Randall Riches Read Online Free PDF Page A

headed down the road again. She’d checked Bella’s water while the truck filled, and the horse had seemed to be all right.
    She decided she’d need to watch for a horse motel when it got time to halt for the night. Rich hadn’t mentioned any place, even though he’d obviously driven this route before.
    But she was pleased. Flagstaff was behind her. And a new life was ahead of her.
     
    J UST THEN , the phone rang at the Randall home in Rawhide, Wyoming.
    “Jake, is that you?” a voice asked when Jake Randall picked up the phone.
    Jake knew he should recognize the voice of the caller, but he couldn’t quite place it. “Yeah, who’s this?”
    “It’s your cousin, Gabe.”
    “Gabe. How are you? Rich said you were in the hunt for the Nationals.”
    “I’m doing okay. Listen, is Pete there? I need to speak with him.”
    Jake waved to his brother, sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in front of him. “Here’s Pete.”
    Pete took the phone. “Gabe? How are you? Are you coming our way?”
    “No, sorry. I’m heading for California. I just wanted to check on Rich. He has called you, hasn’t he?”
    Pete felt his heart clutch. “What are you talking about?”
    “Ah. He didn’t call. Well, I hope I did the right thing. A young lady stopped by the rodeo grounds yesterday, she was driving Rich’s truck. She asked me to show her what needed to be done to load up Bella. Seems Rich had a bad fall Sunday. He was in the hospital, she said. A broken ankle.”
    “A broken ankle?” Pete exclaimed, catching the attention of everyone sitting at the kitchen table. Especially Janie, his wife.
    “Yeah. I tried to call him at the hospital afterward. I was a little worried, but there was no answer. That’s why I thought I’d check with you.”
    “Well, thanks for the heads-up, Gabe. I’ll check things out. Good luck this week. And come see us when you can.”
    “Will do. Hope everything’s all right with Rich.”
    Pete hung up the phone. His wife, Janie, was beside him, her eyes big. “Now, honey, don’t worry. I’m sure everything is fine,” he said at once, as if he weren’t worried.
    Pete’s three brothers and their wives were all there when the call came and all started firing questions.
    Holding up his hand to stop their questions, Pete returned to the table and sat down beside Janie. “Now, a broken ankle is nothing. I mean, it will stop Rich’s career for a while, but I’m sure he’ll be all right.”
    “But why hasn’t he called?” Janie demanded.
    “Because he’s a man and he can take care of himself,” Pete assured her.
    “But he won’t be able to drive home,” Jake pointed out.
    “I know. But he’s got a friend with him.” Everyone relaxed as he added, “I’m sure she’ll drive him home.”
    Janie stiffened. “She? His friend is a woman?” B.J., Jake’s wife, chuckled. “Are you surprised? Rich has always attracted the ladies.”
    “Yes, but I—I want him to marry someone from around here, not some—some rodeo floozie!”
    “Now, Janie,” Pete said soothingly, “Gabe said she was a friend. He would’ve said something if the woman was, uh, something else.”
    Jake leaned forward. “Yeah, you can trust Gabe, Janie. He’s family.”
    They hadn’t really known Gabe long, but he’d clicked with the men in the family at once. His father, a cousin of their father, had lived in Kansas City. Gabe’s father and his wife had been to visit after their honeymoon. They’d planned another trip, but he’d been in an automobile accident and had died. Their father had gone to the funeral and offered the widow a home with him and his boys. But she was pregnant with Gabe. She’d chosen to remain in Kansas City.
    She came to see them one more time, when Gabe was six, but she’d been a sad woman. She remarried when Gabe was eight. Then she’d died when Gabe was twelve.
    They’d lost track of Gabe until Toby, Jake’s oldest, went on the rodeo circuit. Since then Gabe had visited