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“I guess you can thank Tara for that—or bla on your viewpoint,” Trey inserted, referring to his father’s first wife “Buying the Slash R was a good business ht it if Tara hadn’t left the bulk of her estate to Laura and me”

“Even in death that woed to somehow involve herself in Calder affairs,” Chase observed with a wry shake of his head

“She did have a knack for that,” Cat agreed, then idly recalled, “I can’t say that I was surprised when I learned she had named you and Laura as the major beneficiaries Almost from the day you were born, she looked at you two as the children she and Ty ht have had if she hadn’t walked out on him”

A harrue was on the rocks well before that,” he declared

During all this discussion about Tara, Jessy had taken no part in the conversation Her silence on the subject was one Laredo was quick to note He skiet a read on her But Jessy had long ago schooled her features not to reveal her inner feelings, and now she excelled at it, a trait that any poker player would envy

There had never been any doubt in Laredo’s mind that Jessy

had never liked Tara But the other wo herself into the lives of the Calder family Wisely Tara had focused her attention on her ex-husband’s children, fully aware that the rest of the fao decided that Tara found some perverse form of pleasure in that

The ht about it, theit again; this tirave

And thatin Jessy’s throat at the moment

Deciding a slight change of subject would be welcoood tiestion Dallas made”

“What suggestion is that?” Trey wondered

“Selling off thewith the necessary acreage to encohway,” Jessy replied “I thought it was a very practical idea, considering that we’ve already decided ant to maintain our headquarters at the Cee Bar The Slash R ranch house is much too lavish to be used as a foreman’s quarters”

“Would you be comfortable with that decision?” Chase directed his question to Sloan; aware—as they all were—that Max Rutledge had been her childhood guardian

“Absolutely,” she replied without hesitation “I have few good memories left of the place”

Trey exchanged a glance with histo Quint’s list of things to do”