"Where are your sisters?" "Start without them." " Willa, they're blood." " They're nothing to me." "The cancer took Jack Mercy quicker than his own damn funeral." "I've got two turkeys in the oven and 12 pounds of potatoes on the stove, and I..." "Wait a minute." "Is that your sister Lily?" "I wouldn't know." "I've never met her." "Hi, you must be..." "Lily." "Sorry, I'm a little bit of a mess." "You look fine." "I'm Adam Wolfchild." "I'm Willa's brother." "Half-brother." "Come and join your family." "I..." "I didn't know this would be outside." " Now can we start?" " No, we've got one more coming." "What's the rush?" "Jack ain't going nowhere." "Not unless they got hookers in heaven." "Heaven or hell, either one, he's just as miserable." "I can radio the airport, Willa, see if her plane is late." "Thanks, Nate." "There's no need." " Is that her?" " Who else?" "It's a bar fight." "They're drunk, they're hockey players." "What do you want them to do, go to therapy?" "Damn it, all right, listen, I gotta go, I'm at my father's grave." "Hi." " I'm Tess." " Willa." "Oh, you're the cowgirl?" "Yeah." "Oh, hi." "Say hello to Lily Mercy." "Hi there." "Nice to meet you." "Sis." "Friends." "We're here to lay Jack Mercy to his final rest." "The Bible tells us, never again will he hunger." "Never again will he thirst." "The sun will not beat down upon him, nor any scorching heat." "Bye." "Oh, damn it." "Oh, God." "They're your kin." "You have to talk to them some time." "They're sleeping in my house and eating my food." "That's enough." " Wait a second." "Where are you going?" " Soda Butte." "Fences need to be checked." " Now?" " Daylight's wasting." "I shouldn't have to remind you that you have guests out there." "Then don't." ""Rude" is a four-letter word." "So is "work," but it still has to be done." "These people have come to pay their respects." " No, they have come to gawk." " It's only fitting." "And prowl around the house." "I've got a ranch to run here, Bess." "Hands need to see that it is business as usual." "That Mercy Ranch is still being run by a Mercy." " Honey." " What?" "You have a right to grieve." "He didn't give me a chance to say goodbye or take care of him." "I didn't even know he was sick." "Just sell the script, all right?" "Whatever it takes." "Sacrifice a virgin, I don't care." "Just sell it." "Great, great." "We'll have lunch on Monday to celebrate." "Bye." "Thanks." "Hey there." "So where are you from?" "Virginia." "Your mom was trophy wife number two?" "Actually, she was a photographer." "She came out west and met Jack Mercy, and when she..." "Hey there, sugar nugget." "No." "Please, no, I'm just here for whatever legal stuff." "Then it's adios, Dodge City." "Okay, bye." "And..." " Your mother was a stripper?" " No." "No, she was a restaurant hostess." "And you'd be what?" "Eight years older than Willa?" "No, I don't think it's eight." "I think it's more like..." "Yeah." "Remind me to alter my driver's licence." "Tess, Lily." "I'm Sheriff Nate Torrence, and I'm very sorry about your father." "Willa would like to get back to ranching." "And so she has asked that her attorney read the will now." " If that's all right with the two of you." " Now?" "Yeah, it's one way to reduce the billable hours." "How long do you intend to stay in Montana?" "About a half hour." "Remind you of Hollywood?" "In Hollywood, those are house pets." "Willa, I can read the will or just give you the terms and conditions." "Whatever's fastest, Ken." "Bess, as his long-time housekeeper Jack left you $1000 for every year you have been at Mercy." "That's $34,000." "Good Lord." "What am I gonna do with a fat lot of money like that?" "Adam, you receive 20,000." "Oh, no, no, now that's not right." "Adam's my half-brother." "He's lived here his whole life." "He should get the horses he's trained and the house he lives in." "Half-blood meant no blood to Jack." "Oh, I'll say." "I remember one time when this girl came bursting into my kitchen." "And she said that this little boy with her was Jack's." "She claimed that it was Jack's and..." "Why, he kicked her butt right out that kitchen door and sent her packing." "Really?" "You and I would be lucky if he left us a toilet seat." "Don't you think?" "Mercy Ranch business is to continue as usual with Willa as operator." "But there are conditions." "You haven't said anything about Ham yet." "Ham?" "Oh, the foreman." "No, he isn't mentioned in the will." "Ham gets nothing?" "Jack left each of his daughters a one-third interest in the ranch." "Us?" "What?" "A three-way split?" "These two have nothing to do with the ranch." "They've never even been here before today." "Let's hear it out, Willa." "In order to inherit the three of you must live on the ranch together for one full year." "And at the end of that time, if conditions are met each of you will have one-third interest." "I'm sorry, I've got a third of an interest in a cattle ranch in Nowhere, Montana." "And now I've gotta live on it?" "Willa..." "Excuse me." "Why don't you just give me my share in cash and I'll get out of your life." "Miss Mercy, your father's terms are clear." "Now, you have a right not to agree to these terms." "But if you don't, the entire ranch will be donated to the Nature Conservancy." "Donated?" "To the tree huggers?" "My father hated those people." "It's ironclad." "If any one of the three of you leaves, the ranch is forfeited." "You'll each get one hundred dollars." "I'll stay, Willa." "It's not fair to you." "As soon as the year is over, I'll sell you my share." "Everyone knows the ranch is already yours." "Really, that's touching." "But I'll be damned if I waste a year of my life in some godforsaken wasteland." "Out of sight, out of mind in Hollywood." "Where's that damn limo?" "Ken, you may wanna tell Hollywood there how much her portion of the wasteland is worth." "Approximately $8 million." "Hey, hon, it's me." "Listen, cancel my lunch on Monday." "I'm staying