isn’t going to be the end of Shiloh Ridge.” He turned toward Bear and hugged him, clapping him hard on the back. “And guess what, Grizzly? You don’t have to deal with this on your own anymore.”
He released Bear and faced Preacher and Ward. “In fact, we’re not dealing with it at all. We’ll write a few checks while we enjoy our wives and families. These two are taking care of it.”
“He’s got a point,” Ward said, grinning at Bear.
A sea of emotions stormed across Bear’s face. “Thank you both,” he said. “I will be at Bull House at two, though. I can still work just like anyone else.” He turned to leave the conference room.
“I don’t know,” Preacher said with plenty of teasing in his voice. “You’re gettin’ real gray, Bear. You’re like a silverback gorilla.”
“Gorilla,” Ranger said, laughing afterward. “Can we start calling him Ape?” He followed Bear out of the room, Bear snapping back at him to keep all primate comments to himself.
Ward shook his head, though he was glad the mood around the ranch wasn’t buzzing at him to do something, get more done, anymore. Alone in the room, he took a moment to say, “Dear Lord, bless us all here at Shiloh Ridge. Keep us safe. Keep us healthy. Keep us from killing each other.” He chuckled, because he could see some real rifts happening if certain people got cooped up together for too long.
The sound quieted, and Ward leaned his head back against the wall. He had so many more things to say to the Lord. He wanted to know how to deal with Dot. He’d like to know how he really felt about her, and how she really felt about him. He’d like to be at peace with who he was. He’d like to know if his father was proud of him.
Familiar, trembling desperation rose in his throat, and he swallowed against it. He said, “Amen,” and left the conference room too.
Dot waited on the couch in Ranger’s suite, and she jumped to her feet when she saw Ward. “Can I have lunch with you?” she asked.
Ward practically ran at her and took her into his arms. “Of course,” he whispered, thinking that perhaps Preacher was right. He did need privacy with Dot, because he leaned down and kissed her right there in his brother’s suite, and he sure didn’t want anyone to be a witness to that.
Chapter Eighteen
Dot could honestly kiss Ward Glover forever. The man’s lips were made of candy—the soft, sweet kind. He eventually pulled away, and Dot ducked her head to try to infuse some reason into her brain before she looked at him.
“I really do want to eat and shower,” he said. “But not in that order. Shower first. Eat second.” He took her hand and led her toward the exit. “Sound good? I can put a pizza in before I jump in the shower.”
“Sounds great,” she said, though Dot’s hands had started to shake about twenty minutes ago. She wasn’t eating or drinking enough, and she knew it. She told herself that Ward had convenience foods in his house, and she could eat something while he showered and then share lunch with him too.
She needed insulin, but she said nothing. Once again, she could take care of that injection while he cleaned up.
“We lost several turkeys,” he told her as they went down the staircase to the first level of the homestead. “A few cows, though we didn’t find them. They might be out there somewhere, and we’ll get them back. A dozen chickens. Two goats. Four sheep—again lost, but not sure if they’re alive or not. And one pig didn’t make it.”
“I’m sorry,” Dot said, thinking that was a lot of deceased animals to have to deal with. “How’s Nickers?”
“Good as ever.” He smiled at her. “We didn’t lose any horses or dogs.”
“Don’t your dogs live with you?”
“Not the ranch dogs,” he said.
“I saw a couple here,” she said, looking around like Benny or Frost would come trotting over to her.
“Bear’s got a dog named Benny. He’s really his son’s. Link gave him to his mom for her birthday.”
They went outside and down the front steps, bypassing the noise in the kitchen to Dot’s right. The walk from the homestead to Bull House wasn’t long, but Dot already felt so shaky. She said nothing, but her grip on Ward’s hand tightened.
He slowed and looked at her. “Dot, you don’t look good.”
Things could change so fast for