“Not only no, but hell no.” Trey paused, considering the bigger ramifications of the ongoing issue. “It’s like the Red River’s water we talked about. We’re up against a tide that’s set on obliterating our Texas heritage.”
“Sometimes feels like we’ve got a choice of becoming Disneyland or Neutral-land. Don’t much care for those options,” Slade said. “’Course, I’m not a big fan of the state’s idea of Six Flags Over Texas. At least the Comanche Nation and the Caddo Confederacy flags oughta be waving over Texas, too. This is our homeland. You’d think we could get as much respect as those who weren’t even from here.”
“Don’t get him started on the flags.” Trey shook his head, knowing his cousin was right but not wanting to get sidetracked down that impossible lane.
“Every time I go from Texas to Oklahoma and back again, I see those six flags waving pretty as you please high above the Texas Visitors Center.” Slade stomped his boot in disgust. “I’d write a letter in protest if I thought it’d do any good.”
“The State of Texas should consult historians and get their facts and flags straight,” Misty said with sympathy.
“Thanks.” Slade gave her a warm smile.
“I do know Dallas is fast losing its heritage,” Misty added. “They’re tearing down and rebuilding all the time.”
“Guess they call it progress,” Trey said thoughtfully, “or a moneymaker.”
Misty nodded in agreement. “At least San Antonio retains its heritage. And Fort Worth, too.”
“Tourists pay their bills.” Trey picked up his tea and took a drink. “And it’s a good thing folks are still interested in seeing the Old West. Helps pay our bills here, too.”
“Isn’t there other land or trees that’d be just as good for Texas Timber?” Misty asked.
“They’d buy out Wildcat Ranch—the whole kit and caboodle—if we’d sell.” Trey set down his tea. “But this is family land. There’s no price big enough to buy our heritage.”
“Texas Timber got a toehold in Wildcat Bluff County when Bert sold acreage to them,” Slade explained.
“At least Texas Timber didn’t cut down old growth,” Trey said. “They turned pasture into Christmas tree farms. Pine and cedar grow fast, so there’s a good profit to be made in turnover.”
“They’re not bad neighbors,” Slade admitted, adjusting his stance. “And they keep up their roads just fine.”
“All true.” Trey rubbed at the condensation on his glass.
“Then I don’t understand the issue. You sell or you don’t sell.” Misty stared at Trey with a confused look in her green eyes.
Chairs scraped across the wood floor as a table of diners stood up and headed for the cash register.
“Got to get back to work,” Slade said. “I’ll be back with your grub.”
Trey watched his cousin walk away. He didn’t want to talk about Texas Timber. He didn’t even want to think about the outfit. But maybe setting out the situation to a stranger would make the whole thing make more sense. Besides, Misty had a good head on her shoulders.
“Texas Timber?” Misty nudged in a soft voice.
“If Texas Timber would take no for an answer, I’d say fine and dandy. They’d move on. I’d move on.”
“Why won’t they accept your answer?”
“They think everything’s for sale, I guess, including Wildcat Ranch.”
“Maybe they’re used to getting their way.”
“No doubt.” He rubbed his forehead in frustration. “They keep upping the deal like money makes a difference.”
“It does to most folks.”
“I figured at some point they’d give up and go away.”
“They aren’t?”
“Things took a turn for the worse.” He looked out over Main Street, but didn’t really see it. “Not long ago, problems started cropping up on the ranch. Cut fence and loose cattle here and there. We can handle that, but it adds to workloads and endangers animals.”
“I can see that’d be a bad problem.”
“And fire. You helped me tame that grass fire, but it almost got away. And it’s not the first one we caught in the nick of time. But if this keeps up, one of these days we won’t catch the fire and we won’t find the cut fence till way too late to save lives and property.”
“You think this has something to do with Texas Timber?”
“Well, yeah.” He felt his frustration edge upward. Hadn’t she been listening to him? “Who else stands to gain?”
“That guy whose house just burned down?”
“Not Bert Holloway’s land or property.”
“Maybe he wants to buy it. You said several of his properties have burned down.”
“Sure, Bert’d snap it up cheap. That works when somebody’s susceptible after a string of bad luck. So, I guess you’re right. I can’t completely cross him off my list of suspects.”
“What about somebody else?”
“Texas Timber stands out.”
“I can see why, but I wouldn’t rule out some other culprit.” She tapped her knuckles on the tabletop for emphasis. “I mean, what does Texas Timber stand to gain if they burn down the very thing they’re trying to buy?”
“Yeah, I’ve thought of that too, but the fires haven’t been near the Cross Timbers area.” He took a big slug of tea to cool down. “One thing is for sure, with this heat and drought, the ranch is vulnerable.”