From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,63
way would Nikki be able to leave early. She might’ve been in a more pleasant mood if Trace had come to the bar to wait for her, but she was still glad she talked him into meeting her at the Lone Wolf. It turned out he was working late, anyway. He’d traded an early morning chore with one of the Sundance hands who wanted to play poker. That meant they could sleep in. He was going to need the rest, she thought, smiling. She hoped they both would.
“Glad to see you won’t be a sourpuss again tonight.” Sadie glanced at the order ticket Nikki set down along with her tray. “After being such a delight when you’d nagged me to let you come back to work.”
“I haven’t bitten off a single head yet, now have I?”
Grinning, Sadie grabbed bottles of tequila and whiskey and started pouring. “Heck, I just figured you being grouchy was on account of your trip to Kalispell, but I didn’t want to say anything for fear of my life.”
Nikki stared in astonishment. “How do you— No, you can’t know.”
Sadie laughed.
Nikki groaned. “This town is unreal...half the time I swear I’m being punked.”
“Being what?”
The door opened, and Nikki turned to see who was coming to torment her now. Tall, lean, mid-to-late thirties, wearing faded jeans and boots like every other cowboy in the place... She didn’t recognize him.
“Hell, look what the cat dragged in.” Staring at the man, Sadie cocked her head to the side. “What are you doing around these parts? It can’t be roundup time again.”
His lazy smile disappeared in a flash. “Christ, Sadie, now you’re gonna give me shit about that. And here I came in for a beer and a sympathetic ear.”
“Since I don’t know what on earth you’re talking about, I have no response.”
“Something slipped past you?” Nikki pretended to be shocked. “Wow. This has to be some kind of record.”
Sadie narrowed her eyes. “Watch yourself, missy.”
“Don’t have to.” Nikki smiled sweetly and picked up her tray. “It seems everyone else around here does it for me.”
Sadie shook her head. “Aaron, this is Nikki, Matt Gunderson’s sister. You know Matt, don’t you?”
“Know of him, that’s it.” Touching the rim of his hat, Aaron gave Nikki a quick smile. “I was hoping I’d find Trace here,” he said, glancing around. “Either of you seen him?”
“Not tonight.” Sadie nodded at Nikki. “You must know where he is.”
“Home.”
Aaron gave her a closer look. “You expecting him here later?”
“No, he’s working. Sorry, but I have drinks to deliver.” She left with her tray, her mind racing. Whoever this guy was if he did anything to screw up their night she would just scream.
“What’s Aaron doing here?” Eli Roscoe asked, when she dropped off his beer.
“I have no idea. Who is he?”
“A government guy...works for the Bureau of Land Management.” The older man squinted under his bushy graying eyebrows. “He has something to do with rounding up mustangs living on public land. About the only time we see him around here is when he’s looking for the McAllister boys to help.”
Sitting across from Jerry at the next table, Chip said, “Too soon for another roundup, isn’t it?”
“I ain’t got an opinion on the matter,” Eli said, “but I know Jesse McAllister thinks so, and I believe Trace is still straddling the fence on the issue. Says he’s got more reading to do but my feeling is that he’s got the same notion as Jesse. If Aaron’s looking for their help, he’s not gonna get it this time.”
Nikki delivered more beers and shots, swinging around so she could keep an eye on Aaron. He was leaning on the bar, drinking from a mug and talking to Sadie.
“Just last week Trace told me he didn’t think they’ve given the sterilization program enough time,” Jerry said. “Infertility treatments were given to the Pryor Mountain horses along the Montana-Wyoming border. They’re hoping that’ll stabilize the size of the herd, but he said it’s too soon to tell and we got no business removing horses until we know more.”
“Hell, I’ll admit I don’t know crap about what’s been going on,” Chip added. “But I’ll side with Trace. You know him, he’s smart and always reading up on things. I’ve never known him to go in half-cocked on something.”
Other customers who’d overheard the conversation weighed in, most of them agreeing it was too early for another roundup. What Nikki found fascinating was how much these men respected Trace’s opinion, even the old-timers. They