over." "My sense of duty, that's why." "It's not every day your father dies." " Willa?" " Yeah?" "There's one other provision of the will." "During the probationary year your father designated myself and Ben to supervise the running of the ranch." "Ben McKinnon?" "That chicken hawk's gonna be looking over my shoulder for a year?" "He wasn't even at the funeral." "Well, he had business in Bozeman." "He'll be back tonight." "And, yes, he knows he's named." "Up at the crack of noon, are we, Hollywood?" " Don't be waiting on her." " I don't mind." " I do." " Stop picking on her." "I'm not picking on her, and stay out of my face." "Oh, I'll be in your face there for a year, missy." "You might wanna get used to it." "And you better get used to how things work around here." "We got a thousand animals depending on us." "We got crops to raise." "If you stay, you can't just sit around on your padded ass." "You gotta work." "Writing is work." "How would you know that?" "Sorry, you don't even read." "You do the chores I tell you to, or come winter you're gonna be pitching a tent out in the snow." "Like hell, you flat-chested, knock-kneed little bitch." "If you think I'm gonna take orders from some pie-faced cowgirl you're more stupid than you look." "Willa, what's going on?" "Adam, could you please take Lily for a walk?" "And the rest of us will re-fix breakfast." "I'm ashamed enough for both of you." "I knew both your mamas, and they expected better." "Look, here's the deal, tough girl." "You think it's easy for me to leave my friends, my career for a year?" "Well, it's not, but I'm not giving up what's mine either." " Yours, my ass." " I'm as much his daughter as you are." "I didn't grow up here because he tossed me and my mom out, thank God." "But I'm staying for the year." "End of story." "Do you ride?" " Ride what?" " Figures." "Probably don't know the difference between a hen and a cock." "Believe me, I know the difference." "Hey, those bruises on Lily's neck." "Did she say anything about them?" "Not to me." "She'll tell Adam." "Sooner or later, everyone tells Adam what hurts." "You know, Hollywood, you should do yourself a favour." "Get yourself some long underwear." "You're gonna need it." "Usually Charlie only likes cows, but he likes you." "I guess I didn't say that right." "Until he turns against me." "How big is the ranch?" "Twenty-five thousand acres." "Across those fields and over White Stone Peak." "Stay here a year, you'll never see all of it." "It's big enough to get lost in?" "Is that what you're looking to do?" "I saw the bruises." "I have an ex-husband." "It was his going-away present." "My mom was a Blackfoot." "She lived on the res." "My dad would beat her pretty bad." "Then she escaped to this ranch." "Jack Mercy took us in." "He wasn't all bad." "My ex-husband, Jesse, he's back in Virginia on parole, but..." "A couple of days before I got the news about my dad he surprised me in a parking lot." "I couldn't report him, he'd just hurt me worse." "So I just ran." "That's what I'm always doing, running away from him." "At least he can't leave Virginia." "I wasn't stupid, Adam." "I was only married six months." "I tried to get out of it, but..." "No one's listening except the hills." "Come here, Charlie." "Come here, boy." "Come on, Charlie, come on." "He likes me, huh?" "Let me show you the rest of the horses." "Oh, I could help you with that." "I don't need your help, McKinnon, with my leg or my ranch." "Suit yourself." "Generally, though, you gonna be riding a horse you might wanna keep your pants on." "I was wearing pants." "Coyote jumped up and I was gonna shoot the damn thing." "And then Charlie started barking like a lunatic and it spooked Moon." "And I don't need your supervision to get her." "I'm sorry about your pa, Willa." "I didn't ask him to make me overseer, but I am gonna honour his request." "So we can do this peaceable or we can lock horns." "Either way, I'm doing it." "Your sisters as pretty as you are?" "Bet they're friendlier." "I'm gonna come calling, find out." "We can discuss plans for the ranch." "I will be telling you the plans, Ben McKinnon." "We're not gonna be "discussing" anything." "And if you even think for..." "What is the matter with that dog?" "Isn't this the old cow camp?" "We used to park here, you used to show me the midnight gopher dances." "You showed me the dances, and you were a liar even then." "Charlie." "Something's dead." "What?" "Something's dead." "Do you smell that?" "Nope, it's the Indian in you." "Cougar?" "Cats don't kill and leave the meat like that." "A coyote couldn't have done that." "He's mutilated, he's butchered." "There's only one predator that did that." "A man." "I'm getting my herd down off the mountain." "Yeah, I reckon I better do the same." "Willa." "You watch out, okay?" "Yeah." "You're killing that steak." "You said well done." "I'd like to tell the difference between it and a rock." "When did you become a connoisseur?" "Ketchup on it, you'd eat that sock." "Yeah, well, cook this up." "It's bound to be an improvement." "Lookie here, Ham." "We got company for dinner." " Try not to ruin her health." " No, I'm not hungry." "We start rounding up cattle tomorrow." "What?" "Why?" "They're getting as fat as toads up there." "I want them down now." " Well, they're your cattle." " Yes, they are." "And one of them's been butchered just outside of 3 Rocks Land." "Butchered?" "Cougar?" "Not unless cats carry knives these days." "Somebody hacked it up into pieces and just left it." "Balls." "We lost a couple to a big cat, all right?" "Jim and I tracked it there yesterday." "It must have circled around and got one more cow, that's it." "I know the difference between claws and a knife, Pickles." "Hey, have any of you guys seen anything?" "Campers, hunters, anything, anyone?" "No." "We came across a campsite yesterday when we were tracking that cat." "But it was cold, two or three days cold." "Yeah, they