Ambush Valley by Dusty Richards

it.”
    â€œYou work on that operation of yours all the time, don’t you?”
    â€œYes ma’am.”
    She sipped on a glass of wine, he drank coffee after the meal. They went back in the living room so Monica could do the dishes after Marge couldn’t talk her out of doing them till morning. In the living room, she moved the cowhide rugs aside and wound up the music box. They danced until after Monica told them good night.
    Then they both went down to the sheepherder showers in the starlight and she brought along a pair of her father’s felt slippers and a longtail nightshirt for him to wear going back to the house. He got under the shower in the moonlight, lathered all up, and then rinsed. The water was warm until he shut it off. Then the dry air began to evaporate it off his skin and he hurried to get dry. In the nightshirt and boots he felt like he must look strange if anyone saw him.
    Hand in hand, hauling his clothes and gun belt slung over her shoulder, they went back to the house and blew out the lights. Nothing was on his mind but that the two of them were going to be together.

C HAPTER 4
    In the predawn he found his horse saddled and ready after he ate Monica’s hot oatmeal and pancakes. He checked the cinch and swung aboard. It was all such a clever plot by Marge, Monica, and even Raphael, he felt certain like he was being led into the web of a black widow, and that when she was with child, she would kill him. No. No, that was too grim. But the two of them had talked the night before about it and if —with either husband she had never been with child. Doctors could not tell her a thing that was wrong. She warned him to know with her for a mate he might never have any heirs. Good enough she’d been frank with him.
    He descended into the Verde Valley on the narrow road that snaked down the mountain as the rosy dawn broke its existence. The ranch hands had already left for various duties. Tom was sipping coffee when he rode up and dismounted.
    â€œFind some loggers?” Tom asked.
    He shook his head, “Got some men coming that will drive nails.”
    He continued with his ideas to Tom. “You, I, and JD need to go up there tomorrow and talk to the mill owners. We need some understanding about this deal. We have paid them for the lumber we have received?”
    â€œYes, I made sure we paid them monthly.”
    â€œThen why haven’t they sent us the lumber we need?”
    â€œThe guy that delivered the last load said they were short-handed. Like I said, everyone up there quit and went to Tombstone to work down there ’cause they paid more.”
    â€œA trip up there might settle this.”
    â€œI’ll get ready to go.”
    â€œGood. I’ll catch JD tonight. Maybe we can iron out the situation. Who do you do business with up there?”
    â€œTed McKnight.”
    â€œWe better take our bedrolls. The trip will take a day anyway to get up there.”
    Tom agreed. “May be gone three or four days.”
    â€œI need to be back here by Saturday night.”
    Tom smiled and then shook his head. “That will be fast.”
    â€œOr I may be in duck soup.” Amused, Chet shook his head while unsaddling his horse. He better go settle the cook business. He dreaded that too. His life was going to be one of going up and down the line setting sailing boats upright that had turned over on their side.
    â€œHoot,” he called out, entering the back door into the house.
    â€œWhat do you need?” his cook asked, coming in in his apron.
    â€œWhere is the roundup chuck wagon?”
    â€œWhat for?”
    â€œI want it and a tent set up. You will feed the crews up there. These women can cook for who they want to who aren’t crew members.”
    Susie came down the stairs, two at a time. “What is this?”
    â€œWe are splitting the duties. You will have the kitchen. Hoot is going to use the chuck wagon and a tent to feed