Forever And A Day (Montana Brides, Book #7) Read Online Free PDF Page B

L. By the time you’re ready to leave you’ll be used to living by the seat of your pants. You won’t want to see another schedule again.”
    “There’s nothing wrong with being organized.”
    “Didn’t say there was.” Jordan grinned. “But a little ruffling of the feathers is good for the soul.” He glanced down at his watch and turned to the Buchanans. “Five minutes, folks, then we’re heading back to the barn.”
    Sarah hadn’t moved from beside him. “If you need a hand mounting Daisy, let me know.” He winked at her and left her standing on the plateau.
    From the expression on her face, he’d say she wasn’t too interested in having her feathers ruffled. He’d leave her to think things through, maybe do a little scheduling of his own.
     
    ***
    “We’ve got a problem, boss.”
    Jordan lifted his horse’s saddle onto a rack in the barn and turned to Pete. “What’s happened?”
    “Steve called. They’ve come across what looks like a wolf attack on his ranch. Three heifers were killed and the herd’s scattered across half the pasture below Devil’s Ridge.”
    “ Shit .” Jordan picked up his jacket and headed toward the main house. “Ask Jeremy to give Tim a hand to look after the horses. Has Steve called the Forest Service?”
    “They’re on their way. Steve’s taken his helicopter into the mountains to see if there are more dead cattle anywhere. All of the cowboys he’s seen so far are okay. He’s called the other ranchers in the area to let them know what’s happened.”
    “Have any of our cowboys seen anything?”
    “They’re too high for cell phone coverage. I’ve sent Frank and Alistair to see what’s going on, but they won’t be back until later tonight.”
    Jordan opened the front door of Trent and Gracie’s home and left his boots on the porch. “The Buchanans have gone back to the barn. They’re heading into Yellowstone to go white water rafting after lunch. Make sure everyone knows they’re not to take the horses anywhere when they get back.”
    “Sure, boss. What about tomorrow? They were supposed to ride the northern trail.”
    Jordan looked at the schedule he’d pinned to the wall, then walked across to a map. “Where did Steve say the attack happened?”
    Pete pointed to an area not far from the Triple L’s boundary. “Here. You were damn lucky you didn’t come across the wolves this morning.”
    “We weren’t up high enough,” Jordan muttered. But they’d been close. The last wolf attack had been about two years ago. Jeb, one of their ranch hands, had ended up with a track of stitches in his leg. After a few months of rest he’d been okay, ready to head into the mountains as fast as his horse could take him.
    Jordan ran his hand down the list of things his guests were scheduled to do. “I’ll give Chris Tucker a call. The Buchanans were booked on a hike to Old Faithful in a couple of days. If he can switch dates, I’ll change their booking to tomorrow. That’ll give us a couple of extra days to see what’s happening with the wolves.”
    “Sounds like a good idea. Do you want me to tell Sarah the plans for our guests have changed?”
    “I’ll tell her after I’ve seen the Buchanans.”
    Pete jammed his hat on his head. “I’ll make sure the horses are okay. If I hear anything, I’ll give you a call.”
    Jordan nodded and followed Pete out the door. You were more likely to be stomped on by your horse than attacked by wolves, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Not with two kids on the ranch and a temporary housekeeper who hadn’t been on a horse in years.
    When he walked into the converted barn, Sarah was busy getting lunch ready. Abby and Jennifer were curled up on the sofa with a stack of books and his sister-in-law’s cat between them.
    “Is Peaches all right over here?”
    Sarah looked up from the kitchen counter. “She’s fine. The girls don’t have any pets at home so it’s a treat having a cat to cuddle.”
    Jordan frowned at