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about staying at Addie s boardinghouse.
Delana shifted her gaze to Blu s face, a smile teasing her mouth.
Playing cupid, are you?
He shrugged. Can t say as I am. After Sorley s wife, Marie, died,
he hasn t been the same. I d sure like to see him enjoying life again.
And if Addie can help him do that, you d have no objection?
Nope. Fact is, I d be indebted to her.
Delana glanced back at the boardinghouse. Oops, Sorley s coming
this way. I think I ll go say hello to Addie.
Careful what you say to her, Blu said in a low voice. We don t
need to get in the middle of their squabble.
I will. She tipped her head in Sorley s direction. And make sure
you do the same.
He raised his hands in a show of surrender. Hey, I m staying out
of it. I got enough problems of my own.
As Delana worked her way toward Addie, she couldn t help won-
dering if Blu had included her on his list of problems. Though certain
that was how he d viewed her after they first met and he agreed to
help her, she hoped his opinion had changed. She didn t want to be
another problem for him. She wanted him to think of her as . . . She
drew her eyebrows together in a frown. Exactly what did she want
from Blu? Unfortunately, she didn t know the answer to that question.
Addie s pinched expression brought Delana s disturbing thoughts
to a halt.
You re looking awfully frazzled, she said when she reached the
older woman. Anything I can do to help?
Thanks, but everything s under control . . . now.
Oh, well, I m
That man is so exasperating.
109
Holly Harte
Though Delana suspected she already knew the answer, she decided
to play dumb. What man?
Don t go acting like you don t know who I m talking about. I saw
the two of you watching us. She shoved a lock of dark hair off her
forehead and huffed out a breath. If he wasn t a friend of your hus-
band, I d be tempted to toss him out on his bony ass.
Really? Delana said, choking back a laugh. What did he do?
Ever since his first night at my boardinghouse, he s been trying to
tell me how to run my business. You re working too hard, he says.
You should spend less time cooking and cleaning. She made a very
unladylike snorting sound. Just who does he think will do all the
work if I don t? Damn fool man, doesn t even have the sense God gave
a horned toad.
Delana clapped a hand over her mouth, but that time she couldn t
hold in her laughter.
Addie frowned, her eyes narrowing. After several seconds, her lips
twitched, then finally, her laughter joined Delana s.
* * *
Blu waited for Sorley to weave his way through the crowd, watching
the older man from beneath the brim of his hat. Something had cer-
tainly set him off, and though Blu wouldn t pry into his friend s busi-
ness, he couldn t help being curious about the scene he d witnessed
between Sorley and Addie Roth.
How s it going? Sorley said, stopping beside Blu.
Fine, Blu replied, pushing his hat to the back of his head with
a thumb.
Sorely nodded, his gaze sweeping over the square. Looks like
there s gonna be a big crowd.
Yeah, looks that way.
Addie said this is always the town s biggest shindig. He glanced
over his shoulder, scowling in the direction of the boardinghouse.
Reckon she d know, considering all the work she put into it.
Ain t that the truth, he said in a low grumble, his scowl deepen-
ing. Fool woman is trying to work herself into an early grave.
Hey, I m sorry I suggested you stay at Addie s boardinghouse. If
things aren t working out, maybe you
110
The Ranger
Sorley turned back to face him, his eyes snapping with ire, Who
said it ain t working out?
I figured the way you two were arguing a while ago, and now you
crabbing about how much work she does . . . Well, it kinda seemed
like yer not getting along.
Sorley pulled his hat off his head, ran a hand through his hair, then
settled his hat back in place. We get along fine. Most of the time. He
glared at Blu. And a little arguing never hurt nobody.
Blu tugged the brim of his hat back down onto his forehead. Hey,
whatever you say. I m not gonna tell ya what to do.
Make damn sure you keep it that way!
Before he could respond, Sorley turned and stomped away.
Blu stared at Sorley s retreating back, too stunned to move. What
the hell was that about? Sorley McGregor had always been the epit-
ome of cool and collected, never losing his temper no matter the cir-
cumstance. And yet, when their conversation had turned to Addie,
he d started snapping and snarling like a caged mountain lion.
A man didn t get that touchy about a woman unless he was . . . He
grinned. Well, I ll be damned. Maybe I ll end up being indebted to Addie
after all.
When his friend disappeared from view, he turned to survey the
rest of the crowd. He recognized a few folks from previous visits to
town, but most he d never seen before. Two ranchers he had met, Riley
and Griswold, stood near the beer table and were deep in conversa-
tion with several men Blu didn t know. Deciding this might be a good
opportunity to continue his efforts to wangle his way into the wire-
cutting ring, he headed in their direction.
As he passed the table holding the keg, he picked up a glass of beer,
then sauntered over to the group of men.
Nice evenin for a dance, he said, stopping beside Burch Riley.
The man turned toward him. Cahill. We was just talking about you.
Yeah? Blu lifted his glass and took a sip of beer. He normally
didn t drink part of his determination not to be like his father
but when necessary, he could handle a beer or two. Something on
yer mind?
Saw ya talking to a man over there, he said, tipping his head
toward a spot on the square. So, I was just tellin Amos and Charley
here about you.
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Holly Harte
Is that so?
Yeah, thought y all should meet. Blu Cahill, this is Amos Kinney
and Charley Strong.
Blu nodded to the men, then shook each one s hand. You ranchers,
too?
Yup, the Diamond K is west of town, said Amos, a man of medium
height with a slight paunch and beady black eyes.
My ranch borders the Diamond K. Charley flashed a toothy grin,
creating more wrinkles in his leathery face. But the place don t have
no fancy name. I just call it the Strong ranch. Older than the others,
his shoulders stooped slightly, but his firm grip proved the strength he
possessed.
The men made small talk for a few minutes, discussing the recent
hot spell and the growing need for rain; then Riley turned to Blu.
By the way, Cahill, he said, Mind telling us who you were talk-
ing to earlier?
Earlier? Blu replied, pulling his eyebrows together in feigned con-
fusion. He knew Riley had watched him while he talked to Sorley, and
figured the man wouldn t forget. These men were too cautious to let
anything go unexplained, so the question hadn t caught him off guard.
After a moment, he changed his expression to one of comprehension.
Oh, you mean Sorely McGregor, he said. He s an old friend.
Ain t he the drover who delivered yer herd earlier this week?
Carl Griswold said.
Yeah, Blu said, not surprised the men knew that much about Sorley.
I asked him to stick around for a while. He s helping me put up a barn.
Riley gave him a speculative look. He staying with you?
No, he took a room at Addie Roth s boardinghouse.
Isn t that kinda strange, him being a friend and helping with yer
barn, but staying in town?
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