Page 3 (2/2)
“You’re fro the conversation away fro comments about her No matter how healthy and happy she felt, there was still that feeling of gaucheness and aardness which insisted compliments be turned aside
“Yes” The sloanging drawl in his voice was both smooth and attractive, like oiled leather “That set of horns above thethe horns on the massive stone fireplace that do fire
“They belonged to a Texas steer I guess you could say this ranch was founded on Texas longhorns,” Chase adlass of whiskey and ice from the senator’s aide
“I re me your family caar froie, who silently nodded her permission “That’s EJ’s hoht, but his assistant produced a lighter before the senator found one “So of an entrepreneur, eh, EJ?”
The relationship between Dyson and his partner had always struck the senator as an unusual one Once he had described Stricklin as the brains of the couts of it Every act, every ht out beforehand by that coic and reason dictated his decisions But Dyson acted on instinct and had the guts to gamble on his hunches It was a curious blend in a partnership, one balancing the other, with Dyson naturally appearing to be the dominant member of the team
“I do have several business interests,” Dyson ad Chase as if he were the source of his next
“If you’re thinking of venturing into the cattle-ranching business, ita lot of money in nondepreciable assets,” Chase warned dryly
There was a quick glance exchanged between the politician and the Texan “I guess you could say I’round than what’s on top of it Which is why I asked the senator to introduce as exploration”
An eyebrow quirked inhis tiie’s chair and shed his coat The fla the brief silence
“I think you’re in the wrong part of Montana,” Chase stated finally “You want to be over in the Badlands, or in the Powder River country”
“Drilling coreed “Now, I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I try to hire the new fields, not striking it in old ones and having to fight the big companies”
“Am I to surmise that you’re here because you think there is oil to be found on the Triple C?” Chase was vaguely bemused by the idea
“If you know about the Powder River and the Badlands, then you must know they’ve made some finds near the base of the Rockies They’re near the western edge of your boundaries,” he reht ist with me and let hi a section of your land looks It wouldn’t mean any more to you than it does to me, and I don’t know one froures and calculations and says there isoil So I’hts”
There was no change in expression to indicate Chase’s inner feelings He looked at Maggie and took a sip of his drink When his gaze finally returned to the
“The subject is certainly open to discussion” He’d hear theto make quickly