The Texas Rancher
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' was about to bring on her unsuspecting grandfather's head. He calmly brushed a small crease out of his jacket pocket as he said, 'Kade Boston don't ask child�he, does!' His eyes blazed for a moment, then he half shrugged. 'As I said, I've no complaint on that score, not now. Had it been the old days, then things might have been different. He'd have met his match then�yes, sir!' He met Josie's eyes. 'Them days are gone, girl. From now on I sit back and let others do the fighting.' He sounded almost regretful, Josie thought, but she grinned back at him affectionately. 'I'd love to be a fly on the wall at that meeting,' she told him teasingly. 'I'm sure a few folk will have a different point of view by the time the meeting is adjourned !'
Old Joseph squared his bony shoulders, but his eyes held the familiar twinkle as he answered solemnly, 'Now who said I was going to cause a rumpus? I'm just going to bring up a few points that might have escaped their notice,' he pointed out reasonably.
The hooting of a horn broke up this happy dalliance, and Josie walked to the door with him and had a word with Dan Muntrose, who had offered to collect his old boss and take him to the meeting.
As she waved them off, Josie felt very grateful for Dan's quick arrival back on the scene. It seemed he only wanted an excuse to be of some help to Joseph West, for she had since found out that though he had attempted in the past to keep in contact with her grandfather, Joseph's attitude
. towards his visits had hardly encouraged any such
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leanings. It was pride, of course, Josie thought sadly. He had wanted nothing to do with the past, and Dan had belonged to that past, even though he was the closest thing to a friend Joseph had ever had, and when Nat had told her later that his father was also on the committee, Josie was sure the invitation had been sent at his instigation.
Josie's pleasure at seeing her grandfather once more taking an interest in the town's welfare faded a short while later as she busied herself by ironing a few clothes she had washed before leaving for work that morning, and her thoughts inevitably turned towards Kade Boston and his presumptuous act in putting up that fence without so much as a 'May I?' It was still her grandfather's land when all was said and done�not, she thought, as she carefully folded one of her grandfather's shirts after she had pressed it, that it wasn't a great relief to know there would be no further trouble with strays in the future, but it was still an impertinent act on Kade's part. She frowned as she recalled her grandfather's words. Surely he would not have to foot the bill? The fencing of the property was his right, wasn't it? Her frown deepened; had he meant there would have been trouble if he had erected a fence and Kade Boston had replaced it? She nodded silently to herself at this thought; that must be it. Her grandfather might be old, but he had plenty of that old pride left, and she couldn't see him simply standing by and accepting such a happening. She sighed; if it had indeed been his fencing, then it would have been worthy of the name, not that pitiful barrier she had put up.
Her depression deepened as she thought of the
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scathing remarks Kade Boston would be likely to make on her efforts should a confrontation take place. She put the iron down on the board with an abrupt movement as she imagined her grandfather's chagrin at being placed in such a position and it was all her fault! Very likely he would go into a decline again, and all her hopes would be dashed. Why hadn't the wretched man let well alone? In time she would have replaced the fence herself. The more Josie thought about this, the more infuriated she became. Kade Boston migh1. own most of the land thereabouts, but what right had he to impose his stamp on the last acre her grandfather had left, simply because he had moner
and they did not?
One thing stood out clearly. If Josie hoped to avoid a confrontation between her grandfather and Kade Boston over the fencing, she had to see Kade Boston and take full responsibility for the inade quate fencing that had been put up, and make quite certain that he understood the fact that her grandfather knew nothing of her efforts, and if he had any remarks to make on that score would he
direct them at her!
