Page 11 of Final Ride

Tammy limped from her bed across the room to the kitchen table and sat down.

Willy sat down across from her and smiled. “I want to tell you about my plan.”

“I don’t want you to have a plan for us,” said Tammy. “It won’t work out and you’ll go to jail for even knowing a person as bad as me.”

Willy laughed. “I can’t believe you’ve done half the terrible things you told me, Tammy. You’re not some insane killer like you’re trying to make me believe.”

“I am, Willy. I’m exactly the person you just described. I’ve done a lot of bad shit. Really bad, and I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re too good for me. I can’t be with you in your cabin or in your life. Best for both of us if I leave right away.”

“We’ll both leave, Tammy. That’s my plan. We’ll pack up what we need and go someplace where no one will ever find us.”

“There is no place like that,” said Tammy. “I know because I tried to find that place already.”

“Where did you look?”

“In the bayou. I heard of a spot in the swamp where outlaws go to hide out and I went there for a while.”

“But people found you?”

“My mama hired a bounty hunter to find me because she was worried.”

“And you didn’t stay with her after she found you?”

“Mama put me in a hospital, and I didn’t get any better. My brain drain made me run away again and I did more terrible things.”

Willy looked Tammy in the eye and hesitated for a moment before he asked his question. “Have you killed people, Tammy?”

“Lots of them.”

She answered so quickly and off-hand that Willy was shocked. He nodded and couldn’t think of anything else to say to her. Maybe running away with Tammy wasn’t such a great idea after all. He needed to think on it a lot more.

Wild Stallion Ranch. Montana.

After feeding the horses, we came into the house for dinner with a lot of questions for Dad about moving the horses to Texas.

“Will we be taking Tammy’s horse with us, Dad?”

“Uh huh. The barn will have to be empty and clean when the new owners take over the ranch.”

Travis’ cell rang and it was Bob Crockett. He put the call on speaker so we could hear what the real estate agent was telling us.

“The buyers accepted your price, Travis, and the Inn is sold. If you can come into the office tomorrow, we’ll finish up thepaperwork and finalize everything.”

“Sure, I can do that.”

“Also, I have more news.”

“Go ahead.”

“I have a viewing scheduled for your ranch at ten in the morning. I’ll give you a call or drop in at the station afterwards and tell you how it went.”

“Thanks, Bob. Things are moving quickly, and I better get into gear. I’m not nearly ready to go to Texas yet and look for a property.”

Billy didn’t say much during breakfast, and me and Virge could tell he was sad.

Travis noticed and said, “The offer stands, Billy. I said you could come with us to Texas, and I meant it. Your decision.”

“Appreciate it, Travis. I was fairly sure I wanted to stay here and continue on with the sheriff’s job, but now that all of my family is going—for real—I’m not sure I can stay.”

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