Packing
That evening, over a late dinner, Maria, Dad, and Grandma talked about the Montana plan. There were many things for Maria to do before she left. The first thing was contacting Patricia Austin about the job.
“I guess I’ll write her a letter,” Maria said. “After all, I’m not leaving for a couple weeks. She’ll have plenty of time to get the letter before I get out there.”
“Well, I think I ought to get in touch with your Uncle Russell,” Dad said. “Your Grandma Austin didn’t give you much information. You’ll want to know more about this job before you get there.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Maria said. “Also, I’d better learn what I need to bring, and where I’ll be staying, and all that. I mean, maybe I’ll have to bring my own soap and towels and everything.”
“I doubt that,” Dad said. “They’ll put you in the ranch house. You’re family, and that house is enormous. Besides, at least when I was there, they didn’t have a lot of female employees. I think they have a bunkhouse for the guys, and the women either drive in from town or live in the main house.”
“George, instead of you and Maria doing all this speculating, you could just call Patricia,” Grandma suggested. “She’s not a wolf. She won’t bite your head off, especially over the phone.”
Dad shook his head. “She won’t talk to me. I’ll ask Russell. Unless Maria wants to call Patricia.”
Maria’s stomach plummeted. Talking on the phone already made her shy. No way was she going to call her grandmother in cold blood like that.
“Dad, would you please talk to Uncle Russell?” Maria asked. “I’ve never talked to Grandma Austin in my life. I’d rather meet her face-to-face instead of talking on the phone.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to Russell. He’ll know something, and if he doesn’t, he can ask Patricia himself.”
§
Maria’s Uncle Russell was informative, and, according to Dad, excited to meet his niece.
He arranged everything with Maria’s Grandma Austin—where she would stay (a spare bedroom in the big house), a general job description (work in the ranch kitchen, supervised by ranch cooks Jessie and Rob), and how much she would make working at the ranch (more than she had made at the Virginian).
That was all good. Maria still hadn’t heard directly from Grandma Austin, but that was probably too much to expect.
She still didn’t know why her grandmother had invited her, especially in such a cold manner.
Uncle Russell assured Dad that Maria would have a good time with her cousins, the twins Annabelle and Elijah.
Secretly, Maria doubted that. She’d looked them both up on social media, and they didn’t seem likely to become friends with her.
Annabelle seemed popular and stuck-up, and Elijah seemed blasé and mostly interested in traveling.
“You can’t judge a person by their social media page,” Dad told her when she voiced her hesitations to him one evening.
“I know, but sometimes you can learn a lot about a person from their page,” Maria said between a yawn.
It was late, Maria having been stuck working Heather’s shift again.
That girl was always missing for some reason or other.
It was awful taking the later shift when Maria had already been there since morning, and tonight she was so tired she couldn’t face the thought of getting ready for bed.
Her two weeks couldn’t be up soon enough.
“Even if the twins and I don’t really click, at least I’ll try to get along with them,” Maria said. “I might not see them much. I don’t think they work in the kitchen, and that’s where I’ll be most of the time. I’m hoping I get a chance to explore the ranch though.”
“Your mother and I liked watching the sun set over the mountains,” Dad said. “Down the hill from the ranch house, below the trout pond, there’s a gap in the hills, and you can look over the water through the gap to the mountains.”
“I’ll look for it,” Maria promised. “I wish you and Grandma could come with me.”
He shook his head. “It’s time for you to do this on your own. Besides, what would the police force do without me?”
Maria grinned. “They’d probably fall apart.”
“Besides, your Grandma Austin would boot me out as soon as she saw me.” Dad grinned wryly. “She’s never forgiven me for not sending you out there when you were three.”
Maria got up to hug him from behind at his computer chair. “Dad, I’m so glad you didn’t send me out there. I wouldn’t trade my life growing up with you for anything.”
“Me neither, Princess.” He squeezed her hand. “Well, you’re grown up now, and I think it’s time for you to branch out. Your grandma and I will be here when you get back.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Maria said. “You’re the best.”
“I’ve got the best daughter, too,” he said.