When Parsnip and I get close enough to her, two things click in my brain.
One, that cow is definitely old Gingersnap, who always loved pulling what Tony calleda jailbreak. Kory told me he hadn’t seen her in a while after the fence went down a month or so back. Just assumed the old lady had finally found her freedom and was living her best life however she wanted.
Figured we’d eventually get a call that she’d broken into someone’s house a hundred miles away, because that would’ve been just like Gingersnap.
Instead, apparently she was here.
Wind didn’t pick up the scent, and I’ve been in and out the past few weeks enjoying the last bits of summer vacation, helping friends in town with various projects, and getting ready to start the school year.
That second thing that clicks in my noggin? Maisey’s holding a measuring tape.
Not justholdinga measuring tape but using it to take dimensions.
“You planning on listing it on eBay, or you trying to figure out how deep to dig the hole?” I ask while I pull Parsnip to a stop beside her.
She jerks upright and squints up at me. I know full well the sun’s blinding her from this angle, and I also know full well she does, in fact, know how to use a shovel.
Seen her do it enough times on that show.
Never out here on dried-up ranchland, though. And neverwell.
Am I being an ass?
Yes.
Do I have reason to be?
Beyond the fact that she got me thrown off my horse this morning, yeah. Got a few reasons.
Given that she inherited a ranch that should’ve been left to the town, has been a hoity-toity pain-in-my-ass landlord over email for thepast year, missed Tony’s funeral, and showed no interest in coming here at all until she randomly emailed two weeks ago, with all the exclamation points, telling me that she’d decided to move out here with her daughter and embrace hobby-ranch life, yeah.
Yeah, I think I have reason to be.
Last thing we need is a city slicker and her daughter getting themselves into trouble this winter—or before, apparently—and expecting all the townspeople to bail them out.
Last thingIneed, that is.
I know how this goes.
Flint will handle it. He’s close. Reliable. Capable. He’ll make sure they don’t die of stupidity in all the elements they’re not used to out here.
Sorta like I just got thrown off my horse helping them chase off the world’s least scary bear.
Freaking Earl.
“Mr.Jackson.” She smiles at me as though she’s genuinely glad to see me, but I know that smile. It was on my television every week from the time she started her little show until Tony left us. Her straight, brownish-blondeish hair, bright-blue eyes, white freckled cheeks, and Cupid’s bow mouth shouldn’t take me by surprise, but they do.
Probably because she looks every bit as fresh right now in the heat rising around us as she does when she’s all made up for the cameras on her show.
And that’s irritating.
Is she out here measuring for a hole under the full morning sun inmakeup?
What’s the point of that?
“Thank you again for your help this morning. I’m happy to report that I’ve now had two more cups of coffee. If that bear walked up into my yard right now, I’d be able to handle it on my own without screaming. Much. Probably. Whew. Is it hot out here? It’s the elevation,right? Makes the sun feel hotter? Easier to lose your breath until you get acclimated? I forgot that part.”
“Understandable, seeing how long it’s been since you took the time to come out here.”
