Pressley Hamilton glanced at the GPS on her phone. She had to be getting close to the turnoff. Uncle Frank said she’d miss it if she blinked.
A horn blasted to her left.
She shrieked and jerked the steering wheel to the right. Her car skidded toward the steep cliff of Misty Mountain. Not for the first time, she regretted her uncle sending her on this job. But, she wanted to rise in the company, and that meant sometimes doing the more unpleasant things. However, it certainly didn’t include dying.
She regained control of the vehicle and glared in her rearview mirror at the dark green truck with a white logo on the tailgate. Imbecile. Noting an area widened for people to park at a scenic lookout, she pulled over and counted to ten until her breathing returned to normal.
That’s it. Pressley had always prided herself on maintaining control even in the most stressful situations. Almost careening over the side of a mountain definitely fit into that category. She opened her door and stepped out, her kitten heels crunching the rocks mixed with dirt.
She stepped up on the rock barricade erected to keep onlookers from falling to their death. Just then a slight breeze pulled her scarlet scarf from her head. The silky fabric floated over the valley below. No! She loved that scarf.
Once she recovered, Pressley took in the view before her. The expanse of green, split up by the occasional farm and the town in the distance, took her breath away. What would the valley look like in the morning when the mist, which the town was named for, hovered over everything? She’d have to come see for herself. First, work. She turned and returned to her vehicle.
She froze at the sight of the same green truck that had almost run her off the road. Leaning against the hood, ankles crossed, glared a handsome man in a black Stetson, scuffed cowboy boots, and faded jeans. His intense dark eyes didn’t soften as she approached her car. Well, two could play that game. She hiked her chin. “You almost ran me off the road.”
“I beg to differ. You weren’t watching where you were going. I came back to make sure you hadn’t gone over the cliff.”
“What if I had? It isn’t as if you could go after me.” She rolled her eyes.
“I could’ve called for a helicopter to cart your body out.” He pushed away from the truck. “Be more careful, ma’am. You might not be so lucky next time.”
Her gaze flicked to the truck logo. Rocking W Ranch. Good. she’d complain to his boss once she’d finished her work for the day. “Thank you for your concern, Cowboy.”
His lips twitched, and he touched the brim of his hat. “Welcome.” Long strides carried him to the driver’s side where he climbed in and drove off with a wave of his hand out the window.
Mercy, the man was gorgeous. If only his attitude was as lovely as his face, and those arms…well, she refused to let her mind go there. It’s been too long, Pressley, since you’ve been on a date.
Not wanting a repeat, she studied the GPS before pulling away from the lookoff. The cowboy would probably have known where she needed to turn, but she hadn’t thought to ask. No matter. She’d drive up and down the mountain until she found the road.
She wound her hair into a messy bun on top of her head and continued up the mountain looking for the turnoff. The man at the drugstore in town said to look for a tree split in two from lightning. Unfortunately, the GPS didn’t show landmarks, and her phone signal kept cutting in and out.
Ah. There was the tree split almost in half, but still alive with lush green leaves. She turned left onto what could in no way be described as a road. Foliage scraped the side of her car. Uncle Frank would have to pay for a new paint job. Or at least Hamilton Enterprises would.
The car bounced its way down the road until it entered a clearing. Instead of towering trees, this area contained saplings and grass as high as the hood of the car.
Pressley frowned. There would certainly be snakes. Why hadn’t her uncle told her to dress for snakes? How did one prepare to wander through snake-infested territory anyway? With a groan, she shoved her door open past the thick grass and stepped outside. The car would’ve scared anything away in the near vicinity, right? She glanced around the ground, finally finding a long stick as thick as her wrist.
Waving it in front of her like a blind person, she moved through the grass and weeds, her scarlet-red heels sinking into the earth. Next time, she’d do a better job of picking her footwear. But, oh, how she loved these shoes.
She huffed when her heel got caught in a weed, then she continued. Uncle Frank wanted a complete report on the condition of the property before making a bid. In her opinion, it would take a lot of funds to clear the land before building, but that’s what Hamilton Enterprises did. Clear and build.
After a half an hour of scouting the land, she returned to her car and called her uncle. “It looks worth the money to me, but needs to be bushhogged. Lots of overgrowth.”
“Did you see a cave or mine?”
“No, should I have?”
“I’ve heard there’s an old quartz mine on that land. I want to make sure it’s boarded up before I send people in there to work. We can’t afford any injuries or lawsuits.”
She grimaced. “Is it okay if I do that tomorrow? I need to make sure I wear the proper clothes and shoes.”
“Of course. I assume you booked a motel room indefinitely?”
“Yes.” Not the sort of room she’d grown accustomed to as an adult, but it was clean and the bed mattress fairly new. “I’ll come back and look for a mine tomorrow.” Hopefully, she wouldn’t fall in it while searching. “Anything else?”
“Call me at the end of the day tomorrow. Once a day is sufficient, Pressley. I’m a busy man.” Click.
Straight to the point, her uncle.
Pressley looked up the directions to the Rocking W Ranch on her phone. Wonderful. Only a mile up the mountain. The edge of the ranch property abutted the land her uncle wanted. Imagine that.
- Publisher : Winged Publications
- Publication date : September 12, 2024
- Language : English
- Print length : 229 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1965352170
- ISBN-13 : 978-1965352175