hands with a boy. Nowadays, it’s into bed on the first one. And they wonder why nobody’s happy.You gorge yourself on candy and you don’t want it no more. At least, that’s how I see it.”
“You and I should join a missionary society,” Kati told her. “We don’t belong in the modern world.”
Dessie grinned at her. “Well, speaking for myself, I ain’t in it. Can’t get much more primitive than this, I reckon, despite all the modern gadgets Egan bought me for the kitchen.”
“I understand what you mean.” She leaned back in the chair and sipped her coffee. “Did Egan really not want to be a rancher?” she asked.
Dessie measured that question before she answered it. “I don’t think he knew exactly what he did want. Politics used to fascinate him. But then, so did business. And that’s mostly what ranching is these days—it’s business. He has Gig to look after the practical side of it while he buys and sells cattle and concentrates on herd improvement and diversification.” She grinned sheepishly. “What big words!”
“Is he happy?” Kati asked, because it mattered.
“No,” Dessie said quietly. “He’s got nobody except Miss Ada.”
Kati studied her coffee cup, amazed at how deeply that hurt her. “He’s…not handsome, but he has a way with him. And he attracts women,” she added, remembering Jennie.
“Not the right kind of women” came the tart reply. “Not ever one he could bring to this ranch. Until now.”
Kati blushed to the roots of her hair.
“Now what are you doing?” Egan growled from the doorway, taking in Kati’s red face and Dessie’s shocked expression at his sudden appearance. “Talking about me behind my back, I guess?”
“Well, who else is there to talk about?” Dessie threw up her hands. “I never see anybody except you. Well, there’s Ramey, of course, but he don’t do nothing interesting enough to gossip about, does he?”
Egan shook his head on a tired sigh. “I guess not. Damn. You and your logical arguments.” He took off his hat and coat. “What’s for dinner? I’m half-starved.”
“You’re always half-starved. There’s some sliced turkey in the refrigerator, left over from my solitary Christmas dinner I had all by myself, alone, yesterday.”
Egan glanced at the old woman. “Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“I told you I ate by myself!” Dessie growled.
“Well, I guess that means you didn’t have any company,” Egan said pleasantly.
“Wait,” the housekeeper said, “until tonight. And see what I feed you for supper.”
“Let me die of starvation, then,” he said. “I’ll call up Ada and tell her you won’t feed me, and see what you do then!”
Dessie threw down her apron. “Hard case,” sheaccused, her lower lips thrusting out. “Just hit me in my weakest spot, why don’t you?”
Egan grinned, winking at Kati, who was seeing a side of him she hadn’t dreamed existed. She liked this big, laughing man who seemed so at home in the wilderness.
He even looked different from the man in the pinstripe suit in Ada’s apartment. He was wearing denim now, from head to foot, and a pair of disreputable brown boots that had seen better days—along with a hat that was surely obsolete. The only relatively new piece of apparel he had was the sheepskin coat he’d just taken off. But he seemed bigger and tougher and in every way more appealing than the sophisticated executive.
“You look different,” Kati remarked absently, watching him.
He cocked an eyebrow as he carried turkey and mayonnaise to the table. “I do?”
“His looks ain’t improved,” Dessie argued.
“Just mind your own business, thank you,” he drawled in her direction and watched her go back to her roast. “And don’t burn that thing up like you did the last one!”
“I didn’t burn nothing up,” she shot back. “That stupid dog of yours got in here and reared up on my stove and changed the heat setting!”
“Durango doesn’t
“You and I should join a missionary society,” Kati told her. “We don’t belong in the modern world.”
Dessie grinned at her. “Well, speaking for myself, I ain’t in it. Can’t get much more primitive than this, I reckon, despite all the modern gadgets Egan bought me for the kitchen.”
“I understand what you mean.” She leaned back in the chair and sipped her coffee. “Did Egan really not want to be a rancher?” she asked.
Dessie measured that question before she answered it. “I don’t think he knew exactly what he did want. Politics used to fascinate him. But then, so did business. And that’s mostly what ranching is these days—it’s business. He has Gig to look after the practical side of it while he buys and sells cattle and concentrates on herd improvement and diversification.” She grinned sheepishly. “What big words!”
“Is he happy?” Kati asked, because it mattered.
“No,” Dessie said quietly. “He’s got nobody except Miss Ada.”
Kati studied her coffee cup, amazed at how deeply that hurt her. “He’s…not handsome, but he has a way with him. And he attracts women,” she added, remembering Jennie.
“Not the right kind of women” came the tart reply. “Not ever one he could bring to this ranch. Until now.”
Kati blushed to the roots of her hair.
“Now what are you doing?” Egan growled from the doorway, taking in Kati’s red face and Dessie’s shocked expression at his sudden appearance. “Talking about me behind my back, I guess?”
“Well, who else is there to talk about?” Dessie threw up her hands. “I never see anybody except you. Well, there’s Ramey, of course, but he don’t do nothing interesting enough to gossip about, does he?”
Egan shook his head on a tired sigh. “I guess not. Damn. You and your logical arguments.” He took off his hat and coat. “What’s for dinner? I’m half-starved.”
“You’re always half-starved. There’s some sliced turkey in the refrigerator, left over from my solitary Christmas dinner I had all by myself, alone, yesterday.”
Egan glanced at the old woman. “Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“I told you I ate by myself!” Dessie growled.
“Well, I guess that means you didn’t have any company,” Egan said pleasantly.
“Wait,” the housekeeper said, “until tonight. And see what I feed you for supper.”
“Let me die of starvation, then,” he said. “I’ll call up Ada and tell her you won’t feed me, and see what you do then!”
Dessie threw down her apron. “Hard case,” sheaccused, her lower lips thrusting out. “Just hit me in my weakest spot, why don’t you?”
Egan grinned, winking at Kati, who was seeing a side of him she hadn’t dreamed existed. She liked this big, laughing man who seemed so at home in the wilderness.
He even looked different from the man in the pinstripe suit in Ada’s apartment. He was wearing denim now, from head to foot, and a pair of disreputable brown boots that had seen better days—along with a hat that was surely obsolete. The only relatively new piece of apparel he had was the sheepskin coat he’d just taken off. But he seemed bigger and tougher and in every way more appealing than the sophisticated executive.
“You look different,” Kati remarked absently, watching him.
He cocked an eyebrow as he carried turkey and mayonnaise to the table. “I do?”
“His looks ain’t improved,” Dessie argued.
“Just mind your own business, thank you,” he drawled in her direction and watched her go back to her roast. “And don’t burn that thing up like you did the last one!”
“I didn’t burn nothing up,” she shot back. “That stupid dog of yours got in here and reared up on my stove and changed the heat setting!”
“Durango doesn’t
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