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Sol would be just another guest, nothing more.
Chapter 12
Saturday, August 20
At first sight, there was nothing about Bozeman that stood out. Sol could have been anywhere in the west of the U.S. The airport shuttle dropped him in front of the Baxter Hotel, with the restaurant on the first floor, spilling out onto the sidewalk but separated from the pedestrians by black metal railings. Dark green umbrellas provided relief from the late afternoon sun.
The sight of people eating only exacerbated Sol’s hunger.
At second glance, Bozeman sure had plenty of places to eat. There was the Backcountry Burger Bar, the Bacchus Pub… The hotel restaurant went by the name of Ted’s Montana Grill, with a sign in the shape of a charging bison. According to the sign sitting out front, they served Bison & Burger.
They’d never fit bison in there. They’d never get the insurance anyhow.
A juvenile kind of thought but one that made him smile.
The spirits distillery next door… Nowthatwas tempting.
“I’ve got a bottle of Jack with your name on it back at the ranch, so don’t you be looking in there.”
He spun around. Toby leaned out of the window of a black truck with the wordSalvationemblazoned on it. His grin lit up his face, and Sol couldn’t help but return it. He picked his bag up from the sidewalk and walked over to the truck.
“You didn’t mention you moonlighted as a driver.”
Toby inclined his head toward the rear. “Shove that on the back seat, then get in at the front.” As Sol opened the door, he added, “And I don’t usually do this. It’s the job of the bunkhouse foreman, but he’s missing in action for some reason. So you drew the short straw.”
Sol walked around the truck and climbed in.
“I hardly think the boss’s partner counts as the short straw.” He peered through the windshield. “So… this is Bozeman, huh?”
“First impressions?”
Sol shrugged. “It’s okay. Probably like a lot of small Midwest towns.” He sat back and waited for the eruption, schooling his features.
Toby’s jaw dropped and his eyebrows went sky high. “What the…. Okay, two things to point out here. One, this is definitelynotthe Midwest. And two, Bozeman is the fourth-largestcityin Montana. Fifty-four thousand people? That isnotsmall.”
Sol grinned.
Toby rolled his eyes. “I did it again, didn’t I? I let you yank my chain.” He chuckled. “Damn, I’ve missed that.” He pulled away from the curb.
“How far is the ranch?”
“About twenty minutes.” Toby glanced at Sol’s luggage. “You didn’t overpack, I see.”
“I just brought the basics.” Sol’s backpack sat in his lap. “All the important stuff is in here. Laptop, camera… Which reminds me. Why did you refund my payment this morning? I saw it when I checked my balance.”
“Because you’re here as a consultant.”
Sol frowned. “You’re going to pay me for my services. That’s enough.”
“Before you go any further, I need to point out this was not my idea. Robert insisted. And speaking of Robert… You’re invited to supper up at the house.”
“I don’t get to eat with the rest of the guests?”
Toby smiled. “You’ll be doing that all week. And anytime you want to take a shower, come on up. Robert has plenty of bathrooms, whereas the bunkhouse only has the one and it gets a little crowded.”
“That sounds like the voice of experience.”
Toby cackled. “Five in the morning, seven guys and only two showers and three sinks. Yup, that was an experience all right.”
