Mail Order Bride - Westward Secrets: A Clean Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 13) by Linda Bridey

helpful to her.  “I’ll just get back to that pie I’m making for Sadie.”  She referred to Jack’s sister Sadie, who didn’t live too far down the street from them.
                  “Ok.  Go ahead,” Rick said.
                  Once back outside, Rick put Curtis to work.  He sat Curtis on the ground by the rosebush and coaxed him to run around a little.  Curtis did his business and Rick gave him a piece of wasna , the jerky that Reckless’ tribe made.  Curtis loved it.   
                  Pricilla came out the front door and asked, “Is everything all right?”
                  “Yes, Pricilla, it is,” Rick said as he put Curtis back in his pocket before she could see him. “I’ll come by tonight and put out some of that stuff I used the last time.  It’s best if you put it around after dark.  I won’t bother you since it’ll be late.  If that cat stays away from now on, I expect one of those apple pies of yours.”
                  “You’ll have a lifetime’s supply of apple pie if you can keep it away,” Pricilla assured him.
                  “I’ll hold you to that,” Rick said.
                  Pricilla watched him go and said, “My, my, but he is a handsome man.”
                  Rick heard and smiled as he walked away from her house.
     
                  “Thanks for dealing with Pricilla,” Mitch said a little while later, as he watched Rick sit down at his desk.             
    “You know, if you fellas would use a little charm, you’d have her eating out of the palm of your hand,” Rick said.
                  Jack gave Curtis a piece of leftover roast beef and asked, “Why would I want that?”
                  “Because you can get rid of her quicker and get a delicious pie out of it at the same time,” Rick said.  “The woman makes a great apple pie.”
                  “How do you manage that?” Mitch asked.
                  “Because I help her and she thinks I am a very handsome man,” Rick said.
                  Curtis started bouncing in front of Jack.  He wanted more meat.  Jack tore off another piece and gave it to him.  Curtis ate it and rolled over on his back.  Jack grinned and scratched his belly.  “I should take him to the ranch and let him loose in Uncle Seth’s house.”
                  Much like Joe, Seth didn’t care for the ferret, which Jack found hilarious.  His Aunt Maddie wasn’t overly fond of Curtis, but she wasn’t petrified of him the way Seth was. 
                  “No, you shouldn’t.  He’s not a toy, Jack,” Rick said. 
                  “I didn’t say he was.  I just like watching Uncle Seth squirm.  Big, tough guy afraid of a ferret,” Jack said as Curtis tried to steal Jack’s badge from his vest.  “That’s attached, buddy.”
                  Curtis yawned, scooted over to Rick, and looked up at his master.  “Don’t be lazy.  You know where you’re going,” Rick said.
                  Curtis simply blinked at him.
                  Rick rolled his eyes and picked Curtis up.  He deposited him into the bottom drawer of his desk where he had folded a blanket to act as bedding for the ferret.  Curtis burrowed under the blanket and went to sleep.
                  “Nap time,” Rick said.  “Actually that sounds like a good idea.”  He propped up his feet and tipped his hat down over his face.
                  Mitch said, “Aren’t you gonna go on patrol?”
                  “In fifteen minutes,” Rick said.  “I was just out and about and everything looked fine.”
                  “You’re not gonna take a nap,” Jack said.  “He’s gonna think about something new to train Curtis