The Rancher & Heart of Stone Read Online Free PDF Page B

this developer. He’s from Las Vegas...”
    “Yes. Archie Lawson. I had him investigated.”
    “He’s trying to get me to sell my ranch to him. I don’t want to. This ranch has been in my family for generations. But he’s very pushy and he made some threats.”
    “He’s carried them out in the past,” King said, very curtly. “But you can be sure I’m not going to let him hurt you or your cattle herd. I’ll put on extra patrols on the land boundary we share, and station men at the cabin out there. We use it for roundup, but it’s been vacant for a week or so. I’ll make sure someone’s there at all times, and we’ll hook up cameras around your cattle herd and monitor them constantly.”
    “You’d do that for me?” she faltered. “Cameras. It’s so expensive.” She knew, because in desperation she’d looked at them and been shocked at the prices for even a cheap system.
    “I’d do that for you,” he replied. “You have one of the finest breeding herds I know of, which is why we buy so many of your young bulls.”
    “Why, thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. You see, it’s looking out for our interests as well as yours. I can’t have a complex so close to my barns, or my purebred herd. The noise of construction would be bad enough, but the constant traffic would injure production.”
    “Yes, I know what you mean.”
    “Besides that, Lawson is unscrupulous. He’s got his fingers in lots of dirty pies. He’s had several brushes with the law, too.”
    “I’m not surprised. He was a little scary.”
    “Don’t you worry. If he comes back and makes any threat at all, you call over here. If you can’t find me, talk to Cort. He’ll take care of it.”
    She hesitated. “Actually Cort isn’t speaking to me right now.”
    There was a pause. “Because of the rooster?” His voice was almost smiling.
    “Actually because I made a nasty crack about Odalie Everett,” she confessed heavily. “I didn’t mean to. He made me mad. I guess he was justified to complain. Pumpkin is really mean to him.”
    “So I heard. That rooster has had brushes with several of our cowboys.” She could tell that he was trying not to laugh.
    “The man who sold him to me said he was real gentle and wouldn’t hurt a fly. That’s sort of true. I’ve never seen Pumpkin hurt a fly.” She laughed. “Just people.”
    “You need a gentle rooster, especially if you’re going to be selling eggs and baby chicks.”
    “The baby chick operation is down the road, but I’m doing well with my egg business.”
    “Glad to hear it. Our housekeeper wants to get on your customer list, by the way.”
    “I’ll talk to her, and thanks!”
    He chuckled. “My pleasure.”
    “If Mr. Lawson comes back, I’ll let you know.”
    “Please do. The man is trouble.”
    “I know. Thanks again, Mr. Brannt. I feel better now.”
    “Your dad was a friend of mine,” he said quietly. “I miss him. I know you do, too.”
    “I miss him a lot,” she said. “But Great-Aunt Sadie and I are coping. It’s just this ranching thing,” she added miserably. “Dad was good at it, he had charts in the barn, he knew which traits to breed for, all that technical stuff. He taught me well, but I’m not as good as he was at it. Not at all. I like to paint and sculpt.” She hesitated. “Creative people shouldn’t have to breed cattle!” she burst out.
    He laughed. “I hear you. Listen, suppose I send Cort over there to help you with the genetics? He’s even better at it than I am. And I’m good. No conceit, just fact.”
    She laughed, too. “You really are. We read about your bulls in the cattle journals.” She paused. “I don’t think Cort would come.”
    “He’ll come.” He sounded certain of it. “He needs something to take his mind off that woman. She’s a sweet girl, in her way, but she’s got some serious growing up to do. She thinks the world revolves around her. It doesn’t.”
    “She’s just been a little spoiled, I