left beer cans all over like it was their backyard." "They ought to be shot for it too." "I still don't understand what that's got to do with bringing the herd down." "Ham, you're the head man, what do you say?" "Mercy Ranch runs the way it always has." "Old man's in the ground, I'm operator now." "You'll take orders from me." "All due respect, well, we were just sort of wondering how you're planning to keep the others, your sisters, on the ranch." "Well, they'll take orders from me too." "Well, the one with the bod, I'm sure she'll fall right in line." "Sorry." "She's your sister." "We ride at first light." "Willa?" "Yeah?" "About the hands..." "You might wanna tread a little easy." "What do you mean?" "It's your first time in deciding on how things go around here." "They don't like to be bossed by a woman." "Especially one as, well, young as you." "They don't or you don't?" "It is what it is." "Ham, I'm sorry." "My father should have left you what you were owed." "I got no problem with it." "That was Jack." "Yeah." "Hey, hey, hey!" "Let's go!" "So much space." "Space is money." "White man's usually figuring a way to profit from nature." "Charlie!" "Get back here, Charlie." "Charlie!" "I'll remember that next time, Charlie, when you want a bone." "You got yourself a friend there for life." "Pickles, pick up that stray over there." "Yeah, I got him." "That takes care of Brush Creek." "All that leaves is the strays up on north mesa." "Where does she think this is, Vegas?" "All she needs now is a damn umbrella in her drink." "I get the feeling there's no anchor in that one." "Maybe you could give her something constructive to do." "She'd screw it up." "It'd cost us." "Look, we got most of the herd down." "Me and the boys can handle the strays over in the mesa." "She's your kin, Willa." "You can always trust your own." "Okay." "This is called a curry comb." "No, it is not an eating utensil." "Softer brushes, and Moon's over here." "So stinky." "So you can put the feed right in that bucket right there." "And this is Moon." "Okay, let's do this." "Come here, girl." "There you go." "Good girl." "Here we go." "Okay, so when you're combing, you're gonna go right along the grain just like this, but not on the legs or the face." "The softer brushes are for the whole body, legs and face." "You got it?" " It's not brain surgery." " No, but it is my horse." "Yeah, why am I taking care of your horse?" "Because I don't trust you with anybody else's horse." "Listen, I got a buyer from Billings and he needs attention." "So, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go." "Yeah, sure, what the hell." "I'm good with a comb." "Jack teach you all this stuff?" "Yeah." "Between his benders." "Be glad." "You're the one that got away." "Yeah, well, you're the one he kept." "Take care of my animal." "Hi." "Okay." "Go on." "Get it." "Go on." " That's a good boy." " Come on." "Good boy." "Come here." "Come here." "We're gonna vaccinate those heifers first thing in the morning, right?" " Sure thing." " Okay." "Get some rest." " You too." " Charlie." "Here, Charlie." "Have you seen Charlie?" "Try the feed shed." "He likes to chase the mice." "Wait till you see." "I taught him how to play dead." "Hey, maybe you could teach that to your sister too." "McKinnon?" "What do you want?" "A cold beer would be nice." "This isn't a saloon." "Make it quick." "I haven't had supper yet." "I haven't had supper yet either." "Probably not gonna get an invitation." "No, not in the mood for company." "You're never in the mood for company." "So, what are you doing here?" "Supervising?" "After you left, I tried to track whoever messed up that cow." "Trail died out on me." "Thought you should know." "Yeah, Pickles thinks it's kids doped up and getting crazy." " What do you think?" " I didn't." "But now I think it's most likely." "Where's your sisters?" " Around." " Maybe I'll take a shine to one of them." "Get her out of your hair for a while." "Do women always just fall at their feet for you?" "All but you." "You know, you once said to me that you don't want me any more than I want you." "When did I say that?" "When my father offered you 10,000 acres to marry me, and you said no." "That was a sweet deal." "Except the marrying you part." "Only thing he cared about was piling up the biggest spread in the state." "He wanted 3 Rocks just as much as your father wanted Mercy." "Wouldn't it be sweet if the McKinnons finally came into the Mercy Ranch through marriage?" "Are you mad because I said no or because you wanted me to say yes?" "You only want my land." "That's not all I want." "Yeah, apparently." "Because any closer and you'd be on the other side of me." "Are you afraid to let me kiss you?" "What if I was?" " Let's find out." " Really?" " Thank you." " Yeah." "Your ego needed a good dunking, McKinnon." " Appreciate the shower." " Anytime." "Willa, the stables." "Come quick." "Charlie." "Oh, my God." "Take her inside." "Honey." "Let's go back to the house, okay?" "We'll take care of Charlie." "It's okay." "It's okay." "Two animals butchered in one month." "Someone's sending you a message." "Hey, how's Lily?" "Bess found her a sleeping pill." "She and Tess finally got her down." "Well, we buried Charlie." "What's left of him." "Thanks for that." "I talked to your men." "Ham vouches for all of them." "What do you mean you talked to my men?" "That's my job." "Well, a dead cow on a mountain's one thing." "But Charlie was killed in the heart of this ranch." "By somebody who knew the property." "Pickles, someone like that." "Who would kill a dog to scare you?" "Do I look scared?" "No, you don't look scared." " But I wish you were." " Bet you do." "You know, it could have been anyone doing the killing." "Including you." "I was in the kitchen, with you." "But earlier." "We don't know what time Charlie was killed." "And you covet this land." "You always have." "There's only one thing on Mercy Ranch that I covet." "I