"I won't leave."
"If you should happen to find your way back to the ranch, one of the brothers will haul you back to town and dump you there."
Harrison wasn't showing any mercy. He was a bit ashamed when he realized how much he was enjoying himself.
Eleanor became hysterical. Harrison picked up the reins and started for the ranch again.
Her screams followed him along the trail. He started whistling in an attempt to block out the noise. It suddenly dawned on him that the screaming wasn't receding. It was getting closer. He turned and saw her running toward him. Eleanor could move when she wanted to. Odd, she couldn't find the strength to come downstairs in the morning to eat with the family, but she could run up a mountain just as fast as the horses were trotting along.
She was shouting colorful obscenities at him. Harrison turned back to the road and increased the pace. According to the plan, Cole would be waiting just around the next bend. He was probably watching Eleanor now, making certain she didn't injure herself or get into trouble.
Cole would eventually become Eleanor's savior. He would make her promise to behave herself and then bring her home.
The rest of the trip was blissfully peaceful for Harrison. He forgot about Eleanor's behavior and concentrated on his own. He was having trouble accepting the fact that he had deliberately provoked a gunfight. He hadn't been acting like a civilized man. No doubt about it, the longer he stayed at the ranch, the more barbaric he became.
His thoughts turned to the confrontation ahead of him. Now that all the brothers were home, he would talk to them tonight. He dreaded the duty, and he thought perhaps his own feelings about the brothers had been yet another reason for his procrastination. They were all good, decent men. Damn, he almost wished they weren't.
Harrison refused to think about Mary Rose's reaction to the fact that he'd been acting under false pretenses from the moment they'd met.
He started down the hill, spotted the ranch in the distance, and suddenly felt as though he were coming home. Three of the four brothers were sitting on the porch. Adam was working inside the corral, riding a black horse Harrison hadn't seen before. The animal was trying to buck his rider off his back. Adam wasn't having any trouble staying on, which was a remarkable feat, given the fact that the brother was riding bareback. He looked as though he were glued to the wild animal's back. Adam's movements were fluid and graceful. It wasn't as easy as it appeared to be though. Adam had taken his shirt off, and Harrison could see the sweat from his strenuous exertion glistening on his shoulders.
Harrison waved to him as he passed him and continued on to the barn. Travis shouted to him. He pointed to a bottle he held up in one hand. Harrison nodded. He took the buggy into the barn, unhitched the horses and put them in the back pasture to cool down, then moved MacHugh outside to an empty corral so he could get some exercise, and headed for the main house. He was ready for a cool drink and was smiling in anticipation. "Where's Mary Rose?" he called out. "Inside," Douglas called back.
Adam had dismounted and was just opening the gait to the corral when Harrison walked past him. He stopped to speak to him. "After supper tonight, I'd like to talk to you and your brothers."
"All right," Adam agreed. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I'll explain later," Harrison hedged. "I don't want Mary Rose to listen in."
Adam nodded. He unfolded his shirt and put it on. The two men walked together. Adam looked thoughtful. Harrison was a little surprised he didn't ask more questions.
"It's hot out, isn't it, Harrison?" Cole remarked. "It sure is," Harrison answered before he realized whom he was talking to.
Harrison increased his pace until he was almost running.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded in a near shout.
"I live here," Cole replied.
"Where's Eleanor?" Harrison asked.
"Isn't she with you?" Adam asked from behind.
"She was supposed to be with Cole," Harrison answered. "What happened? Did you take her back to town and leave her there?"
Even as he asked the question, he knew it wasn't possible. Cole wouldn't have had enough time to take Eleanor back to Blue Belle and then make it home before Harrison.
Unless he'd taken a shortcut.
Harrison jumped on the possibility. "She's inside, isn't she?"
Douglas smiled. Cole tilted his chair back, propped his booted feet up on the rail, lowered the rim of his hat, and closed his eyes.
Harrison turned to Adam. The eldest brother looked appalled.
"She isn't inside," Adam announced. He turned his attention to Cole. "I swear I'm going to tear the hide off your backside if anything happened to her. Were you supposed to bring her home?"
"Yes," Cole admitted without opening his eyes.
Adam reached the bottom step and stopped. Harrison sat down on the top step. He decided he'd let Adam deal with the problem. He would have better luck getting answers out of Cole.
"What happened?" Adam asked.
"She's all right," Cole said.
"Don't you realize the dangers up there? Are you completely out of your mind? For the love of God, there are wild animals roaming about. What could you have been thinking?"
"She won't hurt any of the animals. Don't get all lathered up, Adam."
"That isn't funny," Adam snapped.
Harrison began to smile, but Adam gave him a hard look and he quickly forced a frown. He knew Eleanor had to be all right. Cole wouldn't have left her to fend for herself up there, and once Harrison had gotten over his initial surprise, he realized that fact. Adam would realize it, too, as soon as he got over being angry. Cole was just having a little sport with all of them. Harrison would let him have his laugh and then find out where he'd hidden Eleanor.
"The animals won't bother Eleanor," Cole assured everyone. "Relax, will you? I'm having my break. Adam, did Travis tell you he spotted those five missing steers up on the short ridge? I'm thinking about going after them in a little while. Travis can go with me."
"I'll go with you," Harrison volunteered. He wanted to keep as busy as possible so he wouldn't have to think about the meeting tonight.
"What for? You can't help," Cole told him.
"Of course I can help," Harrison argued. "Show me what you want me to do, and I'll do it."
"Where have I heard that before?" Cole said dryly.
"What have you done with Eleanor?" Adam demanded once again. He came up the stairs and sat down next to Harrison. The oldest brother must not have been overly concerned about their houseguest, however. His gaze was centered on MacHugh now. The stallion was prancing around inside the corral.
" Harrison, would you mind if I rode MacHugh?" he asked.
"I don't mind. MacHugh might. You're welcome to give him a try."
"Cole, are you about ready to answer me?" Adam asked. He kept his attention on MacHugh while he waited for his brother to answer.
"Dooley's looking out for her. I ran into him on my way past the creek. I gave him a dollar to keep his eye on her until I feel like going back."
Harrison grinned. "Exactly when will you feel like going after her?" he asked.
"In a spell," Cole promised. "It's real peaceful now, isn't it?"
Travis came outside with bottles of beer for all of them. He handed one to Douglas and then gave Harrison one.
"Isn't that Dooley coming down the hill?" Douglas asked the question. He squinted against the sunlight in an attempt to get a better look. "Yes, I do believe it is Dooley."
Adam leaned forward. "By God, it is Dooley, and he's alone. Cole, if anything happens to Eleanor, you're responsible."
"Adam, do you want a beer?" Travis asked.