Delivering Destiny (River's End Ranch Book 23) Read online

  “I’m on it,” Reggie said, shaking his head. He’d tried to explain to his mother once why he could never leave this job—well, this was the reason right here. These people were insane, and he loved it.

  Chapter Six

  As soon as Abby locked the door on the UPS Store, she ran over to the general store, needing to talk to Heidi. Madness. Mayhem. The world imploding. Stuff was happening. She needed her best friend.

  But she had to wait while Heidi rang up a huge stack of purchases for an older couple who had come to the ranch to celebrate their forty-fifth wedding anniversary. They’d gotten married the night before he’d shipped out to Vietnam, so they’d never had a real honeymoon, and their children had gotten together and paid for this trip. It was a sweet story, and Abby was glad she got to hear it, but she really wanted Heidi all to herself, and waiting was driving her batty.

  Finally, they were alone in the store, and Heidi turned to her. “Yes, oh impatient one?”

  “I was being patient.”

  “You were being patient outwardly, but inwardly, you’re a seething mass of lava getting ready to erupt out your ears. What’s going on?”

  Abby put her hands over her face so she wouldn’t have to see Heidi’s reaction. “I just said I’d go on a hike with Reggie. Alone. On Monday. Like a date. He’s bringing a picnic.”

  Heidi didn’t respond, so Abby lowered her hands. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

  “I’m trying to figure out why you’re acting like this is a bad thing.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  “Why should it be?”

  Abby blew out a breath, exasperated. “Because I don’t like people, remember? And it’s best if I stay away from them.”

  “Have you figured out yet how you’re going to keep working in customer service and stay away from people at the same time?”

  “No, but I’m smart. I’ll come up with something.” Abby unfolded one of the camp chairs that was on display in the front area and sat down on it. “So, walk me through this. Why is the fact that I have a date with Reggie not bad?”

  Heidi grabbed a chair too and sat down next to her. “Well, to start with, Reggie’s a great guy. He helped me out here at the store over Christmas and I got to know him pretty well—he’s funny, compassionate, and you have to admit, he’s pretty cute.”

  Abby scowled. “Okay, he’s cute. And that other stuff. I just . . .”

  “You were just expecting to end up with Derrick, and the thought of anyone else in that slot is hard for you.” Heidi reached out and touched Abby’s shoulder. “I have to be honest—Reggie’s three times the guy Derrick ever was. Sure, Derrick’s good-looking, but what else has he really got going for him?”

  Abby opened her mouth, ready to come to Derrick’s defense, but then she realized that she couldn’t. Derrick’s main interest had always been himself, and the good times they’d had together had been doing things he wanted to do. She wasn’t sure he even knew what kinds of things she was into.

  “I think maybe I was flattered that someone so good-looking would want to be with me,” she said after a long moment of silence.

  “What do you mean?”

  Abby gestured to herself. “Look at me. I’m hardly . . . well, look at me.”

  Heidi’s mouth dropped open. At first, Abby thought her friend was just being melodramatic, but then she realized that Heidi was genuinely shocked. “You don’t realize how cute you are?”

  Abby snorted. “Come on, Heidi.”

  “No, seriously. You’re the total package. Great hair, adorable smile—well, when you’re smiling and not scowling—and your eyes are killer. Add that to your personality, and dang, girl, Derrick wasn’t flattering you. He was dating up.”

  Abby shook her head. She knew Heidi wouldn’t lie to her, but she just couldn’t see that about herself. “Chipmunk cheeks . . .”

  “Just stop, okay? You’re not going to convince me no matter what you say, and you know how important it is to me to be right.” Heidi sat back and looked at her. “Do you concede?”

  “I concede that you believe that I’m cute. I don’t know how to see that in myself, though.”

  “Then all that’s left for us to do is watch a movie and eat pizza. Mark’s got another night shift. Why don’t I come see you this time?”

  “Sounds good.” It took Abby a couple of tries to get out of her camp chair, but she finally managed it. “I’m heading home now, so any time after you’re done here is great.”

  “Give me a hand, would you?” Heidi reached out, and Abby pulled her to her feet. “I’ll be there around seven thirty.”

  “See ya then.”

  Maybe by that time, Abby would feel less self-conscious about her supposed cuteness.

  ***

  Reggie drove the last nail into place, then took hold of the railing he’d just built and shook it. Rock steady—no wiggle at all. He hadn’t lost his magic touch.

  He wanted to get right on the other tasks, but one of the repairs would need a concrete footing, and he hadn’t anticipated that. He’d come back up the next day with the right supplies for that job.

  Chuckling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the bag of Bigfoot hair. He couldn’t believe the lengths to which the Westons would go to tease each other. It was inspirational, really. He left a few clumps tangled in a bush just to the right of the repaired guardrail, imagining the approximate height of Bigfoot and where he’d be likely to get tangled. Then he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Amber.

