is Dorothy Crockett at From the Ground Up,” Huey said. “I can get you her number. She’s real busy all the time, but if you explained—”
“We know Dot,” Ranger said, his eyes landing on Ward. “We’ll talk to her.”
“She’s a landscape architect?” Bear asked, not bothering to try to throw his voice down to the men below. “I didn’t know that.”
“Makes two of us,” Ward mumbled, his face heating with embarrassment. He always fell in love too fast. Heck, he didn’t even know the big things about Dot. “I’ll go get her. Maybe she can start right now.”
He walked away from his brother and cousins, leaving Preacher, Ranger, and Bear behind to continue to deal with the city. Inside the house, George trotted over to him for a pat, but Ward barely looked at the dog.
“Dot,” he said, though he didn’t see her. “You still here?”
“Brushing my teeth,” she said, though around the toothbrush it barely sounded like that. Ward waited at the end of the hall while Dot finished, and she smiled at him as she left the bathroom. “What’s up?”
“You’re a landscape architect?”
Dot’s step slowed. “No,” she said. “Who told you that?” She wore confusion in her expression, and she’d left her hair down. Ward folded his arms so he wouldn’t rake his fingers through that hair as he kissed her. There was no time for kissing this morning.
“Huey Howard,” he said. “Said you’re the best in town, and we need someone to analyze our problem and help us get permanent roads in again.”
“I can help with the permanent roads,” she said, dodging into her bedroom and coming back out a moment later with her phone in her hand. “I’ve got an app that measures some things, and back at the office, I have software that helps me make the determinations for the grade, the material needed for that specific incline, and if we’ll need to build up around the road to do it.”
“So you do know how to design roads.”
“I mean, yes?” She made it sound like she was guessing. “I’ve done it before, just not on this magnitude.” She gestured in the general direction of the front of the house. “We did your roads out to the Edge, right? It’s just like that, except it’s on a slope.”
Ward wasn’t sure why his annoyance sang so loudly. “I wish you’d told me that. We could’ve been working on it the past few days.”
“Not without the software,” she said. “And taking measurements is easy. I just need to be down on the road….”
“Not so easy,” he said.
“With the ATVs, it will be,” she said. “You could take one down and over the debris on the main road.”
“You could?”
“Yep,” Dot said. “I’ll do it if you want.” She stepped past him, putting one palm flat against his chest as she did. “I didn’t keep anything from you, Ward.”
“Okay,” he said, turning to follow her. She collected her boots from the mudroom and put them on.
“Let’s go.” She grabbed her jacket and headed out the front door. Ranger and Bear stood near the pair of ATVs, which Ranger had not put away in the garage that now sat between the homestead and Bull House. “Morning, boys,” Dot called.
Ranger and Bear turned toward them, both of them calling good morning back to her.
“I hear you need some help redesigning your roads.” She stopped in front of them, and Bear started talking. Preacher came out of the garage, brushing his hands off. He still limped a little bit, but if Ward didn’t watch for the hitch in his left side, he might not have seen it.
“It measures with a laser,” Dot said, and Ward liked listening to her talk. He’d always liked working with Dot, because she was the best at what she did. “I just need to be down there where they are.”
“I can get you down there,” Ranger said. “We’ll take an ATV and show Bear they’re not useless.” He grinned at Bear like he’d said the funniest thing in the world, but Bear only rolled his eyes.
“I never said they were useless. I said I didn’t want them on the ranch.”
“I bet you’re glad we have them now, aren’t you?” Ranger clapped his hand on Bear’s back as he moved over to one of the ATVs. “Let’s go, Dot. You’re with me.” He climbed on, and Dot met Ward’s eyes for a moment.
He leaned toward her and kissed her quick, right there in front of everyone. “Go be awesome,”