Duane’s Determination (Broken Wheel Ranch #9)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Erin Riceman looked up with a scowl as she walked from one of the barns to the house and saw an unfamiliar pick-up truck pull into the driveway. She stood there and waited for them to stop beside her.

“Help you?” Erin asked as the driver stopped, then rolled down his window. She liked that he put his vehicle in park and shut it off.

“Erin?”

“Yes, do I know you?”

The man exited his truck and after shutting the door held out his hand. “Duane Manchester.”

“Oh, hey,” Erin said in a friendlier voice, and shook the offered hand. “FBI, Scott’s brother.”

“In-law, and yes, I’m with the FBI.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, I was wondering if I could visit with Scott for a couple of days. I have a few days off before I go back to my next assignment. I have some shit to get clear in my head, and I remembered how much Scott has improved since moving here, so…” he said on a shrug as he realized he was babbling.

“Sure, I don’t have a problem with you staying here. Do you know where to go?”

“Not really. The last time I was here we came in the back way, through Ducky’s property.” At her confused look he smiled and clarified, “Taking Royal down.”

“Ah, I remember now. Let me hop into my truck, I wanted to talk to Naomi anyway. Follow me.”

Duane climbed back into his truck and waited for Erin. He got a good look around and liked what he saw. Everything was white, and there were large concrete areas with trailers parked on them, and it looked like it ran efficiently. Though he didn’t know what they actually did, he liked what he saw. He jerked toward the front of the truck when he heard a horn toot, and waved when he saw Erin was ready. He put his truck in drive, and slowly followed her. At the rise, he followed her hand signals and slammed on the brakes, then rolled down his window. He looked over at Erin in shock.

“Holy shit.”

“Thanks,” Erin laughed. She draped her left hand over the steering wheel and pointed out her windshield with her stump as she explained.

“This is the highest point on all forty-six-hundred acres. Behind us, Erin’s Way is up-to-date and modern. Here, Broken is like stepping back into the past. I had it done like this because of the horses.”

“Why? I don’t know if I understand.”

“Erin’s Way breed and sell stallions. I can get into it later, but I also have an on-line business with the horses from Erin’s Way. The Broken Wheel is for horses that well, to say it politely, were broken. All of the horses here I got from the SPCA, or the police when they had to arrest someone for abusing their animals. I was also able to save some from the glue factory. I have found with the people working with them, both the people and the horses have begun to flourish. I’m not saying you have to have a challenge to work here, but it seems to help both the humans and the horses to realize that they both aren’t perfect.”

“I actually understood that.” Duane chuckled as he looked out over the area. He spotted something and frowned as he pointed. “What are those cabins?”

Erin didn’t bother to even look as she answered. “The ones on the left are the ones the ladies and their men live in. The two larger ones are where you stayed when you were here after taking down Royal. The ones on the right are new ones that are being built for anyone new that comes to live here. For example, right now Manny, Ann, Scott, and Julie are staying in one of the cabins. Thankfully. there are four bedrooms, and they only take up two, but it’s working. I have six bedrooms free at the moment, and you are more than welcome to stay by yourself in the empty cabin. I have a feeling Scott would invite you to stay with him and the others, but he’s over at New Double at this time, so I can’t ask him. If you agree, I’ll take you down to the empty cabin to get you settled in.” She looked at the watch on her left hand and nodded. “It’s going on eleven in the morning, they won’t be back to the cabins until sometime around six tonight. Please don’t be offended by what I’m about to say, Mr. Manchester, but you look like shit, and it looks like you need to wind down for a few hours.”

“Please, call me Duane, and you’re right. I feel just like I look. I just finished a nasty case, and I haven’t really processed it. If you’ll show me to the empty cabin I’ll go in and see if I can’t get some rest.”

“Good, and when you’re back to feeling human and catch up with Scott, I’d like to talk to you.”

“Have you talked to Jake Cogburn over at Brotherhood Protectors?”

“Not for a few days, why?”

“No reason.”

“Okay, I’m not being a bitch, but I have things to do, follow me.” Erin nodded as she rolled up the window and took off down the lane. Duane tried to look as he drove, but knew he wouldn’t be able to catch it all, so he concentrated on his driving. Thankfully it wasn’t far because he found that the further he drove, the more tired he became.

As he got out of his truck, he grabbed his go back and followed Erin up the steps. Because he felt better doing it, he paused at the top of the porch steps and looked out at his surroundings. He liked what he saw, it was like the cabins were their own little community. He turned and went into the cabin behind Erin and took her up on her offer to walk around. After touring the entire place, he put his bag in one room, and came back out.

“Here,” Erin said as she handed him a small piece of paper.

“What’s this?”

“The combination to the gun safe. I know you’re packing, but you might want to put it away while you’re here. It’s not that I won’t allow them, it’s just that they aren’t needed. We are a well-oiled machine.”

“I understand,” Duane said as he took the paper from her and looked around with a frown. He saw her beckon him toward the living room, and in the corner he saw the safe. He opened it and took the gun off his hip, out of the small of his back, and from his ankle to put in the safe.

“Damn, that’s a lot of firepower.”

“Thanks, I learnt years ago that your backup needs to have a backup. I can’t tell you how many times over the years one of these babies have saved my bacon.” He shut and locked the safe, then quickly opened it again, just to make sure the numbers he had committed to memory were correct. He looked at her with a grin. “You said they should be back around six?”

