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Theout of the ranch yard before Culley remembered “What about the cake?” he called after his niece, but she didn’t hear hiine noise

He kept it for days until the chocolate frosting dried and cracked and the cake became too hard to eat Finally he threw it away

“The spring roundup ell” Ty sat in the chair beside the hospital bed Dressed in a western-cut suit, he idly turned the Stetson hat in his hand, trying to find an easy way to lead up to the matter he dreaded to tell his father “Our winter losses were minimal”

“That’s good” His father grabbed the overhead bar with his one good hand and tried to shift his position in the bed slightly The twitching grimaces he tried to control indicated he was in considerable pain His big fra ed hi more of his hair until the temples were completely silvered When the pain had subsided to

a tolerable level again, he glanced at Ty “Did you bring me any cheroots?”

“I thought the doctor said you weren’t supposed to s in the plane crash; then infection had set in, further weakening his breathing

“The doctor also told me I wasn’t supposed to live,” his father countered dryly “Which just shows you how much he knows”

The reference to death brought a different kind of pain into his eyes as he briefly turned away Ty kneas thinking about Maggie He still hadn’t gotten over losing her, and probably never would Without her, his father had lost interest in so , with no h each day

It seee the subject “So the roundup They got a kick out of watching hoas done in the ‘Wild West’ As a matter of fact, they’re still at The Homestead That’s why Tara didn’t come with me today”

“How’s Cat? Did she come with you?”

“Yes There was so she had to do, and she didn’t want to leave it too late in case the stores closed,” Ty explained “She should be here before long” One corner of his mouth lifted in a faint smile that crooked the line of his rades fro them off to you”

“One ti a private tutor,” his father recalled vaguely “Look into that for her” The accident hadn’t altered her father’s willingness to indulge his daughter’s every whiance

“We can’t afford it” Ty looked griaze to his father “I’ve been cutting expenses everywhere I can”

“You’re running the show You do what you have to” Along with everything else, his father appeared to have lost interest in the operation of the ranch

“I am,” Ty stated and took a breath to finally ht as well know I’ve dropped the suit for title to the disputed ten-thousand-acre parcel In the otiated an interim lease on it”