Home To Copper Mountain

“When I die, my attorney will arrange for the condo to be sold and the proceeds divided among the four of you.”

Audra loved him for giving her that security. She’d leave the piano with Pam until she had a place of her own one day. As for the quilts, she couldn’t be more thrilled. They were exquisite. Priceless. She would have them mounted in special glass frames so Pam could display them throughout the ranch house.

Her uncle didn’t know it yet, but she planned to live in Austin with him on a permanent basis. Pam had been waiting on him all these years. Now it was Audra’s turn. She didn’t want him to be alone.

Greg darted their uncle an angry glance. “You haven’t said anything about the barn.”

“It goes with the main house. If you boys want a barn, you can erect one behind the bungalow and keep horses there. Until that time you can board your horses at the Circle T. I’ve already spoken to Mervin, so he knows you’re coming.

“You might want to think about dividing the property four ways and using it for collateral to build your own ranch houses and barns.

“While you’ve got your families here to help, you’re welcome to start clearing things out tonight. Don’t forget your saddles and camping gear in the barn. When Clint and Rick get back, I’m sure they’ll be glad to lend you a hand with the heavy furniture.”

Greg’s gaze swerved to Jim’s. “No thanks. We’ll do it ourselves.”

“My trailer’s available when you want to load the horses.”

“I’ll stay in the bungalow until my cast comes off,” Audra interjected. “Then I’ll move to Austin with Uncle David. In the meantime, why don’t you three get together and decide how you want to divide up your vacation times out there.

“My manager at the radio station will let me broadcast from the bungalow, so I’ll be happy with whatever time period during the year you allot to me.”

“We have to talk to Tom.” Greg’s voice was wooden.

“Of course. Just let me know.”

Her uncle had done everything possible to be fair to the family he’d inherited, and this was how they repaid him. Audra reached for her crutches and got up from the chair, anxious to give him a hug and tell him how grateful she was.

While a subdued Diane and Sherry went over to examine the writing desk and teacart, Pam’s cell phone went off. The next thing Audra heard caused her to come to a standstill in the center of the room.

“He sounds bad, Clint. I’ll phone the hospital right now and send for a helicopter to meet you here.”

Audra’s heart gave a thud. “What’s wrong with Rick?”

Pam had already started to call 9-1-1. “Marshmallow tangled with a water moccasin in the creek. She lost her footing and fell on top of him. My mare’s all right, but Rick’s in pain from his arm to his jaw.”

A snicker from one of the boys coincided with Audra’s quiet gasp. Her wrist went to her mouth in reaction to the news, causing a crutch to fall on the floor.

Sherry noticed and picked it up for her. Audra thanked her before crying out, “He wasn’t bitten, was he, Pam? The venom’s lethal.”

If Rick died, her worst nightmare for her cousin would come true.

In the background she heard Jim whisper something to Greg about how stupid Clint was to be out there after dark.

“Silence!” their uncle demanded as Pam spoke to the police dispatcher. Once she’d explained the nature of the emergency, Audra heard her give precise instructions for the location of the ranch.

When their uncle rose to his feet, the boys left the room with their wives. He waited with Audra until Pam ended the call. She lifted her head.

“The helicopter will be here as soon as it can. To ease your minds, Prince killed the snake before it could bite either of them, but Rick’s in so much pain he can hardly stay on the horse.”

“I had the same kind of accident years ago,” their uncle said. “Sounds like a broken collarbone.” Audra shuddered at the thought of it. “From which direction are they coming?”

“The bluebonnets.”

“Let’s go, Pam. We’ll get in my truck and drive out to pick up Rick. Audra? You remain here and wait for the helicopter. Turn on the outside lights.” They both hurried into the hall.

“I’ll do it right now,” Audra called after them. She found the boys in the foyer, huddled together. If she heard the slightest sound come out of their mouths, she was ready to knock them to kingdom come with her crutches.

Maybe they saw the murderous glint in her eye because for once they didn’t bait her.

She moved to the front door as fast as her crutches would take her. There was a light switch to the side of it. She turned on the floods so the ranch house would stand out in the darkness.

When she moved to the roofed porch, the sound of the truck’s engine had already grown faint.

She leaned against the post with her crutches and looked in the direction of Austin. Cirrus clouds obscured most of the sky. With barely a breeze to dishevel her curls, there was nothing threatening about the elements to prevent the helicopter from getting here without a problem.

Though Clint wouldn’t have wished this painful accident on his son, Audra suspected there was a secret part of him that was glad Rick wouldn’t be able to get behind the wheel of a race car for a while. So was Audra…

While she stood there, the sounds of the boys’ demands over their children’s protests jerked her from her contemplation. She turned her head in time to see Diane and both sets of kids march out the front door carrying various items from the upstairs bedrooms to their vehicles.

Sherry followed with framed pictures in hand. She stopped in front of Audra. “Did you know your uncle was going to do all this today?”

“I had no idea.”

“Jim’s so upset, I’m never going to hear the end of it.”

Audra had it in her heart to feel sorry for her cousins’ wives, who’d married young and more or less did what their chauvinistic husbands told them to do.

Annette had it the worst.

Tom’s resentment over their uncle’s control of the ranch was bad enough. But he was one of those men who didn’t believe a woman should have any say in business. His wife didn’t dare stand up to him for his rudeness to their uncle, or his cruelty to Pam.

“I think Uncle David’s idea about dividing the property made a lot of sense,” Audra murmured. “You and Jim could borrow on your portion of the land and build a house.”

“That’s not it. He can’t believe Pam got the ranch house.”

“Her husband bought it for her.”

Sherry looked around. “Walk to the other end of the porch with me where the kids won’t pick up on our conversation.”

After Audra had complied, her cousin-in-law said, “I heard Jim and Greg talking in the hall. They think Uncle David’s lying about the sale of the house because he wanted Pam to have it.”

Anger consumed Audra. “Is that what you think, too?”

Sherry averted her eyes. “It does seem pretty amazing that she went to Josie Adams’s wedding in Colorado and came back a little over a month later married to a man who was willing to spend that kind of money on her.”