Saddle Up(80)

“He’s a drifter and an opportunist if ever I saw one,” Robert said. “A damned wolf in sheep’s clothing! That’s what I see.”

“Well, I’m not going to stand by and watch Mama get fleeced. Dear God!” Judith said tearfully. “The two of them are plotting to take over the ranch. We can’t let this happen, Robert.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

“But what are we going to do?” she asked.

“We’ll start by calling Marvin,” Robert said. “He should be able to fill us in on what’s happening here. I certainly don’t trust this Keith guy.”

“And then what? How are we going to convince Mama to come to Phoenix?” Judith asked.

“She needs to be made to see that she’s bitten off way more than she can chew.”

“But I’ve already tried that, and she won’t listen. I haven’t been able to talk any sense into her.”

“If we can’t convince her, I have something in mind that should put an end to all this horseshit,” Robert answered. “Just trust me. I’ll handle it.”

I’ll handle it? What the hell did that mean? Keith waited, but the voices faded away. When it appeared they weren’t going to say any more, he rapped on the door. “It’s Keith. I’ve got your luggage.”

“Just a minute,” Judith answered seconds later, swinging the door open and inclining her head as if he were her porter. “Just put it right there on the bed.”

“Sure. No problem.” After dropping off the four large bags, he headed back downstairs.

What were they up to? No good, for certain. And what did this guy Marvin have to do with it? Maybe it was none of his business, but then again, if anything threatened Miranda, he’d damned sure make it his business.





Chapter 27


“More potatoes, Keith?” Jo-Jo asked, extending the bowl before he could reply.

“Thank you.” Keith took up the serving spoon and dug in for his third helping. “These are really great, Miz Sutton. The whole meal is.” He’d forgotten how good a real holiday meal could be. He couldn’t even remember the last one he’d eaten at home in Wyoming. The only thing missing was fry bread.

“I bought the biggest fresh bird I could find,” Jo-Jo said. “I never buy frozen turkey.”

“We always got ours fresh too, straight from the fields,” Keith said.

“You’re a hunter?” Robert asked.

“Yes,” Keith replied. “Almost everyone hunts on the rez. Our family rarely buys meat. We fish and bow hunt for it. My grandfather taught me when I was young. He prefers the old ways.”

“You should see him throw a knife,” Miranda gushed. “He’s incredible.”

“Knife throwing?” Judith laughed. “Doesn’t seem like a very practical skill.”

Miranda looked up from her plate where she’d been pushing her food around. “It is when you’re faced with a Mojave rattler,” she remarked with a shudder.

“When did you encounter one of those?” Robert asked.

“When I was in the Calico Mountains, filming a wild-horse roundup,” Miranda explained. “Keith was working as the head wrangler for the livestock company when I went out there to film. I was gathering firewood when I came across the snake. It was poised to strike when Keith impaled it with his hunting knife.”

“Is that really true?” Robert asked skeptically.

“Yes,” she said. “That’s how Keith and I got together. But it wasn’t just killing the snake that did it for me. It wasn’t even after our encounter with a hungry mountain lion. It was before all that, when he called in a helicopter to save a dying foal.” Miranda’s gaze skittered across the table to snag Keith’s. “I think I knew even then that I was falling in love. Saving my life only clinched it.”

Although voiced playfully, her confession made his heart slam against his chest. Her gaze held his steadily, and for a suspended heartbeat they were the only two people in the room. Hell, maybe the only two in the world.

“So that’s how you met?” Judith asked.

“Not quite,” Miranda said. “We were first introduced when Keith was conducting one of his clinics in California.”

“Clinic?” Robert’s brows rose. “Are you a physician, Keith?”

Keith shook his head with a laugh. “Not that kind of clinic. I’m an equine behaviorist…” He looked to Miranda. “Or I was.”

“A horse shrink?” Robert released a snort. “Is that even a real job?”

Ignoring the heat creeping up his neck, Keith responded levelly, “Yes. I traveled the country conducting clinics on how to manage problem animals, although in reality, the horses weren’t usually the problem. Most behavioral issues are caused by owners who don’t understand them.”

Judith chortled. “And they actually paid you for this?”

“Quite well. I spent the better part of three years touring in Europe.”

“Oh.” Judith’s mouth snapped audibly shut.

“Is that still your primary occupation?” Robert asked.

“No,” Keith replied, slanting a look at Miranda. “I gave it up almost two years ago. Since then, I’ve been wrangling mustangs.”