“I know.”
“How?”
“Your name is there.”
She stood abruptly.
Reid caught her chair.
“How much?”
she whispered.
Pike looked.
“They claim you owe nine hundred dollars.”
“I owe three hundred.”
“Probably less.”
Tears entered her eyes.
“My land?”
“Collateral.”
Lena closed ledger.
“We need an attorney.”
Pike nodded.
“And territorial investigator.”
Jonas said:
“Prescott owns half town council.”
“Then we don’t start in town.”
Lena looked toward Reid.
“Helena.”
Reid understood.
“Territorial commerce office.”
Pike nodded.
“But you need get evidence there.”
“I’ll go.”
Reid said.
Lena shook head.
“We go.”
“No.”
“Do not start.”
“Seven boys.”
“Thomas can run ranch two days.”
Thomas said immediately:
“Yes.”
Reid looked at him.
“You’re sixteen.”
“I know.”
“You think that makes you grown?”
“No.”
Thomas glanced toward Lena.
“But she does.”
Lena almost smiled.
“Sometimes.”
Reid was not amused.
Then Thomas continued:
“You trust me with north herd.”
“Trust me with house.”
The sentence changed something.
Reid stared at eldest son.
Then nodded slowly.
“All right.”
They left next morning.
Lena.