Page 20 of Moonlight Over Montana

Briefly, her eyes widened before returning to normal. “Don’t you have plenty to do around here?”

“The guys will pitch in. This time of year, things are kind of slow and nothin’ worse than hanging around, so people will be happy to help out. Even if it’s mucking stalls.”

Her face brightened. “I’d love company and I’ll even buy you lunch if you can help me wrangle a great deal.”

He tipped his hat up from his head and rested his boot-clad foot on the porch railing, as if striking a pose for a photo. “Oh, I can wrangle almost anything—cows, horses, or a car salesmen. I’m your man.”

“Well, then that’s settled.” She took a step back to the cabin door and yelled, “Susie, put a wiggle on it. We’re gonna be late.”

A muffled coming reached his ears. “I’ll meet you back here in two minutes. I just need to let Zak know he’s in charge today.”

“Better still, I’ll pick you up at the barn and it’ll shave off a few precious seconds.” She bobbed her head toward the cabin. “That’s if little miss can get a move on.”

He chuckled and jogged down the steps and if he was a betting man, he’d be at the truck before Susie.

After dropping Susie at River Junction High School, Jed stopped at Coops’ gas station to fill up. Maggie hopped out and inserted her credit card into the machine before he could get his wallet out. “Coffee’s on me too, but do you need a snack?”

Typically, if he’d been out and about early, the diner would have been his go-to place for a muffin, but this would have to do. “Doughnut, if there are any left.”

She hadn’t asked how he liked his coffee since it was something she’d been watching him fix for years. Working the gas pump, Jed looked down the road, away from where the burned-out remains of the diner sat waiting for the go-ahead to get cleanup going. Maybe Maggie would hear something today. Before he was finished, she came back, dangling a white bag looped around her finger and two cups of coffee.

“I scored the last two jelly doughnuts.”

He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. “My favorite.”

“Why do you think I got them? Taking the day to hang out with me has to have its rewards too.”

What she didn’t realize spending the day with her wasn’t a hardship. She got in the passenger side, and he watched through the window as she put the bag on the console and turned back the plastic lid on their coffee cups. Then she placed a napkin on the driver’s seat. He laughed to himself. She really did like things neat, even in a work truck.

Once he pulled out onto the road, he picked up the coffee. He had never been good at small talk and wasn’t sure how to start the conversation that needed to carry them all the way to Bozeman.

“Thanks for offering to be my sidekick today. I hate shopping for vehicles and try to make my cars last as long as possible so I don’t have to subject myself to this very often.”

“When was the last time you did?” He glanced her way, noticing she now had sunglasses shielding her pretty blue eyes.

“Ten short years ago.” She flashed him a smile as she handed him the powdered sugar-covered treat.

He placed the napkin she had left for him on his leg and then said, “Thanks.” The first bite had sweet raspberry jelly squirting from the opposite side and landed with a sticky plop on the napkin. What was she, a fortune teller?

She handed him another napkin and grinned. “I hate when that happens, don’t you?”

“Yeah, a waste of good filling.”

As they drove down the two-lane highway, each licking off the last of the powdered sugar from their fingertips, Maggie’s cell rang. She glanced at the screen and then at Jed. “It’s Tye Blackstone.” She pushed the connect button. “Hello, Sheriff.”

Jed tightened his grip on the steering wheel and stared out the windshield, watching the mile markers slip by. He wished the call was on speakerphone as he was anxious to know what had been discovered.

“I see.”

Maggie was clenching and unclenching her right hand, so he was gleaning the conversation was worse than he imagined. “Okay, so where do we go from here?” She nodded and now her shoulders slumped. “Alright. Jed and I are headed to Bozeman, but we’ll be back this afternoon. I can swing by your office later if you’ll be there.”

She glanced his way and he nodded, affirming they could stop by.

“Alright. I’ll call when I have an ETA. Thanks for your help.”

She dropped the phone into her lap and didn’t speak for several minutes. He wasn’t in any hurry and certainly not about to pressure her. When she was ready to fill him in, she would.

Silence hung heavy in the cab of the truck and after another five minutes passed, he glanced at her. Not surprising, tears were sliding down her face. He held out his hand and she clasped it, squeezing hard.

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