don't need you to protect me." "Now get back your ass back to your own spread." "I'm hungry and I don't want you here." "You know, your land marches with mine." "And you're my responsibility for one year." " And I'm gonna keep my eye on you." " Stop it." "Just, just stop it." "Jeez, we haven't wrestled in 20 years." "You filled out real nice." "You are gonna break Adam's heart, Lily." "I don't wanna put him in danger, Adam or anyone else." "It's the whole point." "Hon, you can't leave or we're gonna have to say goodbye to this ranch forever." "Never mind my $8 million." "What about your $8 million?" "No, the family has had this land for a hundred years, Lily." "You don't understand." "It's happening again." "So some animals were killed." "We'll figure out who did it." " There's no reason to leave." " I did everything right." "Restraining orders, safe house, testifying in court, but..." "He found me anyway." " Who?" " My ex-husband." " Jesse." " Is that who gave you the bruises?" "I thought he was back in Virginia." "But what if he's been released?" " What if he sent someone to find me...?" " Then you will be protected." "Right here on your family's land." "You don't know him, Willa." "Killing these animals, it's just what he'd do." "Well, it sounds like you've been running from him for a few months." "What would happen if he figured out where you were right now?" "Then where would you run to that he wouldn't find you?" "You know, you are going to be safe here." "I promise you that." "I promise." "What she said." "Okay." "Don't you have work to do?" "Oh, I'll get to it when I get to it, Annie Oakley." "New place in town." "Let's try it." "Sure." " You okay?" " Yeah." "Miguel, Jesse, habla mi honest, amigo." "When's my damn hacienda gonna be ready?" "How long?" "Well, then, just do it." "Saw, hammer, get going." "Patience." "Girl, you hungry?" "Look what I got for you." "Look at all this." "Want some of that?" "Look at all I've got for you." "That's a hundred-dollar manicure." "Oh, it would be if I wasn't held prisoner." " Damn it." " That horse has a mind of its own." "Yes." "Well, just like her owner." "All right?" "Thank you, that was nice." "Well, that certainly is a very pretty hand you have, Miss Mercy." "Keep it safe." "Well, I declare." "Are you flirting with me, sheriff?" "I got a phone call from Ben McKinnon." "I'm here to speak with him and Willa." "Sorry." "My radar's wrecked." "Too long in the jungle, I think." "So you're here about the animal killings?" "I am, yeah." "It's horrible stuff, huh?" "Well, are you settling in?" "As best I can." "It's not my normal milieu." "It's not what I'm used to." "A lot of Hollywooders come up here and buy up land." "Plunk down big old houses, cost a ton." "Then they go about raising buffalo or saving mustangs or God knows what else." "What?" "You don't like Californians?" "Californians don't belong in Montana, ma'am, not as a rule." "And they all run back to their clubs and sushi bars soon enough." "And I would imagine that that is what you will do when your year is up." "You bet your ass." "Yeah, no, you can keep your Big Sky, thank you." "I'll take Beverly Hills any day." "With all that smog and mudslides and earthquakes?" "No, no, stop." "Please, you're making me homesick." "Hey, Nate." " Willa." " What's going on?" "Well, she's out of her milieu." "Would you please stop playing with her and get in here?" "We got work to do." "Well, it was nice to see you, Tess." "Yeah, it was nice to see you too." "And by the way, there is nothing wrong with your radar." "He's Lily's ex-husband." "His name is Jesse C. Carne." "He is supposed to be restricted to the Richmond, Virginia area and he was last seen three weeks ago." "I know dead animals aren't a high priority in these parts, but..." "For Lily's peace of mind, it would help a lot." " Well, I'll see what I can dig up, Willa." " Thanks." "Willa, something's wrong with Moon." "Colic?" "Appears to be." "Heart rate's elevated." "What's colic?" "Pain in the abdomen." "Oh, she's trying to get up." "If she does, she'll probably make it." "Otherwise..." "Easy." "Easy." "I'm sorry, what causes colic?" "Well, it depends." "Have there been any changes in her diet?" "Tess, what have you been feeding her?" "Who, me?" "I've been feeding her grain, just like you told me." "That's corn." " Isn't corn a grain?" " Corn could kill her, you stupid bitch." " I didn't know." " Didn't you look?" "I fed her what's in the bucket." "You see this?" " Here, that's worm larvae." " What?" " This feed's infested." " I don't understand." "Get her out of here." " Willa, just..." " Get her out before I kill her." "Oh, I'm gone." "Let's go, come on." "Calm down, all right?" "Come on." "Unbelievable." "I fed Moon exactly the way she told me to." "She had that horse 10 years." "Brought it up from a filly." "Really?" "Then why put a beginner in charge?" "Why?" "So she could reign superior?" "Damn it." "Damn it." "No amount of money is worth this." "I should be back in L.A. taking meetings taking jobs from people who are taking them from me right now." "Oh, my God." "You know what?" "I didn't ask to be stuck out here." "Definitely didn't ask to be related to that tight-assed bitch." "She didn't ask for it either." "How would you feel if you suddenly had the only home you ever knew taken away?" " I'm not to blame for that." " Neither is she." "Look, you didn't live with Jack Mercy." "He never gave her an ounce of affection that I saw or a word of praise." "She never had a mother to turn to." " She could have left." " Yeah, she could." "But she loved this place and she loved him." "You know, I don't think this has anything to do with me so..." "Hey." "Well, it's got everything to do with you, and if you don't get that then..." "You got way too much Jack Mercy in you." "I'm gonna walk her." "You ought to put a sweater on, it's 6:00 in the morning." "What's wrong with you?" "Just give it a good yank." "There." " Got