Unrepentant Cowboy. Joanna Wayne

best decision Doc Benson made since he married that pretty little filly of his,” R.J. said.

      “Thank you. Be sure and tell him that.”

      “I do, every chance I get.”

      The decision had been great for her, as well. Blake Benson’s practice offered the perfect opportunity for her to utilize her equine vet training. And he definitely had enough work to keep both of them busy.

      Joni walked over to the freshwater spigot and washed her hands with a bar of soap hanging from rope attached to a large nail. “Will any of your other children be joining you for Thanksgiving?” she asked.

      “Probably not.”

      “So, no takers except Adam on the terms of your will?”

      “Nope. Haven’t heard from nary a one of them except my oldest son, Jake. He’s called a time or two to bombard me with questions.”

      “That shows he’s concerned about you.”

      “Weren’t none of those questions about my health. I guaran-damn-tee you that.”

      “Then what does he ask about?”

      “The ranch. The will’s provisions? My sanity, though he don’t say that directly. I s’pect he wants to buy the ranch for himself—or find a way to beat me out of it.”

      “Ah, an apple that didn’t fall far from the tree,” she teased.

      “Probably why the two of us don’t gee-haw in harmony.”

      Joni didn’t question R.J.’s sanity, but she could see why his children might think he was sliding into senility. He’d invited them all to the reading of his will without letting them know he was still alive.

      Then he’d insisted they move back to the ranch and take part in its operation for one full year if they wanted to inherit their share of the eight-million-dollar estate. So far only Adam had moved back, but he hadn’t actually had to disrupt his life.

      According to Hadley, Adam was just getting over injuries sustained while on active duty as a marine in Afghanistan and hadn’t even had a job, much less a successful career, when he’d made the decision to move onto the ranch.

      Besides, R.J. had jumped in to help when Adam’s young daughters were abducted. That had given Adam a bit more incentive to get to know his father.

      R.J. stepped away and spit a stream of tobacco into a spittoon near the back of the barn. “I don’t blame my kids for having no use for me,” he said once he’d wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his flannel shirt. “I was never a decent father to any of them. But it’s my money and I’ll do what I damn well please with it.”

      “The one with the gold makes the rules?”

      He scratched his ruddy, whiskered jaw. “Call it what you please. Blood kin or not, I’m not leaving my ranch or my money to someone ’less I get to know them first and figure they’re worthy.”

      “Did you define worthy in the will?”

      “No, but I should have put it in there. Might have my attorney go back and take care of that.”

      Joni doubted he’d go that far. She was fairly certain that R.J. just wanted a chance to get to know all his children before the brain tumor claimed his life. And from what she knew of the crusty old rancher, he definitely wouldn’t be beyond a little manipulation to get what he wanted.

      “Did I tell you that I’ve been in contact with one of my granddaughters?” R.J. asked.

      “No. How exciting for you.”

      “Yep. Effie Dalton. She lives in California, but she’s going to be in Dallas visiting my son Leif this week. She wants to come out to the Dry Gulch and spend a few days.”

      Joni struggled to remember the basics of what R.J. had told her about his children in extensive detail over the past few weeks. “Is Leif the divorced defense attorney?”

      “Yep. That’s the one. Haven’t heard a word from him since the reading of the will, but Effie thinks she can convince him to drive her out here.”

      “I know you’d love that.”

      “Doggone right, unless Leif’s coming would just mean trouble. I told Effie if her dad wouldn’t drive her out here to call me and I’d send a car to pick her up—anywhere, anytime.”

      “How old is she?”

      “Fifteen. She lives with her mother. But get this. She loves horses and she’s already talking about becoming an equine vet. I’d sure like for you to meet her while she’s here. Maybe give her some encouragement.”

      “I’d love to. But now I’d best get to my next patient. You keep an eye on Miss Dazzler for me. And remember, she needs stall rest until the swelling is gone.”

      “No problem. I’ll just come down and sit with her if she gets lonesome.”

      Joni suspected that if he’d taken as much interest in his children when they were growing up as he did his horses now, he wouldn’t have to use bribes and manipulation to get them to visit him.

      A horse at the far end of the elaborately renovated horse barn neighed.

      “Old Bullet’s calling my name,” R.J. said. “Think I’ll have Corky saddle him up so I can take him for a short ride.”

      “Should you be riding alone?”

      He gave her a wink and a click of his tongue. “Are you hinting you want to go along with me?”

      No doubt he’d been as much a womanizer in his younger days as the locals claimed. His flirting was totally harmless now, though.

      “I’d love to ride with you, Mr. Dalton, but I have three other calls to make this afternoon. I’ll be lucky if I make it back here to check on Miss Dazzler by dark.”

      “You’re too pretty to work all the time. You need a man to go home to. I’ve still got four unmarried sons, you know.”

      “I’ll keep that in mind. Now you take care of yourself and I’ll be back first thing in the morning to check on Miss Dazzler.”

      “You be careful and don’t be out on these old deserted roads by yourself at night. I guess you heard about Evie Monsant getting murdered yesterday.”

      “I heard about a body being found yesterday morning. I didn’t know it was Evie’s until I saw the police tape all around her gate and house when I drove past last night on my way home.”

      “The media are already claiming it might be the work of The Hunter,” R.J. said. “I don’t put no stock in that myself, though. I’d put my money on her knowing the guy who killed her.”

      “Why?”

      “She was a strange woman. Sticking to herself all the time. The way I heard it, she’d hardly say howdy if she met you face on. No telling what she was mixed up in.”

      Joni wasn’t so sure. “The news reporters must know something if they’re saying her death could be the work of a serial killer.”

      “Not necessarily. Those blowhards love putting the fear in everybody. Gets ’em higher ratings.”

      “I hope you’re right. Not that it would make it any better for Evie, but the thought of a serial killer in Oak Grove is bloodcurdling,” Joni admitted.

      “You just be careful,” R.J. said. “But I wouldn’t worry about it too much. This is about as peaceful a place as you can find in all of Texas. I figure Evie Monsant brought her trouble with her.”

      “Maybe.” But unexpected anxiety skidded along Joni’s nerve endings as R.J. walked her to her aging pickup truck. She’d grown up in a rural area much like this one, where neighbors looked out for one another. She’d always felt safe, the same as she had since moving to