Chapter Eighteen
S am woke Saturday morning, his head aching.
Damn the bourbon, he should have stuck to beer.
Neil had challenged him to try a flight at that Copper something bar, and it was game on after that.
Nothing a few aspirin couldn’t cure, though.
Because headache or not, he planned to spend the day with Natalie and Neil, getting cameras set up at the four locations Madison had identified as their best possible viewing spots.
He had a ranch to save and a heart to win.
“Today’s the big day,” Gran said when he paid the kitchen a visit at six thirty.
The others weren’t due for breakfast until nine, but Sam knew he’d need a caffeine fix long before then.
“That it is.” He grabbed a mug and poured himself a cup of java before taking a seat at the table. “We’re gonna catch ourselves a dozen or so on film, I can feel it.”
Gran served up a plate of sausage gravy and biscuits and set it at the table in front of him. He looked at her, confused. Did she think he needed two breakfasts?
“Sorry, Samuel.” She shook her head. “It’s habit.”
Now that his headache had subsided, his stomach had begun to growl. He picked up the spoon with a grin. “No sense in letting it go to waste.”
Gran brought her coffee mug to the table and sat beside him. She remained quiet while he ate, her gaze trained on the window that looked out the side of the room. “What if he doesn’t see them?”
“Pardon?”
“Natalie’s photographer friend. What if he doesn’t see the ferrets? What will we do then?”
Sam reached out and gave his grandmother’s hand a squeeze. “He will. Have faith.”
“I’m trying, son. But it’s not just the ranch that I’m worried about.”
He took in the look of consternation on her face and set his spoon down. “You’re worried about me.”
She nodded.
“And my relationship with Natalie.”
Again, a nod.
“Natalie has a job to do and a career to protect—I know that.”
“But will that bring resentment if she has to see this resort through?”
Would it be easy to keep his emotions in check at the sight of bulldozers and construction lights flooding their skies? Doubtful, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.
This was the conversation he should have been having with her the past few days, not just teasing her about moving out here.
She needed to know how much he wanted her to stay, regardless of whether her company’s resort was built next door or not.
Heck, she was a marketing person in her former job—she could probably give the Flying J tips on how to attract even more guests than before.
Sam looked to his grandmother with a smile. “No, I care too deeply for her.” He gave her hand another gentle squeeze. “Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t constantly pepper her with suggestions on how her company could minimize that resort’s effect on us.”
The anxiety on her brow eased. “So, you’re prepared to stand by her, even if she has to pursue the resort?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then we will, too.” She patted his hand. “The Flying J, we’ll find a way to survive. Now you focus on keeping that heart of yours happy again.”
“Will do.”
He finished his breakfast and headed out to the barn to check the collection of camping gear Gramps and Carlos had gathered, wasting time until the others arrived. Tent. Sleeping bag. Lanterns. Would they even need all this stuff, or would Neil catch the ferrets on camera before nightfall?
“Hey there, handsome.”
He pivoted to find Natalie walking toward him. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
She stretched onto her tiptoes for a good-morning kiss, grinning. “It’s only been a few hours.”
Sam wrapped his arms around her. “If you’d stayed over, it wouldn’t have even been that long.”
“Hmm, I don’t think your daughter would have appreciated waking to find me there.”
“But I would have.” He waggled his brows.
She pushed him away on a laugh. Sam loved that they could tease each other so freely. Now he just needed to make sure she knew how much he loved that.
“How are you feeling? When I dropped you off last night, you looked a little rough.”
“Eh, nothing a few aspirin couldn’t fix.” He winked. “How was your evening?”
Her gaze shifted from his. “Good. Took a bath, climbed into bed. My uncle texted just before I dozed off, said we had bad storms coming today back home.”
She pulled out her cell phone and queued up the radar. Sam drew near and checked the screen over her shoulder. Lots of green with pockets of yellows and reds.
“Are they calling for tornadoes?”
Natalie shook her head. “Not so far, just heavy rain and winds.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
“I know, right?” She pocketed her cell. “Listen, Sam, I stopped out early because there’s something I wanted to talk to you abou—”
Jackson Dean began singing from Sam’s back pocket. He extracted his own cell phone and saw his neighbor Tyler Smith’s name on the screen. Now what was Miss Petunia’s owner doing, calling him this early on a Saturday?
“Morning, Tyler. What’s the word?”
“Sorry to bother you, Sam, but we’ve got ourselves an emergency and could use your help.
One of our ranch hands was doing some work in the foothills this morning, and he and his horse got swallowed up by a sinkhole.
Guessing it was an old, abandoned mining tunnel.
That sucker is deep, maybe twenty feet. Can’t get near the edge of the hole without more dirt coming down. ”
Sam motioned for Natalie to give him a minute and jogged toward the barracks where their ranch hands stayed. “I’ll gather some help and head that way. Did you call 911?”
“Yeah, they’re on their way. Thinking we’re going to need a crane, just don’t know how long it might take to find one and get it out here.
