about Morty Moore, then hung up. “Morty worked seasonally with the cattle. Spring season is big for when we brand and castrate the calves.”
Chopping off calf balls. Good times.
“Is he here today? I’d really like to talk to him.” I knew he wasn’t here as I’d talked with the man in the stable. What would Dex say?
“The resource manager said Morty hasn’t shown up for work in over a week.” Dex shrugged his shoulders. “It happens. Turnover around here in some jobs, like working with the cattle, is pretty high.”
I was disappointed. A dead end. Or was it? I’d seen Morty two nights ago fleeing my house. Ty had confirmed that Morty’s parents hadn’t heard from him in a week. He hadn’t been to work in a week either. Were Ty and I the last to have seen him?
“Sure. Thanks for your help.” I offered a quick smile and turned to walk away.
“Where’s the vial now?” Dex asked in a friendly voice.
I turned back around. “Freezer. I’m guessing it’s no good for you anymore so I’ll just throw it out.” I lied. I hadn’t put it in my freezer. I’d have to buy a new one if I had. To save myself the expense, I chucked it into the trash can.
He gave a brief nod and gently took my arm. He obviously didn’t care one way or the other about the missing vial. “I’ll give you a tour before you go.”
It seemed Dex didn’t ask, he told. He steered me away from the ring and toward a side door. “Um, okay.” Looked like I was going to get a tour of a horse ranch. Whether I wanted to or not.
Although if I put up a stink I knew Dex would let me leave. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who liked to make a scene. The tour probably wasn’t a bad idea though. I might learn something about the vial and Morty’s interest in it. I knew less than nothing now about the whole business. I wouldn’t have minded being asked though. Bossy, bossy.
“So did you start this ranch all on your own? It’s very impressive,” I asked, trying to make small talk. Nothing like boosting up a man’s ego. If I was going to stick around, it made sense to learn something, and do it with a man willing to talk. Dex might help me, unknowingly, learn more about Morty and help track him down.
Dex still had his hand on my arm, his skin warm in contact with mine. The initial attraction, that fantasy zing, was all gone. He might be super handsome, but that was it.
“My parents were cattle ranchers on this land since the fifties. I found a passion for horses and added the equine enterprise to the ranch.”
“Are your parents still involved in the property?”
“They’ve been dead a long time. What about you? What do you do with yourself? I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
We’d left the horse arena, cut through the bright sunshine and approached a third building. This one was smaller, about fifty feet square. It too, had gray siding and green trim. All of the buildings matched.
“Um, no. I’m a widow.”
Dex stopped in his tracks and gazed down at me. “Good. Wouldn’t want to fight a husband for you.”
My brain stalled. Good? That I was a widow? He didn’t want to fight a husband for me? Yikes! I’d known the man less than ten minutes. He was serious. I could tell from the look in his eye. Like a predator ready to pounce on his prey. Gross.
“Boss!” a man in a green ranch shirt called from the door. “We’re ready.” Dex let go of me and raised his arm in response. The man ducked back inside.
Dex broke eye contact with me. Phew!
“I really need to get back,” I said. “I don’t want to interrupt your day.”
“You’re not interrupting anything. I don’t get beautiful guests very often.” He smiled down at me then started walking, heading toward the man who called to him. “What do you do for a living?” he asked over his shoulder.
Obviously I was supposed to follow. “I…um…run Goldilocks in Bozeman.” I had to walk quickly to keep up with his long stride.
“Goldilocks?”
Chopping off calf balls. Good times.
“Is he here today? I’d really like to talk to him.” I knew he wasn’t here as I’d talked with the man in the stable. What would Dex say?
“The resource manager said Morty hasn’t shown up for work in over a week.” Dex shrugged his shoulders. “It happens. Turnover around here in some jobs, like working with the cattle, is pretty high.”
I was disappointed. A dead end. Or was it? I’d seen Morty two nights ago fleeing my house. Ty had confirmed that Morty’s parents hadn’t heard from him in a week. He hadn’t been to work in a week either. Were Ty and I the last to have seen him?
“Sure. Thanks for your help.” I offered a quick smile and turned to walk away.
“Where’s the vial now?” Dex asked in a friendly voice.
I turned back around. “Freezer. I’m guessing it’s no good for you anymore so I’ll just throw it out.” I lied. I hadn’t put it in my freezer. I’d have to buy a new one if I had. To save myself the expense, I chucked it into the trash can.
He gave a brief nod and gently took my arm. He obviously didn’t care one way or the other about the missing vial. “I’ll give you a tour before you go.”
It seemed Dex didn’t ask, he told. He steered me away from the ring and toward a side door. “Um, okay.” Looked like I was going to get a tour of a horse ranch. Whether I wanted to or not.
Although if I put up a stink I knew Dex would let me leave. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who liked to make a scene. The tour probably wasn’t a bad idea though. I might learn something about the vial and Morty’s interest in it. I knew less than nothing now about the whole business. I wouldn’t have minded being asked though. Bossy, bossy.
“So did you start this ranch all on your own? It’s very impressive,” I asked, trying to make small talk. Nothing like boosting up a man’s ego. If I was going to stick around, it made sense to learn something, and do it with a man willing to talk. Dex might help me, unknowingly, learn more about Morty and help track him down.
Dex still had his hand on my arm, his skin warm in contact with mine. The initial attraction, that fantasy zing, was all gone. He might be super handsome, but that was it.
“My parents were cattle ranchers on this land since the fifties. I found a passion for horses and added the equine enterprise to the ranch.”
“Are your parents still involved in the property?”
“They’ve been dead a long time. What about you? What do you do with yourself? I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
We’d left the horse arena, cut through the bright sunshine and approached a third building. This one was smaller, about fifty feet square. It too, had gray siding and green trim. All of the buildings matched.
“Um, no. I’m a widow.”
Dex stopped in his tracks and gazed down at me. “Good. Wouldn’t want to fight a husband for you.”
My brain stalled. Good? That I was a widow? He didn’t want to fight a husband for me? Yikes! I’d known the man less than ten minutes. He was serious. I could tell from the look in his eye. Like a predator ready to pounce on his prey. Gross.
“Boss!” a man in a green ranch shirt called from the door. “We’re ready.” Dex let go of me and raised his arm in response. The man ducked back inside.
Dex broke eye contact with me. Phew!
“I really need to get back,” I said. “I don’t want to interrupt your day.”
“You’re not interrupting anything. I don’t get beautiful guests very often.” He smiled down at me then started walking, heading toward the man who called to him. “What do you do for a living?” he asked over his shoulder.
Obviously I was supposed to follow. “I…um…run Goldilocks in Bozeman.” I had to walk quickly to keep up with his long stride.
“Goldilocks?”
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