Outlaw Mountain

“George, for God’s sake, tell me! What is it?”

“She’s upset.”

“Mother is always upset,” Joa

“It’s you,” George said. “You and Butch.”

Not that again, Joa

“Well, yes,” George said. “I suppose you did make it clear. She was quite disturbed about that conversation last night. In fact, alter the Bodlemers left, we stayed up most of the night talking about IL”

“Put Mother on the phone,” Joa

“I can’t do that,” George returned. “I’m calling from the office.”

“Hang up, then,” Joa

“You can’t do that, either. She isn’t there.”

“Where is she?”

“That’s why I’m calling you right now-to let you know what’s happening… where she is… where she’s going.” George’s voice, small and apologetic, was totally lacking the vitality of his usually booming, businesslike tone.

“So tell me, George!” Joa

“To Butch Dixon’s house.”

Joa

“You heard me. She told me this morning over breakfast that she was going to go see Butch and ask him whether or not his intentions are honorable. I did my best to talk her out of it, Joa

“Thanks, George,” Joa

As she punched Butch Dixon’s number into the keypad, Joa

“Butch?” she breathed in relief when he came on the phone. “Thank God you’re there. George just called me. He says my mother’s on her way over to see you.”

“She’s already here.”

Joa

“Done what?”

“Asked if your intentions are honorable. My mother’s pushy, but still, I can’t believe she’d do such a thing. Butch, I’m sorry…”

“You’re in luck,” Butch said. “She just drove up, but she hasn’t made it into the house yet. She’s still outside. She and Marliss Shackleford met up at the end of the driveway. Marliss was pulling away as your mother arrived. They’re still out there chewing the fat-chatting away like long-lost buddies.”

“No,” Joa

“Well,” Butch said, “it is, but don’t sound so upset. I didn’t let Marliss in, and I won’t let your mother in, either, if you don’t want me to. Although, I have to say, I don’t have a problem with seeing her.”

“You don’t?”

“Not at all. Because my intentions are honorable, you see. Completely. What about yours?”

“Mine?” Joa

“Yes, yours,” Butch said. “We can either go on having what they call a totally meaningless relationship-which, I have to tell you, isn’t half bad. Or we can get married. If you’ll have me, that is.”

“Wait a minute. You’re asking me to marry you?” Joa

“Well, I admit it’s not the best possible arrangement, lint it seems like I’d better do it now. Otherwise, your mother will do it for me.”

“Butch. I don’t know what to say.”

On the other end of the phone, Joa

“Say yes,” he urged.

“But you promised. You told me you wouldn’t push.”

“That was before your mother rang my doorbell. So, will you or won’t you?” The doorbell chimed again. “Well?” he pressed.

Joa

“Good answer. Good answer,” Butch said. “Now I’ve gotta run and answer the door. Otherwise Junior will beat me to that.”

Butch Dixon hung up then. Twenty miles away, across the San Pedro Valley, Joa

CHAPTER TEN

For the next several minutes, Joa

She wanted to call him back, to say something-anything, but she couldn’t do that. Not with her mother there! Her mother! How dare she! And yet… Try as she might, Joa

When Joa

Laughing now, Joa

Just north of the cutoff to Coronado Pass, the sweeping majesty of the Huachucas was marred by several moving columns of dust and by the thick smoke of a slash-burn fire that spiraled skyward above the grassy foothills. Gigantic bulldozers had left behind red earthen scars through the tall yellow grass and knocked down grove after grove of sturdy scrub oak.

Seeing the damage, Joa

Three miles back down the highway she came to a huge billboard. WELCOME TO OAK VISTA ESTATES, the sign read. MODELS OPENING SOON. Underneath, on the far side of a cattle guard, a narrow road wound off into the desert. Next to the cattle guard, propped against one of the uprights, was an orange-and-white hand-lettered sign. NO TRESPASSING, the sign a

Switching the Blazer into four-wheel drive, Joa

It was only when she arrived at the shack that Joa

One of the men, a muscular blond in his early thirties, stood up and sauntered toward her. He was stocky with the broad, bulging shoulders and bull neck of a chronic weight lifter. He swaggered up to Joa