Gunpowder Tea (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

head bobbed up and down with approval. She slanted a blue-lidded gaze at the ranch hand. “See that Miss Walker doesn’t give her a hard time.”
    Stretch lifted his hat and raked a hand over his black curly hair. “The boss lady will give her a hard time, all right. Ain’t nothin’ I can do ’bout that.”

    Moments later Annie was seated in a buckboard behind a black gelding next to the man named Stretch. She glanced in the back ofthe wagon. It was filled with what looked like newly purchased supplies, including cans of kerosene, boxes of leather soap, and a roll of barbed wire.
    “Help yourself to some water,” Stretch said, indicating the canteen on the seat between them.
    Annie removed the canteen cork, wiped off the opening, and took a long sip.
    She pushed the cork back in place. “Is it always so hot here?” It was only March but already it felt like summer.
    “It’s hot here, all right. Some say God uses this as a backup for below.” He chuckled. “Think I’m kiddin’, eh? Tell that to the soldier who died out here and was sent below to atone for his sins.”
    The man evidently liked to talk and for an undercover detective that was a good thing. “So what happened?” she asked, playing along.
    Stretch glanced at her sideways before delivering the answer. “He sent back for his blanket.”
    Annie laughed, mostly to be polite. She needed information—not jokes. “How long have you worked at the ranch?” she asked as they drove out of town.
    “Four years,” Stretch replied. “Before that, I worked on a ranch in the Panhandle.”
    “Tell me about Miss Walker.”
    Stretch shrugged his bony shoulders. “They ain’t no words to describe the boss lady,” he said. “’Cept to say she’s a tough old bird. Has to be, to run a ranch. Many have tried to run a successful ranch out here and failed, but the boss lady just keeps goin’. I reckon she’ll outlive us all.”
    He then launched into another tall tale and then another, each one more outrageous than the one before. Annie finally managed to steer him back to talking about the ranch.

    “We’ve got two thousand of the finest beeves in the west,” he said, with more than a little pride.
    The number was consistent with the Pinkerton report. She squinted against the glare of the sun. “But it’s nothing but desert.”
    “I guess that’s what you call a blessing,” Stretch said. “It keeps most, though not all, competition away. Like I said, many have tried to ranch out here but only a few make it.” He slapped the reins against the horse’s back and they picked up speed.
    She fanned herself with a kid glove. “Who else works at the ranch?”
    “Well, let’s see. There’s Ruckus and Wishbone and Michael. He’s our blacksmith and Bessie’s nephew. Then there’s O.T., short for Old Timer, Brodie our horse trainer, Mexican Pete, and Feedbag.”
    It appeared that most of the ranch hands went by assumed or “summer” names, which meant they were probably running from something, most likely the law. Though this was not unusual, it made her job more challenging.
    “There she is, ma’am,” he said at last, pointing ahead. “The Last Chance Ranch. And for some of us, it really is the last chance.”
    The note of seriousness creeping into his voice made Annie take a closer look at his hollow-cheeked face. Everyone hid behind something and Stretch hid behind tall tales, jokes, and laughter. Could he be the leader of the Phantom gang? Or was his presence in town during the train robbery simply a coincidence?
    She gazed at the ranch house. Nothing in the Pinkerton report prepared her for the size of it. “It’s so . . . large.” It was by far the largest building she’d seen since arriving in Cactus Patch.
    “The boss lady had to rebuild after the ’87 earthquake. It’s even got inside plumbing.”
    That was a luxury Annie hadn’t counted on. “Thank you for the ride.”

    “Think nothing of it. Enjoyed the company.” He