Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Logan started to turn to leave then looked back at the old man. “You been on the ranch a while, Mac?”
The old man nodded. “Been in charge of the chuck wagon goin’ on near twenty years.”
“You got a cell number I could have if I need to get in touch with you?”
Macey rattled off the number while Logan logged it in his contacts. When he was done, Logan decided the direct approach was best. “If I had questions about the operation here, would you talk to me?”
The old man seemed to pale before clearing his throat. “I, ah, I’m loyal to the Bear Claw. Unless you get one of them warrants and force me to talk, I’m not inclined.”
Logan studied the man and caught him glancing at the two younger men in the truck. He would talk, Logan thought. He was just keeping up appearances, so Logan leaned on the door and directed his next question to the two men beside Macey. “You ever seen Chance Bear with a hunting knife?”
The one farthest from Logan nodded his head before he thought better of it then shook it quickly.
“Yeah, me too,” Logan agreed, then tapped the roof of the truck twice and walked away. Bear might have an alibi for tonight, but he would bet his last dollar there were holes in it. Logan had puzzle pieces that needed to fit together. Duke was one. Rip was one. And Frank, to his way of thinking. How did Johnson fit together with the other three? If Loverboy were here he’d have mapped it out on a sheet of paper until all the pieces fit together. Logan decided it was time to channel Loverboy. For the first time since his brother’s death, the thought of him made Logan smile.
“Talk to me, Goose,” Logan mumbled, quoting a line from the movie Top Gun.
_______________
I sat quietly and watched Logan from our living room. He was currently at our dining room table with his head bent working on an accident report. But every now and then he would grab a sheet of paper and write something on it. He seemed lost in his head. Like he was picking over a problem that needed to be solved. Sipping coffee as my brothers watched Sunday Night Football, I noticed Logan kept glancing over at Josh. And Josh was doing the same, clearly intrigued with what Logan was doing. There’d been a comradery with the two ever since Logan took Josh to school, but something was different now. Almost as if Logan saw something in Josh that I couldn’t. And respected it.
Neither of my brothers were overly affected by the sight of the dead ranch hand. They came back intense, but not upset. After losing our father two years ago, I suspected death didn’t hold as much mystery for them as it did for most kids their age. They’d learned early that life was fleeting.
Logan raised his eyes to the room and looked at Josh again as if sensing my brother was watching him. He studied Josh for a long moment then jerked his head to the chair next to him. Josh got up without question and headed to the table, sitting next to Logan. They immediately lowered their heads as Logan spoke in soft tones for almost five minutes. Josh sat patiently and listened, but I caught him jerk slightly at something Logan said, then he grabbed the sheet of paper Logan had been using and started writing. It looked like he drew something and showed it to Logan. Logan nodded several times then made some notes and pushed it toward Josh, who sat back and took a deep breath. When Josh looked over his shoulder at me with concern, my stomach dropped. What was happening that Logan would tell a fifteen-year-old instead of me?
Josh turned his eyes from me to Jake and mumbled low for Jake to come to the table. I stood then, not about to be left out of the conversation, but Josh shook his head at me. I blinked at the wordless order to stay back. Josh, who had been aloof and withdrawn for years, driving me crazy with worry, was suddenly taking charge? I looked over at Logan and he shook his head as well. I was being ganged up on by them both. Jake took a chair next to Josh and glanced between them. He must have read the mood at the table because he turned and jerked his head toward our bedrooms in another silent order to give them privacy.
“Do you honestly think I’m gonna leave the room so you three can have a meeting without me?” I said this in my best mom voice that usually garnered at least a guilty look, if not cooperation from one of my brothers, but they both stared blankly at me without a hint of guilt. It hit me then they were protecting me from something. They may have been my younger brothers, but both had always protected me in their own way. They were just like our father. He protected and took care of what was his, and anyone else who needed help. Just like Logan was doing. But I wasn’t some helpless female. I’d managed to keep my head above water for two years. And now with Logan in my life I felt even stronger than before, so I doubled down and walked to the table and sat. “I’m not some damaged female who needs to be handled with care. If I can keep you two on the straight and narrow, I can handle anything.”