Savage Land by Janet Dailey

to pieces, shouting that Jase was a liar and a murderer, that he'd let his brother die because he knew Rick would inherit the ranch. He swore that Jase had deliberately stayed outside the pen and watched his brother being gored to death. Jase never said a word, he just let the old man rage on until he told Jase that he would carry the mark of Cain for the rest of his life. Then he walked out and the old man collapsed with a stroke. He's been in a wheelchair ever since.'
    A pregnant silence followed the conclusion of Tony's words that not even the outside noises of the drive-in seemed to penetrate. Finally Tony looked over at the white face beside him.
    'Now you know. Aren't you glad?’ His voice was bitter as he pushed impatiently on the hem for the attendant to pick up the tray.
    Coley didn't reply. She didn't speak the rest of the way home. She just sat and stared out the window at the blur of the scenery. When they finally reached the ranch house, she crawled out of the car and hurtled straight for her room where she lay on the bed staring numbly at the bright flowers on the wall.
    The lone horse and rider stood silently within the corral both gazing over the rails at the distant, shimmering hills. The horse whinnied forlornly. Coley sighed in agreement while rubbing her horse's neck affectionately.
    'I know. I wish we could go riding out there, but you know what Jase said, Misty,’ she concluded with a wistful but resigned expression on her face.
    She had been in a rather melancholy mood since Tony had told her the story of Rick's death three days ago. Jase was back from his trip to San Antoine, but Coley had been reluctant to be alone with him. Not that Tony's story had outright damned Jase. She still instinctively trusted him, but she recognized that there existed a slightly ruthless side to his nature.
    'Hey, little princess, want to take that rocking horse of yours for a ride?'
    Coley turned around in the saddle to see Tony astride a prancing chestnut horse at the corral gate. She reined her horse around and trotted it over to him.
    'I'm not supposed to go out of the corral. Besides, aren't you supposed to be working?’ she asked. For some reason, despite her earlier expressed desire for a ride in the country, she didn't really want to go with Tony.
    'Another one of Jase's edicts?’ he mocked with a sarcastic curl of his upper lip. ‘Or don't you think you'd be safe with me?'
    'Why would I think a thing like that?’ Coley protested, her conscience feeling a twinge of guilt. ‘Jase just didn't want me going out by myself. And if you're going to be working, I don't want to be in the way.'
    'You won't be,’ Tony remarked as he reached down and unlatched the gate. With difficulty, he manoeuvred his high-spirited mount into a position to swing the gate open. ‘Jase wants me to check the well up on the north range. It's another one of his fool's errands, so you might as well keep me company,’ Tony grimaced, reining his horse over to Coley's side.
    'Why do you say that?'
    'With all the rain we've had, there's more than enough water for the horses up there,’ he grumbled, ‘but he's sending me anyway.'
    Coley wasn't in the mood to take part in any discussion about Jase, so she nudged her horse into a canter. Tony's jumping chestnut was soon alongside. She flinched as she watched him saw at the reins, his horse's mouth opened wide.
    'Misty and I were just wishing we could go out riding,’ she remarked, trying to turn her attention away from the flecks of blood that dotted the saliva foaming around the horse's mouth.
    'Then I'm glad Jase dreamed up this little chore for me. I'm getting my wish to be with you and you're getting yours to go riding.’ He smiled broadly while his eyes roamed over her face in open admiration.
    Coley's cheeks flushed at his words. Tony seemed pleased by her reaction and turned his attention to the roiling landscape with a satisfied smile curling the corners of his mouth. Coley glanced