Golden Feather Press
EMERALD VALLEY

CHAPTER 9

When Francine arrived back at her father's mansion, she still frowned while removing the saddle from Matilda and brushing the mare.

"Dix is wasting himself on that Kyle man," Francine said out loud, brushing Matilda harder. "He should have a woman who could put some order into his life. He needs someone like me to look after him. His house is a pig sty."

Her brush strokes became even more determined. "A man being partners with another man can become so...permanent. Dix needs a woman. That's the proper way."

Matilda nudged her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mattie. I'm brushing you too hard." Francine stroked Matilda's mane and patted her neck.

"Francine?"

Spinning around, Francine saw Bryce standing just inside the barn door. She shoved her nose into the air and turned back to her mare. "What do you want?"

Bryce sauntered to the stall, entered and slid his hand around her waist. He leaned his face to her ear and whispered, "Francine. When can we get hitched? I been missin' you these two years you been gone. Now you're back an' I think it's time."

Francine pulled away, spun around and glared at Bryce. "Are you a killer like my father?" She gave his thin, gaunt body and jaundiced face a critical inspection. "You look like a killer!"

"Francine, what are you talkin' about?" Bryce put his hand on the butt of his gun. "I ain't no real killer. I work for your father. I do what he tells me."

"And if he tells you to kill someone, you'd do it, wouldn't you!"

"Suppose so. I work for your father. What of it?" Bryce pulled her close. "Bein' a woman, you don't need t'worry your purty little head about such things."

She shoved him away. "Let go of me!"

Bryce squinted his eyes. "Thought we was to get hitched. Why you doin' this to me?"

"I've changed my mind." Francine put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Look at you. You're skinny as a post. You've obviously been in fights recently and you frown all the time. What woman would ever want you? I must have been fraught with this town wanting to marry you. I know better now."

She spun back to Matilda. "Besides, you work for my father. He paid to have Dix Logan killed." She hung Matilda's brush on its peg and turned to leave.

Bryce grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Not so fast! We're gettin' hitched whether you like it or not! Your father said so, an' he's the boss."

Francine yanked her arm out of his grap. "Father is not my boss. Not since he tried to have Dix killed."

"Tried? I thought Dix was dead?"

Heading toward the barn door, Francine snapped, "I just came from there. Dix is very much alive. And he has a new foreman."

As Bryce watched Francine cross the yard, enter the house and slam the back door, he wondered about what she'd said. Was Dix still alive? Coby had told him Dix had been gut shot and left to die by the strangers he'd hired. He'd wanted to kill Dix himself, but Coby had said he didn't want any of his men connected with the murder. Why had Francine gone there? And who was his new foreman?

Bryce headed toward the side door of the house and knocked.

"Come in," a gruff voice shouted.

After Bryce shut the door of Mason Coby's office, he approached the heavy-set man sitting at his desk in his swivel chair. Coby quickly covered an open leather-bound ledger with a few papers.

"What do you want?" Coby snapped after briefly glancing at who'd invaded his office.

"Boss, Francine just told me Dix Logan's not dead. An' he's got him a new foreman."

"What?" Coby glared at Bryce. "How does she know?" He scowled at Bryce.

"She told me she'd just come from there."

Coby slammed the ledger shut. "So Bardell was right. He came from the bank this morning and said Dix was still alive." He frowned at the ledger. "Bardell said a cowboy was in town yesterday holding a signed paper by Logan proving he was the new foreman of the Lewis ranch." He banged his fist on the ledger. "Damn! I forgot to ask when the paper'd been written."

Bryce folded his arms. "Want I should get some'a the boys an' make sure Logan and that cowboy're dead? If you'd a'let us do it in the first place, we'd have..."

"I don't want anyone here connected with any murder!" Coby growled.

"Who's gonna know, him bein' so far from town? An' how'd Francine find out you tried killin' Logan?"

Coby spun in his chair and faced Bryce. "Get out!"

"But boss, once I marry Francine, you said I was gonna run the..."

"I said get out!"

The moment Bryce left by the side door, Coby yelled, "Francine! Francine, get in here!"

No sound came from the house, though he'd heard his daughter come inside moments before Bryce had knocked on his office door.

"Francine!" he shouted as loud as he could. "Get down here! Now!"

Still no answer.

Coby struggled to his feet. Grimacing at the pain in his shot-up knee, he cursed Kyle Chase with every step as he hobbled into the parlor. When he reached the staircase to the second floor, sweat beaded his brow and he gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Francine!" he yelled up the staircase.

He heard a rustling from her bedroom. Why hadn't she come when he'd called? What's the matter with her. I'm her father! Damn her! He never should have spent all that money to send her to school in the East. It had changed her...made her too damn independent.

"Francine! Get down here! Now! I want to talk to you!"

Things began smashing against the floor and walls of her bedroom.