Bleeding Texas by William W. Johnstone

It’s just business, that’s all.”
    â€œA pretty sorry business, if you ask me,” John growled. “We been friends for how long?”
    â€œLong enough that this makes me sick to my stomach,” Ambrose said, and Bo actually believed that. The banker looked like he was genuinely in pain. “But that doesn’t make any difference. I’m calling in the note in full on its due date, and if you can’t pay it off, I have no choice but to declare the loan in default and start foreclosure proceedings on the Star C.”
    â€œBy God, you can’t do that!”
    Bo would have expected such an angry response from his father, but it was mild-mannered Hank who was on his feet, hands clenched into fists as he glared at Gilbert Ambrose.
    â€œYou won’t get your hands on this ranch!” Hank went on.
    John Creel lifted a hand to motion his son back.
    â€œSit down, Hank,” John said. “Gil’s an old friend. We’re not gonna lose our tempers with him.”
    Ambrose mopped his face with the bandanna again and said, “I appreciate you remembering that, John.”
    â€œI’m makin’ an effort to, anyway,” John said. “Six weeks.”
    â€œUntil the note is due? Yes, that’s right.”
    â€œAnd if I pay it off, we’re square.”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œWell, then, I’ll see you in your office in six weeks with the money,” John said. “Until then, this is still my land, and I’ll thank you to get off it.”
    Ambrose winced as the sharp words lashed at him.
    â€œI wish you could understand just how much I regret this,” he said as he stood up.
    â€œOh, I understand. I just don’t care.”
    With a hangdog look on his face, Ambrose climbed wearily into his buggy and drove off. Once the banker was gone, Hank said, “Pa, you know we can’t pay off that note.”
    John Creel sighed and said, “We’ve got some figurin’ to do, all right. Ride out and find your brothers, Hank. Bring ’em back here. Maybe if we put our heads together, we can think of something. If we can’t come up with the money, we’ll have to stall Ambrose somehow.”
    Bo said, “He didn’t have the look of a man who’s going to be stalled, Pa.” Bo paused. “In fact, he looked like a man who’d been backed into a corner.”
    â€œMaybe so, but that don’t change anything.”
    â€œWhy don’t you let Scratch and me bring in Riley and Cooper?” Bo suggested. “That way you and Hank can go ahead and get started going over the books.”
    Scratch had stepped out onto the porch, and he nodded in agreement with that idea.
    â€œAll right,” John Creel said with a wave of his gnarled hand. “I appreciate the help, Bo. This ain’t really your problem.”
    â€œThe hell it’s not. I may not have been around here as much as I should have been over the years, but I’m still a Creel.”
    A few minutes later, he and Scratch had saddled their horses and headed out to find Bo’s other two brothers. As they rode, Bo said to his old friend, “I reckon you heard what Ambrose had to say.”
    â€œSure,” Scratch replied. “I didn’t want to butt in on your family’s business, but I was eavesdroppin’ inside the door.”
    Bo chuckled and said, “I figured as much.”
    â€œYou think there’s any way your pa can come up with the money he needs?”
    â€œActually, that’s why I suggested the two of us go look for Riley and Cooper,” Bo said. “I wanted a chance to talk to you. I’ve got an idea that might let us do just that.”

CHAPTER 13
    It took a while for Bo and Scratch to find Bo’s brothers, since they were checking the stock on different parts of the ranch. But they were back at the Star C headquarters with Riley and Cooper well before nightfall.
    Both men