Savage Land: Texas by Janet Dailey

Author:Janet Dailey [Dailey, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chivers Large print (Chivers, Windsor, Paragon & C
Published: 1973-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

COLEY and Tony had ridden only twenty yards out of the ravine that led to the canyon when Jase appeared leading Coley's horse.

So she had seen him on that ridge after all!

His eyes were afire with blue flames burning their brightest when they rested on Coley. His face darkened like a thundercloud, his scar a jagged white lightning bolt.

'I see Tony rescued you in one piece—or almost,’ he added, his glance flickering over Coley's blouse.

'It tore on the rock,’ she said quickly. A rush of warmth covered her face at his derisive and accusing glance.

'How convenient. Your horse has been trained to stay when the reins hang to the ground. It's called ground-hitching,’ Jase explained with sarcastic preciseness. ‘To tie the reins to the saddle horn is an open invitation for the horse to leave.'

'Coley, you didn't!’ hooted Tony. ‘Of all the green-horn...'

'That's enough!’ Jase interrupted sharply.

Coley felt Tony stiffen behind her before slumping sullenly in the saddle.

'Was that pump working?'

'Yeah, it was,’ Tony mapped. ‘What were you doing? Riding over to check up on me?'

'Did you oil it?’ Jase completely ignored Tony's question and Tony ignored his. ‘I said did you oil it?’ he repeated in a darkly ominous voice.

'No.'

'Then go and do it. Coley, get down from there and put this on,’ he ordered, reaching behind his saddle to untie his ever-present rain slicker.

'You go and check on it!’ Tony fumed. ‘I'm taking Coley back to the ranch.'

'You'll do as you're told,’ Jase stated unequivocally.

Coley slid from the saddle and gratefully took the slicker from Jase's outstretched hand.

'You don't give all the orders around here,’ Tony sneered.

'But I gave this one!'

Tony sat in the saddle, shaking with anger before digging the spurs into his horse and spinning him back in the direction of the canyon. Turning his head over his shoulder, he glared at Jase.

'My day will come,’ he said darkly.

'You and I both know what would happen to this ranch if it ever did. You'd sell it to the first bidder. That's why I'll never let it happen,’ Jase replied sharply.

With a sharp crack of the reins on his horse's rump Tony bounded away. Jase turned slowly to Coley, nearly drowning in the over-sized rain slicker. She couldn't meet his gaze squarely, so she shuffled over to her horse.

'Do you need help getting on?’ he asked flatly.

'I can manage,’ she replied, trying vainly to push back the sleeves so she could mount.

He set his horse off the minute she was in the saddle. His horse was naturally faster gaited than her roan, so the entire ride to the ranch-yard was made with Coley trailing behind. The whole way Coley kept thinking all she had to do was say, ‘Jase, why didn't you come down the hill to help me?’ The words were so simple, why wouldn't they come out? But she knew the answer to that. Tony had implied very dearly that Jase had had cold feet on one other occasion. As much as she wished otherwise, Coley couldn't forget that.

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