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“Well, they sure aren’t pen pals.”
“Nope.”
“I think this is going to work.”
“I think you are mental.”
“And you’re welcome for it, too,” Logan snapped pointedly.
“You got lucky once…”
“Eh-hem,thirty-onetimes. That’s not luck, that’s skill.”
“Griffin’s wife is the one with all the skills…”
“And out of context, Griffin would remove your eyeteeth for how that sentence sounded.”
“I ain’t scared of Griffin – nor you, for that matter. I know you two are nothing but a bunch of whupped men who fold the second either of your wives’ crooks a finger.”
“Like you are any better?!I wuvs you, Jill,” Logan mocked openly making a face. “Yes, ma’am… oh, and here’s my man card, Honeybunch…”
“It’s not like that – and remind me why I put up with you after all these years?”
Daphne burst out laughing no matter how hard she tried not to – causing both to chuckle in awareness that they had another set of ears listening. Not a second later, he flipped on the turn signal and turned down the road she’d seen before. Her backpack was in her lap, along with another travel bag that had her toiletries. Her gun was still tucked in her waistband, and she had yet to let go of the Maglite.
As they pulled up to the large cabin, she saw a woman standing on the porch – waving.
“Alrighty,” Houghton said bluntly. “Up and at ‘em! Jill will get you settled, and I need to get this guy to his flight, or I’m stuck with his non-stop mouth once again.”
Logan’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.
“You aren’t even going to try and be nice?” – and Logan got out of the van, pointing at Houghton. “Don’t leave and give me two minutes, ya’ big louse.”
Houghton blew the man a kiss mockingly as Daphne’s door opened. Logan held out his hand to help her down, making her feel like a princess coming out of a carriage as a woman walked forward.
“Hey, sweetie!” she crooned happily, immediately hugging her. “I’m Jill, and you are…”
“Daphne.”
“Oh my goodness, you are just a sight. Let’s get you fed. I made some freshly churned butter this morning and potato rolls to go with the stew…” Jill prattled on, hugging her – and Daphne found herself looking at Logan nervously for some reason.
“Go. She’s about as close to sainthood as they come,” he said softly to her and nodded. “You are safe – except you should move your piece closer to your side or holster it so you don’t shoot yourself.”
“What?”
Her mouth dropped open in shock, realizing that the man knew she had a gun hidden on her all along.
“Relax,” he urged once more. “You are among friends, I promise.”
4
DAPHNE
“You are going to love Reserve Ranch,” Jill prattled on, leading her forward right through the main cabin like it was an everyday occurrence. She saw another woman sitting on a large chair in front of the fire – who smiled and waved as they walked past right out the back door.
Daphne swallowed in disbelief.
She hadn’t realized that the main cabin was almost in a U-shape… and continuing along the ‘U’ were two cabins on the far left – and one solitary cabin on the far right. On the left, one was a distance away near a barn, and the other was further back near a fenced-off area that looked like it was once a massive garden. She could see trellises of thorn bushes along a rail and wondered what it was.