I’m just grateful he wasn’t riding alone.
If Seth hadn’t come flying back to alert us, who knows how long it might have been before anyone went looking for him. ”
By now, Sam was pounding on doors and getting the help to peek their heads out. He explained the situation and told everyone to meet him out front in ten.
“We’ll be there in about fifteen with anything we think might be helpful. Not sure if we can save the horse without a crane, but I’ve got a few ideas to save your man.”
He disconnected and ran back to where he’d left Natalie.
“Sorry, sweetheart, but we’ll have to continue this talk later. Tyler’s got a man and his horse stuck in a sinkhole on the next ranch over, and the clock is ticking before things get worse.”
“Oh God, that’s terrible! Go, the girls and I will help Neil get set up. Be safe and keep us posted.”
Sam pressed a kiss to her crown, appreciating her understanding yet again. This woman was definitely a keeper. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
*
Natalie watched Sam, Carlos, and Howie take off in Sam’s truck, heading out to help Tyler rescue his ranch hand.
Were sinkholes common occurrences around here?
The thought made her shudder. Then again, she’d seen urban sinkholes form in her own town thanks to buried, aging sewer pipes.
But out here, who was there to rescue you from such a thing?
“Neighbors” was Norah’s answer when she asked that at breakfast. “We have a fire station in town, and they can call for backup from other communities, but that takes time. I sure hope Tyler’s guy will be okay.”
“And his horse,” Madison added.
The adults around the table, though, only exchanged worried looks. Something told Natalie the odds of both horse and rider making it back safely weren’t too high.
“So, Neil, how did you sleep last night?” Sunnie asked, changing the subject.
“Like a baby.” He lifted his coffee mug as if toasting. “My compliments to whoever selected that mattress and bedding set. I’ve stayed at luxury resorts with lumpier beds and lower thread counts.”
Across from him, Norah beamed. “We just upgraded those this spring. Glad you enjoyed them.”
“I so did. Looking forward to bedtime tonight already.” On a wink he set his mug down. “Now, let’s talk cameras, shall we?”
Neil reached to the empty chair beside him and produced a pencil bag and what looked like a rolled-up poster.
But as he smoothed it out on the table, Natalie realized it was a three-foot wide aerial photograph of the ranch.
He secured one corner with his mug and one with his empty plate, then looked to Madison, whose eyes were bright with excitement.
“Now, young lady, it’s my understanding you’re the resident black-footed ferret expert?
” At her grin, he reached into the pencil bag, produced a fine-tipped blue Sharpie, and handed it to her.
“Show me where you’ve seen them, so we can figure out the best places to set up my cameras.
I have four high-def, high-res video cameras and plan to set up my still camera at one of those locations each night I’m here until we catch them on film. ”
Madison uncapped the pen and leaned forward. “I can do better than just mark locations. Natalie told us you had four cameras, so Sunday, she, Dad, and I scoped out the areas in person and came up with the best four places to set up your cameras.”
“Excellent!” Neil exchanged a pleased smile with Natalie as Madison marked the four locations. When she finished, he studied the aerial, tapping a finger to his chin. “Do we have access to these places?”
“By four-wheeler,” Natalie said with a nod.
“Perfect. Not as fast as by truck, but we’ll make it work.
” Neil shared what he’d learned online about the ferrets’ habitats and nocturnal behavior, and Madison confirmed those were what she had observed as well.
He studied the map a moment longer then rolled it up.
“I’ll head back to the cabin and collect my things.
Natalie, if you can pack us water and snacks, that will give us more setup time.
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover before dusk. ”
“I’ll get those together for you,” Sunnie offered, rising from her chair.
“Madison, I can—” Natalie’s phone began to ring. She made to silence it, but it was her uncle. Worry settled in her chest. “Hey, Uncle Ralph. Everything okay back east?”
“Well, the first round of storms have passed, but they knocked out power for our entire neighborhood. Power company is saying it could be tonight before it’s back up.”
“Oh no. Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine. I got our generator running then headed over to your place. Sweetheart, your basement’s got six inches of standing water in it. I borrowed a gas-powered portable pump to help drain it, but with more storms on the way and your power being out, too, I’m not sure it’ll keep up.”
She hung her head. “I should have tried harder to replace that battery backup. What should I do?”
“Get on a plane and come back home. You’re going to need to file a claim with your insurance. It’s… not good.”
Get on a plane? Now? She looked around the table and took in the Miles family’s hopeful faces.
But Neil was here, and Sam would be back soon.
Surely, they could handle things while she made a quick trip back.
She just hoped Sam would get back before she left or that conversation she’d tried to have with him this morning on what the future might hold for them would have to wait a little bit longer.
“Okay, I’ll grab the first one I can find. Be careful, and Uncle Ralph? Thanks for all your help.” Natalie disconnected, ran a hand over her hair, and looked to Norah. “What’s the closest airport with weekend flights to Fort Wayne or Indianapolis?”