She could smell the snow now, judged it would start to fall before mid-afternoon. But for now, the sky hung pale blue under the crowding clouds.
She walked by a couple of the little green Kias they provided to guests during their stay （on-property use only）， then turned onto the narrow gravel road and saw no one.
Fields spread on either side, buried in snow. She spotted a trio of deer loping through it, white tails flashing, dark winter coats thick.
The cry of a hawk had her gaze lifting to watch it circle. Falconry ranked high on her three-year-plan for the resort, and she’d made progress in that area as she came to the end of year one.
The wind whipped snow off the ground, sent it swirling around her like sparkling dust while her boots rang on the iron-hard ground.
She spotted movement near the BAC, some of the staff out with a few of the horses in the sheltered paddock. The warm smell of horses carried to her, as did the scents of oiled leather, hay, and grain.
She lifted a hand in greeting as the man in the heavy barn coat and brown Stetson glanced over. Abe Kotter patted the paint mare he’d been brushing, then walked a few steps to meet Bodine.
“Gonna snow,” she said.
“Gonna snow,” he agreed. “Had a pair outta Denver want a ride. They knew what they were doing, so Maddie took ’em out and about for a bit. Just got back.”
“Just let me know if you want to rotate any to the ranch, switch out.”
“Can do. You walk down from the main?”
“I wanted the walk, the air. But you know, I think I’ll saddle one up, ride it back, go around to see the ladies of Bodine House.”
“You tell them hey for me. I’ll saddle you up, Bo. Three Socks could use a ride. You’d be saving my old bones.”
“Old my ass.”
“I’m sixty-nine in February.”
“You say that’s old, you’ll have my grannies taking some shots at your bones.”
He laughed, stepped back, and gave the paint another rub. “Maybe so, but I’m taking that winter break like we talked about. Heading to see my brother in Arizona, me and the wife. Right after Christmas, and through to April.”
She didn’t wince, though she wanted to. “We’ll miss you and Edda around here.”
“Winters get harder when the years add up.” He checked the paint’s hoof, pulled out a hoof pick to clean it. “Not so much call for trail rides and such in the winter. Maddie can step up, manage the horses for a couple months. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.”
“I’ll talk to her. Is she inside? I’ve got to go in, talk to Matt anyway.”
“In there now. I’ll get Three Socks ready for you.”
“Thanks, Abe.” She started out, walked backward. “What the hell are you going to do in Arizona?”
“Damned if I know except stay warm.”
She walked around inside the building. Starting in spring right through till October, the big, barn-like space would hold groups gearing up for white-water rafting, ATV jaunts, trail rides, cattle drives, and guided hikes.
Once the snow got serious, things tended to slow down, and now the space echoed with her boot steps as she crossed to the curved counter and the resort’s activities manager.
“How ya doing, Bo?”
“Doing, Matt, and that’s enough. How about you?”
“Quiet enough we’re catching up on things. We’ve got a group out cross-country skiing, another shooting skeet. Family group of twelve’s taking a trail ride tomorrow, so I gave Chase the word on that. He said Cal Skinner’s back, and going to handle that end.”
“That’s right.”
She talked to Matt about inventory, replacing gear and equipment, then pulled out her phone with her notes to discuss additional activities for the Jackson wedding.
“I’ll be sending you an e-mail with all the details. For now, just make sure you block all this out, pull in whoever you need to cover it all.”
“I got it.”
“Abe said Maddie was in here.”
“She’s in the ladies’。”
“Okay.” She glanced at the time on her phone before pocketing it. She wanted that ride to see the grannies, then really had to get back to the office. “I’ll wait a few.”
She wandered to the vending machine. Jessica was right—she should drink more water. She didn’t want water. She wanted something sweet and fizzy. She wanted a damn Coke.
Damn that Jessie, she thought, plugging in the money and taking out a bottle of water.
She took the first annoyed swig as Maddie stepped out of the restroom.
“Hey, Maddie.”
Bodine headed over to the horsewoman. She thought Maddie looked a little pale, a little tired around the eyes despite her quick smile.
“Hi, Bo. Just back from the trail.”
“I hear. You okay? You look a little peaked.”
“I’m fine.” After waving it away, Maddie puffed out a breath. “Do you have time to sit a minute?”
“Sure I do.” Bodine gestured to one of the little tables scattered around the room. “Is everything okay? Here? At home?”
“It’s great. Really great.” Maddie, a lifetime friend, sat and pushed back the brim of the hat that sat on the chin-length swing of her sunny blond hair. “I’m pregnant.”
“You’re— Maddie! That’s great. Isn’t it great?”
“It’s great and it’s wonderful and amazing. And a little scary. Thad and I decided, why wait? We only got married last spring, and the plan was to hold off a year, maybe two. Then we said why do that? So, we dived right in.”
She laughed, then tapped Bodine’s water. “Can I have a sip of that?”
“Take it all. I’m so happy for you, Maddie. Are you feeling all right?”
“I puked three times a day the first couple months. First thing in the morning, lunchtime, and dinnertime. I get tired quicker, but the doctor says that’s how it goes. And the puking should let up altogether pretty soon—I hope to God. I guess it has, a little. Just now I was queasy, but I didn’t barf, so that’s something.”
“Thad must be doing backflips over the moon.”
“He is.”
“How far along are you?”
“Twelve weeks come Saturday.”
Bo opened her mouth, closed it again, then took the water back for another gulp. “Twelve.”
After sighing out a breath, Maddie bit her bottom lip. “I almost told you straight off, but everything says how you should wait to get through the first three months, the first trimester. We haven’t told anybody but our parents—you just have to tell them—and even then we waited until I had four weeks in.”
“You sure don’t look pregnant.”
“I’m gonna. And truth is, my jeans are so tight in the waist already, I’ve got them hooked up with a carabiner.”
“You do not!”
“I do.” To prove it, Maddie lifted up her shirt, showed Bo the little silver clip. “And look at this.”
Maddie lifted her cap, bending her head to show a good inch of brown roots bisecting the blond. “They don’t want you dyeing your hair. I’m not going to take off my hat until this baby comes, I swear. I haven’t seen my natural-born color since I was thirteen and you helped me color it with that box of Nice’n Easy.”