so bring an appetite.”
“That’s never been a problem,” Jennifer said.
“Pasta, again?” Edie complained. “I’d better take another hike after dinner.”
“Not a bad idea,” Kelly said as the group crossed the barnyard.
The sound of roaring engines caught her attention as Cal Everett’s emerald green truck came speeding up the ranch driveway. Kelly spotted a dark blue pickup swerve into the driveway, too, following right behind. Kelly and the others ran to the lodge porch as the two trucks roared into the barnyard.
Everett stepped down from his truck as the blue pickup barrelled up behind him and jerked to a stop. A tall man wearing a flannel shirt and baseball cap leaped from his truck and charged toward Everett.
“You can’t run away, Cal,” he yelled. “That payment is past due, and you know it. I want my money, and I want it now!”
“Hold your horses, Bill. You’ll get your money in a couple of weeks, like usual. You know I’m good for it,” Everett said, ambling up to his irate visitor.
“Dammit, Cal. You’ve been late with every payment since January. I’ve had it. I’m going to give you till tomorrow to come up with that money, or I’m gonna put a lien on those river acres.”
“The hell you will!” Everett challenged, getting right in Bill’s face. “I’m paying that note off. You got no claim on that land!”
Kelly stood on the lodge porch with the other women, transfixed like everyone else by the heated argument taking place in the barnyard. The men were toe-to-toe, in each other’s faces.
“You backed up the note with that land. I never would have loaned you the money otherwise, and you know it. If you want to save the land, then pay the note in full. You’ve jerked me around for the last time.”
“I can’t come up with the money that fast, Bill,” Everett protested, backing off a bit.
“Then I’m going to put a lien on it, I swear to God, I will.”
Everett exploded in a string of curses, then stalked off.
“Don’t think you can walk away from this, Cal! I’m coming back, and we’re gonna have this out once and for all!” Bill threatened before heading to his truck. He roared off in a cloud of dust.
Kelly watched Bill’s blue truck disappear down the driveway. What was up with Everett and Rancher Bill?
Kelly rested her chin on her knees, watching the campfire flicker in the dark. She snuggled into her jacket. Springtime in the Rockies was still cool during the days and downright cold at night.
The fire snapped, sending sparks and embers floating above. She was reminded of the camping trips she and Steve had taken last summer and fall. Curled up in sleeping bags—sometimes inside their tent, snug and safe, and sometimes outside gazing up at the stars. Carl on a leash beside them.
The murmur of women’s voices around the campfire rose and fell as private conversations and joint sharing that had begun this weekend continued in the dark. She looked over at Jennifer, who was staring almost mesmerized into the fire, while Dawn and Edie talked beside her. Lisa was speaking softly with Nancy, and Dr. Norcross and Greta were deep in conversation. Jane and Sue and Cassie were still roasting marshmallows on sticks. Kelly had had her fill of the sticky treat earlier.
Glancing up at the canopy of black above her head, Kelly found the familiar stars her father had first shown her as a child. The constellation of Orion. Sirius, the Dog Star. The Big Dipper and Little Dipper.
The low hoot of a nearby owl announced the night predators were out, whether taking flight or stalking through the grass. The hunt was on.
Detecting some movement on the deck behind the ranch house, Kelly thought she glimpsed Cal Everett pacing about the deck as he had been most of the night. The glow of his cigarette and that frequent smoker’s cough announced his presence. His voice carried on the breeze as he argued loudly with someone on the phone. Kelly figured he was trying
“That’s never been a problem,” Jennifer said.
“Pasta, again?” Edie complained. “I’d better take another hike after dinner.”
“Not a bad idea,” Kelly said as the group crossed the barnyard.
The sound of roaring engines caught her attention as Cal Everett’s emerald green truck came speeding up the ranch driveway. Kelly spotted a dark blue pickup swerve into the driveway, too, following right behind. Kelly and the others ran to the lodge porch as the two trucks roared into the barnyard.
Everett stepped down from his truck as the blue pickup barrelled up behind him and jerked to a stop. A tall man wearing a flannel shirt and baseball cap leaped from his truck and charged toward Everett.
“You can’t run away, Cal,” he yelled. “That payment is past due, and you know it. I want my money, and I want it now!”
“Hold your horses, Bill. You’ll get your money in a couple of weeks, like usual. You know I’m good for it,” Everett said, ambling up to his irate visitor.
“Dammit, Cal. You’ve been late with every payment since January. I’ve had it. I’m going to give you till tomorrow to come up with that money, or I’m gonna put a lien on those river acres.”
“The hell you will!” Everett challenged, getting right in Bill’s face. “I’m paying that note off. You got no claim on that land!”
Kelly stood on the lodge porch with the other women, transfixed like everyone else by the heated argument taking place in the barnyard. The men were toe-to-toe, in each other’s faces.
“You backed up the note with that land. I never would have loaned you the money otherwise, and you know it. If you want to save the land, then pay the note in full. You’ve jerked me around for the last time.”
“I can’t come up with the money that fast, Bill,” Everett protested, backing off a bit.
“Then I’m going to put a lien on it, I swear to God, I will.”
Everett exploded in a string of curses, then stalked off.
“Don’t think you can walk away from this, Cal! I’m coming back, and we’re gonna have this out once and for all!” Bill threatened before heading to his truck. He roared off in a cloud of dust.
Kelly watched Bill’s blue truck disappear down the driveway. What was up with Everett and Rancher Bill?
Kelly rested her chin on her knees, watching the campfire flicker in the dark. She snuggled into her jacket. Springtime in the Rockies was still cool during the days and downright cold at night.
The fire snapped, sending sparks and embers floating above. She was reminded of the camping trips she and Steve had taken last summer and fall. Curled up in sleeping bags—sometimes inside their tent, snug and safe, and sometimes outside gazing up at the stars. Carl on a leash beside them.
The murmur of women’s voices around the campfire rose and fell as private conversations and joint sharing that had begun this weekend continued in the dark. She looked over at Jennifer, who was staring almost mesmerized into the fire, while Dawn and Edie talked beside her. Lisa was speaking softly with Nancy, and Dr. Norcross and Greta were deep in conversation. Jane and Sue and Cassie were still roasting marshmallows on sticks. Kelly had had her fill of the sticky treat earlier.
Glancing up at the canopy of black above her head, Kelly found the familiar stars her father had first shown her as a child. The constellation of Orion. Sirius, the Dog Star. The Big Dipper and Little Dipper.
The low hoot of a nearby owl announced the night predators were out, whether taking flight or stalking through the grass. The hunt was on.
Detecting some movement on the deck behind the ranch house, Kelly thought she glimpsed Cal Everett pacing about the deck as he had been most of the night. The glow of his cigarette and that frequent smoker’s cough announced his presence. His voice carried on the breeze as he argued loudly with someone on the phone. Kelly figured he was trying
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