'But there's more,' Jon Red Feather told her softly.
'If 9ou do sell just the necessary land, the rest of your property will
still go sky-rocketing in value--you'll be able to send your produce
right out from your own doorstep. Tess, you're sitting on the best land
this side of the Mississippi. And that's why von Heusen has been so
desperate to get rid of you. With this property in his hands, he could
really control a good percentage of western Texas.'
Tess smiled slowly, looking at Jamie.
'But--but he can't touch any of it now. He must know that! Half of it is
in your name, and even if we hadn't returned' -- 'Ownership would have
come to Cole and me and our families,' Malachi supplied for her.
'Well, he must know that.'
'He does know that,' Jon said. Gabe was sitting beside him, and he
tousled the lad's brown hair to be rewarded with a fascinated smile. Jon
smiled in turn, then gave Tess his attention again.
'I let it be known that Jamie had found you and that he'd be bringing
you home. I also went to see Edward Clancy and had him print up the
arrival of Cole and Malachi--and I stressed the ability of the Slater
brothers with their small arms.'
'A couple of von Heusen's men rode out here the other day. But we
uninvited them quickly,' ICRISTIN said, heaping mashed potatoes on a
plate to pass to Jori. 'Cole or Malachi scared them away?' Tess asked.
'Oh, no, Shannon did,' Kfistin said.
'She's an ace.'
'I'm a decent shot,' Shannon said demurely.
'She can hit a fly's eye at a hundred yards,' Malachi said drily.
They all laughed, but' Cole sobered quickly and spoke to Jamie in low,
even tones.
'The point is, this von Heusen knows that scare tactics aren't going to
work with Miss. Stuart anymore. No one can quite fathom what he'll pull
next.'
'Well, he'll have more to worry about after tomorrow,' Tess said firmly.
'I'm going to go to the paper and I'm going to give Clancy another
front-page story. It's going to be all about David and Jeremiah and Mr.
yon Heusen's orders to see that I never returned.'
'There might be a few problems with that,' Jon advised her.
'Why?'
' Tess asked.
'Because Clancy and your printer gave in at last. Someone shot a few
windows yesterday, and by last night, Clancy had thrown in the towel. He
wanted you to know that he was sorry.'
Tess inhaled and exhaled.
'I can do it myself,' she said. 'You won't have to do it yourself,'
Kristin corrected her, sitting at last with her own plate.
'Dolly and Jane can keep the children here, and Shannon and I will come
in and help you with the press. If you give us directions, we can surely
follow them. The three of us will go into town first thing in the
morning' -- 'NOV' Jamie said emphatically.
'I have to,' Tess began, turning, ready to give battle. 'Jamie, I've
told you' -- 'The three of you aren't going anywhere alone,' he
