Page 149 of Lost Then Found
I shove them on, my shoulders aching from the things I did last night. “Bad luck.”
He snorts, hammering a post into the dirt. “More like bad fences.”
I grunt in agreement, setting a new post into place and pulling the first strand of barbed wire taut. “Should hold for now. I’ll get a crew out here later to reinforce the rest of the line.”
Ridge nods, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “Guess we should be glad they didn’t make it all the way to the highway.”
“Wouldn’t have happened if you got your ass out here earlier,” Covey calls, his horse trotting closer, a few head of cattle moving lazily in front of him.
Ridge lifts a middle finger without looking up.
I shake my head, about to say something when my phone vibrates in my pocket. I tug off a glove and pull it out, squinting at the screen.
Miller: Are you free, cowboy?
I exhale sharply, thumbs moving over the screen.
Me: Kinda tied up. What’s up?
There’s a pause, then—
Miller: Found out who the original inspector was for the Bluebell. We need to pay a visit. Then we need to go see if the first report was tampered with.
I frown, rolling my shoulders, glancing at Ridge, who’s already watching me like he knows something’s up.
Me: You can’t go do that by yourself because?
Another pause, then—
Miller: Because if I go alone, I’ll probably make a grown man cry and that just feels unnecessary this early in the day.
I chuckle, shaking my head.
“Something good?” Ridge asks, lifting an eyebrow.
I rub my jaw, staring down at the message as my phone buzzes again—another text from Miller. This time, it’s an address. No explanation, no instructions. Just a dropped pin. Typical.
I lock my phone and shove it back in my pocket.
Ridge is still watching me, brow cocked. “Who’s that?”
“Miller.” I roll my shoulders, stretching out the tension. “She sent an address.”
His interest piques instantly. “Oh, shit. We about to go shake someone down or what?”
I snort. “I gotta help her with something. It’s for the Bluebell.”
Ridge leans on the fence post, crossing his arms. “Then I’m coming with you.”
I glance at him, already knowing where this is going. “No. Someone’s gotta stay here and make sure Covey doesn’t end up in a ditch somewhere.”
Ridge smirks. “Covey can handle himself. You just don’t want me coming because you know Miller won’t be able to resist my charm.”
I let out a dry laugh, picking up my gloves from where I tossed them on the fence post. “Pretty sure Miller would run your ass over before she ever fell for yourcharm.”
He presses a hand to his chest. “That hurts, Boone. Real deep.”
“Look, you could have any woman in Summit Springs. Hell, you couldhave any woman in Montana. But not Lark’s best friend. Pick someone else. Literally anyone else, Ridge.”
