Page 72 of Deadly Evidence
Hot and desolate and dry, the land here was just about as inhospitable as it came, yet it held its own wild beauty as well.
Soon he would be leaving this for the confines of a cityscape, with concrete buildings crowding out the sky, shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, and heat radiating up from the asphalt.
The thought filled him with regret.
But the thought of leaving Anna behind filled him with far deeper emotions that were better left unspoken.
With each week he’d come to admire her more—less for her quiet beauty than for her strength and intelligence, and the streak of pure determination that could be as frustrating as it was admirable.
She’d become withdrawn, as though determined to put that last kiss out of her mind. It was nothing more than he deserved. Yet holding her in his arms replayed constantly through his own. The soft scent of her. The smooth satin of her skin...
Shaking off his thoughts, he checked his e-mail one last time, waited—then sighed and shut down his laptop.
Another day lost.
Yet it was a reprieve as well...it meant another day at the Triple R. For what it was worth, he always put in a good day’s work as a ranch hand, and at night he was often on patrol.
When he finished this job, he was going to need a solid week of sleep just to catch up.
By the time he got out to the kitchen, Lacey had already left for the school bus, Dante was wolfing down his last bite of pancakes and sausage, and Mia was picking at her food, her gaze fastened on the pancakes in front of her.
Anna, at the end of the table, had pushed her half-eaten breakfast away and was studying the livestock reports in the paper.
Vicente glanced over his shoulder at Brady and began piling a plate high.
“So, Mia,” Brady said as he sat down across from her. “Saturday is the day?”
She nodded without looking up.
“What time does your bus leave?”
“Four.”
Anna turned another page of the newspaper and looked up at her. “We’ll miss you, Mia. It’s been great having you here.”
“I appreciate you letting me stay with you. It’s been wonderful.” Her gaze skated over to Dante, then dropped to her own plate. “I even learned how to ride, a little, so that was sure fun.”
Anna gave her a knowing glance. “You know, I don’t think you ever got to see much of this ranch, did you?”
Mia shrugged. “I know you’re all busy. That’s okay.”
“I need to stay around here today, since I’m expecting a buyer to stop in. Dante, could you take Mia out for a ride this morning? I won’t have time, and I would sure appreciate it.”
Dante’s fork clattered against his plate. “Um...sure.”
“You could maybe check the mother cows and calves up on the nearby ridge, and take along a lunch, if you wanted to. Saddle Frosty for her, okay? Just don’t go very far.”
He nodded and pushed his chair away from the table. “No problem.”
Mia flashed Anna a smile of pure gratitude after Dante went out the back door. “I was hoping I’d have a chance to ride again. This is so cool!”
“There’s all sorts of food in the refrigerator. Grab whatever looks good and be sure to take some bottled water. There are some ice packs in the freezer. And look in the lower cupboard—there should be some insulated lunch packs that will fit in your saddlebag.”
Mia launched to her feet and bustled around the kitchen, and in minutes she was out the door as well.
Brady set aside his plate and braced his elbows on the table, steepling his fingertips in front of his chin. “That was pretty slick, Anna.”
“Mia has seemed so forlorn.” Anna’s smile turned wistful. “It’s broad daylight now, and giving her a last little adventure was the least I could do. I’m also slipping some money in her luggage. She worked hard when Vicente was laid up.”
