Page 6 of Slay Bells
She remained for a few moments until a patrol car arrived. The police officers got out and held up a blanket to the naked man. He crossed his arms and shook his head.
Obviously, the man was impervious to the cold.
When her stomach grumbled, Gabriela decided to leave. There wasn’t much she could do, and the sight of the naked skinny man was not exactly something she wanted etched on her brain.
Just then, the police officer looked over and signaled for her to drive closer.
Gabriela groaned. Nothing like a closer look at a naked man to keep her appetite in check.
After moving forward only a few feet, she stuck her head out the window. “Hello Officer.”
The police officer grinned. “Are you the lady who called?”
Gabriela nodded. “Can I leave now?”
The officer came closer. Thankfully, the naked man had finally accepted the blanket from the other cop and was now pointing at the dumpster.
Williams, the name displayed on his uniform, was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was attractive with sandy brown hair and a mischievous look about him. He gave her a crooked grin. “Sorry you had to see that. Henry hasn’t been right since… well ever. He means no harm.”
“I was worried since it’s so cold,” Gabriela offered, unable to keep from looking at his ring finger. There was a ring. She let out a sigh. “It is definitely an unforgettable welcome to Montana.”
Officer Williams shook his head. “I assure you we don’t all run around butt naked in the snow.”
“That’s a relief,” Gabriela replied with a chuckle. “I’ll be on my way then. Do you need anything from me?”
“Nope, have a great day Gabriela.”
She froze. “How did you know my name?”
“You gave it to dispatch.”
“Oh, that’s right. Okay…goodbye Officer Williams.” She made a show of pointing to his nametag.
His smile widened. “You can call me Greg.”
“See ya.” She drove forward slowly refusing to look at the naked man as she passed. Unfortunately, he called out to her, “Merry Christmas!”
Gabriela let out a long breath and waved without looking.
She pulled into a nondescript strip mall and smiled at seeing Paul’s Pancake Parlor.
After a hearty meal of buckwheat pancakes and sausage accompanied by freshly brewed coffee, Gabriela was more than ready to find the ranch where she’d spend the next few weeks, get as much as possible for the magazine and hopefully also get some rest from her stalker ex.
It had been a heck of a day. Thankfully, the drive to the restaurant and then heading on the road out of Missoula was uneventful.
Lucky Break Ranch came into view. There was log fencing for what seemed like miles and an iron archway with “Lucky Break” over it, also made of black iron.
Through the arch, a huge log cabin stood front and center amidst tall trees with mountains for a backdrop. It was beautiful. She brought the car to a stop to study the surroundings before approaching.
Like a scene out of a Christmas card, there were horses in a corral with blankets on their backs, feeding on hay.
There were a few other buildings, one she thought could be a barn, stable, or something similar.
Past the area where the horses were, there was a pond and a line of what looked to be cabins. They were spaced with a bit of land and trees between them giving plenty of privacy. She itched to explore those.
Once again, the larger home caught her attention. A short distance from the house was a smaller cabin. It was adorable. She noted several pick-up trucks and a sport utility vehicle parked beside the house.
It was time to meet the owners, get the introductions over and done so she could collapse into a bed. It was early evening there and even earlier in California, so technically, Gabriela shouldn’t be as tired as she was. She still had to report back to the office to inform them of her arrival, write up her first impressions and call Mila to tell her about the craptastick day she’d had.