it." "Cool." "It looks easy." " Yeah, yeah." "Nice and hard." "Damn." "I broke another nail." "I'm sick of this, I'm just over it." " Wake up." " What?" "I can't sleep." "This better be good." "If I get no sleep for no reason, I get pissed." "Really?" "Who would know the difference?" "Hey, it was her idea." "Strip." "What?" "There's no pretence when you're naked." "No rank, only vulnerability." "So take off your clothes and get in the tub." "You Hollywood fruitcake." "Willa, I haven't asked you to do one thing since I got here." "It's always you bossing us around." "Well, guess what?" "It's my turn to boss you around so..." "Tess, if she's afraid just..." "Fine." "Tonight, when I was in bed, I..." "I had a nightmare." "I dreamt that we lost the ranch." "Don't lose sleep over it, Hollywood." "You'll get your $8 million." "No." "It's not losing the money that scared me." "It's..." "Where would we end up if?" "I've got nowhere else to go." "Well, I'd go back to Hollywood, where I have a career." "Or I may not." "Yeah, you told us." "Out of sight, out of mind." "And what about you, Willa?" "I mean, what would you do if you lost Mercy Ranch?" "I mean, this land defines you." "It's everything you know." "It's everything you've ever dreamed of." "What's your point?" "We need each other." "To survive." "You're right." "I'm right?" "Mark this day." "Willa Mercy agrees with me." "It doesn't mean I like you." "Okay." "If we're gonna get through this for a year, we have to stick together." "I can't have you and Lily wandering alone." "Well, what about you?" "Yeah, I mean being cocky isn't much protection against a blade." "Winchester is." "Awesome." "This feels great, don't you think?" "God, it's like sex, only wetter." "Oh, my God, what am I saying?" "If I don't get laid soon, I am gonna squeak when I walk." "Well, what about Nate?" "Nate?" "Well, a project." "You are, like, predatory, I swear." "I just..." "I don't get the whole sex thing." "You know what, honey?" "I swear to God, you need a rewrite." " Stay away from me." " No." "Cheers." "Pickles, I need you to check the fences just north of the old cow camp." " Otis Hinker thinks they might be down." " Ham wants me to fix this muffler." "Well, fix it and then check the fences, today." "Damn." "I can't fix it." "The weld's broke." "Get to town, get it welded and then check the fences." "Listen, I'm supposed to take orders from Ham." "Pickles." "All right, I'm going." "Okay?" "I'm going." "I got this from the Virginia Department of Corrections." "Lily's ex-husband skipped out on his parole officer about three months ago." "Which means that Jesse Carne could be in Montana." "Except that this parole office tracked down a Marine buddy of Jesse's." "And this buddy showed the PO a couple of postcards from Carne postmarked Mexico." "So now, Virginia has Guadalajara searching for Jesse to extradite him." " If they can find him." " And is that a long process?" "The truth?" "Glacial." "Well, thanks, Nate." "I appreciate your help." "I doubt Jesse Carne's your problem." "Yeah, now my problem is, if it's not Jesse Carne, then who is it?" "I'm asking the same question, Willa." "Hey, how's that new burger place on First Street?" " I was gonna bring Pickles some lunch." " I hear it's good." "So, what's Tess up to these days?" "Nothing productive." "Why?" "Interested?" "Well, she has her attributes." "Yeah, a 36-inch chest and a mouth to match." "Yeah, there's that." "Well, call her, damn it." "And call me if you hear anything about Jesse Carne." "Don't worry, Willa." "I bet Jesse Carne's a long way from Big Sky Country." "Yeah." "The boss wants me here getting the truck fixed." "And up at the cow camp checking fences at the same time." " I'll get you out of here in a second." " Must be a female boss." "Yeah, three of them." "Three high-strung sisters." "Can't please one of them." "Talk is, one's a hot ticket from Hollywood." "The other's a little slip of a thing from Virginia." "Yeah, Lily." "She's a sweet kid." "She's having a rough time of it too." "Lily?" "That's a pretty name." "What the hell?" "Hey, what are you doing here?" "Let the morgue know you'll be there in about an hour." " Give me a call when you get there." " Yes, ma'am." " Nate?" " Yeah?" "The victim sustained multiple sharp force injuries to the throat and chest." "The scalp is removed the old-fashioned way." " Most likely taken as a trophy." " What kind of weapon was it?" "I'd say it was a small, sharp-edged blade." "The killer knew what he was doing." "We found a carved-up horse in the shed over there." " Pretty skilled job." " What direction was Pickles hit from?" "That's interesting." "An assailant armed with a knife usually comes from behind but the victim faced his killer head-on." "Allowed him to get close." "It happened very quickly and with a huge amount of force." "The killer was somebody Pickles knew." "Unofficially, yes." "Which means it was somebody we all know." "Maybe you ought to get her home for now." "I got a blood sample I need you to ID over here." "I sent him out here, Ben." "It's my fault he's dead." "No, someone's turned to murder." "You didn't cause that." "Somebody either hates Mercy Ranch or they want it so bad they're willing to kill for it." "So I know I'm computer illiterate but I can't find a Jesse Carne listed anywhere in Mexico." "I'm getting help from Virginia and the Feds." "They aren't turning up anything." "I've interviewed all your hands including Adam." "Thanks." "Adam?" "If you were to forfeit the ranch, it would go to the Conservancy." "Back to Adam's people." "Maybe he'd like that." "Nate, that's crazy." "Well, Willa, I'm just turning over every stone." "We also got a second confirmation from the Feds on the murder weapon." "Four-inch fixed Western skinning blade." "Well, hell, every cowboy in Montana has one of those." " You're grasping at straws, Nate." " Yeah, but he's out there." "And one of those straws is him." "I'm