Winds of Wyoming (A Kate Neilson Novel) Read Online Free PDF Page A

appreciate more time, please.”
    “I’ll be back in a bit.” She ambled away singing a nasal duet with Bobby Vinton.
    Kate studied the youths who surrounded the jukebox and who appeared to be ordinary teens. Maybe the selection didn’t include recent hits. Even so, it was a change from the country-western songs most of the stations this side of the Mississippi played.
    She scanned the lunch menu, hoping to find something under five dollars. That would leave her a few dollars for gas.
    Someone spoke. “Are you new in town or just passing through?”
    After a moment, Kate realized she was the one being addressed and looked up.
    A neatly dressed woman about her age sat in a nearby booth, a cigarette in her left hand. Kate slid a little lower in her chair, acutely aware of the contrast between her ponytail and travel-weary Pittsburgh Steelers tee-shirt and her neighbor’s starched blouse and perfect strawberry-blond bob.
    The woman dipped a tiny brush into a bottle of fingernail polish and painted a reddish-orange swath across her left thumbnail. “Just curious. Haven’t seen you in here before.” She sucked at the cigarette then pursed her coral lips to blow smoke at her thumb.
    Twin placards tacked to the wall above the booth caught Kate’s eye.
    How can I miss you if you won’t go away?
    I’m so miserable without you, it’s like you’re still here.
    She swallowed a smirk. “I’m starting an internship near here tomorrow, so I guess I could be classified as new in town.”
    “The redhead’s stenciled eyebrows arched. “Where?”
    “The Whispering Pines Guest Ranch.”
    Her eyebrows puckered. “Do you know Michael Duncan?”
    “No, but I’ve talked with Laura Duncan on the phone.” Kate wondered if her bare arms were naturally tanned. Seemed a bit early for sunbathing, especially in the mountains.
    The woman returned the brush to its container. “She’s Michael’s mother.” A look of distaste crossed her face. “Soon to become my mother-in-law. Michael and I started dating in high school. We’re almost engaged. Just waiting for the ring.
    She took a business card from the Day-Timer on her table and wriggled across the booth to hand it to Kate. “My name is Tara Hughes. I own the Copper Fever Gift Shop up the street.”
    Her perfume made Kate’s eyes water, but she accepted the card and held out her hand. “I’m Kate.”
    Tara blew on the nails of her right hand before touching Kate’s fingers with her fingertips. “You may have seen my store when you drove into town.”
    Kate nodded and sneezed.
    “I’m also a real estate agent. My office is located in my shop, but it’s best to leave a message, because I’m usually out with clients. Or you can try my mobile number, but be warned—cell phone reception is hit-and-miss in this boondocks valley. Can’t even get it in this café. Makes it nearly impossible to get any work done.”
    She slipped a lock of hair behind her ear. “I deal mostly with ranches and other large land transactions. However, if you’re ever in the market for a cottage—you know, something small and inexpensive, a house in sync with your income level—single bedroom, single bath, I can broker that for you.
    “And …” She looked Kate up and down. “If you want to get in shape, I teach aerobics. Good way to firm up that flab.”
    Kate thought of how hard and long she’d labored to regain her weight and health after the meth . “I don’t think—”
    “Phone call, Tara.” The waitress was back at the counter, holding a corded phone in her hand.
    “That’s probably Michael, wondering where to meet me.” Tara sashayed away, trailed by a mantle of perfumed smoke.
    Kate looked at the menu. If Tara Hughes had flab, it wouldn’t have a chance to jiggle in those pants.
    The waitress returned, pencil and pad in hand. “What’ll it be, missy?”
    Kate handed her the menu. “I’ll have a cheeseburger, please.”
    “We’re fresh out of ground beef, but Albert