Dana, so she can make the planting this season, on June first. Just leave a list of items you need in my office, and I’ll take care of it and have someone drive it out to the Wildflower Ranch for you.”
Nodding, Colin climbed into the cab after pulling on his elk-skin gloves. “Sounds good, boss. I’ll let her know.”
“And get me her cell phone number, will you? Mary’s already called the utility companies to put in electric and telephone, and another construction contractor is coming out to dig out a septic tank for the mobile home. She’s got a plumber and an electrician already set up to put it in what’s necessary before it arrives. Mary says about a week. It’s going to be busy and hectic the first week or two, Colin.”
“I guess so,” he said, shutting the door and rolling down the window. “I’ll be in touch. As soon as I unload all this gear and machinery, I’m going to assess what else she needs out there and I’ll talk it over with you by cell.”
Chase raised his hand. “Sounds good. Adios, compadre.”
Relief flowed sweetly through Colin as he turned on the ignition, the massive truck engine coming to life. As a wrangler, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do around this ranch, but he was well-known for his mechanical knowledge of engines, heavy equipment operation, and carpentry. As the truck rolled out of the driveway, he headed out toward the entrance, making a left turn, having to take this load through Silver Creek. He knew where the Wildflower Ranch was. Often, last summer, he’d hiked the mountains at the back of it. When his PTSD got bad, going into the woods, working with plants and trees, calmed his anxiety and his stress levels lowered. He recalled the small ranch’s history, aware of a family claiming it in the 1900s. Now, this woman, Dana Scott, had bought it.
Who was she? Hold old was she? Did she have a husband and children? Knowing nothing about her made him curious. He hoped she was someone who was easy to get along with. Chase hadn’t said anything about her personality to him. Still, he knew Mary Bishop well enough that she had an eye for good, loyal people who worked hard, were honest and easygoing.
He mentally crossed his fingers, turning onto the main road with his load. The sun was bright and he pulled down the visor, not having his dark glasses with him. Pulling the brim of his Stetson a little lower, he pressed down on the accelerator, heading out for his new job. What would it be like? Could he do it? Always worrying that his PTSD symptoms might interfere, he had no idea if Dana Scott was aware of his unseen wounds.
There was plenty for Colin to worry about as he drove slowly through downtown Silver Creek on a Monday morning at eight a.m. Mary had hired Dana Scott yesterday morning. Less than twenty-four hours later, he was bringing her all the farm equipment she could handle. The question he had was: How much did she really know about farming? Because of his PTSD, Colin was a loner. He didn’t do well in groups of people and especially not a crowd. He was fairly good with one-on-ones, but if this woman hadn’t a clue about farming, he saw that as a hurdle he wasn’t sure he could leap.
As he left the busy morning commute into Silver Creek by those who worked in the busy, industrious little town, Colin pressed down on the accelerator. The ranch was eight miles west of the town on a two-lane asphalt highway. Not that far. He wiped his upper lip with the back of his elk-skin-gloved hand. Feeling anxious, he recognized all the symptoms starting to accumulate in him, making his stomach seize up, and his heart pound a little harder in his chest. He was going to have a woman for a boss, not a man. That was going to take some adjustment, because most of his life he had been around and worked only with men. Trying to tell himself that he’d met Mary many times and genuinely respected her type A personality. He always liked the devilry he saw dancing in her eyes, that quick smile and the way she would pat a person’s shoulder, as if they were a well-loved family member. And no one was more generous than Mary was. Colin had seen her fund a number of start-up small businesses for owners right here in the valley. She wasn’t afraid to invest in people, and believe in them heart and soul.
Was there any possibility that Dana Scott was like that?
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lindsay McKenna is the pseudonym of award-winning author Eileen Nauman. With more than 135 titles to her credit and approximately 23 million books sold in 33 countries worldwide, Lindsay is one of the most distinguished authors in the women’s fiction genre. She is the recipient of many awards, including six RT Book Reviews awards (including best military romance author) and an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award. In 1999, foreseeing the emergence of eBooks, she became the first bestselling women’s fiction author to exclusively release a new title digitally. In recognition of her status as one of the originators of the military adventure/ romance genre, Lindsay is affectionately known as “The Top Gun of Women’s Military Fiction.” Lindsay comes by her military knowledge and interest honestly—by continuing a family tradition of serving in the U.S. Navy. Her father, who served on a destroyer in the Pacific theater during World War II, instilled a strong sense of patriotism and duty in his daughter.
Visit Lindsay at www.LindsayMcKenna.com.