AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There’s still a lot to see today.”
“I could stay here all day, daydreaming,” she admits and laughs.“But I definitely want to see the rest.I’ll come back another time.”
“Not by yourself.”
She frowns up at me.“I don’t think my stalker is hiding in the barn, Grumpy.”
“It has nothing to do with that.”I shake my head and open the door for her.“I don’t want you to get hurt by an animal.”
“Oh, yeah.Bears.Okay, deal.”
I drive through some of the same terrain that we traveled the other day with Erin’s family.I slow down at my family’s favorite spot so we can take it in, and then I push on again.
“This ranch started out at fifty-thousand acres,” I tell her as I drive.“Now, we’re closer to eighty thousand.I bought the property next door.The former owners kept their house and barn and five acres for their horses, but they’re done ranching and didn’t have children to leave it to.They wanted the land to be worked and used, so we bought it.”
“Are we on that property now?”
“Not yet.”I grin over at her.“We’re getting there.It’s worked great for us because we also took over his cattle, and we now have more pasture space.”
“So, you can continue to expand,” she guesses correctly.
“That’s right.Now, hold on, because I’m going to climb that hill over there.”
“Like, in the Jeep?”
“Yep.”
I put the Jeep in four-wheel drive and push on the gas to get us up the steep grade and then stop at the top.
“Uh, Grumpy?”
“Yeah, Doc?”
“Did I mention that I hate heights?”
I glance over, and her eyes are clenched shut, so I reach out and take her hand in mine.
“You’re fine.We’re not even getting out of the Jeep, I promise.Open your eyes.”
“As soon as we get off this hill, I’ll be happy to do so.”
With a chuckle, I reach over and brush my fingers over her cheek.“Come on, pretty girl.The view into Bitterroot Valley isinsaneup here.”
That gets her to slit one eye open, and then they both go round as she stares at the view.
“How is this possible?We’re so far out of town.”
“We’re higher in elevation here, and it gives us the perfect view.It’s pretty wild at night, with all the lights.”
“I’m going to have to see that,” she murmurs.
“There used to be a fire lookout up here,” I continue.“The Forest Service paid to rent out this hilltop in the summer months, and they stationed a man to live up here and keep an eye out for fires.”
“Why don’t they do that anymore?”
“Technology.Some towers are still in use, especially in remote areas, but we have drones and satellites now.”
“I think that would be a lonely job.”