CHAPTER FOUR
THE following morning the matter was still on Josie's mind, in spite of her grandfather's ruminations of the evening before, when he had returned from the meeting, tired but well satisfied with the outcome. One little item of news had temporarily dismissed the matter of the fencing from her mind, and that was that a new school was being built. It was something, her grandfather had told her, that had badly been needed for quite some time, and at
� last they had got down to the job, and they weren't doing things by half either. It was going to be a fine school, he said, and had given Josie a triumphant look. 'Looks as if you won't be too long at that job of yours,' he had said. 'They'll need more than one teacher, a place that size,' he had added happily. He appeared to be quite certain that Josie had only to apply for a job there and that would be that, but Josie had her doubts. This was not England, and exception might 'be taken if she was
given preference over others, for although she was American, she had been trained in England, and that was one factor her grandfather had not taken into consideration. Josie decided not to mention her thoughts on the matter; time enough for that when the school was nearing completion and staff were being sought.
Having dismissed the new school from her mind, she was back to the vexing problem of, the fencing,
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and as she left the house to go to work, she wished fervently that for once the postboy would be early to give her a chance to peruse the mail before it was put in the letter box. But he was not, and she just had to trust to luck that Kade Boston would not be prompt in either delivering a bill, or stating his reasons for fencing the boundary. There was she thought miserably, nothing to stop him from going to see her grandfather, and should he do so there was nothing Josie could do about it, only hope he was kept exceptionally busy somewhere else and thus prevented from carrying out any such
intention! A few idle-sounding questions put by Josie that morning to Lucy, who was standing in for Nat while he visited the wholesalers for restocking his shelves, elicited the fact that Kade Boston rareh visited the township, but sent one of his men tor whatever was required. He was, confided the gullible Lucy, a very important man, and on putting the question of, 'Had Josie seen him?', and re ceiving an affirmative nod, she rushed on with, 'Don't you think he's handsome? Set the single girls scheming, I can tell you, when he made his first appearance in the town.' Josie was still thinking of Lucy's news that Kade Boston rarely came to town, and she wondered how she could get to see him, for she could not envisage herself going out to his ranch�not unless there was no other way. of contacting him, so she only half listened to Lucy's rambling. 'Either that man's been let down, or he's a born bachelor,' went on Lucy, blithely unaware of Josie's preoccupation on an entirely different sub
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ject. 'Folk say he's too proud to take a fall over a woman,' she sighed. 'A real waste, I call it, but one thing's for sure�he doesn't take too kindly to feminine wiles.'
Josie came out of her musings in time to catch the bit about Kade Boston being too proud to fall for a woman�too hard, more likely, she thought, remembering those cold grey eyes of his. 'Not proud, Lucy,' she said, before she could stop herself, 'I'd say too hard.'
Lucy blinked and stared at her curiously; Josie sighed as she realised she would have to explain that statement. 'I arrived home in time to hear
him go for Gramps over the gaps in the fencing.'
Her curiosity satisfied, Lucy confided, 'Well, he is a business man, Josie, and they say he's got a tongue like a whiplash when he's a mind to use it.' She gave Josie a grin. 'You know what? In lots of ways, what I hear tell of Kade Boston, he's a bit like your grandfather used to be�doesn't suffer fools gladly, as someone once put it.' Her
eyes settled on a sweet jar that was slightly out of position, and she straightened it. 'I've only been in his company once,' she continued, looking back at Josie, who was having trouble finding a likeness between Kade Boston and her beloved grandfather, 'well, me and a hundred others,' she conceded with a grin. 'It wasn't long after he came to take over Blue Mount�leastways, it wasn't called Blue Mount in those days, but that's what he called it�anyway, the townsfolk thought they ought to make an effort to get acquainted with him, and held a social evening at the town hall, inviting him as guest of honour.' She thought for a
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moment or two, then asked Josie, 'You don't remember Jessica Hanway, do you? I've a feeling they came soon after you'd left; well, her father's the mayor now, and as he's a widower that makes Jessica the first lady�or whatever they're called� she has to act hostess at- all the official functions. Not that we have that many occasions�in fact,' she added thoughtfully, 'I wouldn't have thought the town was big enough to warrant a mayor at all. Still, they decided to elect one, and as Mr Hanway owned the biggest store in town, the drug store, he
was given the job.'
