“Rose and I,” said Templeton, “have got to know each other mighty well these past few days. And ... we’ve got mutual interests. Mexico, Villa, the Revolution. And ... fact is, Fargo, we’ve come to love each other and I’ve proposed to Rose and she’s accepted. We aim to be married next week.”
Fargo and Lola both stared.
“And,” Rose said, “Lon’s well-fixed. We don’t need the ranch. In a way, I don’t deserve it. I ran off, left Lola stuck with it. Maybe I don’t blame her for what she did. So—” She gestured. “I want her to have it, all of it. If she wants to, she can sell it and ... go off somewhere where she’ll be happier.”
Lola stood up, staring at her sister. “You ... would do that for me?”
“You’re my sister, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I guess so. But ...” Lola faltered. “But I never felt like it until now. Rose—” Breaking off, she moved across the room to her sister.
Fargo watched as the two women embraced. Then he jerked his head. “Lon.”
“Yeah,” Templeton said and he followed Fargo into the kitchen.
“Where do you keep the booze?” Fargo asked.
“In the cabinet,” Templeton said.
Fargo got it down, poured two glasses half full, handed one to Templeton.
“Congratulations,” he said and raised his glass and drank. Then: “A little bird told me that the Boquillas crossin’s gonna be wide open for three days week after next. Pancho will take all the guns in Torreon that I can bring. How long would it take you to get together forty thousand dollars worth of Springfields?”
“Ferrebee’s got the mules.”
Templeton grinned. “I can have the guns at the station in Marathon a week from tomorrow, easy. Farm implements as usual.”
“Do that,” said Fargo. “I’ve loafed long enough.” He drained his glass and set it down. “It’s time to go to work again.”
The Fargo Series by John Benteen
Fargo
Panama Gold
Alaska Steel
Apache Raiders
Massacre River
The Wildcatters
Wolf’s Head
The Sharpshooters
The Black Bulls
Phantom Gunman
Killing Spree
Shotgun Man
Bandolero
Hell on Wheels
The Border Jumpers
Death Valley Gold
Killer’s Moon
… and more to come!
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