Vance checked the last stall, thinking Trish may have put Yedi away after a long trail ride. He found it empty. Where was she? This wasn't like her to be gone for so long. Two- or three-day trips were not unusual, but five and six days, alone? Even she couldn't be that desperate for solitude. Sure, Rhea had shown him the letter with its bad news, but he and Trish had talked about it before that morning. She hadn't seemed overly upset, nothing that a good gallop on Yedi wouldn't fix.
"Excuse me."
Vance turned on his heel. A tall young man, dressed in the usual cowboy shirt, wrangler jeans and cowboy boots, stood just outside the barn door. Vance eyed the recent model pick-up with its matching horse trailer that stood in the middle of the driveway.
"Morning. Didn't hear ya drive up. What can I do for you?"
"The name is Andrew Jackson. Most people call me Andy." He extended his hand. "A mutual acquaintance suggested I look up Trish Larsen if I was ever up this way. Are you her husband?"
Vance guffawed, taking Andy's hand in a firm handshake. "I'll have to remember to tell her that one. No. I'm not married and neither is she."
Andy smiled. "She here? I've been looking for an excuse to visit this valley for the better part of this last spring. Some of my ancestors are from up here."
An uneasy feeling settled over Vance. Trish should be back by now. Maybe this guy could help, but no, Vance wasn't one to air his business to a stranger. Where was she? He couldn't afford to look like a fool. He had to buy some time.
"You got family here? What are their names? Maybe I know them or at least of them."
"It was a long time ago. All I know is the surname, Jackson. Miss Larsen gonna be around today? She isn't expecting me."
Vance eyed the horse trailer a second time. "What are you haulin'? Bring her a horse or somethin'?"
"I delivered a horse up the valley a few miles for breeding. Truck's bench seat isn't the most comfortable, but I caught a few winks. Couldn't sleep once the sun came up so I decided to get on the road."
"No Jacksons in the valley. Ya been on the road for long?"
"Four hours or so." Andy's expression began losing its friendly quality.
Vance gulped back his concern for Trish. This guy didn't need to know she was missing. Vance smiled. "Well, she…Trish has our stud with her and they haven't returned yet."
"You have a stud?"
"Yeah, well, Trish owns him." Vance sensed the need to regain his footing. Trish may be his cousin but they were partners. "But this is our place. I provide the land and she provides the stud service."
Andy raised his right brow with an unspoken question floating in the air.
"Sounds funny, don't it?" Vance hurried to explain. Trish was a lot of things but not a loose woman.
"So she's out covering a mare. Her stud is. Do you guarantee a 'live foal'?"
Could this unexpected visitor become their first breeding customer? Vance's heart jumped to his throat. A cash injection from stud service would tide them over on the loan to build the barn and arena. Vance wanted to assure Andy that they did guarantee the service but Yedi was an unproven stud. They had papers and pedigree on him and Trish had won a few trophies, but they had only caught his jumping fences and covering mares earlier this spring. Two that they knew of and a third that they suspected.
"I couldn't say. The breeding is her side of the business. The training is mostly mine, but she pitches in when she's here." She hadn't been here much and it was about time she started pulling her weight. "It's her call on warranting Yedi's performance. Could be that she's totally comfortable with that stipulation. If she carried a cell phone, I would call her."
Vance cringed at the thought of what they might lose if such a guarantee went bad. Women. It was the first time he had ever included Trish in the derogatory sub group of the female species. Where was she?
"I was hoping to meet her on this trip, but it'll have to wait. I'll stop in town for a bite and then get back on the road. Here's my card." Andy withdrew his wallet and placed the small white card in Vance's hand. "It has my cell number on it. Ask Miss Larsen to call me about that stud service."
"I will," Vance said as Andy climbed into his pick-up.
Vance watched Mr. Jackson drive away, feeling like Trish had let him down by not being here.
"Sayonara, Senor." Vance vocalized a memorized sound clip from a senseless movie. "Trish, get yourself home soon. We need Yedi to make some money."
Chapter 26
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