She shook her head impatiently. 'I'm going off the track again, as Nat would say,' she smiled at Josie. 'What I was going to tell you was that Jessica made a dead set at Kade Boston at that social.
Honestly, Josie, I'd have been ashamed to make such a spectacle of myself as she did that night. She might be what's considered a beauty,' she wrinkled her nose slightly, 'if you go for the dark sultry type, that is. I don't�besides, .I've a personal grudge against her; a friend of mine got badly hurt when she played around with her fiance�and I mean played around. Jessica had no intention of getting serious over the man, but she couldn't
; resist taking him away from Mirabelle. Now he wants to make it up with Mirabelle, and she doesn't want to know�at least that's what she says, but she's so miserable I'm sure she still loves him
;, At this point she caught an amused glint in | Josie's eyes and sighed. 'I've gone off again, haven't |; I?' she said sadly, and gave Josie an accusing look. if'You ought to have stopped me,' she said. 'Nat
-�rc,,!^J^I
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always suggests a break for -ten minutes while we get sorted out, back to the point we started at, I mean,' she grinned. 'Now where was I? Oh, yes, I was telling you about Jessica and Kade Boston, and the way she practically threw herself at him, and did she get a setdown! If it had been me I'd have crawled under the floorboards, but not her; it only spurred her on, and she's been trying ever since to get her hooks into him. Where he's concerned she's no pride�I guess it had to happen one day�they say the ones that have it all their own way eventually fall hard for someone who just doesn't want to know. I've no sympathy for her, she's hurt enough people in her time, so it's only right she sees the other side of it.'
The arrival of a customer cut short the rest of Lucy's confidences, and for the next half hour both the girls were busy, and as Lucy remarked with a wry grin when the last customer left and another one entered, 'We're either doing nothing, or overworked� no happy in-between I'
Though the shop was a candy store, it also sold cigarettes and tobacco, and it was one of these items that the tall man in the stetson-type hat had come in to purchase. Josie, busy serving milk shakes to a group of young girls, became vaguely aware that she was under scrutiny from the ottiei side of the store, and looked up to meet the cold grey eyes of a man she was sure she had seen some where before, yet where she had no idea, and it wasn't until she had served her last young customer that enlightenment came. Kade Boston! She was sure it was!
Josie looked over towards him again and saw
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that he was now being served by Lucy. It was the short-sleeved silk shirt and tan slacks that he wore that had thrown her off the scent. The last time she had encountered him he had been dressed much as any other man that worked on a ranch would dress; now, in casual clothes, he presented an altogether different picture�apart from his eyes, she thought, and thev were still as cold as
before.
When he turned to leave the store, Lucy caught Josie's eye above the head of the small customer waiting to be served, and gave her a look that said
plainly, 'Fancy that! and we were only just talking about him!' The minute he left the store. Josie slipped the
wisp of an apron from her waist and rushed to the door. 'I won't be a moment.' she told the surprised
Lucy, and left before she could reply.
Her quarry was not far in front of her as she hurried after him. 'Mr Boston?' she called just before he was about to cross the street to a car parked on the other side of the road.
On hearing his name he stopped and turned round towards her, and stood waiting for her to join him. As she neared him. Josie sensed his impatience at being held up in this way, but she would never get this chance to speak to him again,
and she was determined to talk to him.
'I won't keep you a minute." she said breathlessly, and went on before she had had time to drew sufficient breath, so that her words seemed to
tumble out rather than flow smoothly. "It's about that fence,' she got out, noticing the haughty way his eyebrows rose at the subject. 'I wanted to tell
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you that I put it up, and not my grandfather.' At
this point she ran out of steam, but her eyes were
eloquent enough and matched his in coldness.