“Yes. Do you want me to tell Scott you’re here?”

“Not really, I’m exhausted and wiped out. As much as I want to see him, I think I should try and get some shuteye first.”

“I agree.” Erin laughed along with him and said she would leave him be, but not before showing him where the coffee maker was. “There’s not a lot of perishable food here, but there are plenty of canned goods.” She opened the pantry and laughed at Duane’s expression.

“When Reid moved here, he had just bought groceries before he moved in with me at the main house. I detest green beans and I left them behind. I don’t know if you remember Pru, but she hates peas. It seems like what people don’t like end up here.” She shook her head on a shared laugh, then quickly left. However, she turned at the doorway.

“I really want to talk to you before you leave.”

“May I ask what about?”

“I’ll just say it briefly, but I was thinking of maybe hiring someone to head up a security force for everything I have going on.”

“We’ll, talk, I only have one think to ask.”

“What’s that?”

“Will you teach me to ride a horse?” he asked sheepishly, and told her the same thing he had told Jake earlier. He felt his cheeks heat when she laughed.

“Sorry, I’m not making fun of you, but I can actually picture what you said. Yes, we can teach you to ride. I’m starting to take on clients, so we don’t have to tell them you’re someone learning to ride. We don’t have to get into specifics with them.”

“Thank you, when I have a functioning brain, I’ll come up and talk with you.”

“Not before you rest and catch up with Scott.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said, then chuckled at her look. “Yes, Erin.”

“Better. Sleep well,” she said as she walked out the door and shut it firmly behind her. Because he knew what he needed, Duane went into the room he picked out, grabbed a pair of boxers, and went to the shower. After draining the hot water heater of all the hot water, he got out, barely dried off, and climbed into the bed. He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow. He didn’t even remember if he pulled the blankets up over his head before he fell asleep.

“Whose truck is that?” Scott asked Manny as they climbed tiredly out of their individual trucks and made their way to the cabin. Manny looked over and shrugged.

“No clue, I’ll help you investigate, but not before I shower.”

“Agreed,” Scott said, and the two of them entered the kitchen. As Manny headed toward the room he shared with Ann, Scott opened the refrigerator and started getting things out for supper. By the time Manny returned, he had their dinner simmering on the stove, and went to take his own shower. Less than thirty minutes later, he was back in the kitchen, just reaching for a beer when the door opened and the women, Ann and Julie walked in. Before he could say anything, Julie looked at him with a smile.

“You have company,” she turned, and Scott let out a yell.

“Duane,” he said in excitement as he rushed forward, and grabbed his brother-in-law in a gigantic hug. “What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I never expected to see you so soon.”

“So soon?” Duane laughed as he hugged Scott, and shook Manny’s hand. “It’s been three months since I last saw you in Yellowstone.”

“Holy shit, it’s been that long?”

“Yes.” He took the offered beer, and then smiled at the two beautiful women standing there.

“Duane, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Julie Truman. Julie, this is my brother-in-law, Duane Manchester.”

“Nice to meet you, are you the FBI agent?”

“I am, nice to meet you too,” he said as he shook her hand, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Scott’s expression as he looked at Julie. He was then re-introduced to Ann, and in a flurry of activity, it took about fifteen minutes to get the meal on the table and they wouldn’t allow Duane to help. No one discussed his reason for being there until they settled down to eat.

“So,” Scott said. “Why are you here?”

“One, to see you, two, to make a decision, and three, I really need to talk with you, but that can wait until tomorrow.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Can you tell us what type of decision you have to make?”

“Because of my age, and years in the Bureau, they want me to ride a desk. I didn’t do anything wrong, but they feel that someone in his mid-to upper-forties shouldn’t be in the field any longer.”

“Fuck that,” Manny said with a scowl. “What did you tell them?”

“That’s why I’m here. I have three days of down time, then I have to make my way to my next assignment. I already stopped totalk to Jake Cogburn over at Brotherhood to see if he was hiring. He mentioned that I might want to talk to Erin about hiring on as a security guy.” He shook his head and held up his hand to stop the four of them from saying anything. “I saw Erin when I came in, she’s the one that brought me over to the other cabin. She mentioned she wanted to talk to me about a security position. We have yet to sit down and discuss it, but I wanted to talk with you first, Scott.”

“About?”

“Would you be okay to have me around all the time?”

“Will you be bringing Cara with you?”

“Why the fuck would I have that bitch with me?”

“No clue, but I had to ask. Good answer by the way.” He looked around the table with a grin. At Manny’s scowl he chuckled. “Cara is my sister.”

“Shit, is she out?”

“That’s what I need to talk to Scott about, but later. I know it might be cowardly of me, but I thought if I could work for Erin, then she won’t be able to find me.”

“You’ll also have the entire Delta Team of SEALs at your back, too.”

“Thank you.”

The mood changed and they finished their meal in silence and Duane wouldn’t listen to the women when they said he was a guest and didn’t have to clean up. He helped them, then they disappeared, leaving Scott and Duane alone, and Scott made the suggestion of going outside to the firepit. Duane jumped at the idea, and it wasn’t long before they were settled with a cold beer in one hand, and staring into the flames of the fire.

Scott knew Duane, so he was content to wait until the other man got his thoughts together to talk.