Leigh glanced at her and angled her head toward T.R., who was pulling on Duane’s other boot.“So why’s Duane giving up his boots?”
“Mr.McGuinnes needs something to ride in if he’s going to survey the ranch.”
Leigh’s eyes widened.“All the ranch?”
“Sure.I figure we’ll take a little ride around the perimeter, ending with a trip up Rogue Canyon into the leased Forest Service land, so he can see where we summer the herd.”
A slow smile tilted the corners of Leigh’s mouth.“That’s a mighty long ride.”
“I know.”
“I doubt you could even finish it today.”
“Precisely.”
“And unless he’s spent a lot of time on a horse...”
Freddy reached down and stroked Red Devil’s velvet neck.“Do you think I’m being too cruel?”
“Not if you want to get rid of him.”
“I do.And not just for our sakes, either.Belinda and Dexter are too old to deal with an Easterner, and Duane doesn’t say much, but I can tell he’s worried about keeping his job.Losing it would be the end of the world for him.”
“It would,” Leigh agreed.“You have to do it, Freddy.But maybe you should take some horse liniment.You don’t want to have to call Search and Rescue to haul him out of the canyon.”
“Great idea.If he’s like most dudes, he’ll hate the smell of the stuff, which will suit my purpose nicely.So, can you handle things until tomorrow?”
“Yeah, but you could be back sooner, depending on how much of a wimp this guy is.”
Freddy thought of McGuinnes’s firm handshake and his clear blue gaze.“No, I think we’ll be out there for the duration.He may be in pain, but he’ll tough it out.”
“Sounds like he might not deserve his fate.”
“He probably doesn’t,” Freddy acknowledged.“If I could think of any other way to keep him from buying the ranch, I’d do that, instead.”She gave Red Devil one final pat.“See you tomorrow, big guy.”
T.R.finished pulling on the second boot, took off his tie and tucked it into one of his shoes.Duane and Curtis left, and he hoped Duane remembered the sport coat in the van.Not that he was worried.A guy who would give you the boots off his feet wasn’t about to steal a jacket.
He chuckled, trying to imagine Duane wearing the navy blazer, even if he did make off with it.Duane would probably sooner be caught in a dress.
Freddy came toward him.“Ready?”
“Sure.How’s Red Devil doing?”
“Leigh says he’s dreaming of fillies.”
“Poor guy.”
Freddy smiled at him.“Unless we’re planning to stand them at stud, stallions are a liability at a guest ranch.They’re either after the mares or trying to pick a fight, which makes them too unpredictable for a guest to ride.The hands don’t much like putting up with their shenanigans, either.Around here, we refer to gelding as brain surgery.”
“Oh.”He tried to appreciate the operation from a business standpoint and failed.
“Let’s go,” she said.“My truck’s under the mesquite tree over there.”
T.R.looked at the battered white pickup with the ranch brand stenciled on the door panel.Didn’t seem like anyone was wasting money around here.He liked that.
“What did you call this kind of tree?”he asked as they walked toward the truck.
“Mesquite.”