There was a pause, and as he still did not reply she carried on, wishing she could wipe that supercilious look off his face. 'So I don't want my grand
father wwried about it,' she added fiercely.
This he deigned to answer, and his views on the subject were shown in the grating, 'Your grandfather ..." he began, then whatever he was about to say he abrupt!' changed his mind about, as if it were of no consequence, and gave her a piercing look. 'I should have thought it would have been in your interest;- to leave things as they were,' he commented acidi' 'If I'd lost one animal through his neglect. I'd have had him out of that place pronto�I still can with a little co-operation,' he added meaningli
Josie's eyes widened; what on earth did he mean? Her frown showed her puzzlement.
'Come now Miss West,' he drawled, in what Josie could onh interpret as an insulting tone, 'I'm sure that when you've thought about it, you'll get my meaning. Land these days is at a premium,' he shrugged disdainfully. 'I'm sure you could find somewhere for the pair of you to live, with plenty left over for the future.'
By now Josie had an inkling of what he was suggesting, but she had to be sure before giving him both barrels. 'What sort of co-operation had you in mind?' she asked sweetly. , His lips twisted at this, and Josie knew she had been right. Distaste was in every line of his face as he calmly looked her-over. 'I should have thought
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a smart girl like you wouldn't need any prompt
ing,' he drawled in the same insulting tone. 'How
ever, I suggest you have a talk with him,' his lips
thinned. 'You've seen the house and what state it's
in. I wouldn't have thought it was all that comfortable to live in.' He gave her another hard stare.
'No doubt you've your reasons for living there,' he hinted sarcastically, 'but he might listen to you. I want that land. Miss West, and I'm willing to give a good price for it.' He paused for a moment, no doubt to give Josie time to dwell on this aspect,
then said softly, 'There are such things as commissions, you know, and vou could do very well out of it.'
Josie's hand itched to slap that haughty expression from his face, but she denied herself that pleasure for the moment anyway, and waited for him to go on, her eyes widening as she saw him put his hand in his top pocket and remove his wallet. He didn't intend to give her something on account, did he? she thought incredulously.
&nbs
p; 'My telephone number.' he announced grandly, as he selected a card from the wallet and handed it to her. 'If I'm not around, leave a message and I'll contact you later.'
Holding the card by the furthermost corner as if it were a poisonous insect, Josie let it flutter slowly to the ground without even affording it a glance, and saw with a pang of pleasure the way his eyes narrowed at the slight but definite snub she had just handed out to him. 'I don't think you could afford my commission, Mr Boston,' she said quietly.
You'd be wise to forget about purchasing Carella; it's not for sale. As for "co-operating", as you put
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it,' she added in a voice that matched his in coldness, 'you might like to know that it was I that persuaded my grandfather not to sell up�not to
you, or anyone.'
'So you're hoping to up the price, are you?' he ground out harshly, simply refusing to believe that her actions couldn't be anything but mercenary. 'Well, I'm telling you now, and you can pass on the message to that stubborn old man, that he'll get the market price and no more. I've been more than generous over the land I bought from him. I might need that last acre, but I'm damned if I'm having a gun pointed at my head�or haggle over it. Have you any idea of what it cost me to replace that fencing?' he demanded furiously.
Josie swallowed; now he would demand that they should pay for it, and she couldn't see bownot for a long time, as things were. 'We didn't ask you to put it up,' she said defensively. 'I know mine wasn't right for the job, but it would have done until I could have afforded a better one.'
His thoughts were eloquent as he looked at her, then back at the store. 'Earning that kind of money?' he queried sarcastically.
Josie flushed; he did hit below the belt, didn't he? 'It's just a fill-in,' she replied haughtily, 'until I get a better job.'
'Schoolteaching?' he asked dryly. 'Well, it's my guess you'll have a long wait. We've only one school here. Miss West, as yet anyway, and if you're relying on the new school needing staff, I might remind you that certain recommendations will be required�if you get my meaning,' he added suggestively.