Page 54 of Roaring Fork Wrangler

“I can take you after I make this call. If that’s what you want. If you’re doing it for me, I’ll tell you straight out that I’d rather you stay.”

“Then I will.”

I brushed her lips with mine before swiping my screen to reach Matt.

“Hey, Cord,” he answered. His tone of voice told me he knew why I was calling.

“Have you heard?”

“Yeah. I sure as hell am sorry. My brother’s wife is a nurse at the hospital in Gunnison. She called to tell us they brought Porter and Maverick Morris in.”

“Mav? Fuck.” The kid was a hot-shot, high-school rodeo champ. I doubted he was much over sixteen.

“Shit. Sorry if you didn’t know, Cord.”

“Buck told me he might not make it.”

“He’s in surgery now.”

“Damn it all to hell,” I said under my breath. I knew that, since the kid and his older sister had lost their parents, they’d been struggling to hang onto their ranch. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about this, Matt.”

“You weren’t behind the wheel, Cord. Porter was. There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

“Listen, I’m calling about the National Western.”

“Say no more. We’ll help. Just let us know what kind of support you need, and we’ll give it to you.”

I scrubbed my face. “That’s the thing. I’m not in Colorado, and there’s no way I can get there.”

There was silence on the line for several seconds. “What do you mean?” Matt finally asked.

“It’s a long damn story, but I’m in New York, and I won’t be able to get back in time for the show. I’ll let the organizers know the Roaring Fork won’t be bringing roughstock. Whatever you were countin’ on us to do to assist you, we won’t be able to deliver.”

“Hold up a minute. Cord, are you in jail or somethin’?”

“Feels like it sometimes, but no, I’m not in any kind of trouble. I just have an obligation here I have to see through, and it means I can’t get to the show.”

“You do know what kind of money you’re talkin’ about losing, right?”

“My hands are tied. If there was any way I didn’t have to pull out, I wouldn’t.”

“All right, then. We’ll be in touch sometime tomorrow.”

I ended the call, noticing Juni looking at something out the window. Before I could ask what, my cell rang again. This time, it was one of the cowboys.

“We’ve got a situation, Mr. Wheaton. Snow came fast and hard, and it looks like it’s gonna be a doozy. We’ll have to move quickly to get all the cattle somewhere safe.”

I looked up at the ceiling, ready to curse God. “On my way, and…What’s your name?”

“Buck.”

“Yeah? That’s my brother’s name. How many of the guys are already out?”

“Not sure, sir.”

“Anybody on Apache?”

My eyes scrunched when Juni grimaced and turned her back to me.

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