Page 68 of Final Ride

Chapter Sixteen

Thursday, August 28th.

Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange.

So many people to feed, Annie held two sittings for breakfast at the long harvest table in the kitchen. Once the cowboys ate and went to the barn or to the fields to work, she sat down to eat with Travis and all the kids.

Rosalie and Riley were both hard at work in the kitchen. As soon as they finished with breakfast, they moved onto preparations for lunch. A full-time job feeding the forty odd people who lived on the Coulter-Ross ranch.

Corb was a quiet kid, but he seemed to be settling in well. He was a couple of years younger than Harlan, Lucy, Virge and Jacks, and talked to Davey more than the older kids.

“You have errands to run today, Travis?” asked Annie.

“I have to drop a check off to Kevin Bennett for the closing of the ranch tomorrow. My ranch in Montana closed yesterday and Billy collected the money from the lawyer’s office and put it in the bank for me. If it’s all square, I should be covered for today when I write the huge check I don’t want to write.” He laughed.

“Well planned, sugar,” said Annie.

Travis laughed. “Most of my brains have been pounded out, but I managed that one on my own.”

Annie glanced at Corb, “You’ve got a good start on your new project.”

“Happened by chance,” said Travis. “He’s a good little guy.”

“Have you heard anything about Tammy?”

“Yes. I found out a couple of days ago that she’s in the trauma center in Watertown in upper New York State. She was found in the Saint Lawrence River, tied up and badly beaten. Half drowned and in a coma.”

“Do they have any idea who would’ve done that?” asked Annie. “And why way up there? Was she on her way back to Canada?”

“No idea. Before that, all I knew was the location of her truck accident. That was in North Carolina.”

“She gets around,” said Annie.

“Makes me nervous,” said Travis. “If I hear anything else, I’ll keep you posted, Annie-girl.”

“Thanks. I worry about her constantly.”

Smithville ReMax.

Travis left Harlan to take care of the horses and spend time with Lucy like he wanted to, and he took Virge and Corb with him to the real estate office up in Smithville.

“Welcome, Travis.” Kevin Bennett stood up to shake Travis’s hand when he walked into the office. Kevin was a large guy who wore cowboy shirts with one of those little string ties with a bull on it. Always smiling. He was either a happy guy or faking it. “Did your sale in Montana go well for you?”

“Yes. My partner handled all the details for me, and it went smoothly.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Kevin. “Sometimes things can get badly messed up.”

“Nope. All good. The check I’m going to write you should be good as gold.”

Kevin laughed. “That’s good news. We’ll avoid all kinds of legal hassles.”

Travis sat down at Kevin’s desk, pulled out his checkbook and signed away a few million bucks. He hadn’t had it in his possession long enough to get used to being a millionaire.

“Practically painless.” More laughing from Kevin as Travis handed him the check for the new ranch. “Tomorrow I’ll pick up everything from the lawyer’s office and bring it all to you.”

“Thanks. I’m staying at Annie’s one more night, and my horses are in her corral for a couple more days.”

“Won’t be far to trailer them once you’re settled in.”

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