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wonderful.”
    â€œMay’s boys will love it.”
    â€œOh, yes, the fishermen. I’m so amazed to think about how you come up with so many good ideas.”
    â€œOr they come floating downstream to me.”
    He hugged and kissed her. Damn, he was lucky to have her. He’d had affairs, knew some good women in his past, but a wife like Marge exceeded his sweetest dreams.

C HAPTER 7
    Chet and his two men had their horses saddled and ready at dawn. A cold north wind blew, and their breath looked like steam locomotives as they moved about in their heavy clothes ready to ride for the Verde.
    When he put his boot in the stirrup he felt the hump in Sagebrush’s back. His leg thrown over the cantle and boot barely in the other stirrup, the big bay horse broke in two. His legs were on springs and he shot sky high grunting like a mad hog. Then he leaped out in a space wide enough to cover the Grand Canyon.
    Came down in a head-shaking stomp that about jarred Chet out of the saddle, but instead he stuck spurs to hide. That caused another explosion, but Chet could tell they were getting weaker by the hop. But the pony was still a quarter of a mile from being over it.
    On the road, Jesus and Cole caught up with him on some high-headed horses of their own.
    â€œNice romp,” Cole said, and drew a laugh from his companions.
    â€œYou ever been thrown off?” Jesus asked.
    â€œA few times, but that ground out here is too damn hard to land on.”
    He wasn’t satisfied the boys hadn’t picked that horse on purpose as a joke, but he didn’t really care—in his book, they were great guys. The three made the lower place by mid-morning and Susie bundled in a coat waved in greeting from the porch.
    â€œWe here for long?” Cole asked.
    â€œI imagine so.”
    â€œGive us your horse then and we’ll go out where they’re feeding hay.”
    â€œI’ll just hitch him. I may want to see them, too.”
    â€œFine.” The pair rode on.
    By then Susie had him by the waist and they were headed for her kitchen.
    â€œHow is Marge?”
    â€œWonderful. No, she’s a little stiff, she says. Hey, I have some news. We bought a farm with an orchard in Oak Creek Canyon right astraddle on Oak Creek.”
    â€œWe did? That’s such a sweet place. I went by that orchard. Will that be our place?”
    â€œI figure to build some cabins up there for all of us to use. I need to hire a man to farm it soon.”
    Susie beamed with the news. “Wait until those boys hear it’s ours. They’ll want to live up there.”
    â€œKeep it under your hat until we sign the final papers.”
    â€œI will. You know my husband will be back here in a week.”
    â€œIf he rides a good horse to death. We’ve received payment for our first two deliveries. So we’re in line to get more. This one makes three they owe us for.”
    â€œThis reminds me of when you used to return from Kansas bringing money home to Texas.”
    â€œSame effect as those sales. It’s a big financial help to the ranch operation. We won’t make as much money sending our neighbors’ cattle over there, but it’ll make money for everyone. It’s going to help the area’s economy too. Our mowers and rakes are coming for all three places as well. Delivery should be April.”
    â€œYou never cease to amaze me. We are flying high, aren’t we?”
    â€œThe move here is going better than I thought, and making places for all of us. The Rankin lawyers want me to step in and manage that place, but that would only cost me money.”
    â€œOh, yes, Lucie sent me a letter. Do you want to read it?”
    â€œSure.”
    The message was close to Marge’s, except some notes for Susie. His sister spoke up, “Lucie is a great lady for being such a cowgirl and ranch hand.”
    â€œA grand gal for him.”
    â€œYes, I never expected—well, for