“S toney? Stoney, can you please grab those sheets out of the printer?”
Miranda sounded like she was fixin’ to tear out her hair, and he was standing right there, so he grabbed them and handed them over before he got his fourth cup of coffee for the day. “You okay, honey? Someone put a burr under your saddle?”
“The Chavez wedding canceled.” Miranda sniffled like she might burst into tears.
“The eighty- to ninety-seat guaranteed group?” Fuck a doodle doo. “Jesus. Why?”
“Too far out, weather is looking iffy, her dad, the restaurant owner, wants her to do it there. They’re not arguing on me keeping the deposit, but God.”
“Yeah.” Just what they needed, a huge cancellation in the middle of the summer. If they didn’t make their money in the summer and fall, they didn’t have another opportunity. They were too far out for either the Sunlight Mountain or Aspen skiers.
“There was a hunting party that wanted that same weekend. I’ll call and see if they’re still interested.”
“Sounds good, lady. Just remember, at this time of year, they can only hunt our private land, not the BLM.” God, he didn’t want to have to tell Ty. Maybe he just wouldn’t mention it. Hell, it wouldn’t change a thing one way or the other. Ty had other worries.
“Dad, can I take Lightning out for a ride?” Quartz had slipped in behind him without Stoney even hearing him.
“Not right this second, son. I have to deal with some stuff.” He reached over to tousle Quartz’s curly hair, but the kid ducked away. “Come on, now. Don’t be a pill.”
“I’m not! I’ll take Bingo with me.”
“The dog isn’t going to save your butt if you fall off and crack your skull,” Stoney said. “Lightning needs more work before he’s a pleasure horse, bud.”
“I’m bored, Dad. Please. Come on. Isn’t there someone who can go out with me?”
“Let me make a couple three phone calls, okay?” Quartz blew out a sigh, but that was the worst symptom of impatience he displayed, so Stoney let it slide. A man had to pick his battles. He grabbed his phone, hunting any cowboy who had an hour to spare his son.
“Sure. Gimme ten.” Doogie, who’d been their hunting guide for twenty years, told him. “I’ll meet him up to the house.”
“I owe you, man.” Stoney gave Quartz a grin. “Doogie is going to meet you up to the house and take you. Fair?”
“Yessir.” The smile he got in return lit up the whole afternoon. “Thanks, Daddy!”
“No barn until he gets to you, got it?”
“I promise. I do. You rock.”
“That’s me. Rocking dad.” He chuckled. He might have to change the name to the Rocking D someday. He knew better. The ranch was the Leanin’ N and always would be.
He got a wave, a smile, and then Quartz was gone, boots stamping on the ground.
“Spoiled brat,” Stoney said.
“Oh, he is not.” Miranda chuckled. “He’s such a good boy.”
“He is.” And God knew Stoney loved him more than life. “Okay, how can I help? What do you need?”
“I don’t know?” Her next laugh had an edge of hysteria. “Find more guests.”
“Easy. Easy, now. We’ll figure it.” He didn’t bother to bring up the fact that if they didn’t get the BLM lease renewed, it wouldn’t matter how many guests they had—there would be precious little for them to do.
They had acreage, but the woods, the hunting land…. It was all part of the lease.
“Okay. I—thanks. How’s Ty?”
“He’s had better days. He’s heading back out of town tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.” She pulled a face. “I hate that he’s so sick.”
“We all do.” It broke his heart that Ty’s kidneys were failing, but shit happened.
“I know. Angie wanted to see you?” She handed him a sticky note. Angie was their stock wrangler.
“I’ll head over now. Call me.” He slammed back his coffee and jogged to the barn, going to see his favorite dyke.
“Hey!” Angie popped out of a stall, almost giving Stoney a heart attack. “Come see Bella. The new filly.”
“Hey, lady. How’s she doing?”
“Good! I want you to have a look, though, see what you think of how her conformation looks now.”
“Let’s do it.” He was all over it. He headed into the back where the colts were kept. Bella was their first offspring from a new brood mare, and he had high hopes for this little lady. Dark and fine boned, with a blaze on her forehead—just the sight of her made him grin.
“She’s amazing,” Angie said, hands on her hips.
“Stunning. And it was an easy delivery too.” That was half the battle right there.
“You know it.”
Bella lipped at him when he put his hand over the half gate. Gentler than he expected already.
“Hey, Angel Baby. Look at you. Are you gonna grow up to be amazing?” He could handle a couple of good years in the livestock department.
The filly nuzzled his wrist, and Angie laughed. “She’s so smart.”
“She is. Her momma whispered that I kept carrots hidden away.”
“Her momma knows. You spoil Ginblossom like mad.”
He shrugged. You had to do something to get the new guys to love you, right? They all responded to some basic love. Hell, that was his basic outlook on life. Don’t fuck up. Be nice. Offer carrots.
Stoney grinned. “Anything else? I need to scare up some guests for Miranda.”
He fed Bella a carrot, her lips like velvet against his palm. Sweet baby. This was his favorite thing, being out with the animals, doing ranch work.
Hell, sometimes he liked the guests. Well, periodically.
Most of the time, he left them to the employees, but a trail ride now and then was just fine.
“Speaking of guests,” Angie said, “do we have any tonight?”
“Not that I know of, honey. Why?”
“Big blue pickup just pulled in. Ty got Sophia coming for supper?”
“Maybe. Stranger things have happened.” No. No way. Ty was heading for Grand Junction tomorrow for at least a week, maybe more. “I’ll peek in.”
“Cool. I mean, I know he told that home health care lady to take a leap.” Angie clapped him on the back, damned near sending him stumbling.
“Jesus, woman, you beat your wife that way?” he teased.
“Nope. I’m gentle as a kitten with her. She’s tough as nails.”
“Remind me to never piss her off.”
“Will do, boss. Go check on your uncle.” She waved him off, Bella neighing at him when he left.
Stoney saw Quartz out on Lightning, Doogie riding Pink alongside. Doogie would keep the kid in line and make sure he was back in time for supper in about an hour.
God, that was a sight, wasn’t it? His cowboy kid. He was passing on a way of life he loved. What more could he ask for?
He didn’t know the truck with the New Mexico plates, so he headed into the main house they shared with Ty, curious as all get-out. Late model. Dark blue. A little muddy around the tires. Stoney peered into the windows of the truck. Car charger, leather-bound portfolio. Laptop bag. Locked.
City, then.
Must be a lost guest. He’d go help.
Stoney stomped the dust off his boots and opened the door. The foyer was empty, the door to Ty’s half wide open. Okay. Weird.
“Uncle Ty? You in here, man?”
“Come on in, Stoney!” Ty called from his study.
Oh. Good. He knew folks were, for the most part, decent, but Ty usually mentioned if company was coming. “Yes, sir. How’re you feeling today?”
“Well, I’ve had better days.” Ty smiled at him from behind the desk, looking so normal, which made it that much worse when Stoney turned to smile at Ty’s visitor.
Ford Nixel had come home.