Page 91 of Longest Ride

You’re a pretty decent liar.

“Lock up, Billy, and go on home. We’re done for today.”

Billy smiled. “Copy that, boss.”

Coyote Creek Inn.

Billy went on home to the ranch while Travis stopped into the Inn to see how the girls were managing without Olivia. He’d been thinking about it and realized he might have to hire somebody to take her place while she was in the hospital.

He found Susan Westfall, the assistant manager, in the kitchen and asked, “How are y’all doing here without the boss?”

“We’re doing okay, Sheriff, but we’re so stressed out about Olivia. We’ve been taking turns going to the hospital to sit withher. She’s not waking up.”

Susan started to cry, and Travis’s heart went out to her. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m so worried we’re going to lose Olivia and we love her so much.”

“I feel the same way, Susan. You call my cell if you girls run into a snag. I’m ready to help y’all out.”

“Olivia told me you and she own the Inn together. I’ll call you, Sheriff. Honest, I will.”

Stacey Croft’s Residence. Cut Bank.

Virge checked his watch. “I wonder what time that bitch starts work, Harlan. I’m fuckin sick of sitting here.”

“Gotta be soon. She probably waits tables for the dinner crowd.”

Wasn’t long until she came out the side door of her bungalow and hopped into her pickup.

The boys followed her to the Cut Bank Inn, watched her go inside and that was it. They were off duty. “We’re done, Virge. Let’s go home and grab a beer.”

“I’m with you, bro. We’re out of here.”

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Billy was putting a log in the woodstove in the living room when me and Virge got home from Cut Bank. “Where’s Dad?”

“Not home yet. He had to stop into the Inn to see how the staff are making out.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I kind of forgot about Olivia running the Inn. I think we own part of that place.”

“Yep. Travis held the mortgage but when Olivia got into a bit of financial trouble with that fucker from the bank, Travis put more money into the business and became a partner.”

“Shit. Dad must be stressed about all that stuff too,” said Virge. “Stuff worrying him that we never even thought about.”

We had a couple of beers with Billy, then changed our clothesand went to the barn to feed the horses and muck out the stalls.

When we came in for dinner, Travis still wasn’t home. We looked at Billy and he shrugged. “Not home.”

“Hope he didn’t stop into the roadhouse feeling all miserable and such,” said Virgil. “Could be hard times at Ridgemont High.”

I laughed at my brother. “We’ll go look for him if he don’t show up soon.”

Dry Run Roadhouse.

Before going home to the ranch, Travis stopped for a pitcher of Miller at the roadhouse. He sat in a booth alone with his back to the door and drank steady.

A while later, Jack wandered over to the booth with a bottle of Patron and a couple of glasses. He sat down and filled the two glasses with tequila and shoved one across the table to Travis.

Travis nodded, picked up the glass and tossed it back.

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