freezing, damn it." "Haven't you ever heard of heat?" "Fire?" " One of the four elements?" " Great, just what I need." "A science lesson from Madonna." "Careful on that ladder, Ham." "Okay, buddy." "Why don't you come down now?" "I can handle it." "Just stiff in this cold." "No, Ham." "We'll get one of the hands to do it, okay?" " Get down now." " I'm already here, I'll finish it." "Ham, down, now." "There you go." "Jack never had no trouble with my work." "Anytime you think I can't do the job, you can have my paycheck ready." "I can't afford to lose you." "Ham." "That's great." "That's great." "What if he goes and gets a gun?" "Don't be an idiot." "I know my men." "Yeah?" "Well, I don't." "There's a murderer running around Mercy Ranch and you have no idea who it is." "Thought you had to be tough to work in Hollywood." "No wonder you can't sell one of your scripts." "I can't sell one because I'm a thousand miles away stuck in this hellhole." "They probably don't even remember who I am." "Not my problem." "Jack Mercy left me this ranch and the guts to run it." "I'll be damned if I'm gonna let him down." "I'll tell you what is your problem, Willa." "You're spending your life trying to please a dead man." "You can't even see him for the bastard that he was." "You know what?" "Finish off these stalls." "Then I suggest you wash that crap off your face sometime before dinner." "What?" "Great, a Montana facial." "Fresh caught." "Ice fishing." "Please, make yourself comfortable." "Take your coat off." "I love visitors at 10:00 at night." "Ken needs your signature on this insurance form for Pickles." "You eat?" "Not yet." "You keep working and not eating, you're gonna end up flat on your face." "Your face isn't half bad." "Appreciate your help." "Now, if you don't mind?" "Why are you so jumpy around me?" "Because, Ben, you irritate me." "I'm seducing you, Willa." "That's what it is." "That's what you're afraid of, huh?" "That I could and I will." "You're not gonna be able to do a damn thing about it." " I'm not afraid of you." " Prove it." "Right here, right now." " I can't breathe." " All right, we gotta finish this." "Come to my house with me." "No." "No, I don't wanna do that." "Just because you've talked a dozen women onto their backs you can talk me onto mine?" "What do you mean, a dozen?" "It's, like, 10 or 11." "Come on, it's a joke." "Willa, you got the wrong idea." "I don't sleep around." "Well, neither do I." "But when it happens, it's special." "It's when I want it and with who I want it." "Well, obviously, I mistook your feelings." "Yeah." "And I apologise." " Good night." " Okay, bye." "Let me just say that you were doing a pretty good job of kissing back for somebody who's not in the mood." "There you go." "It's a good horse." "It's got good withers, good hips straight legs, neck reined." "When I was a kid, I had red hair." "They used to call me the Red Hammer." " Why'd they call you that?" " You can figure it out." "Easy now." "Whoa, easy." "You all right?" "Yeah, I don't know what got into her." "Thanks." " Hey." " Hey." "Aren't you supposed to be out feeding cattle with Jim?" "I was there." "I'm going back." "Excuse me for having a life in between." "You know, you ought to put more clothes on." "You're asking to get a sunburn." "I'm not your problem, Miss Green Eyes." "Why don't you just ask him to dinner?" "A movie, a Roman orgy, just do it." "And turn into you?" "Whatever." "I'm having dinner with the sheriff tonight." " What's your plan?" " Nate asked you to dinner?" "Where?" "His place, my invitation." "But, hey, you know what?" "You and yourself have a great love life so..." "I don't know what I was thinking." "You're doing great." " Hi." " Ben, brought you something." "Baked you a rhubarb pie." "Keep it covered." "Don't want any flies on it." "Well, look at that." "Maybe I'll split that with you." " She's been avoiding me lately." " Well, she prefers cowboys." "Well, what the hell am I?" "You're upper management now, McKinnon." "You still handle a horse pretty good, though." "Well, thank you." "From one cowpoke to another." "Well, Willa always was a bit of a tomboy." "Jack never let me forget he wanted a son." "Well, the crazy part is he did have one." " Jack Mercy had a son?" " It's a family legend." "Well, this woman showed up one time." "She was ragged out on alcohol or dope or something." "And she had the cutest little boy with her." "She was claiming that it was Jack's." " Was he?" " He refused to see the boy." "I mean, he thought it was some kind of con or something." "But you could have another half brother somewhere." "Probably to hell and gone by now." "Jack just paid off that floozy." "Paid her off and kicked her out to Idaho or someplace." "Kind of warms the heart, doesn't it?" " Nate." " Tess." " Hey there." " Come on in." " I'm sorry I'm late." " No, we have lots of time." " Let me take your coat from you." " Thank you." " Sure." " Thanks." "I've ordered Italian from Generro's." "But they'll be a while yet, I imagine." " Yeah." " Your house is très chic." "Well, I inherited it from my folks and I've been living here since I got out of the Navy." "I love the cut of that shirt." "What's that label?" "Large." "I got you something." "Thanks to online shopping." "Something to remember me by." "Truth is, Tess I manage to think of you without visual aids." "I don't usually have sex at my desk, Tess." "I'm not really prepared for this." "You know, I'm not really sure whether to be flattered or terrified here." "Consider it a challenge." "Tess." "Tess, please." "Tess, stop." " Stop." " What?" "I know I'm just a simple country boy but I've seen a lot of animal breeding in my life." " And I know when I'm being used." " No." "No, it's not like that." " Tess, I wasn't kidding." " What?" "I wasn't kidding when I said I wasn't prepared for this." "I had hoped that this would be the start of something nice." "I'm sorry." "It's funny, I started my life in