Page 58 of River Ride

Chuck nodded his head. “Yes, sir, Sheriff Frost.”

“If you want to do something for your dead friends, do that for me and we’ll get justice for Wayne and Brian.”

“I hear what you’re saying, Sheriff,” said Chuck. “Me and Terry will get what you need.”

“I’ll be waiting, Chuck.” Travis held up his cell.

Santa Fe. New Mexico.

Driving south through Santa Fe, Bobby said, “That looks like a nice shady park, Cleo. You want to take a break?”

Cleo wagged her tail, leaned over the console and tried to lick Bobby’s face. “Don’t, Cleo. My face isn’t dirty.” Bobby laughed.

He found a parking area, leashed Cleo and after a long walk through the city park, Bobby sat on a bench in the shade and smoked a couple of cigarettes.

“You ready to go, girl?”

On the way out of the city, Bobby bought lunch at Sonic and ate the burger and onion rings as he drove south into Albuquerque.

Lots of thinking time as he drove, and Bobby decided to pick up the money waiting for him at the real estate office in Huntsville.

“Do you think it’s too risky to drive that close to my old house, Cleo?”

She wagged her tail and Bobby couldn’t tell if it was ayesor ano.

“You can think it over, girl. We won’t get anywhere near there for another day.”

Wild Stallion Ranch. Montana.

Before dinner we saddled the horses, and all of us went for a long ride to the back boundary of our ranch. Luck was on our side and near the back of the thousand acres we saw seven of the wild horses from one of the last remaining herds run across our land.

Manes and tails blowing in the wind as they galloped towards the Rocky Mountains, it wasn’t something you saw every day. That’s why our spread was called Wild Stallion Ranch. Uncle Carson had named it a long time ago.

“That’s a sight to see,” said Travis.

We all reined in our horses to watch the mustangs thunder across our land.

“Amazing sight,” said Rowdy. “Never seen a wild herd like that, Travis. I feel honored to be a witness.”

“Most of the population will never see it,” said Travis. He felt better about himself after Annie had given him his latest calling down and made him shape up. Gave him the courage to answer one of the many texts he’d received from Marilyn Pellegrino.

They’d seen each other at Lucy’s barrel racing competition and exchanged a few words. Since then, Marilyn had texted several times asking him to come over for dinner at her ranch.

Did he want to start seeing her? Not really, but he could go over there for dinner one time—if it would make her happy. She had been good to Tammy and Lucy when they took lessons from her the summer before.

Oklahoma City. Oklahoma.

Bobby chose an older motel and asked for an efficiency unit so he could take better care of Cloe.

“Room twenty, Mister Bowden.” The desk clerk pushed the room key across the counter.

“Thanks.”

Bobby parked the Wrangler in front of room twenty and took Cleo inside. The room was standard with one double bed, but with a tiny kitchen unit in the corner. A few cupboards, counter, sink, fridge and a stove.

“Look at this little kitchen, Cleo. This is going to make feeding you so much easier.”

Bobby opened the cupboard, took out a bowl and filled it with cold water. He set it down on the tile floor for her, then used one of the cups to measure her food into the biggest bowl in the cupboard. “I’m going by the ideal amount listed on the bag for your weight, girl. The guy at the shelter told me you weighed a hundred and twenty pounds.”

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