Sowing on the Mountain

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Her days off at the yurt had been good, nuzzling with Slim and hanging out with the band. Krista was staying in Jackson all summer and Ginger drove up with Lulu so they could work on some new songs. Lulu's eyes got wide at the Cogwill house: "I knew she was pretty well-off, but. . .sheesh!" Ginger's mom had sold the Rozier palace at the Village and furnished a three-bedroom condo where they could pop in and out at short notice. Lulu's eyes got big again checking out the yurt. "This is, like, so-o-o Third World!"

"Definitely basic," Mary said. "The biffy gets pretty cold in winter, but I can't complain about the skiing." After mulling it over, Lulu decided to accept the offer of a room at the Cogwill place. Gin was bunking at the condo, ceding the yurt to Mary and Slim.

She told Slim about the trashy campers and the incident with Trapper. "There's a law enforcement session coming up that I think I'll sign up for. It's in Jackson. Are you free Wednesday night?"

He grinned. "More than free— licentious, in fact."

"You need to come down so I can trot you around, maybe persuade some of my cohorts to cool their jets." Jet—she had an involuntary flash of his face.

He slid out of bed with a sneaky look, and rummaged in his daypack, coming up with a velvet box, obviously old. "I was waiting to give you this, but why not get it taken care of right now?"

Oh-oh, she thought. I'm gonna start crying. She opened the box on a gold ring with a little diamond, and dissolved with a wail. She hugged Slim and dropped the box, and when they unclenched he couldn't find the ring, which had popped out. A determined, and naked, hunt revealed its resting place under the bed, inside a Sorel pac boot liner. He slipped it on her finger.

"It was my Gran's," he said. "Mom sent it up and said to give you a kiss for her." Which he did, eliciting another gust of tears. "If it doesn't fit, I'll take it to the jeweller."

"It's perfect," she snuffled.

"You're supposed to say yes."

"Yes," she whispered, and nipped his ear.

Welcome to the Bridger-Teton National Forest: Land of Many Uses.

No shit, Mary thought, driving up. Too damn many for my taste. The people could be maddening—she'd better get used to it, or beg Betsey for another assignment. But the country was magnificent. She was hungry for more of it. Poring over the map was like looking at really good restaurant menu and wanting to try every dish.

She stopped at Dutch Joe to let Princess Dee know that she was going on duty.

"What's your last name, again?"

"Browne. Mary Browne. What's yours?"

"Griswold."

"Deirdre Griswold?" Pretty fucked-up name, Mary thought. Should I recognize it? She's probably waiting.

"Of course," Mary said, and made her exit, stage west.

Jet left a note at the shack.

Trapper and Echeverry had another yelling match. Trapper found him parked at the road junction where we saw him, and went nuts. Echeverry told Trapper to keep his huskies tied up. If they go after the sheep again, he'll end up in jail. Trapper threatened to shoot Echeverry if he messes with the dogs. Haven't told you the whole story about Trapper‑ yrs, Jet.

Trapper? Give me a fucking break, Mary thought. I don't need this nutty crap. She loaded her pack for three nights. I just hope I can get out of here, she thought, before the next installment of the local livestock drama.

Jet showed up as she was hefting her pack. He gave Gris a scratch.

"You know they don't allow dogs," he said.

"Dog, my ass. He's a pygmy horse."

Jet bent double laughing. "You've got a point" he said. "Anyhow, Echeverry tells me that Trapper is gunning for him. He told his herders to shoot any dog that runs sheep, and anyone that gives them trouble."

"Sounds like you've got a range war."

"Could be. I didn't tell you about Trapper, and you need to know."

"Shoot— I mean, tell me."

"Trapper is one of those Vietnam vet whackjobs. The Ridleys, from Boulder, own that old mining claim with the cabin that they leave unlocked, in case someone needs to get out of a storm. Trapper found it and moved in. When Normie—Norm Ridley– asked him to get out, he threatened to shoot him and his wife and kids. The guy's a snake. So Norm backed off and Trapper wintered there. The Game and Fish guys are after him for poaching. But he told Chess Headley, the warden, that he was a sapper in 'Nam and had the place booby-trapped. So they're not exactly in a hurry to search it. You probably won't run into him in the backcountry. But if you do, be careful. And tell me. Okay?"

"Got it. Thanks. Nice neighborhood." She didn't tell him about her martial arts training. Better to save that.

Before he left, Jet also told her that Princess Dee was from a super-rich family back east and her husband was the son of a senator. "We all went on a show-me trip last year and the Forest Supervisor and all the GS-13s practically licked their boots. If anyone gets crosswise with her, their job might go poof."