to know that!”
Maggie flipped around to see Daisy.
Daisy Plush went around her. “Just how did you figure that out, Mr. Morty?”
“Because I asked to see Maggie Monroe.” A man stepped out from the nearest hallway door.
“Pops!” Maggie yelled and ran to hug her father.
He scooped her up and spun her around. “Maggy pie!”
When he finally set her down, Maggie whirled back and saw that only a stunned looking Mr. Morty stood there. “Mama?” she called. She then looked up at her father. “Well, that sure isn’t like Daisy!”
He grinned at her. “You’re wrong; it is exactly like her.”
Mr. Morty gaped at the both of them. “She went completely white! Then, she squeaked like a titmouse and ran. I never saw a woman move that fast in spandex and high heels in all my life!” Mister
Maggie was so disappointed. She really wanted to have her parents get along. “Daddy, why did she do that?”
“Some women are just naturally good at running, I suppose.” Rand shrugged his big shoulders and gave her a dazzling smile.
“No. The Daisy I know is brave and she’d never run from anything.”
Rand took her hand and his smile never slipped. “Never mind about that, don’t worry over it. There’s a lot your mother and I have to hammer out. For now, I want to know just what kind of ranch this is.”
Maggie swung her befuddled gaze over to Mr. Morty, only to see him running—or was it scampering?—down the hall as fast as he could go. Gee, thanks, Mister Horty! Turning to look at her Pop, she sighed. “Well—um?”
“I didn’t see any steers, or any other kind of animal. Not counting the kind who wear too much makeup and some really tight leather.”
Maggie tried to look anywhere but at him. “It’s a— a Bed and Breakfast house.” There! It was partly true, there were beds and all the guests do stay for breakfast in bed! Well, except for the women who believed it wasn’t proper to be out when only hospitals and legs were open. “Oh!” Maggie exclaimed. “I just figured that one out,” she mused aloud.
Rand looked mystified. “So, it’s like a boarding house…a hotel?”
Maggie nodded her head. How she was going to get this past him, she didn’t know.
“And so what’s your gig then?”
Maggie smiled because this answer could be all truth. “I do different jobs. Whatever is needed.”
“Mmm, well, I just came to see how you were doing. Don’t let me interfere with your job then.”
Maggie felt panicky. If she let him wander around he was going to figure it out.
“You need to show me to Daisy’s room, okay?”
Maggie gulped.
Rand smiled. “I know you want us to be friends and we will be, sweet Maggie.”
Yeah, maybe it would be better if she let Daisy handle this. After all, she’d heard from most of the staff that Daisy could talk a coon out of a tree. Maggie stared at her dad’s handsome face. Only my dad isn’t a coon and this isn’t a tree at all. It’s a stud-steak house run by my mom, and my dad is gonna flip when he finally finds out.
She looked closely and saw a determined glint in his blue eyes. Oh boy, if I don’t show him, he’ll find her anyway. “Okay, Pops, come on.”
NINE
Licked and stripped clean….
Cabin on the Flat River
“Well?” Marge Kincade stepped into the cabin. “There you are wearing a sheet and being fed by my engineer. Lookin’ happier than a glob of butter melting on pancakes!”
Kanda’s mouth snapped shut as it’d been gaping open. “So? I’m a grown woman, Ma!”
Marge turned her glare to Wade.
He shrugged. “She was injured out on the range and—”
Marge laughed. “I heard that story already from Trev.” Her eyes sparkled. “I just wanted to see this miracle of the ages for myself!”
Kanda huffed and sat up straighter.
“Well, Mister geophysical, I was paying you to find precious metals and here it looks like you’re mining something else altogether!”
Kanda gasped. “Ma!” She was mortified
Maggie flipped around to see Daisy.
Daisy Plush went around her. “Just how did you figure that out, Mr. Morty?”
“Because I asked to see Maggie Monroe.” A man stepped out from the nearest hallway door.
“Pops!” Maggie yelled and ran to hug her father.
He scooped her up and spun her around. “Maggy pie!”
When he finally set her down, Maggie whirled back and saw that only a stunned looking Mr. Morty stood there. “Mama?” she called. She then looked up at her father. “Well, that sure isn’t like Daisy!”
He grinned at her. “You’re wrong; it is exactly like her.”
Mr. Morty gaped at the both of them. “She went completely white! Then, she squeaked like a titmouse and ran. I never saw a woman move that fast in spandex and high heels in all my life!” Mister
Maggie was so disappointed. She really wanted to have her parents get along. “Daddy, why did she do that?”
“Some women are just naturally good at running, I suppose.” Rand shrugged his big shoulders and gave her a dazzling smile.
“No. The Daisy I know is brave and she’d never run from anything.”
Rand took her hand and his smile never slipped. “Never mind about that, don’t worry over it. There’s a lot your mother and I have to hammer out. For now, I want to know just what kind of ranch this is.”
Maggie swung her befuddled gaze over to Mr. Morty, only to see him running—or was it scampering?—down the hall as fast as he could go. Gee, thanks, Mister Horty! Turning to look at her Pop, she sighed. “Well—um?”
“I didn’t see any steers, or any other kind of animal. Not counting the kind who wear too much makeup and some really tight leather.”
Maggie tried to look anywhere but at him. “It’s a— a Bed and Breakfast house.” There! It was partly true, there were beds and all the guests do stay for breakfast in bed! Well, except for the women who believed it wasn’t proper to be out when only hospitals and legs were open. “Oh!” Maggie exclaimed. “I just figured that one out,” she mused aloud.
Rand looked mystified. “So, it’s like a boarding house…a hotel?”
Maggie nodded her head. How she was going to get this past him, she didn’t know.
“And so what’s your gig then?”
Maggie smiled because this answer could be all truth. “I do different jobs. Whatever is needed.”
“Mmm, well, I just came to see how you were doing. Don’t let me interfere with your job then.”
Maggie felt panicky. If she let him wander around he was going to figure it out.
“You need to show me to Daisy’s room, okay?”
Maggie gulped.
Rand smiled. “I know you want us to be friends and we will be, sweet Maggie.”
Yeah, maybe it would be better if she let Daisy handle this. After all, she’d heard from most of the staff that Daisy could talk a coon out of a tree. Maggie stared at her dad’s handsome face. Only my dad isn’t a coon and this isn’t a tree at all. It’s a stud-steak house run by my mom, and my dad is gonna flip when he finally finds out.
She looked closely and saw a determined glint in his blue eyes. Oh boy, if I don’t show him, he’ll find her anyway. “Okay, Pops, come on.”
NINE
Licked and stripped clean….
Cabin on the Flat River
“Well?” Marge Kincade stepped into the cabin. “There you are wearing a sheet and being fed by my engineer. Lookin’ happier than a glob of butter melting on pancakes!”
Kanda’s mouth snapped shut as it’d been gaping open. “So? I’m a grown woman, Ma!”
Marge turned her glare to Wade.
He shrugged. “She was injured out on the range and—”
Marge laughed. “I heard that story already from Trev.” Her eyes sparkled. “I just wanted to see this miracle of the ages for myself!”
Kanda huffed and sat up straighter.
“Well, Mister geophysical, I was paying you to find precious metals and here it looks like you’re mining something else altogether!”
Kanda gasped. “Ma!” She was mortified
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