Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page B

understand.”
    Raymond snorted. “That’ll be the day. You might have to wheel me down the aisle by then.”
    “Don’t start, Dad.” Annie threw her napkin on the table.
    “Annie, tell me about your nutrition clinic,” Marla said to mollify her. “How did you get started? I own my salon and lease the space from our landlord. We just opened an adjacent day spa earlier this year.”
    They spent a pleasant few minutes chatting about business ownership.
    “Promise me you’ll come into town soon,” Annie concluded, her eyes sparkling. “I can’t wait to show you around.”
    “And I can’t wait to work on your hair. We’ll have a fun day together.”
    Although Carol was closer to her age, Marla felt more akin to Annie, a businesswoman like herself. But Marla wasn’t single anymore, and she had a stepchild now. Her circumstances had changed, and so had her meal preparations. Cooking for three instead of one meant making modifications. She could relate to both Carol and Annie’s viewpoints.
    “Speaking of meals, I guess big breakfasts are a cowboy thing,” she said to change the subject. “What can we look forward to having on the menu at the ranch?”
    “Breakfasts and lunches are buffets, so you’ll have lots of choices.” Wayne’s tone held relief, as though he were eager to speak on a more comfortable topic. “Our chef gets a high rating so I’m confident you’ll like the food. You be sure to tell me if something doesn’t set right by you, though. We’re always on the lookout for improvements.”
    “Where do the wranglers eat? You’d mentioned a staff cafeteria?”
    “That’s right. I’ll eat there sometimes when I’m working late. It’s open for all three meals daily.”
    “Do the managers rotate shifts? Who’s on night duty?” Dalton asked, putting his last forkful into his mouth.
    “We have a security detail from ten at night to six in the morning. And one of the managers is always on duty, plus a guy from maintenance.”
    “I imagine the wranglers have to get in early to ready the horses for the day?”
    Wayne handed his empty plate to his sister, who’d risen to help Carol clear the table. “They let the horses in from the outer corrals around seven in the morning. If you’re up early, head over to watch. The staging is an impressive sight, all those beauties stampeding together in one direction.”
    “How many horses do you keep on the ranch?” Marla asked, curious despite her reservations about riding. It would have to be a decent number to accommodate so many guests.
    “We have one hundred and eighty when we’re full. In the summer, we send some of our stock to Colorado and northern California. In turn, we’ll lease from other ranches during our peak season. We help each other out.”
    “But not you and Hugh Donovan?” Dalton asked in a casual tone that made her wonder about his purpose. If she knew him, he had an ulterior motive behind his question.
    “I wouldn’t ask Hugh Donovan if we were down to our last mare,” Raymond roared. “That man is up to no good. I had another inquiry about buying Last Trail not that long ago. It came from a real estate agent who didn’t mention her client’s name, but I’ll bet my boots it was him. He’s after both of my properties.”
    Hmm, could this Donovan person be responsible for the incidents plaguing the ranch plus the ghost town? Did the rival rancher really hope to ruin Raymond financially so he’d be forced to sell his holdings? She wondered again where Dalton’s uncle had gotten the cash for his purchase of the ghost town.
    “We met a wrangler today named Jesse Parker. He’s a young fellow,” Dalton said to Raymond. “How long has he been working for you?”
    “Five years. The man is competent and well-experienced.”
    “He seemed unnerved by the news about that forest ranger.”
    Ah, now Marla understood where Dalton was steering the conversation.
    Raymond rubbed his face. “Who wouldn’t be? Garrett Long