Kiss Me by Mallery Susan

Author:Mallery, Susan [Mallery, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2015-06-30T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

AFTER LUNCH ZANE rode west until he reached a ring of stones on the edge of a grove of trees. He checked his watch, then dismounted and sat on a fallen log to wait. Ten minutes later he heard an engine. The sound grew louder as the vehicle approached. Frank drove the ATV around the trees and came to a stop by the edge of the stones.

“Hey, boss,” he said as he cut the engine. “How’s it going?”

Zane rose. “You really want to know?”

Frank grinned. “Probably not. You haven’t had to call in help for a medical emergency. That’s something.”

“That it is. How are things back at the ranch?”

“Smooth as shit, boss. Tim broke a finger, one of the goats chewed through part of the fence. We got a couple of buyers coming next week. The usual.”

Zane walked to the trailer attached to the ATV and peeled back the cover. Three ice chests were stacked side by side. He flipped open the first one and found fresh meat, eggs and butter. A second one contained milk and canned soda, along with bottled water. The third held bags of ice. Fresh produce filled a couple of cardboard boxes and there was feed for the horses.

“Good job,” Zane said. “I’ll lead you to camp. I sent Chase and the greenhorns ahead with the steers. You and Cookie can load up the supplies while I join everyone else.”

“Sure thing. Cookie said he wouldn’t need another delivery for two days.”

Zane squinted at the sky. In two days they would be completing their first loop and be fairly close to the ranch.

“That’ll work,” he said. “I’ll phone you the night before and tell you where to meet me.”

Except for the afternoon and evening spent by the river, they were always close enough to a cell tower to call the ranch. Zane had planned the circular route such that they would only spend two nights by the river. He figured even his citified guests could manage to stay safe in the wilderness that long.

He mounted his horse and headed back the way he’d come. Frank followed. When they reached the wagon, Cookie jumped down and headed for the trailer.

“You bring any strawberries?” the old man asked. “I got me a hankering for shortcake. I’ll put a bit more sugar in my biscuits and split ’em open. I told you I wanted heavy cream. Did you bring any? Seems to me you weren’t writing things down.”

Frank snorted. “Cookie, I wrote everything twice just to make sure I didn’t forget something. It’s all here. Why don’t you go through the supplies before you start flapping your lips at me? Give a man a chance to screw up, why don’t you?”

Cookie grumbled under his breath.

Zane turned his horse north. “I’ll leave you two to work this all out. Cookie, you know where we’re camping tonight. I’m taking the long way. You should be able to load up and still beat us there.”

“I’ll have the campfires burning bright,” he promised.

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