He scanned the field, a testimony to his efforts. Austin hadn’t thought Houston could get the entire field to this point before Perla had lunch ready, but he’d succeeded. He’d passed his first test—with plenty more to come.
The scent of roast beef greeted Houston as he walked into the dining room at El Regalo a short time later and took his place at the table. “Roast beef sandwiches. My favorite. You’re going to spoil me, Perla.”
The family’s longtime cook chuckled. “Sí, Se?or Houston. I will try.”
Hays reached over Houston’s shoulder and grabbed a sandwich on his way to his chair. “When can I expect my favorite dish, Perla?”
“Tonight. Tomorrow.” She fluttered a hand. “You have so many favorites, Se?or Hays, that there is usually one at every meal.”
Pa entered and took his place. “You boys aren’t starting before we’ve said grace, are you?”
“No, Pa,” Houston and Hays said simultaneously.
“That’s good. Now pass me those sandwiches. I need one.”
Perla picked up the platter, walked to the head of the table, and put two sandwiches on Pa’s plate. “Here you go, Sen?r Hart. You need mucho energy if you’re going to bark orders at your boys.” The laughter in her voice as she headed for the kitchen took away the sting of her jest.
Houston filled his glass with milk from the nearby pitcher. “Looks like she’s still keeping you in line, Pa.”
“Don’t think that’s possible. I’m as ornery as ever.”
Pa was joking, of course, although he was as tough as rawhide and could be hard to please. Houston knew all about that. He’d spent the first eighteen years of his life attempting to live up to his father’s expectations.
Several others made their way to the dining room. The meal passed with the usual jesting, laughter, and comparisons of which brother had worked hardest that morning. Houston knew better than to enter the friendly competition since he was on trial.
Austin wiped his mouth and tossed his napkin on the table. “I took a look at the field you cut as I rode past, Houston. Nice job.”
“Thanks.” He hadn’t expected the compliment, but he appreciated it.
Pa leaned back in his chair and studied Houston. “But will you be able to move tomorrow, son?”
The pressure to perform up to his father’s standards never ceased. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
In no time, the room emptied. Houston followed his father to the large library lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that doubled as his office. “If you have a minute, I’ve got a question.”
Pa waved him in. “Fire away.”
Houston entered and stood in front of Pa’s massive desk. “Since Calvin Culpepper is going to be laid up for a few weeks, he’s looking for someone who could fill in as his ranch foreman. I told him I’d see if you knew of anyone. Do you?”
Pa propped an elbow on the arm of his oversized desk chair and leaned his cheek on his fist. He rubbed his closely trimmed salt-and-pepper beard and stared at Houston for so long that he became aware of the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.
He didn’t need to be kept waiting. He had plenty of work to do. “Do you, or don’t you?”
“I reckon I do.” Pa folded his arms across his broad chest and nodded. “Yes, sirree, I know just the man.”
Houston’s irritation grew. “Who?”
“You.”
“What? You can’t be serious. I’m liable to get a backside full of buckshot if I set foot on the Culpepper ranch.”
Pa slapped his palms on his desk. “Hogwash. Calvin asked for your help last night, didn’t he?”
“Not exactly. I was there when Coralee got the news that her brother had been injured. Travis needed another set of hands, so I rode over, too.”
“And Calvin threw you out? That doesn’t make sense.”
“It, um”—Houston cleared his throat—“wasn’t Calvin. It was Coralee.”
Pa drummed his fingers on the desktop. “I know Coralee’s got a burr under her saddle when it comes to you, but it’s high time she got over that.”
Houston hadn’t expected his father to come to his defense.
“You’ve got some fences to mend, too, son. Grab this opportunity by the horns and make the most of it.”
So much for Pa taking his side. “Your plan is to send me into hostile territory?”
“My plan is for you to gain some valuable experience, here as well as there.”
Perhaps Pa’s idea had merit. Neither he nor Austin were about to hand over the reins of the 7 Heart. Houston would answer to them. At the Culpepper place, he would have freedom to do things his way for the most part.
“I’ll consider approaching Calvin, but even if he agrees”—which was doubtful, since he’d already warned Houston to stay away from his sister—“Coralee might convince him otherwise. Supposing they go along with it, though … I have my conditions. I’ll work here in the mornings and the rest of the day at the Culpepper ranch. And I don’t want to be treated like a greenhorn when I’m here. I want to be assigned the same kinds of tasks my brothers are.”