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Sighing, I turned away from the window and went in search for my umbrella. A few minutes later, when I was set and ready to go deal with the grumpy cowboy, I called Mom.
“Hi, honey.”
“Hey, how are you this morning?” I asked while making the bed.
“The pumpkins are getting bigger!”
I smiled. “That’s great, Mom!
“They’re still really tiny, but I have high hopes,” she beamed. I could hear the smile in her voice. I wanted to bring up her will but decided against it.
“What’s your plans for today?”
“I found a really good book series yesterday.”
“Oh?”
Damn, I missed reading. I missed a lot of things. Reading and painting were two hobbies I had to put on the backburner when mom’s life changed.
“It’s a historical romance,” she sighed.
“Those are your favorite,” I noted.
“You going to see The Grump again today?”
The Grump.
What a nickname.
“Everyday. Mr. Moonie called me again last night,” I said, plopping down on the edge of the now—made bed.
“This must be really important to him, if the CEO has a direct line of contact with you,” she noted.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and the dread from last night filled my stomach. “He wants to me to try and convince one of the ranch hands….”
“He wants you to play dirty.”
I sighed. “It would seem that way.”
“Life is too short to be working for men like that,” she declared.
“I know, Mom.”
“So quit.”
I picked at the fuzz on the comforter. “You know I can’t do that.”
She sighed, sounding defeated. “It’s too early in the day to fight with my daughter.”
The corner of my mouth turned up. “Then go relax and read your books. Let your daughter take care of you.”
We exchanged our goodbyes, and I headed out. Once I was in the rental, the dread in my chest only intensified. Mr. Moonie wanted me to play the snake and turn Mr. Langston’s cowboys against him. He told me to bribe them with the promise of a good salary and benefits…
I wasn’t a snake.
I was just a girl trying to save her mom.
Chapter Nine