Montana, but I..." "I grew up in a different world, I guess." "You learn to get what you want the wrong way, you know." "You're a great guy, Nate." "Really, you're..." "I think you're probably just too good for me." "I should have stayed in Montana." "I think I went too far away." "Well, that's me, you know." "The girl who goes too far." "Oh, my God." "I'm sorry." "I gotta go." "You brought me a book, Tess." "That's a mighty fine start, if you ask me." "I wanna plant gardens with you, Adam." "And raise horses and paint porches and make children." "Let's make it real." "Let's get married, Lily." "When?" "I know when." "When the ranch is ours." "That very day." "Adam." "Adam." "Lily." "Just get away from me." "You're coming home right now, with me." " Or I'll kill him for sure." " No, Jesse." "Whatever you say." "Just like old times." " Thank you, Jim." " You're welcome." "Pick me up anytime." "You look like the cat that got the milk bucket." "You have a good time at dinner last night?" "Get your fill?" "Do I look like the kind of girl who would kiss and tell?" "No, you'd sing it to the third balcony." " Hey there." " Hi, Tess." "You have business here, Nate?" "Yeah, I do." "I got a phone call from Bill Jenks across the river." "He's got a couple of saddled horses on his land." "Says they got Mercy brands on them." "And one of them's a bay." "Adam's horse?" "Please, Jesse, please." "Just call someone for Adam." "Who?" "The Indian you're sleeping with?" "I'll do whatever you want." "Just don't let him die, okay?" "Tears?" "You never cried for me." "I'm begging you." "You're my wife." "You're what's mine." " What do you want me to do?" " Shut up and drive." "All the way to Mexico." "Crazy bitch!" " Yeah, 911." " Let's go." "No, no, no." "He's hurt." "Tess, I got a first-aid box on my front seat." " Alpha 016..." " Adam, Adam." "I'm at Bugle Creek." "Adam Wolfchild, chest injury." "Code 2." "Over." "Roger." "EMT's on the way." " How's his pulse?" " Yeah, it's there." " It's okay." " How long ago?" " Stay with us." "It's okay." " Are you sure he has the girl?" "Roger that." "Whoever shot Adam just abandoned his car." "He's taken Lily hostage." " Tess." " Yeah?" "Can you take care of him?" "Yeah, yeah." "I did two seasons on ER." "I'm all good." " Just hurry, okay?" " Okay." " Willa." " Let's go." "We don't have to do this." " You can still make it right." " Keep moving." "Send them Deerfoot Highway." "58's too long." "Send both units, and do it now." "This man has a hostage." "If they stick to the trail, they'll hit Ridgeback Road." "Go off-trail, they'll hit the river." "They try to cross that river now, anything could happen." "Unit 4, you boys secure Ridgeback Road West." "I'll take the river." " What's across there?" " 3 Rocks Ranch, I think." " How far is the main house?" " Two or three miles." "Footprint." "Small enough to be a woman's." " They gotta be headed downstream." " Yeah." "There." " Willa." " What?" "Stay back." "Stop where you are." "Monroe County sheriff." "Put the gun down." "Put down the gun down now." "Put down the weapon." "My name is Nate." "Let's talk about the situation." "My name is Jesse By-God Carnes." "And I got a pretty good idea about the situation, Nate." "You're facing kidnapping charges, Jesse." "That's federal time." "You put that gun down, I'll reduce the charge." "Been there, done that." "Jesse, I reckon you're not a bad person." "I believe you really care about Lily." "She's going with me." " Right, baby?" " Sure thing, Jesse." "Just do what he says." "Well, where is it you intend to go, Jesse?" "Three Rocks Ranch." "That's my spread." "What do you think you're gonna find there?" "Gee, I don't know." "A helicopter?" "A couple of steaks and a case of beer?" "I'm going to Mexico, dirt wads." "With my everlasting wife." "Help me, baby" "When did you ever help me, you bastard?" "Come with me, bitch." "Adam?" "He's gonna make it." "Tess is taking care of him." "He's okay." "We just got word that he's gonna make it." "It's okay." "It's okay." "I told the minister we'd meet at 1." "Is that okay?" "Still leaves time for pizza." "What about Adam's uncle's family out at the reservation?" "They'll come if they don't have to finish calving." "I need to know." "We have to feed them." " Ask Adam." "I've got a ranch to run." " He's your brother." "I have to deal with the flowers and the caterer." "If you call a loser whose speciality is pigs-in-a-blanket a caterer." "All you have to deal with is the umbrellas." " Ladies." " What?" "Well, hi." "What are you guys doing here during your precious lunch hour?" "Come in." "Ladies." "I got a phone call from the sheriff down in White Stone Springs." "A hitchhiker down there, young woman, was tortured and scalped last week." "Now, the m.o. and the weapon used matches Pickles' murder two months ago." "Pickles?" "Jesse Carne killed Pickles." "Maybe." "Maybe not." "If Jesse didn't kill Pickles and those animals, then who did?" "Nate." "I appreciate you coming down here but I've got to finish my lunch and we got a lot of work to do." " So..." " Just watch your back." " What does that mean?" " Means watch your back." "Killing might not stop with Pickles and that girl in White Stone." "Okay, I can handle it." "Relax, Mr. Supervisor." "Your year's almost over." "I love this dress." "The ivory's beautiful." "But do you think it's right for a Western wedding?" "What do you want?" "Fringe on it?" "How about a badge?" "To go with the armed security guards." "We're having the wedding, Willa." "All right, let me see." "Let me see." "That's nice." "Does it come with that mosquito net thing for your face?" " A veil, that's a veil." " Veil." "My God, is my work ever gonna end with you?" " Hello." " When's the last time you had a date?" " A date?" " Yeah, I've tried everything else." "I'm asking you to come to the Fourth of July dance at the Monroe County Country Club with me." " You do dance, right?" " Not a lick." "Great." "Then