the speculation. And he'd be faced with the possibility of having to kill any of his men foolish enough to conmient on Megan in his hearing.
But he wouldn't have to worry about anybody—say his good friend Gun, for instance—thinking that Megan was available. The image of Gun and Megan leaning over the engine compartment, their fair heads close together, lingered in Kel's memory.
He could trust Gun. But what about Megan? Nothing in his experience had given him leason to have much faith in women. He wasn't foolish enough to think that, because his mother had betrayed his fa-
ther and Roxanne had, in her turn, betrayed him, it meant all women were not to be trusted. On the other hand, the track record of the Bryan men was such that he couldn't help but feel a little cautious.
Dude slowed and Kel, who hadn't been paying much attention to where he was, realized that they'd reached the stock tank he'd come out to check. It was a good thing his horse knew what he was supposed to be doing, Kel thought ruefully. He stepped out of the saddle and ground hitched the big horse by letting the reins drop to the dirt. There were a few head of cattle milling around the tank, and they cast a disinterested look in his direction as he approached.
Kel looked them over automatically, checking their condition. He was satisfied with what he saw. It had been a comparatively mild winter this year and a reasonably wet spring. The range was in good shape and so was the herd. If they didn't have a drought this summer or any of half a dozen other possible disasters, they'd do better than average this year.
Assured that the stock tank was clear and full, Kel swung into the saddle, but he didn't inunediately nudge Dude into motion. He tilted his hat back and really looked at the land around him for the first time that day. From the time he was a boy, whenever he'd been upset or had suffered a disappointment, he'd always found solace in the land. He could remember riding out onto the range the day after his mother left for the final time. He'd known somehow that she wouldn't be back this time, not for him, not for Colleen, who'd been little more than an infant. It was the last time he could remember crying.
When Roxanne had departed for Boston, he'd helped her load her things in her car, watched her drive off, and then he'd saddled Dude and ridden for hours. He'd worked out his self-directed anger at having made such a stupid mistake, at having let his gonads do his thinkin g.
And here he was again. Except that this time was different. He couldn't really compare M^an to his mother or his ex-wife. She was only here for the summer. She wasn't a vital part of his life and he wasn't going to let that change. An affair—if she ever decided she was ready for one—would be nothing more than a sunmier diversion for both of them. The reminder made Kel feel better. She was temporary in his Ufe. And he wouldn't want it any other way.
Feeling restless, Megan wandered out onto the porch. Colleen was occupied with her physical therapist, the house was clean, a batch of bread was rising on the kitchen counter. She wasn't in the mood for leading and it was too early to start preparations for dinner.
She wrapped her hands around one of the upright posts that supported the porch roof and stared moodily across the ranch yard. There were storm clouds to the north, hanging thick and heavy over the mountains. According to Kel, they'd probably have rain sometime tonight. She hadn't lived until she'd been through a summer lightning storm in Wyoming, Colleen had told her at breakfast.
Maybe she could blame the approaching storm for the fact that Colleen had gotten out of bed early this
morning. This morning, of all mornings, when Megan had planned to talk to Kel, planned to tell him that... Tell him what? That she was having trouble sleeping nights because she lay awake thinking about him sleq>ing across the hall? That she was tired of this game of stealing kisses
But he wouldn't have to worry about anybody—say his good friend Gun, for instance—thinking that Megan was available. The image of Gun and Megan leaning over the engine compartment, their fair heads close together, lingered in Kel's memory.
He could trust Gun. But what about Megan? Nothing in his experience had given him leason to have much faith in women. He wasn't foolish enough to think that, because his mother had betrayed his fa-
ther and Roxanne had, in her turn, betrayed him, it meant all women were not to be trusted. On the other hand, the track record of the Bryan men was such that he couldn't help but feel a little cautious.
Dude slowed and Kel, who hadn't been paying much attention to where he was, realized that they'd reached the stock tank he'd come out to check. It was a good thing his horse knew what he was supposed to be doing, Kel thought ruefully. He stepped out of the saddle and ground hitched the big horse by letting the reins drop to the dirt. There were a few head of cattle milling around the tank, and they cast a disinterested look in his direction as he approached.
Kel looked them over automatically, checking their condition. He was satisfied with what he saw. It had been a comparatively mild winter this year and a reasonably wet spring. The range was in good shape and so was the herd. If they didn't have a drought this summer or any of half a dozen other possible disasters, they'd do better than average this year.
Assured that the stock tank was clear and full, Kel swung into the saddle, but he didn't inunediately nudge Dude into motion. He tilted his hat back and really looked at the land around him for the first time that day. From the time he was a boy, whenever he'd been upset or had suffered a disappointment, he'd always found solace in the land. He could remember riding out onto the range the day after his mother left for the final time. He'd known somehow that she wouldn't be back this time, not for him, not for Colleen, who'd been little more than an infant. It was the last time he could remember crying.
When Roxanne had departed for Boston, he'd helped her load her things in her car, watched her drive off, and then he'd saddled Dude and ridden for hours. He'd worked out his self-directed anger at having made such a stupid mistake, at having let his gonads do his thinkin g.
And here he was again. Except that this time was different. He couldn't really compare M^an to his mother or his ex-wife. She was only here for the summer. She wasn't a vital part of his life and he wasn't going to let that change. An affair—if she ever decided she was ready for one—would be nothing more than a sunmier diversion for both of them. The reminder made Kel feel better. She was temporary in his Ufe. And he wouldn't want it any other way.
Feeling restless, Megan wandered out onto the porch. Colleen was occupied with her physical therapist, the house was clean, a batch of bread was rising on the kitchen counter. She wasn't in the mood for leading and it was too early to start preparations for dinner.
She wrapped her hands around one of the upright posts that supported the porch roof and stared moodily across the ranch yard. There were storm clouds to the north, hanging thick and heavy over the mountains. According to Kel, they'd probably have rain sometime tonight. She hadn't lived until she'd been through a summer lightning storm in Wyoming, Colleen had told her at breakfast.
Maybe she could blame the approaching storm for the fact that Colleen had gotten out of bed early this
morning. This morning, of all mornings, when Megan had planned to talk to Kel, planned to tell him that... Tell him what? That she was having trouble sleeping nights because she lay awake thinking about him sleq>ing across the hall? That she was tired of this game of stealing kisses
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