“What a pair father and son are,” he said aloud. “And what a pair Jake and Randy make. I wonder what life out there in the foothills of the Rockies is like for them. God knows men like Jake and Lloyd fit that country. And then there’s that bit of a woman they call wife and mother, living in wild country where there are wolves and grizzlies and…” He glanced at Jeff, realizing he’d given himself away again. “A woman like Randy belongs in a house like this one, going to teas and concerts and the best restaurants in the better parts of a big city. In spite of the life she’s lived as an outlaw’s wife and then a lawman’s wife, sometimes poor, sometimes on the run, sometimes completely alone while her husband would leave her, and those four years he was in prison…in spite of all that, she can be as gracious as the finest, highborn woman of society. She’d fit right in with the upper class, yet there she is, living in a log home in the Rocky Mountains with a man as far from high class as they get.”
Jeff stared at the glass of brandy in his hand. “And he loves her like no other man could. I’ve been to the J&L, Peter. I’ve seen their huge log home. Randy has the most modern conveniences a woman can have on a remote ranch. The whole house is wrapped with a broad veranda, wicker chairs, rockers, porch swings. The porch is in turn surrounded with rosebushes. You probably remember how much Randy loved roses. Jake has made sure she has plenty of them to fuss over. And he hired a Mexican woman to do all the heavy chores.”
Peter nodded. “Good. That’s good.”
Jeff sighed. “Randy is very comfortable, Peter. Their home is the finest house she’s ever lived in, and it’s truly a home of their own. The J&L is magnificent. Randy and Jake’s house has several bedrooms to accommodate guests, and there are almost always one or two kids staying overnight there. The great room has a vaulted ceiling and a huge stone fireplace at each end. Randy has lovely furniture and a beautiful oak hutch filled with Queen Anne and Hepplewhite antiques. She has two Tiffany lamps, and two of her front windows are stained glass at the top. The polished wood floor is decorated with a beautiful Aubusson carpet in shades of green. Jake sits in a big, red stuffed chair near that fireplace, and he just…fits the big room. You know how he is.”
“Oh, yes, I know very well how he can take over a room when he walks into it.”
“Well, you’ll get a kick out of this. He sits in that chair with his two little granddaughters on his lap, and he tells them stories.”
“Stories?”
“Reads them fairy tales.”
Peter had just started to swallow some brandy, and he nearly spit it out when he broke into all-out laughter. “Jake?”
“Jake.”
Both men laughed hardily. “Oh, Lord help us!” Peter continued laughing as he spoke. “God knows the kind of stories he could tell them! They sure wouldn’t be fairy tales! I’m surprised he hasn’t sent them screaming to their mothers.” He poured them each another drink. “I have to visit them, because that is something I want to see!” He sobered a little. “Randy writes us occasionally and asks us to come and visit. She wants to meet Treena.” He slugged down the second drink, then just stared at the glass. “Is she really all right, Jeff?”
“You know Jake. As much as you love her, Peter, he loves her more. She is his whole reason for existing, and he is in turn her whole world. She’s protected and loved. Jake has her right up there on that pedestal he’s always set her on. She wouldn’t be happy living any other way, and you know it.”
Peter absently twirled the glass between his fingers. “Of course I know it.” Peter sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “Old memories can really sting sometimes, Jeff.”
“I know. I have some of my own. Half living with them for so long left its mark.”
Peter met his gaze. “I think you should tell Jake about Mike Holt. He and Lloyd have a right to know so they can at least be on the lookout.”
Jeff nodded. “I think so, too. Of course, a man like Jake is always on the lookout anyway. He’ll never quite get over wondering if someone is out there ready to make a name for himself.”
Peter grunted a laugh. “God help the man who thinks he can take down Jake Harkner.”
Jeff smiled and nodded. “I’ve held those guns, and I’ve ridden with the man. He’s the best friend anyone could ask for when you’re sincere and honest…but you sure as hell don’t want to be his enemy.” He rose. “I’d better get back. I have a cab waiting for me. You can keep that paper if you want. I’ll get more details.” He sighed. “In the meantime, I’ll send a wire to Denver. A courier rides out to Jake’s ranch once a week with news. I’ll be sure the wire says someone should go out there right away. If I wait till it hits the papers, it might be two weeks or more before Jake would know. He gets the Denver Post in bunches every couple of weeks. He lets Randy read them and pick out anything he might care about. Jake isn’t a man with the patience to sit and read for hours.”