Lauraine Snelling by Whispers in the Wind Page B

years ago, so the name Lockwood rang a bell.”
    “Thought you were going to help us up at the cabin.”
    “Well, I was, but then I got to thinking that Miss Lockwood is worried about having money to get through the winter, so I headed for Hill City instead.”
    Mavis frowned. “Why is she so concerned about money? We have plenty of everything here, and they are welcome to whatever they need.”
    “I think she has a hard time asking for what she sees as favors.” Lucas sipped his coffee. “She’s mighty independent.”
    Except when it comes to taking our land. Ransom tried to ignore the voice again. At least when he was limbing pine logs, he didn’t have to listen to it. Calling himself a sorehead did nothing to help that.
    “Did you tell Miss Lockwood that you were going to do that?”
    “I told her I had an idea for a shoot in our area, and she seemed amenable.”
    “Always running ahead,” Ransom said. “What if she doesn’t want to do that? Now you’ve put her into a difficult situation.”
    “Well, at least I’m doing something, not just grousing about her taking half our land.”
    “Just another of your harebrained schemes.”
    “Me? There’s nothing like a fool looking for gold when the vein quit years ago.” Lucas half stood and leaned forward. Ransom half rose too.
    “All right, you two. That’s enough! I’m getting real tired of hearing arguments like this. The contract is a done deal, so let’s hear no more about it.”
    The two glared at each other but subsided into their chairs. The crackling of the fire was the only sound for a bit, if one ignored the gnashing of teeth.
    Ransom shook his head and pushed his empty plate away, deciding to try another tack. He looked at his mother. “I still have a hard time understanding why you never told us any of this slice of family history.” He thought for a second. “And Pa didn’t either. Never made a reference to a partnership, not that I can remember.”
    “We agreed not to discuss it, at least until you boys were old enough to understand.”
    “Well, I’m old enough, and I’m having trouble understanding all the secrecy. Feel like I’ve been lied to all these years when speaking of our ranch. The Bar E, the Engstrom spread.” He knew his voice was getting louder and pretty intense, but he didn’t try to stop the torrent.
    “Ransom, I—”
    “I’ve given this ranch everything I’ve got to give, and now I have to pretend to be pleased when this long-lost person shows up with deed in hand?”
    “No one is asking you to pretend. I’m asking you to just accept the reality. And we’ll go on from here.”
    He slammed the flat of his palm on the table. “What would Pa say?”
    “What could he say? He signed the deed too.”
    “Oh, I imagine he could say a lot,” Lucas said with a half shrug. “Pa was never one not to say his mind.”
    “I never lied to you, Ransom.”
    Let it go. He ignored the voice. “You didn’t tell the whole truth, though. You always said that was the same as lying.”
    “I apologize for making such a horrendous error. I . . . I . . . Looking back, I can see that.”
    Ransom tipped his head back. This was getting them nowhere. Maybe if I find some gold in that mine, we can buy her out and the ranch will be all ours again. He reached out and laid his hand over his mother’s. “I’m sorry, Mor. Something good will happen. You always say that. We just have to stick together.” Guilt stabbed him at the sorrow in his mother’s eyes.
    Please, God, let it be so. Maybe after church tomorrow, he could catch the town lawyer, Daniel Westbrook, and ask him a question or two. Like his pa used to say, “Never leave a stone unturned.” But it looked like they were fast running out of stones.

10

    C assie lay in the bed she now shared with Runs Like a Deer, who was snoring softly. How she loved watching the dancing flames from the fireplace reflected on the ceiling. While she had been out working with the