When the Dust Settles – Timing Read Online Mary Calmes

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Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63469 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
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At the moment, since it was four in the morning, not only was Juju not up, but she was not about to eat breakfast. That didn’t seem like a problem, though, since as far as I could tell—after checking around—my earlier conclusion was proven correct. No one was feeding any of the horses. I had to wonder if we were supposed to do it ourselves. If so, I could make sure all the ones in the stable with Juju were fed as well.

I knew there would be hay brought for the horses, and I was a bit concerned that perhaps I wouldn’t be able to stop and feed Juju at her regular breakfast time, when I realized there was no food set out for us either. No one was coming out of the many cabins or the bunkhouse where McNamara’s wranglers slept. It looked more like the middle of the night than early morning on a ranch.

Moving to the porch of the bunkhouse I’d slept in, I took a seat on the top step and waited. Soon the other steps started filling up. Pierce, Chase, and Tom joined me first. Dusty, Rebel, and Ed were next. Pierce introduced me, and Ed and I got acquainted, which was nice. He offered me a granola bar, which I took and put in my pocket for later. Apparently, I was going to need it.

A few minutes later, Rand and Mac showed up with Zach, having taken a walk around and reporting back that we were, in fact, the only ones up.

“What the hell?” Mac said irritably, gesturing at everything.

Rand started to pace then, which I knew was never a good sign.

Then Tom, who’d walked over and checked the wagons, reported that there was nothing in any of them yet as far as food went.

“Is there coffee at least?” Chase wanted to know.

Rand looked at me, and because he did, everyone else did as well.

“Maybe,” I said gently, smiling at Rand, “you should call Ms. Kerr, since she’s the coordinator of this cattle drive.”

“Yeah,” Rand told Mac in turn. “You got all their numbers. Get her on the phone.”

Mac pulled out his cell and then waited, I was guessing, as it rang.

“We can’t start doin’ nothin’ without coffee,” Chase declared.

“Zip it,” I ordered him.

“Yeah, but—”

“To get home by Sunday,” Zach began, glancing at Rand, “we’ll have to drive the cattle in the dark.”

“Which is fine,” I offered quickly, seeing Rand bristle. “We can do that, not a problem. I just don’t know if Mr. McNamara’s men are actual wranglers or not, and definitely the guests shouldn’t be riding in the dark.”

“Godfuckingdamnit!” Rand growled as we listened to Mac asking questions.

Suddenly there were lights on in a cabin across from us, and in another one, to the left of us, lights came on as well. Ms. Kerr came rushing toward us in pajamas with a puffer jacket on over it, and the handsome man from yesterday, now in a robe over sweats and a T-shirt, was jogging toward us as well.

“Mr. Holloway, I’m so sorry for the confusion,” Ms. Kerr said as she reached us. “Today we’ll start at nine and go until five because this is the only day we have the kids with us on the drive.”

Rand didn’t say a word.

Perhaps sensing the storm brewing, Ms. Kerr explained, “They only go as far as the Lone Pine Ranch and stay there to enjoy hiking, picnics, water activities, that sort of thing.”

Rand was rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

“Ms. Kerr,” Mac said, and she turned to him. “If we don’t leave now, we won’t make it to the Lone Pine by tonight.”

“But you talked to my associate, Robin Brady, and I understood we made the necessary arrangements…” She trailed off because evidently, the wires got crossed somewhere.

Robin Brady. I now had a name for the stunning man. It made sense that such a beautiful, fragile-looking man would be named after a bird. It fit him.

Mac turned on Robin. “I told you regular drive times,” he snapped. “Did you get that mixed up?”

“No, but I did mention us starting at nine,” Robin said snidely.

Mac shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”

“Who said what and when isn’t important now,” Ms. Kerr said gently, trying to soothe all the ruffled feathers, then looked at Rand, who was now looking at her like he wanted to be anywhere but there. “What is vital you understand, Mr. Holloway, is that there are young children here, and nine is the time we’re slated to leave.”

Rand took a breath. “At this rate, we won’t be home until midday on Monday. I have a ranch to run, Ms. Kerr. We already started a day early, yesterday, on Wednesday, and now you’re saying that altogether I’m going to be away from home for six days?”



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