Trouble Brewing in Thunder Creek (Thunder Creek Ranch Book 3)

He wandered around, chatted it up with campers or folks who stopped by, occasionally lifted a heavy box for Enid, read the paper a lot. He was a fixture. Enid had a sweet, heart-shaped face to go with her plump body. It attested to her love of baking. Besides making and wrapping sandwiches to keep in the cooler along with a few other lunchable items, she baked every morning—sweet rolls, buns, cookies, brownies, that sort of thing.

Frank ate a lot of that and apparently never gained an ounce. Maggie could hear Sully scraping out the gutters around the store. Seventy and up on a ladder, still working like a farmhand, cleaning the winter detritus away. That was the problem with March—a lot to clean up for the spring and summer.

She escaped out to the porch to visit with Frank before Sully saw her sitting around and put her to work. I might be better off cleaning gutters , she though. So she turned the conversation to politics, because she knew Frank had some very strong opinions and she could listen rather than answer questions. His legs were stretched out, and he was reading again. She noticed he had long legs.

She was just about to ask Frank how long that guy had been camping there when she noticed someone heading up the trail toward the camp. He had a big backpack and walking stick and something strange on his head. There were a lot of senior citizens out on the trails, hiking, biking, skiing.

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In fact, if they were fit at retirement, they had the time and means. As the man got closer, age was only part of the issue. He wore a ski jacket that looked to be drenched and he was flushed and limping. He went down the steps to approach the man, Maggie close on his heels, Frank bringing up the rear and Enid on the porch waiting to see what was up.

What We Find | RobynCarr

Come up on the porch and have a cup of coffee, take off that pack and wet jacket. We need to make a phone call for you. What are you doing out here, soaking wet in your Sunday shoes? Maggie noticed the camper had wandered over, curious. Up close he was distracting. He was tall and handsome, though there was a small bump on the bridge of his nose. But his hips were narrow, his shoulders wide and his jeans were torn and frayed exactly right. She tore her eyes away. Sleep in the rain? Sully, you better call Stan the Man. He leaned the backpack against the porch rail, and within just seconds Enid was there with a blanket, cup of coffee and one of her bran muffins.

Cal brought the cordless phone to the porch. The gentleman immediately began to devour that muffin as Maggie looked him over. Maggie crouched in front of the man and while speaking very softly, she asked if she could remove the hat. Before quite getting permission she pulled it gently off his head to reveal wispy white hair surrounding a bald dome. She gently ran her fingers around his scalp in search of a bump or contusion.

Then she pulled him to his feet and ran her hands around his torso and waist. In a moment the gentleman sat with his coffee with cream, shivering under a blanket while Sully called Stan Bronoski. There were a number of people Sully could have reached out to—a local ranger, state police aka highway patrol, even fire and rescue. But Stan was the son of a local rancher and was the police chief in Timberlake, just twenty miles south and near the interchange. It was a small department with a clever deputy who worked the internet like a pro, Officer Paul Castor.

Beau gave the old man a good sniffing, then moved down the stairs to Cal, who automatically began petting him. Does he have any ID on him? Maggie asked the man to stand again and deftly slid a thin wallet out of his back pocket. She urged him to sit and opened it up. He must have been terrified. Maggie went about the business of caring for Mr. Gunderson, getting water and a little soup into him while the camper, Cal, chatted with Sully and Frank, apparently well-known to them.

That would be too complicated for a man in his condition. It was a miracle he could carry it!

Lorraine Nelson

Two hours later, the sun lowering in the sky, an ambulance had arrived for Roy Gunderson. He could bolt, try to get out of a moving car or interfere with the driver, although Stan had a divider cage in his police car. The car was reported stolen from near his house but had no tracking device installed. From there the old man had probably hitched a ride. His condition was too good to have walked for days.

Roy was likely left near a rest stop or campgrounds where he helped himself to a backpack. The EMTs were just about to load Mr. Gunderson into the back of the ambulance when Sully sat down on the porch steps with a loud huff. Sully was grabbing the front of his chest. He was pale as snow, sweaty, his eyes glassy, his breathing shallow and ragged. Originally published April in hardcover and eBook. Excerpt Chapter One Maggie sought refuge in the stairwell between the sixth and seventh floors at the far west end of the hospital, the steps least traveled by interns and residents racing from floor to floor, from emergency to emergency.

Maggie gave a wet, burbly huff of laughter. Jaycee was clearly shocked. Then she had a miscarriage. From all that crap. What can I get you? Welcome Home , the note said. Maggie said hopefully, though there was absolutely no indication it would. Then she had to concentrate to keep from shuddering. Mathews coming down on the weekend? I never liked him very much, did I mention that?

Till I get a better idea. Couple of weeks, maybe? Damn fool time of year to take a vacation. You look happy, allright. Sully appeared on the porch, Beau wagging at his side, Frank following. He smiled though he also shivered. He just shook his head. More beautiful than Lejeune, for sure. Sully handed the phone to Maggie.

Sully repeated the name into the phone to Stan.

He shook his head and sipped his coffee. Maggie looked at Sully, lifting a questioning brow.

Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Mistaken Identity — Mistaken for a pin-up girl? Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Email required Address never made public. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Thunder Creek Ranch , Book 4. March 29, by Evernight Publishing.

Leah Manning grew up among so many domineering, protective males that it left her frustrated, longing for a different life. Her family couldn't understand that she needed to dance. Unknowingly, she'd embroiled herself in a deadly game from which there seemed no way out. Now she was home.

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Would they welcome her back? What if trouble followed? Most importantly, did Cal still work the ranch? Thunder Creek Ranch , Book 3. January 6, by Evernight Publishing. Trouble comes to Thunder Creek the moment authorities arrest Winnie's son for stalking and terrorizing Lucas' daughter-in-law.

Winnie feels guilty and withdraws from the Manning family. But a threatening phone call disturbs their lives even more as Winnie becomes an unexpected target. Can Lucas convince Winnie of her worthiness and save their marriage? Undercover Cop by Lorraine Nelson Series: Thunder Creek Ranch , Book 2. December 2, by Evernight Publishing. Thunder Creek Ranch, 2 Two cops have been murdered, two convicts escape. Samantha Muldoon and Blake Northrup pair up to protect their friends.