Page 25 of In These Hills

He returned Cartwright’s revolver, holding on to it until the man nodded in silent understanding. Cartwright shoved the pistol into his waistband and strode toward town.

Jessie gave a little whine from where she sat, and Dodge signaled. She trotted over to him, and he knelt down and gave her a good rub. “You’re the one female I do understand, girl.”

She licked his chin, and he kissed her on the head, eyeing the graying around her muzzle. Six years wasn’t old for an Australian cattle dog. They could live up to fifteen years or more. But as he rubbed her, he found himself hoping she would live much longer.

He spent the next half hour discussing both men’s absences with their supervisors, then addressed employee concerns. Opinions were divided. Some sided with Cartwright, never having liked the Hackett brothers. Others thought the man to be a fool who deserved to be fired outright.

With Jessie at his side, Dodge headed to the little white house that served as the distillery’s office to get a final reading on his decision from Uncle Jack, but heard the man yelling even before he opened the door.

“Confounded, stupid safe!” Jack took a step back as though he might haul off and actually kick the floor safe a good one.

“You do that, sir, and I’m pretty sure the safe’s going to win.”

Jack stopped mid-stride. “I hate this dad-blamed thing. Can’t ever get it to open.”

“Did you try the combination?”

Jack looked first at Jessie then at him. “Morning, sweet girl. And Dodge, don’t make me cuss you this early in the morning. I’ll do it.”

Smiling, Dodge crossed to the safe and carefully turned the dial, feeling the almost imperceptible click of tumblers give way within the steel door. The handle complied without resistance. “There you go.”

Jack muttered something beneath his breath. “I’m gonna haul off and shoot this thing one day.”

“Best stand back a fair piece, if you do. She’s likely to give it right back.”

That drew a laugh. “Safes are a lot like women, aren’t they? All-fired hard to get them to open up to you, but when they do . . . Mmmph, what treasures await. Unless of course, they won’t shut up!”

Dodge ignored the mischievous gleam in Jack’s eyes, as well as his musings on women, which the man shared often. He was known for the wide company of women he kept and, much as Cartwright had just said, they flocked to Jack Daniel like bees to honey. And no wonder. Rich as King Solomon, always dapperly dressed in a vested suit with tails and customary white hat, Jasper Newton Daniel was quite the catch—who fully intended never to be caught. But did any of the women chasing after him realize that, Dodge wondered.

“We just had an incident, sir. Up at the stillhouse.”

“Stop calling me sir. Not when it’s just the two of us, anyway. I’ve known you since you were twelve, and was there when you earned the name Dodge, don’t forget. Oh do I remember that afternoon. Darn near got yourself killed!” He chuckled. “I still don’t see how you got out of that one.” He leaned down and patted Jessie, and the dog promptly dropped to the floor and presented her belly. Jack laughed, rubbed her good, then reached into the safe and withdrew an envelope. “I’ve already heard the gist of what happened. But let me hear it from you.”

Dodge filled him in, leaving out nothing. “So my question is, do you agree with my decision for both men? If not, I can—”

“Course, I agree. I taught you everything you know, right?” Jack grinned, striking a match to light a cigar.

He offered one to Dodge, who was tempted, but declined. Another last promise to his sister.

Jack puffed on the end until plumes of smoke rose. “Micah Hackett is the nasty end of a jackass, but he’s a good worker. There’ll be hell to pay from his brothers.”

“As well I know. I’ll watch them.”

“Good man. As for Cartwright—” Jack sat down behind his desk and frowned at the chaos of papers, bills, and receipts before him. “That kind of behavior can’t be tolerated. Two weeks is a long time, especially with his folks being older and down in their health, and him being the only breadwinner. But any less than that and others would have seen it as going too easy. How many family members are living at the Cartwright place now?”

Dodge thought for a minute. “Seventeen, if I’m remembering all the spouses and children right. No, wait. Eighteen. Cartwright’s youngest sister just got married. She and her husband are living with the family until they get their own place finished this fall. They’re building nearby to help with the farm.”

“Such as that farm is. Their piece of land ain’t exactly the cream of the crop.”

“No, sir, it’s—”

Jack eyed him.

“No, Uncle Jack, it’s not. They’ve always struggled.”

“Get one of the hogs out to them, if you would. Maybe go by the mercantile and pick up some other staples. Whatever’s needed. And do it—”

“Quietly, I know. As always.”