Chapter 4

Andy Cambridge was only 22, but he thought he was already as mature a man as he could be. He was engaged to be married to a girl of 18, one of the prettiest girls in town. He had been helping his father to run the Cambridge ranch since he was 18 himself, and he was ready to have his own spread.

Andy knew that the ranch that was supposed to be his was the Carmichael ranch. His father had promised him that as soon as they got the property ownership straightened out, the Carmichael place was his. Then he could marry the girl he wanted and begin living his own life, running his own ranch, all on his own terms.

He was impatient.

When he came in from the range and his father showed him the temporary restraining order Jarrod Barkley had delivered, the first thing Andy said was, "This can't be right. They can't get the court to do something like this without us having our say."

"They can, and they did," his father said, "but it's only temporary. It expires either when we have the hearing on the injunction or after ten days, whichever comes first."

"But you said this injunction thing was only gonna be temporary. What, they get two temporary things?"

"I'll talk to our lawyer tomorrow about filing suit," Cambridge said. "We'll have our say, son. The only reason for these temporary things is because our men have been going onto the property without that woman's permission."

"We're only checking out what's there, what's ours," Andy said.

"We? Didn't I tell you to stay away from that property?"

"I'm only checking on what's ours."

"Stay away. While this temporary restraining order is in effect, not you and not any our men can't go onto that property."

"We're not hurting anybody!"

"It doesn't matter! Now get hold of yourself and have some patience! It's just gonna take some time for this to work out, but it won't be much time – probably not even a month."

Andy looked like he was going to have a fit. "Becky and I want to get married in a month. If I don't have that property, she won't marry me."

"Well, then, maybe you're looking at the wrong girl," Cambridge said. "Any girl who wants things her way, when she wants them, is gonna be a whole lot for you to handle for the rest of your life."

"Pa, I want Becky and I want that property."

"And you'll have the property! But you can't go in there or ask our men to go in there, at least for now."

Andy turned circles in frustration, huffing and puffing like an anxious little kid.

His father said, "Look, why don't you have a drink and settle down."

"I don't want to have a drink and settle down."

"Well, do it anyway, because you best remember, that land is MINE, not yours, and if you don't toe the line and pay attention to these court orders, I'm not gonna give it to you! Now sit down and calm down!"

Andy was livid. As things stood, the land would be his father's if the won a court case, not his. If he wanted it, he would have to do what his father said. But the day was coming he'd be his own man, with his own property and his own family. His day was coming. Then – then, he'd have everything his way.

XXXXXXX

Nick spent the night in the bunkhouse. It was small and not particularly well appointed, but at least he got a good night's sleep. In the morning, he got up and looked around the property. There was no one around at all and no sign that anyone had been here during the night. Perhaps that temporary restraining order of Jarrod's had done the trick.

He could smell coffee and bacon coming from the house, and he knocked on the front door. Catherine answered in a few moments. "My goodness, Nick, certainly you don't have to knock before you come in."

Nick came in, putting his hat and gloves on that table by the door. "I didn't want to alarm you. I checked around. I didn't see anyone and I didn't see any tracks either, so I think everything is fine."

"It'll be nice to be able to breathe for a few days," Catherine said. "Sit down. I'll bring you some coffee."

Nick sat down at the table. "Jarrod is going to send over a couple of our hands. I really don't want you to be alone in this."

"Nick, this could last a while," Catherine said and put a cup of coffee in front of him.

"It doesn't matter," Nick said. "We Barkleys take care of our friends."

"Well, I thank you," Catherine said and went back to the stove. "Two eggs or three?"

Nick smiled. "Three, thank you. I didn't hear you go out to the hen house."

"I got out very early this morning."

"And I got up pretty late," Nick said. "Forgive my laziness. I should have been up to get the eggs for you."

"Don't give it another thought," Catherine said.

"You know, I enjoyed being here with you last night. Reminded me of old times."

"Me, too," Catherine said and cracked eggs into the fat left when she lifted out the bacon. "Anytime you want to come by, you're definitely welcome."

"I wish I could come by more often," Nick said, a bit wistfully. "Since I took over running the ranch, I hardly have time to breathe."

"I hope Heath has been a help to you."

"Yeah, he has, a really big help. Kind of amazing how well that boy just fit right in. But the books are still up to me and Jarrod, and that's where most of my time off the range goes."

"How do you want these eggs, Nick?"

"Over easy, please," Nick said.

"Nick," Catherine said, suddenly more thoughtful, "do you think Jarrod will be able to win this case of mine, if it goes to court? Am I going to get to stay here?"

Nick sighed. "I don't know for sure, Catherine. I just know he's the best lawyer around and he'll do everything he can to win it."

"This is all I have left, you know. Jack is buried here. If I have to leave, I'm not sure where I'll go."

Nick got up, went to the kitchen and put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't give that another thought. You won't be homeless, I guarantee that."

She patted his hand with a sad smile. "I'd always hoped that Jack and I would grow old together right here. He worked so hard to make it a good ranch, but since he died, I've only managed to just keep it afloat. Still, it's my home, and I want to live out my life here."

"We'll do everything we can to see that happens, Catherine. I promise."

Catherine flipped the eggs, and Nick found the plate with the bacon and held it for Catherine to move the eggs to it, which she did in only a few seconds. Nick gave her a peck on the cheek.

Catherine smiled and brought her cup of coffee to the table as Nick sat down to eat. "What time will you have to leave?"

"When our hands get here, and that ought to be within the next hour. I'll be back, though. Couple of days at the latest. And make sure you put our hands to work. I don't want them getting lazy."

"I'll find a few things for them to do," Catherine said.

Nick wolfed down his food fairly quickly, wiped his mouth, finished his coffee and then took his plate and fork to the kitchen sink. He washed it up himself and poured another cup of coffee, which he brought back to the table.

Catherine was smiling.

"What?" Nick asked.

"That's what I love, a man who does his own dishes."

Nick laughed.