Page 23 of The Cowboy's Magic Touch

“She’s sleepin’ right now, but when she wakes up I’ll let you know.”

“Wonderful, but you must come for dinner,” her father said earnestly. “We want you both back at our table, and she’s in for a surprise. Her brother’s comin’ home. He’ll be here any time now.”

“He was worried sick and wanted to be here if any news came in,” her mother added. “But we’ll call him right away. He’ll be over the moon.”

“Tell Andrew hello from me, and Annie will call the minute she wakes up.”

“You’d better warn her. When she walks through our door we’ll be squeezin’ the life out of her.”

* * *

Standing in his cabin on the elevated banks of Moonshine Lake Geoff was pleasantly surprised. The quaint log cottage bordered on luxurious. The floor to ceiling windows in the lounge offered a spectacular view of the lake and mountains beyond, and a flagstone hearth surrounded a large fireplace. The couch and armchairs were leather, and the bedroom was a generous size with a well-appointed marble bathroom.

And nobody knew he was there!

He’d hunkered down in the back seat while John had driven his car into the campground. Gabe had checked in, and as far as anyone knew, John was staying in the more expensive cabin, while Gabe was in the other,

“Thank God! This is a far cry from that crappy hotel,” Geoff grunted, meandering over to gaze down at the glassy lake. “I just might come back here to enjoy myself one of these days. Right now I have to focus on bringing my naughty runaway to heel.”

Gabe and John were settling into their cabin just a short walk away, and he strode to the liquor cabinet to pour himself some whiskey while he waited for them. Taking a gulp, he nodded his approval, then moved to the door and was about to step out onto the porch when he saw them walking up the path.

“This is so much better than the hotel,” Gabe exclaimed. “It’s a shame we didn’t know about it before.”

“You have a firm grasp of the obvious,” Geoff retorted as they walked inside. “Here’s the plan. I noticed a wooded area behind the paddocks at Brody King’s ranch. It’s the perfect place to watch his house. You’ll be able to see anyone who comes up the drive, including Annie when she arrives.”

“Uh, Mr. Palmer, I had a thought,” Gabe began tentatively.

“What’s that?”

“Let’s say she does end up there.”

“She will. She’s a country girl at heart,” Geoff growled. “She’ll want to come home to her boyfriend and family. It’s where she feels safe.”

“Uh, right, sure, of course,” Gabe continued. “But, uh, that boyfriend of hers, he looked like he’s the type to shoot first and ask questions later. I guess what I’m asking is, how will we get her out of there when she does show up?”

“Let me worry about that. You just keep your eyes peeled. You’ll start at eight in the morning and finish around ten at night. That’s only seven hours for each of you, and make sure you’re in a spot that has cell service so you can call and text. Tell the management you’ll be taking extended hikes and you’ll need sandwiches and thermoses. That will stop you from starving. The question is, how do you get into those woods without being seen?”

“I noticed a neighboring property to the east of Brody King’s ranch,” John began thoughtfully, “but the west side there was just empty land leading up to the forest. I don’t recall any fencing.”

“There’s your answer. Good. Go there now and scope it out.”

“What about her parents house? Shouldn’t we be watching there too?”

“I want to focus on that ranch. There’s only him to deal with. I don’t want the hassle of an hysterical mother hen.”

“Ah, right,” Gabe muttered. “That could get dicey.”

“Exactly. Fortunately this camp ground has internet so I can work from here and take care of things in Nashville. I’m finally getting somewhere,” he said with a satisfied sigh. “Annie will soon be back under my wing where she belongs.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Brody had finished cleaning his tack and was about to saddle a young colt when he heard Bella barking. Alarmed and looking towards home he saw his dog racing towards him. Hastily releasing the horse into the nearest corral, he ran across the yard and into the house. Still barking, Bella led him to the bedroom where he found Annie teary eyed and hugging a pillow.

“Annie, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“I had a terrible nightmare,” she exclaimed as he sat next to her and brought her into his arms. “Geoff was here and his bodyguards were beating you up. I was screaming at them to stop but he just laughed and said it was my punishment for running away.”

“It’s okay, baby. It was just a bad dream. He’s gone, and even if he was still around those losers wouldn’t stand a chance if they tried to get the better of me.”

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