slender professor announced.
“That’s easy for you to say, Professor,” Cassie countered, scooping up fresh fruit into a bowl. “You’re as skinny as a rail. I’ve got to get back to my bran flakes, dull as they are.”
“That’s too virtuous for me,” Jennifer said, snagging some bacon.
“Is Everett in his office this morning?” Dr. Norcross asked Donny as he refilled the juice pitchers. “I wanted to check to see if we could schedule a trail ride before leaving.”
“You know, I haven’t seen him, ma’am,” Donny said, pausing. “That’s kinda unusual, too. He usually takes his breakfast early.”
“Maybe he’s sleeping in this morning,” Dawn said drily. “Sounded like he was on the phone late last night. You could hear him all the way out at the campfire.”
Donny shrugged and returned to the kitchen, clearly not about to speculate on his boss’s late night activities.
Kelly grabbed a glass of grapefruit juice and followed Lisa and Jennifer onto the deck. Noticing several knitted and crocheted afghans draped over the deck railing, she said, “Lisa, don’t forget the blankets and stuff you brought. We left some things on the deck yesterday afternoon when we finished up quickly.”
“Forgive me if I don’t talk,” Jennifer said as she settled at the table. “My face will be in my plate for a few minutes.”
Kelly laughed as she pulled out a chair. It was good to hear Jennifer’s joking comments. It was the first lighthearted comment Jennifer had made since arriving at Cal Everett’s Lazy C Ranch. If it took biscuits and gravy to help Jennifer regain herself, then bring on the gravy.
Swallowing a yummy mouthful of eggs and bacon, Kelly buttered her pancakes and took a bite. “Anybody up for a run this morning?” she asked around the deck. “I don’t know about you folks, but pancakes twice in two days are deadly for me.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Me, too.”
“Hey, it’s the weekend.”
The good-natured comments flowed around the deck as Kelly indulged herself in her favorite “comfort” foods. She was considering going back for the wicked biscuits and gravy, when Lisa spoke.
“Jen, I don’t see your afghan on the railing with the others that I brought. Did you take it inside already?”
Jennifer glanced over her shoulder. “Not yet. I wonder if it blew off last night.”
“Well, it won’t go far,” Cassie observed as she rose from the table, empty plate in hand. “I’m going back for seconds. Can I get some juice for someone?”
“Yeah, some OJ would be nice.” Jane raised her hand.
“Cassie, would you take a look over the side of the deck, please, and see if my afghan fell down there?”
“Sure,” Cassie said, strolling to the railing. “It probably just blew—” Cassie’s sentence was cut short with a gasp. “Oh, my God!”
Kelly stared at Cassie, who was pointing toward the ground below the deck. What on earth was there? Maybe a mountain lion’s leftover, half-eaten carcass. She rose to see what had concerned Cassie, as did Dr. Norcross.
“He’s not moving. Is . . . is he dead ?”
Kelly raced to the railing and peered over. Cal Everett lay sprawled on the rocky slope below, Jennifer’s pale pink afghan draped across his chest.
Dr. Norcross took in a sharp breath beside Kelly. “Oh, my God. We have to call an ambulance.”
All the women ran to the railing then and leaned over, staring below. Their shocked exclamations broke the quiet.
“Oh, my God!”
“Damn.”
“How awful!”
“Do you think he’s still alive?”
“Not likely. Look at him. His eyes are fixed and staring.”
“Oh, gross!”
“He had to be drunk.”
Dawn shook her head as she continued to stare down the slope. “A yarn-covered corpse.”
Cassie shuddered as she turned away. “I can’t look anymore.”
Kelly slipped her cell phone from her pocket. She’d make the call, even though she could tell it was too late for an ambulance. Cal Everett’s
“That’s easy for you to say, Professor,” Cassie countered, scooping up fresh fruit into a bowl. “You’re as skinny as a rail. I’ve got to get back to my bran flakes, dull as they are.”
“That’s too virtuous for me,” Jennifer said, snagging some bacon.
“Is Everett in his office this morning?” Dr. Norcross asked Donny as he refilled the juice pitchers. “I wanted to check to see if we could schedule a trail ride before leaving.”
“You know, I haven’t seen him, ma’am,” Donny said, pausing. “That’s kinda unusual, too. He usually takes his breakfast early.”
“Maybe he’s sleeping in this morning,” Dawn said drily. “Sounded like he was on the phone late last night. You could hear him all the way out at the campfire.”
Donny shrugged and returned to the kitchen, clearly not about to speculate on his boss’s late night activities.
Kelly grabbed a glass of grapefruit juice and followed Lisa and Jennifer onto the deck. Noticing several knitted and crocheted afghans draped over the deck railing, she said, “Lisa, don’t forget the blankets and stuff you brought. We left some things on the deck yesterday afternoon when we finished up quickly.”
“Forgive me if I don’t talk,” Jennifer said as she settled at the table. “My face will be in my plate for a few minutes.”
Kelly laughed as she pulled out a chair. It was good to hear Jennifer’s joking comments. It was the first lighthearted comment Jennifer had made since arriving at Cal Everett’s Lazy C Ranch. If it took biscuits and gravy to help Jennifer regain herself, then bring on the gravy.
Swallowing a yummy mouthful of eggs and bacon, Kelly buttered her pancakes and took a bite. “Anybody up for a run this morning?” she asked around the deck. “I don’t know about you folks, but pancakes twice in two days are deadly for me.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Me, too.”
“Hey, it’s the weekend.”
The good-natured comments flowed around the deck as Kelly indulged herself in her favorite “comfort” foods. She was considering going back for the wicked biscuits and gravy, when Lisa spoke.
“Jen, I don’t see your afghan on the railing with the others that I brought. Did you take it inside already?”
Jennifer glanced over her shoulder. “Not yet. I wonder if it blew off last night.”
“Well, it won’t go far,” Cassie observed as she rose from the table, empty plate in hand. “I’m going back for seconds. Can I get some juice for someone?”
“Yeah, some OJ would be nice.” Jane raised her hand.
“Cassie, would you take a look over the side of the deck, please, and see if my afghan fell down there?”
“Sure,” Cassie said, strolling to the railing. “It probably just blew—” Cassie’s sentence was cut short with a gasp. “Oh, my God!”
Kelly stared at Cassie, who was pointing toward the ground below the deck. What on earth was there? Maybe a mountain lion’s leftover, half-eaten carcass. She rose to see what had concerned Cassie, as did Dr. Norcross.
“He’s not moving. Is . . . is he dead ?”
Kelly raced to the railing and peered over. Cal Everett lay sprawled on the rocky slope below, Jennifer’s pale pink afghan draped across his chest.
Dr. Norcross took in a sharp breath beside Kelly. “Oh, my God. We have to call an ambulance.”
All the women ran to the railing then and leaned over, staring below. Their shocked exclamations broke the quiet.
“Oh, my God!”
“Damn.”
“How awful!”
“Do you think he’s still alive?”
“Not likely. Look at him. His eyes are fixed and staring.”
“Oh, gross!”
“He had to be drunk.”
Dawn shook her head as she continued to stare down the slope. “A yarn-covered corpse.”
Cassie shuddered as she turned away. “I can’t look anymore.”
Kelly slipped her cell phone from her pocket. She’d make the call, even though she could tell it was too late for an ambulance. Cal Everett’s
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