and drinks the Stockman’s Bar dry every night. He tells anyone who will listen his pathetic story and he says terrible things about The Earl and especially me. He’s like a cancer.”
“A cancer you caused,” Marybeth said. “Mom, you broke his heart and stole his ranch.”
Missy made a tut-tut sound with her tongue. “The transfer was perfectly legal, sweetie. Men are so emotional these days. I long for the time when men were tough and stoic. Now all they do is cry and whine and vomit out their feelings . What happened to our warriors? Where have all the cowboys gone, Marybeth?”
Marybeth was speechless.
“Anyway,” Missy said, changing tack, “lately, Bud’s been calling the ranch and my cell phone. He’s threatening me. I want to hire Nate Romanowski to scare him off.”
“Nate doesn’t do things like that,” Marybeth said, alarmed.
Missy smiled. “Then there are obviously things about your friend that you don’t know all that well. You see, The Earl had some research done.”
Marybeth looked at the clock above the stove. “I’ve got to get some work done now. You’ve got to go home.”
“I’m not asking you to do anything to Bud,” Missy said. “All I’m asking is for you to pass along a message to Mr. Romanowski that I’d like to speak with him.”
“I don’t see Nate anymore,” Marybeth said. “He’s in hiding. There are federal warrants out on him, Mom,” she said, practically pleading.
Missy was undeterred. “Your husband talks to him. And Sheridan
Missy and Earl Alden had combined their ranches and were now the largest landowners in Twelve Sleep and Big Horn counties. Joe had recently speculated Missy would likely be looking to add to her holdings now that she had access to Alden’s millions, and would likely soon acquire a Third World country.
Missy said, “It just saddens me that . . .”
“You don’t have to finish,” Marybeth said sharply and showed her palm as if saying Stop . “I know what you’re going to say.”
Said Missy, “I’m sure you do. It’s just that you had—and have—such promise. And here you are . . .”
Marybeth set her cup down with enough force that both women looked to see if she’d cracked it.
“If you want to continue down this road with me right now, I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Marybeth said, keeping her voice even. “I’m not kidding.”
Missy appraised her coolly. “I know you’re not.”
“So what do you need, Mom? I mean, it’s nice you dropped by and all, but I took the day off of work so I could get some things done around here. I’m on edge waiting for Joe to call. And I know you well enough to guess that you didn’t just drop by to have my cheap coffee.”
Missy nodded. “I do wish you would serve that coffee I brought you from Africa.”
“Okay, that’s it,” Marybeth said angrily, pushing away from the table.
“Please, sit down,” Missy said. “I’m sorry I said that. Everything I say seems to come out as an insult, even when I don’t intend it to come out that way. Please sit down.”
Marybeth glared at her mother, pointedly looked at the clock above the stove, then back. Meaning, You’ve got five minutes.
Missy said, “I’ll get to the point. You know that friend of yours—Nate? The falconer who got in so much trouble a while back? I need to talk with him.”
“Why do you want to talk to Nate Romanowski?” Marybeth said, surprised.
Missy didn’t break her gaze. She never broke her gaze. “Do I really have to spell it out?”
“Yes, you do.”
“Well, actually, The Earl thought of him,” Missy said, sipping and trying to conceal the displeasure she got from the last swallow of her daughter’s coffee. “I was thinking I’d take care of the problem myself.”
“What problem?”
“Bud.”
“What about Bud? He’s a ruined man. You ruined him. Why pick on Bud Longbrake?”
Missy said, “He can’t let go. He can’t move on. He just stays in Saddlestring and drinks the Stockman’s Bar dry every night. He tells anyone who will listen his pathetic story and he says terrible things about The Earl and especially me. He’s like a cancer.”
“A cancer you caused,” Marybeth said. “Mom, you broke his heart and stole his ranch.”
Missy made a tut-tut sound with her tongue. “The transfer was perfectly legal, sweetie. Men are so emotional these days. I long for the time when men were tough and stoic. Now all they do is cry and whine and vomit out their feelings . What happened to our warriors? Where have all the cowboys gone, Marybeth?”
Marybeth was speechless.
“Anyway,” Missy said, changing tack, “lately, Bud’s been calling the ranch and my cell phone. He’s threatening me. I want to hire Nate Romanowski to scare him off.”
“Nate doesn’t do things like that,” Marybeth said, alarmed.
Missy smiled. “Then there are obviously things about your friend that you don’t know all that well. You see, The Earl had some research done.”
Marybeth looked at the clock above the stove. “I’ve got to get some work done now. You’ve got to go home.”
“I’m not asking you to do anything to Bud,” Missy said. “All I’m asking is for you to pass along a message to Mr. Romanowski that I’d like to speak with him.”
“I don’t see Nate anymore,” Marybeth said. “He’s in hiding. There are federal warrants out on him, Mom,” she said, practically pleading.
Missy was undeterred. “Your husband talks to him. And Sheridan
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