No Ordinary Cowboy. Marin Thomas

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      Chapter Four

      Sunday morning dawned bright and early—too early. Lucy had dropped off the last Pony Express passenger at 3:00 a.m. With only five hours of sleep under her belt, she dragged herself from bed and stumbled into the shower. The lukewarm water revived her, and thoughts of her first bull-riding lesson with Tony washed away the remaining vestiges of sleep.

      She dressed quickly and pulled her damp hair into a ponytail before leaving her room and following the scent of freshly brewed coffee through the house. Today marked the two-year anniversary of her brother’s death. Bracing herself, she entered the kitchen, where her mother flipped pancakes at the stove and her father read the newspaper at the table.

      “Good morning, Lucy.” Her mother smiled.

      “Morning.” Lucy fetched the orange-juice pitcher from the fridge, poured herself a glass and sat at the table across from her father. “Good morning, Dad.”

      An unintelligible grunt echoed from behind the paper.

      “Thanks,” Lucy said when her mother placed a plate of bacon and a stack of pancakes on the table. Sunday was the one day of the week her mother cooked—the housekeeper had the day off.

      “Is scrambled okay?” her mother asked.

      “No.”

      “Sure.” Lucy spoke at the same time as her father.

      “You’ll eat whatever I put on the table, Cal.”

      Yeah, Mom. Lucy hid a smile behind a fake cough. Her father was the stereotypical spoiled, wealthy man who loved being coddled, but Lucy’s mother drew the line at bending over backward to please her husband.

      “Is Hector feeling better?” She whisked eggs in a bowl then poured them into a frying pan.

      Taking her cue from her parents, Lucy pretended this was just another ordinary day. “I hope so.” She yawned. “I’ll call him after breakfast.” Her father ignored the conversation, continuing to read the paper while his food grew cold.

      “What are your plans today?” her mother asked, setting the scrambled eggs on the table and taking a seat.

      “I need to drop off the van at Hector’s and pick up my truck.” Lucy shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth and contemplated how to broach the subject of granting Tony access to the ranch. She tapped a finger against the newspaper. Her father folded one corner down and stared.

      “Heard any news on the human-trafficking ring?” Lucy asked.

      “I spoke with Jim Fencel.” Mr. Fencel was a member of the Arizona State Legislature. “He said the border patrol gets leads all the time that are dead ends.”

      “What if this one isn’t a dead end and Mexican gang members are transporting kidnapped girls across the ranch, Cal?” Lucy’s mother joined the conversation.

      “Border patrol helicopters fly over the ranch once a week and use heat-sensing cameras to track any movement on the ground. If there was activity on our property they would have notified me by now.”

      The Durango Ranch encompassed 126 square miles and the area near the mine was dotted with thick scrub, offering ample cover for trespassers. A helicopter could fly overhead and not spot a thing. “It’s your civic duty to allow the border patrol access to the ranch,” Lucy’s mother said.

      “My civic—”

      “Cal,” she interrupted. “They’re helpless little girls.” She buttered a slice of toast. “And we can’t have our name associated with that kind of illegal activity.” Of course her mother would be concerned with protecting the Durango name.

      “Dad, if cartel members believe our ranch is a safe haven and inaccessible by the border patrol, then it’s only a matter of time before they grow bolder and rob the house or steal our vehicles.”

      “You’re being melodramatic, daughter.”

      “When was the last time you drove to the mine?” Lucy asked.

      “I don’t remember.”

      “Eat.” Her mother pointed her fork at the remaining food on Lucy’s plate.

      Ignoring the СКАЧАТЬ