Ambush Valley by Dusty Richards Page B

mothers upset when their son leaves them for another.”
    â€œI guess so.”
    He danced once with the schoolmarm Miss Costello. A lovely thin girl about nineteen who was a big hit with the cowboys. She came from Nebraska and signed a contract not to marry anyone until the end of the school year. Schoolteachers were hard to keep single in a land short on women like Arizona was, and for some reason only unmarried women were allowed to teach. He never asked why. But he knew she wouldn’t have any problem finding dance partners that evening.
    They set out a square dance. Marge went to get them some iced lemonade, and Allen Gates who owned the CXT came by to sit next to him on the wall bench. He was in his forties and had a much younger wife Madrid who was square dancing with someone.
    â€œI wanted to talk to you some one of these days about the Hartley brothers. They’ve moved several head of cattle in here and act like they’re bringing in more.”
    â€œI never met them,” Chet said.
    â€œThat’s the T Bone outfit from east of Mayer. Brand their stock with a big T B.”
    Gates crossed his legs and acted like he had something big to tell him. “They act like they own everything. I guess where you are, you ain’t met them yet. But you will.” The rancher looked around to see if anyone was close. “That Carl is a cocky little bastard.”
    â€œNo. I haven’t met them so far.”
    â€œThis is a dry country compared to back in the East. You can eat all this grass down and not have any if we ain’t careful. They don’t seem to give a damn.”
    Marge was back and offered Gates her mug of lemonade. He politely thanked her and excused himself.
    When she sat down, Chet asked her if she knew the Hartley brothers.
    She gave him a cold frown. “Which one, Carl or Willis?”
    â€œI’m sorry I asked.” He chuckled at her sour look that he brought on by his question.
    â€œIt isn’t funny. I think that Carl is a smart mouth and no gentleman.” She squared her shoulders and straightened up.
    â€œOh?” He made note of her rigid posture.
    The tone of her voice was cold as ice. “He has no manners—”
    â€œSorry I asked. Gates is concerned about them overstocking the ranges up here.”
    â€œThey came here about two years before you did. Carl came over and told my dad that folks better take notice that he and his brother were fixing to take over the cattle ranching business around here. Before he left that day he took me aside and propositioned me like I was some lady of the night. I went to the house for a damn gun.”
    Chet drew back from her, amazed at her anger. “Did you shoot at him?”
    Her eyebrows were like a hawk’s wings ready to pounce on something. “No, but if I had, there would have been only one brother left to ranch over there.”
    He hugged her shoulder, but he could tell she wasn’t over thinking bad about this guy. That really took some nerve for the smart mouth to have done that. Hartley better not ever say anything to him about her, or he’d wish better of it when he got through with him.
    Susie came by with the tall rancher Tom Hanager, and she spoke to them. Tom was in his thirties and usually had his teenage daughter Caylin with him. She was nowhere around him now, and Susie and he looked comfortable together. He’d noticed the two of them dancing. They still looked at arm’s length, but maybe something would grow—he’d hate to lose her, but he knew she needed her own life.
    â€œThose young cowboys of ours are dancing the soles off his daughter’s feet,” Susie said and both of them smiled over it.
    Hanager agreed. “Caylin loves to dance. I’m glad your sister came with you. Susie is a nice partner for me to get to step on her toes.”
    They both laughed. Hanager was a good dancer and Susie was an easy person to dance with.
    A