"I suppose."  Emeline shrugged.  "Case seems hard to figure, and I'd say he's his father's son, but then that adage would apply to Leah as well, and she is anything but like her father!"

It was all complicated, of course, and would get even more so if a range war broke out, and the best way to deal with that was to prevent it. 

"Maybe if we show a untied front..?"  It would give Elias Steelgrave pause for thought?  "And our stock will all be branded..."  So at least there could be some proof of ownership.

"I'd have to agree, his is unpredictable as all get out, an' Miss Steelgrave, like night and day alright. Way I heard it, she wasn't  always like she is now, terrible reputation but I reckon she saw the light." Barnabas re[lied. "Hard to figure how that happens, though it surely does."

Before responding, he thought about her last statement for a moment about presenting a united front to Elias and his crowd. "Well now, I reckon we might give that a try, was there a way to do it without no shootin'. Trouble is, without facin' 'em down I don't see how we could do that, I mean we'd need to show 'em we mean business, and that surely means we'd have to back kit jup if'n they called our bluff. Not that it would be, but it would be no easy task bluffing hardened gunmen. You know what I mean?"

"I'd surely hope it didn't come to shooting, and I'm sure Mr. Steelgrave knows we're friends with Lost Lake," Emeline observed, "but we could make certain to show that...invite them here, or in town at the Lickskillet...we can discuss logistics, how we could support each other if it came to it."

After all, if Elias decided to start trouble with either of the ranches they would likely need help making sure supplies were brought in, the cattle were tended to...plenty of things that didn't actively involve fighting.

"It might give him pause to think."  Maybe stave off trouble, if Steelgrave knew he'd be up against more than just one ranch.

"I'd surely hope it didn't come to shooting, and I'm sure Mr. Steelgrave knows we're friends with Lost Lake," Emeline observed, "but we could make certain to show that...invite them here, or in town at the Lickskillet...we can discuss logistics, how we could support each other if it came to it."

The last sentence made him smile, and as she was about to speak, he interrupted. "Just the idea strikes me as maybe a ploy that just might work, but yeah he knows, or would suspect we're friends with Lost Lake alright, Even if he didn't know fer sure, he'd suspect as much." He kind of shook his head, "I surely ain't for havin' the man up here, so sir, not by a long shot!"

"It might give him pause to think."

"Now that'd be the only reason I'd agree to such a meeting, and at the cafe, neutral ground, if that's what you want." He added, "I'd go see his lawyer, Latham, an' set somethin' up. But I'd druther we waited till after Christmas to get this thing of yours started. 'sides, snow may yet choke us off for ever'thing an' ever'one!"

It was a fact that winter could make a nasty appearance at any moment and last for God knows how long.

"I certainly hope this winter isn't as bad as last."  The loss of Whitefish had been devastating, and the effects were still being felt here in Kalispell.  "If it gets that bad this year, we're going to have horses in the parlor!"

She laughed at that, although she was fully aware that livestock could handle most of the temperature extremes.  "But..." she mused, thinking out loud, "they are from Texas and not accustomed to such cold."  She frowned.  "I'll just have to sleep in the barn with them and plenty of blankets!  You won't miss me at all!"

Pike furrowed his brow, narrowed his eyes, and said, "There'll be no sleepin' in the barn, woman. You'd catch yer death, was it as bad as last year an' leave me ta freeze!" Then he laughed, "Sleep in the barn, them animals'll be just fine out there. It'd be a whole lot warmer than standing out in the pasture like the cattle."

He knew she was only joshing him with the threat to sleep with her prize horses, but he enjoyed the banter, "Maybe ol' Steelgrave'd stay out there with 'em, you know, in the spirit of friendship an' all." Then he stood ready for whatever might come next from the love of his life, mother of his children to be, and partner in all things Pike.

"You'd refuse to let me sleep with my horses?"  Emeline gave him a pout, then grinned.  "I can just bring them inside!"  Of course, she'd never do that, but she had to tease him!  Standing, she moved over to hug him.  "They'll just have to huddle together like we do!"  No denying, she liked that part!

"I'm sure they'll be fine, it's the cattle, out in the open I'd be more worried about."  She sighed.  "How many blankets would we need?"  With a grin, she kissed Barnabas lightly on the lips.  "I'll worry, that's my job, but I trust you.  Well, and our horsed did survive last year, and it was a bad one!"

"Bad as could be, that's the gospel!" He stated in agreement, liking the kissing part. "So far as horses in the house, I think not, Missus Pike!" Then he grinned, the idea was ludicrous to say the very least, just Em having a lark, teasing him as she often did, though he never minded.

"Last winter, horrible and beautiful all at the same time, but there's always a chance that it could be rebuilt." He added. "Although, I doubt Steelgrave would invest the money, even if he owned the town again, Keep Case out of our hair."

"I suppose they'll eventually rebuild," Emeline mused, "once the sting is over.  The land has been cleared, there are roads and such...I just think it's still a bit too soon."

Someone was always ready to get in on a 'new' town, even if Case Steelgrave was heavily involved, and there were plenty of displaced residents here in Kalispell who would gladly go 'home'.

"When they do start rebuilding, maybe it's something we could invest in?"

"The way I see it, they've already started to rebuild her, by clearing the land of the burnable debris. Word has it that any stone buildings were repaired where needed and are already in use." Barnabas replied, "So I'd say on a small scale, Whitefish is comin' back to life. Now, that ain't sayin' there'll be any land rush up that way, just that she's recoverin'."

Investin' in that rebuild is a real possibility, but then again, that was always Elias Steelgrave's town, whether Case was there or not, I can't see any rebuild without Steelgrave's approval. But, now we can investigate investin' should there be a real movement toward bringing the town back to life. We'd need to be careful."