* * *
The mutes showed up exactly on time, as predictable as sunrise. Dalton came in a few minutes later with wet hair. Raney was glad she had settled for a quick rinse-off and hadn’t taken the time to wash and dry her own hair. No use raising eyebrows until she and Dalton had actually done something to warrant it.
Alejandro was in an especially good mood. As he loaded his plate with roasted pork, candied sweet potatoes, and green beans, he told them his ex-wife had decided to leave Uno with him for the summer while she visited her family in Honduras. “I pick him up mañana,” he said, adding two slices of fresh-baked bread to his plate.
“Bring him to supper,” Raney suggested.
Alejandro shook his head. “Uno is a big, sturdy boy. He will work while he is here, and it is best if he eats and sleeps where the other workers do.”
Raney was about to argue with him when Alejandro smiled and shook his head again. “Esta bien, Jefe. Las esposas plan a big fiesta for him. And he will feel muy importante working with Chuey and Harvey.”
“I could use help with the horses, too,” Dalton said. “Think he’d be interested?”
“Sí. He can teach you mucho.”
“And I can teach him English while we work,” Dalton countered.
Alejandro muttered something under his breath.
Dalton grinned. “No delante de la dama, mi amigo.” Not in front of the lady.
Raney pretended she hadn’t heard and suggested if the weather was nice, they could have a yard party at the house, too. “With games and ice cream and cake and a piñata. What do you think?”
They thought it was a grand idea.
“And since we’re breaking Mama’s rule about speaking Spanish at the table,” she went on with a meaningful look at both Dalton and Alejandro, “can either of you tell me what chingona means?”
They glanced at each other, both fighting smiles. Dalton asked Raney where she’d heard that word. “Did someone call you that?”
“Press called Mama that.”
Which amused all three men no end. “Chingona means ‘bad-ass woman,’” Dalton explained. “We’re laughing because the same could apply to you.”
“I never said that,” Glenn cut in. “Not about you, Miss Raney.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Dalton asked Alejandro.
The Mexican wisely remained silent, although his grin spoke volumes.
Raney gave up. The meal was almost over and she still had two more topics to discuss. “I need you to be serious for a moment,” she said in her no-nonsense voice. “Maria,” she called. “Could you please come in here?”
Maria came in, a worried look on her face. “The food is okay?”
Raney gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s wonderful, as always.”
Once she was sure she had everyone’s attention, Raney said, “There’s a man named Grady Douglas who may come to the ranch to see Joss. She doesn’t want to see him. If you or any of the other workers see a stranger hanging around, tell me or Dalton right away. And if we’re not here”—she looked at Glenn and Alejandro—“you two see what he wants.”
“Do you expect trouble, Jefe?” Alejandro asked.
Raney pushed her plate away, appetite gone. She felt like she was siccing the dogs on an innocent person. No matter what Joss said, Grady didn’t sound like he meant any harm to her sister or their baby. But she couldn’t take the risk. “No, I don’t expect trouble. Just make sure he leaves, and tell him if he wants to come again, he should call first. Maria, will you warn the other wives to be on the lookout, too?”
Maria nodded.
“Who is this man?” Alejandro asked, that protectiveness he’d always shown toward the Whitcomb girls evident in the hard glint in his dark eyes.
“The father of Joss’s baby. Joss said they parted on bad terms and now she’s worried he’ll come here.”
“We will not let him near her.”
Maria and Glenn nodded in agreement.
Dalton watched in silence, that unyielding expression back on his face.
“Should I lock the main gate?” Hicks asked.
“I don’t think that’s necessary, Glenn. He may not come. And anyway, we have no reason to think he’s a bad guy or that he would cause trouble. All we know right now is that Joss doesn’t want to see him. So, no rough stuff. Everybody got that?”
Nods all around.
“Good. Maria, you can bring dessert whenever it’s convenient.”
“Sí, Miss Raney.”
“On a happier note,” Raney said after Maria left, “I may have good news for you, Glenn.”
He perked up.
“How would you feel about training Dalton on the breeding program?”
Instead of being happy, the old man gave Dalton a skeptical look. “You sure he wants to know all that stuff? It’s unnatural, is what it is. Don’t know why we’d want to interfere with the way the good Lord intended things to be.”
Glenn was no fan of artificial insemination. Despite the advantages of higher impregnation rates, less risk of injury or disease through proper management and genetics, and strengthening the breed by using only the strongest, healthiest bulls to produce stronger, healthier offspring, Glenn had never approved of the program. Probably a guy thing. The cows certainly offered no complaints.
But rather than point all that out yet again, Raney took a gentler approach. “I know it’s been a burden, Glenn, managing the AI program with all the other things you do for the ranch. I really appreciate how hard you’ve worked. But Dalton told me today he had a keen interest in breeding.” She didn’t look at him when she said that, but could swear she heard him grin. “And he’s offered to take over the program. If that’s okay with you, of course.”
That perked up the old fellow again. “Damn straight, it’s okay. Just hope the boy knows what he’s getting into. Liable to put him off breeding altogether.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Raney said over Dalton’s sudden coughing fit.
CHAPTER 16
That night Dalton was especially restless, knowing Raney was in a room nearby and he couldn’t go to her.
