Page 27 of Final Ride

“Not far,” said Travis. “One in Lexington, one in Fayetteville, and the one we liked the best and might offer on is in Round Top.”

“That’s not far,” said Annie. “I go up there all the time antiquing for my stores.”

“Yep. I saw antique stores,” I said. “Quite a few of them.”

“How many acres in the ranch y’all like the best?” asked Lucy.

“Fifteen hundred,” I said. “Bigger than our ranch in Montana, but not huge.”

“Manageable with just me and the boys,” said Travis, “if we don’t have extra boys from juvie, we can handle the work ourselves.”

“Bunkhouse?” asked Annie. “Is it suitable?”

“Yes. That’s one of the selling points for me. Very little I’d have to do to it. Room for eight boys at a time.”

“Love to see it,” said Annie.

“You should have a look before I worry about putting an offer in. Can’t do that anyway until my ranch sells.” Travis lowered his voice. “I could even without, but I don’t want the boys to know that.”

Annie giggled. “Don’t let them know the deep, dark ones, sugar.”

“Nope. I never do.”

The kids took off to the barn to look at the foals and Travis and Annie had an opportunity for a private talk on the porch.

“You worried at all about the club finding out you’re back in Texas?”

Travis shrugged. “Not much. It’s been so long, I doubt they’d spend the time or the money to do anything for payback now.”

“With the clubs, you can never be sure, sugar. Just be extra careful, okay?”

“Yeah. Head on a swivel, Annie-girl.”

After dinner, me and Lucy got a chance to walk down to the river alone.We sat on the sandy bank of theColorado River and listened to the frogs croak and the fish jump. So peaceful. I held her hand and kissed her a few times and never wanted the night to end.

“When you move down here, Harlan, are we going to be allowed to date? Like I mean—out in the open with Mommy and my Daddy and Travis okay with it.”

“I’ve been wondering how Dad and Annie are going to look at it too. Let’s worry about that after we get moved.”

“Yeah. It’s something I worry about all the time.”

“I kind of worry about what your daddy will think of me. He’s a big biker who doesn’t take any shit. Makes me a bit nervous.”

Lucy giggled. “Yeah, he’s a tough guy but when my mom left us down in Victoriaville, he’s the one who raised me with Mommy’s help. I only remember having Annie and Jackson in my life when I was little. Annie’s my real mom.”

“I know she is.”

Martinsburg. West Virginia.

Bobby checked out of the hotel before another day clicked off and he owed more money. “We’re on the road again, Cleo.”

He drove as far as the ramp for the interstate and parked on the shoulder. “We’ll sit here and wait for Tammy to go by. When she does, we’ll see what she’s driving and who’s she’s with.”

Cleo sat with her big head hanging out the window panting while they waited.

Bobby sat with the phone in his hand and watched the red dot on the screen. “Here she comes.”

He started the Jeep, put it into gear and when the red blip went by him, he went down the ramp, changed lanes a couple of times and pulled in two cars behind the old truck Tammy was driving.

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