She sat down at the computer and clicked on the mouse to bring up the desktop icon screen. Where would he store the list? She hesitated. This was snooping into the life of the ranch. But Jake had said she could use the computer any time. This was any time. She studied the icons. One was named employees. She clicked on it. A raft of files came up. She looked for the date of the most recent file and clicked on it. Up came the listing of the employees that Jake had shown her. Highlighted in yellow were the names of the three employees on the most wanted list. Reese Crawford, Rob Allred, and Clancy James. Reese Crawford must be the one.
They hadn’t had a chance to talk about that relative with everything else happening. Maybe it was a wild card, a wild goose chase. She sighed and sat back. What was she doing? She looked for a sheet of paper in the desk drawer to write the three names on. Maybe she could find them on the internet. She felt frustrated that she couldn’t figure this out.
In the top drawer was a stack of envelopes that looked like bills. In the next drawer there were pipe fittings and other stuff that she didn’t understand. Where would a piece of paper be? And a pen. She started on the other side of the desk. In the top drawer she found a small tablet and a pen, and she wrote down the names. Out of curiosity she tried the bottom file drawer but it was locked.
Outside she heard the sound of a truck and doors banging. She looked through the mini-blinds and saw four men coming in the front walk. Who were these guys? She was the only one home besides Jake. She’d see what they wanted and then determine if she should wake up Jake.
They knocked at the front screen door, and she hurried down the hall to greet them. They wore work clothes and determined faces and stood looking around as she approached the door. One was a young boy who sported a flat top buckaroo hat. He looked like miniature of the taller, slim man beside him.
She remained inside to greet them, looking through the screen door. “Hello, can I help you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said the short, stocky man wearing a baseball cap. “We’re here to help.”
“Did Jake call you?” She opened the door and stepped outside. “I’m Fiona Marlowe. I’m a friend visiting for a while.”
“No, ma’am. We heard about Glory and the cows and the rustling, and we knew Jake’d need an extra hand so we came to help.”
Fiona was amazed how fast word spread and how ready to help people were. “Jake’s sleeping. He worked all night so he laid down for a few hours. Will you come in for something cold to drink? I can wake Jake up. Opal has gone to town.”
The group nodded their heads and trooped behind her into the kitchen. They stood awkwardly with their hands in their pockets. Fiona invited them to sit down. They weren’t much for words. As she busied setting out glasses and iced tea, she said, “Where are you boys from?”
The short one spoke up. “Next ranch over. I’m Opal’s cousin’s son on her husband’s side. I work there, and my boss said I should come over here to help Jake. Name’s Bobby.”
One in a T-shirt with suspenders framing a drooping belly said, “I’m Mac. I work at a ranch further over in the valley. I’m a cousin, too.” He accepted a glass of tea from Fiona.
The man with the little boy said, “They call me Doc. I have the ranch back a ways from the crossroads. I’m Opal’s nephew, and this is my grandson, Billy. He’s a hard worker.” Doc was an older gentleman with a waxed handle bar mustache and a flat crowned hat. “I understand Opal has had a run of back luck, and we rode over to see if we can help.”
Fiona said, “That is kind of you. Glory is in the hospital, and Jake spent most of the night trying to find him and get him to the hospital.”
“Jake’s got good wilderness training,” said Doc. “He’s helped me more than once. What’s the prognosis on Glory?”
Fiona shrugged. “The doctor wasn’t sure when he’d wake up. Apparently, someone beat him up. He has bad bruises around the head.”
Murmurs and frowns spread around the table.
Bobby said, “That’s bad news. We heard the bunk house burnt.”
“Yes,” said Fiona. “We can’t prove it, but we think someone set the fire.”
“Sorry to hear that,” said Doc. “Sure is a strange run of bad luck. Seems to me, it is not all luck. What about the rustling? That’s a concern to all of us. So far I haven’t lost any.”
“I think Jake figures they’ve lost over a dozen. When he and Hoover went out to track the rustlers, someone whacked him in the head, maybe to scare him. Pasture has been a problem.” She explained about the stock pond without water and moving the cows and amazed herself with how she much she understood about ranching. “Then last night Jake found an overturned can of gasoline in one of the hay barns.”
Bobby shook his head, “Sounds like someone is hell bent on destroying this place.”
Fiona poured herself a glass of tea. “It does, doesn’t it? It’s hard to put two and two together.” She took a sip of tea and considered. “I’ll wake up Jake since you fellows have been so kind as to come over to help. I believe he needs a night watchman and someone to replace Glory for now. I’ll be right back.”
They made no objection, and their concerned conversation followed her down the hall to Jake’s room. She wasn’t sure she should be disturbing him. But if these men came all this way to help, she needed to find out what should be done. She tapped lightly on the door and opened it to see if he was still asleep. The shower was running in his bathroom. At least he was up. She was undecided about disturbing him in the bathroom, but maybe she could talk to him through the door. She tapped on the door, but he didn’t respond. He was singing in the shower, so she rapped harder.
“What?” said Jake.
“It’s Fiona.”
“Come right in, sweetheart.”
Fiona considered the invitation. “Are you presentable?”
“I’m always presentable for you.”
She cautiously opened the door and peeked around. He turned off the water and stood grinning at her in all his naked, water streaming glory.
“Jake, stop that!” She ducked back out. What a time to play games. But she liked what she saw.
“Don’t be bashful,” Jake called through the door. “It isn’t every day a pretty woman interrupts my shower. Come back.”
“Jake, be serious. There’re four men to see you.”
He opened the door wearing a towel wrapped around his middle. “Who is it?”
“Mac, Bobby, Doc and Billy.”
“I figured they’d be around.”
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Great, for a man with three hours sleep in the last forty eight.” He yawned. “One of these days I’m going to get a decent night’s sleep. Tell them I’ll be out in a minute.”
Fiona backed out of the room and away from temptation. Jake looked good, smelled good, and she could feel her hormones stand up and salute.
“What’s the hurry?” he said. “Don’t you want to help me dress?”
She turned and fled and heard him laughing all the way down the hall.
Having Fiona find him in the shower put a smile on Jake’s day. He felt better than he should have by the time he got to the kitchen.
“Morning, boys,” he said, accepting a glass of tea from Fiona and to her he said, “Would you mind fixing coffee?”
Fiona went to work on the coffee pot. She’d make some guy, maybe him, a nice ranch wife.