you'll come?" "Well, you know, I mean, I got nothing better to do." "Pick you up at 8." " Was that Ben?" " A date?" "It's a Fourth of July dance." "You know, at the country club." "Showtime!" " Do you have something to wear?" " Yeah." "No." "We altered one of Tess's dresses." "One of hers?" "Must have had to add some material." "You got that right." "Mostly in the bust though." " Oh, it's gonna look so pretty." " My gosh." " It's lovely." " I might as well go naked." "That was my first choice." "Lil, what do you think of the green shoes?" " Brown's cute." " Yeah." "Yeah, those are great." "All right." "So now all we need is a little makeup." " And you'll be ravishing." " No, I'm wearing makeup." "Please." "You need some lipstick, you need some powder." "Lily, you okay?" "This is what sisters do." "I have sisters." "That's Nate and Adam." "Better get going." "We'll be late for the fireworks." " See you." " Okay." "Bye." "There you go." "Have fun, damn it." "Willa?" "Am I late?" "Well, I brought you these." "It's kind of like bringing brass to gold." "You look gorgeous." "Have a drink." "These are nice." "Where'd you pick them?" "I bought them." "In a store." " That's fancy." " Where is everyone?" "Bozeman." "The whole ranch went up to watch the fireworks." "Supposed to be some fireworks at the club before the dance." "I told you I don't dance." "Well, someone leads, someone follows." "We'll figure it out." "Are you ready?" "You gonna drink that whisky I poured you or you gonna let it go to waste?" "Hey, you took Jack's picture down." " Yeah." " Let's drink to that." "It's about time somebody ushered Jack out of the house." "Jack Mercy brought me and my sisters into this world." "Made us who we are." "I'll give him that." "But I think I'm done listening to Jack Mercy now." "You smell good." "Tess sprayed some stuff on me." "Gunked up my face." "I like it gunked up." "You got anything on under that dress?" "Why?" "Have you developed a sudden interest in getting my clothes off?" "There's nothing sudden about it." "Whose idea was the fireworks at Bozeman?" "I told you I'd choose when and where." "My turn to lead." "But for my natural modesty, I'd flip on the car radio and go Kenny Chesney on this whole valley." "They're not awake in the house yet." "Let's keep it that way." " What's up?" " I'm real sorry, Willa." "We got a bad situation." "The Forest Service called." "We got two more cattle slaughtered up at the cow camp." "Ham's already took off." "We'll take care of it." " You don't need this now." " Let's go." "Where are these animals supposed to be?" "I want what's mine." "The ranch and everything on it." "It's my birthright, same as yours." "Birthright?" "Well, I'm half of you, Willa." "The half Jack Mercy tossed away." "Hey, Bess." "Is Willa around?" "Been calling her." "She's not answering her cell." "Well, she took off with Jim." "I think they went up to the old cow camp." "Cow camp?" "Well, I think they got cell service out at the cow camp." "I was 16 when my mama died." "She was stone gone when I found her." "Drowned in her own vomit." "She was hooked on crystal meth." "But that ain't what killed her." "No, it was Jack Mercy, the day he turned his back on us." "She was dead from then on." "So I bury my mom and I come back here and I get a job working for my old man." "Big Jack himself." "Only he doesn't have a clue who I am." "So you waited." "But then he died so quick you didn't have time to finish the business." "He left it all to you, Lily and Tess who never even knew him!" "Never had to live day by day, cast out but tied to him just the same." "Never worked the skin of their hands off for him." "Looking to have his pride." "When did you start killing?" "I killed that cow just to kill something." "Right here." "Right where Jack Mercy taught me how to rope a calf." "And then you poisoned my horse?" "I watched that man love his animals more than his own son." "And Pickles." "I didn't plan on killing Pickles, he just happened along." "Bad luck." "And that girl from White Stone, she was bad luck too?" "No." "Just a whore." "Counting on her sex to get her money." "Not much different than you and your sisters." "Hey, you know, you kill me and nobody gets the ranch." "Oh, I'll get it or no one will." "Just think of the sport I'll have in the meantime." " Cute." " Jim!" "Leave, Ben, or I'll kill her." "I don't doubt it, Jim." "Ben." "Oh, God." "Oh, God." "Oh, God." "There he is." "Hey, Nate, looking good." " Ben, good to see you too." " All right." "Hey, Tom!" "Celine, Leanne." "Here you go, Ham." "Cheers, buddy." "It's almost time, cowboy." "Isn't she just fairy-tale hot?" "Yes, she is." "You've probably got the old and the new and all of that stuff but these were our grandmother's." "They're beautiful." "They're perfect." "I figured she'd want you to have them." "You look so pretty." "Thank you." "I love you." "Can we have some champagne?" "To the ladies of Mercy Ranch." "Through rain, snow, hell and high water we made it a year." " Yeah, together." " Together." "You know, Jack Mercy lived his life hard." "And he died the same." "But he gave us a gift." "And it wasn't this ranch." "It was family." "To the best year of our lives." "Cheers." "I can only take a sip." "Why?" "It's not good for the baby." " Baby?" " Baby?" " Really?" " I'm pregnant." "Here." " I can't believe it." " Thank you." "Well, no wonder she wanted a wedding." " Willa." " What?" "You are so damned incredible." "So are you." " Oh, my God, I hope nobody saw that." " Me too." "Girl, you will never find a band like this back home." "To hell with L.A. I stay where the story is." "I told you you were a natural on the dance floor." "You're pretty much a natural everywhere." "You're gonna have to marry me." "I don't see no way around it." "Is that your idea of a proposal?" "You won't get a better one." " Well, where's the ring?" " You don't wear rings." "I'll tell you what." "I'll wear yours."