Mrs. Keller sighed softly. “Oh dear. We don’t want that.”
“If it swings too much, it can make them cranky,” I said.
“And we don’t want cranky,” Zane said solemnly.
“No, we don’t,” I agreed.
I crouched, readjusting the strap properly this time and tightening it enough to keep the saddle balanced. It wasn’t a difficult task, but it took time I really didn’t want to spend, considering we were already behind schedule.
When I stood, I brushed my hands off on my jeans. “Okay. Try shifting your weight.”
Mrs. Keller rolled her hips gently side to side. The saddle didn’t budge.
“It’s perfect,” she declared.
“Good,” I said, remounting. “Let’s head in.”
We rode on, the smoke still a faint smudge against the sky to our left. It hadn’t grown or changed, which was a good thing.
The delay, though small, had put the sun lower than I preferred. We’d get back before dark, but we’d be late, and Cormac would be watching the clock.
Behind us, the river disappeared from view as the ranch waited ahead.
And far off in the distance, that thin ribbon continued to rise into a perfectly calm sky.
Chapter Forty-two
Cormac
Icheckedtheclockone more time.
Still late.
Not worryingly so, but Zara was pretty good about keeping on schedule, and I wouldn’t expect Zane to be willing to stay out any longer than he had to. They should’ve been back an hour ago, and Zara wasn’t answering my calls on the walkie.
Javier wasn’t in his office when I checked, the lights shut off for the night. I was too antsy to sit and wait for them to come back, so I decided to head down to the barn and meet them.
Just as I turned from Javier’s doorway, Melanie started down the hall, a clipboard clutched to her chest. Her steps stuttered when she spotted me.
I moved to the side, holding my arm out. “Go right ahead.”
“I’m just returning the schedule to Javier’s office,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“He’s not in.”
“Oh, I know.” Her tone was as dry as the desert, but she’d been angry with me since I’d broken up with Victoria, and there wasnothing I could do about that. As long as she did her job, we could coexist.
She went on. “He had to leave early for a doctor’s appointment. He put me in charge of the guide schedule in case any guests had questions.”
“I see.” I nodded toward the clipboard. “Zara took Mrs. Keller out on the east trail, didn’t she? They’re not back yet. I was thinking about riding out to meet them to make sure all’s well.”
Annoyance flickered across her features as she peered down at the clipboard. “They—” Cutting herself off, she sucked in her cheek, making her lips purse. “Actually, there was a last-minute change. They ended up taking the north trail out to the ridge.”
“Really?” I scratched the back of my neck, confused. “The north trail is a lot more challenging.”
Zara and Mrs. Keller could handle it, but Zane wasn’t a rider. I wouldn’t have expected Zara to make a choice like that. It might’ve been Mrs. Keller’s idea. She could be quite convincing when she wanted to be.
She shrugged. “That’s probably why they’re late, but you should ride out there and check. You know, to make sure they’re not in trouble. You never know around here.”
