Broken Road

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Red, Winthrop’s newest ranch hand, ran to the porch of the ranch house and came in the screen door skidding to a halt. He was soaked from head to toe and he had a look of pure amazement and panic on his face.

   “What?” Winthrop snapped at him. He had just got the kid asleep after hours of crying.

   “Someone is walking up the mountain road, but not only that but there covered in mud too!” Red exclaimed.

   “Why did you come to tell me this,” Winthrop asked, his eyes narrowing on the younger man.

   Red stared at him as if he was mental for a moment and Winthrop wanted to throw something at Red. To bad he couldn’t because he had the sleeping baby in his arms.

   “Why? Well 'cause it looked like a woman of course, and she was heading towards the ranch,” Red said.

   “What?!” Winthrop nearly yelled.

   The baby made disgruntled snort. Winthrop looked at the baby girl in horror. Would she wake up and cry again? But the baby settled back to sleep in his arms, snuggling closer.

   “What?” he asked quieter to Red with a glare that was known to wither any man.

   Red took a step back, holding up his hands. “A woman is heading for the ranch,” he repeated.

   “And you didn’t help her?” he asked after a moment of quieting his panic.

   A woman. And she was heading to his ranch.

   “No, Boss. I figured with your hate of woman and my need to rush back and help, not too. Plus saw was almost to the ranch anyway. She’ll be here any moment I reckon.”

   Winthrop surpassed a shiver and told Red to go and help bring the horses in for the night. Red left to do as he was told and Winthrop went upstairs to put the baby down in his brother’s old crib.

   What is a woman doing coming up herein this weather and coming to the ranch for? Was she lost? Then a thought cross his mind that had him frowning.  Maybe it’s the kid’s mother.

   He went back down stairs and sat in his chair before the roaring fire and waited to find out.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~

By the time Devil tried to pull the truck out of the muddy ditch she was half covered in mud and soaked to the bone. Thank God it was a warm storm. Finally she gave up and decided to walk the rest of the way up the mountain road.

   Soon she had the ranch gates within her sights and a red truck zoomed past her at a speed that sent mud flying directly for her.

   Devil spluttered indignantly and slid a hand down her face to remove some of the mud. If she was mad about her truck before, now she was completely pissed.

   “Why in the hell is Montana weather such a pain in the ass,” she grumbled wiping away more mud.

   Lighting crashed across the sky with thunder to make her point clear.

   “And thanks for the help, you jerk!” She yelled after the truck that was speeding away, retreating up the road. Giving into her impulses for a moment she took off one of her boots and threw it after the truck.

   There was a reason she was a country singer rather then a football player. She sucked at throwing.

   Trudging up the road she scooped up her boot and dumped out the mud as she passed by. With every step she took her foot squished into the ground and she gritted her teeth. Devil muttered about stupid weather and a stupid sister.

   “You better hope you’re in real danger Wylde or I’ll kill ya,” Devil threatened as her foot sank into a deep mud hole. She toppled backwards and cursed as she laid flat in the mud.

   Montana, she deiced, wasn’t for her.

   The rain changed direction and was now pouring from the east. Droplets tickled Devil’s face and she sighed closing her eyes. She had always loved the rain for it calmed her, but the mud was nothing more then a pain in the butt. She took in deep breaths and soon she slowly got to her feet and walked the rest of the way up the mountain rode.  Soon she passed through the gates of the ranch and she spotted the grand four story Victorian ranch house and its fancy wrap-around porch. She knew where she had to go.

   Devil eyes the house curiously as she walked closer.

   So this is where Wylde would have lived with Wade and the baby. The Canters must be big ranchers.

   Lighting flashed over head once more and thunder rolled through the dark clouds echoing a secret promise. Horses screamed in terror drawing her eyes to a carrel where men were leading them into a giant barn. Devil watched them for a moment and was taken back to her early childhood years where she would spend a few weeks on her uncle’s ranch.

   She shook her self and headed for the ranch house. She slipped a little going up the stairs and came to stand at the screen door. For a second she caught a glimpse of a large man folded into a chair by the fire. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

This was it. This is where everything new was going to start.

   The man got up from the chair and came to the screen door. He opened it, eyed her and froze. His face was casted into the shadows of the dark porch, but he looked tall, well muscled and dangerous. And he looked just like Wade Canter in the photo.

   I put me shoulders back, if he was gonna act like a stiff business man, then so would I.

   “Who the hell are you,” he drawled in a deep smoky bur, “and why in the hell are you on my ranch?”

    “Mr. Canter. I am Devil,” she told him and lighting decided it would be funny and strike right after her words, as if she were the devil and speaking her name was a curse. “And I’m here for the baby.”