Stone was rubbing his aching back when he heard the horse’s hooves pounding his way. The fifteen-hand-high chestnut drew up next to him and Danny jumped down. He pulled two beers from his jacket pocket and handed one to Stone. “Heard from Ma you were out here.”

He popped the can lid and a bit of the liquid spewed out. “Horse riding and beer delivery ain’t a good fit,” he said.

“Knee looks to be okay,” Stone noted.

“I’m a fast healer. What are you doing?”

“Mucking stalls among other things.”

“I’ll help you.”

“You sure?”

“Got nothing else to do right now.”

They went into the stables and Danny grabbed a shovel after tethering his horse to an iron ring stuck in cement in the ground.

Stone eyed a bruise on the side of the man’s face. “It was the other side that fellow nailed on the train, wasn’t it?”

“Duke was too fast for me in the stall this morning. Clocked me in the face when I was trying to bridle him. Damn horse.”

“But a beautiful one.”

“You ride?”

“Not if I can help it. You call this place a hellhole? Which part—the pool, the mansion or the cool car parked in front?”

“I’m the exaggerating type.”

“Seriously, why would you want to leave something like this?”

“It’s hers, not mine.” Danny slung horse manure into a wheelbarrow.

“You’re her son. You’ll inherit someday.”

Danny stripped off his shirt, revealing a lean, muscled physique. “Who says I want it?”

“Okay, fair enough. You an only child?”

“That’s right.”

“I saw your father’s grave coming up here.”

“That’s why we got all this stuff.”

“How so?”

“Lawsuit against the damn coal company that killed my old man. See, coal companies almost always win those things, or else settle for pennies on the dollar ’cause they got all the good lawyers wrapped around their little finger. But Mom held on, proved her case. Coal company appealed but in the end she kicked their ass, they caved and she got her blood money. And the only thing it cost us was her husband and my dad.” Danny tipped another shovelful of horse manure into a large wheelbarrow and banged his tool against the metal side as if in exclamation.

“And your mom still runs the restaurant?”

“She likes to keep busy, and people need to eat.”

“The whole town looks pretty prosperous.”

“Coal prices highest in decades and there ain’t enough miners to do the job. When demand’s higher than supply, wages go up. About doubled in fact over the last five years. High wages, low cost of living equals prosperity for the common man. Simple.”

“You sound like an economics major.”

“Nah, just a dumb ex-jock, but I got eyes, ears and a little bit of common sense. Where you bunking tonight?”

“Must be a motel or something around here?”