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We stayed until the band quit playing and I walked Glenda out to her car. I kissed her beside her Toyota and told her I had a good time. Mostly a lie, but that was about all I was prepared to do.

“I gave you my number, Travis. Don’t be afraid to use it.”

I smiled.

Billy and Brenda had other plans that they didn’t share with me. Maybe Glenda knew what her sister was up to but I sure didn’t want to know.

I drove home alone, stoked up the woodstove and flopped into bed.

Chapter Seven

Sunday, October 14th.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

I got out of bed to let the dogs out and I could see my breath. The house was freezing cold. The wide pine boards on the floor were a killer on bare feet and I was surprised they weren’t wearing a coating of ice.

There was no Billy chopping kindling like a maniac and starting the wood stove to take the chill off. I admitted to myself I was a little spoiled from having Billy around.

“Wherever Brenda lives, that must be where Billy is.”

First thing I did when the dogs went out for a run was brew the coffee. Then I tried my hand at getting the wood stove started. It was a pleasant surprise to find a basket of kindling already chopped and waiting for me.

Kudos to Billy for that one.

When the house started to warm up a few degrees and I stopped shivering, I poured myself a coffee and sat down at the kitchen table to plan my day.

Sunday was my day off, and I wanted to clean Outlaw’s stall, brush him down real good—mane to tail—and spend a little time in the barn with him. He’d been standing in his stall for days and it wasn’t even officially winter yet.

This was called autumn in Montana and they could keep it.

My cell was lying on the table beside me while I thought about what I wanted to cook myself for breakfast. A text came in and made me jump.

“Thanks for last night. I had fun.”

I stared at the screen at first wondering who the hell it was, then when I thought of Glenda’s name I didn’t know what to say to her. Truth: I didn’t want to say anything.

“Me too.”

“Will you call me later?”

I had to think about that question a little longer. Did I want to call Glenda later? Nope. Sure didn’t. So of course, I typed…

“Okay.”

“Jeeze, Louise, what kind of idiot am I?” I jumped to my feet suddenly deciding not to cook breakfast until I’d been to the barn and back.

After feeding my horse and having to thaw out his water supply, I was angry and actually starving.

Back in the chilly house, I whipped up bacon and eggs and made a mountain of toast.

Next came a job I hated with a passion—driving down to Coyote Creek to the station on my day off to feed the goddamned prisoners.

Molly got their breakfast for them most days but she certainly wasn’t compelled to do it on the weekend. That job was on me or Billy.

I whistled for the dogs, bundled up in my Montana winter wear and stomped out in the frigid weather to start my truck.

The dogs were in the back seat ready to go and at first the engine wouldn’t turn over. I cursed and hollered and then it started right up. Remember that for next time.