  Done. Take it away.

  Seconds later, she responded. On it.

  He grinned.

  There was a problem, though. He couldn’t plant all the evidence at the sites of his repairs or Wes would catch on pretty quick. Their “witnesses” would need to report sightings all over the mountain, which meant that Reggie needed more time. And maybe he needed some accomplices of his own.

  As he drove down the mountain, ideas started churning, and he couldn’t wait to get home and get started.

  ***

  Jamal couldn’t stop laughing. Nick just sat there, expressionless, arms folded across his chest.

  “Oh, man, that’s gonna be good,” Jamal said at last, wiping his eyes. “Of course I’m in. What do you need?”

  “I need help placing evidence in various different spots all over the mountain,” Reggie said. “I’ve got some hikes scheduled for this weekend, and if I put hair along those trails, it’s going to point to me like a neon sign.”

  Just then, his phone chimed. It was Amber. Done. Your turn.

  He sent her a thumbs-up emoji, then started a new text, this one to Wes. Got the first railing on the list done. Can you check it—want to make sure my work’s up to your dad’s standards. He knew that bringing Wilber Weston’s approval into the equation would get Wes up there sooner than later. Wes replied immediately, saying he’d go up the next morning, and Reggie grinned as he put his phone on the coffee table.

  “Sorry about that,” he said to his roommates. “So, I was thinking. Jamal, what if you report that your animals have seemed a little restless lately? And Nick, what if . . . No, that won’t work.”

  “What won’t work?” Nick asked.

  “I was thinking that maybe you could ‘see’ something out there, but it occurred to me, you don’t spend much time on the mountain.”

  “If that’s your way of saying that he spends his whole life glued to his desk chair, you’re right,” Jamal said. “Need a new plan.”

  “What you need is some authoritative evidence on your side,” Nick said. “Some way to prove that Bigfoot is actually here. And what better way to do that than harnessing the power of the Internet?”

  Reggie blinked. “What are you talking about?”

  Nick’s facial expression hadn’t changed at all. Reggie wasn’t even sure that his friend was on board until he spoke again. “I will build you a website that shows examples of this so-called evidence you’re planting. Do you still have so
me of that fake hair?”

  “Sure. Lots.”

  “Take it outside, tangle it on a bush, and get some pictures. Make a mold of a foot and take pictures of tracks. Get some dung and arrange it in a distinctive-looking pile and photograph that too. I’ll put it all on this website as evidence found by ‘other’ people, and we can lead the Westons into discovering this website. Then their evidence will match what they’ve seen online.”

  “Holy cow. You are brilliant.” Reggie reached out and clapped Nick on the shoulder.

  “I’ll get the animal dung,” Jamal said. “I see a lot of that in my line of work.”

  “And I’ll make a mold for the footprint. I’ve got some plaster of Paris around here somewhere,” Nick added. “You just worry about those hikes so you’re on record as being somewhere else.”

  “I’ve got the best roommates ever,” Reggie said, blown away by Nick’s idea. “Pizza’s on me tonight, guys.”

  Chapter Seven

  Abby loved weekends. The ranch shut down all but just the necessary services, giving the employees a needed rest, and she spent Sunday afternoon taking a long, luxurious nap. By the time Monday rolled around, she had pretty much worked through her whole Derrick dilemma, resigned herself to the idea of possible personal cuteness, and maybe, just maybe, was looking forward to her date with Reggie.

  That was a lot of progress for just one weekend.

  Her first customer was Erica, who came in a little breathless. “Hey there! Can you help me? I’ve got to mail this overseas.”

  “Sure. Set it on the counter and fill out this form, please.” Abby passed the sheet over, along with a pen. “Are you okay? You seem winded.”

  “I’m fine—just a lot to do. Emma asked Dani to mail this to Randy—Chad’s brother—but then Dani got called out on a search and rescue, so she asked me to do it instead.”

  “Wow. That’s a whole lot of people involved in the mailing of one package.” Abby chuckled. “And now add me to the list, but we’ll get it there.”

  “Thanks, Abby. Now if you could just get some dry cleaning done for me and pick up some groceries, that would be perfect.”

  “Um, no. My amazing talents don’t extend that far.” Abby took the paper back from Erica and read it over. “Okay, I think we’re set to go.”

  Erica waved over her shoulder as she left. “Wish me luck!”

  “Luck!” Abby called back.

  Just then, the UPS truck pulled up outside.

  “I need some luck too,” she muttered.

  But the driver who came in wasn’t Derrick. It was some guy she’d never seen before—a really friendly looking guy with auburn hair, a smattering of freckles, and bright green eyes. “Morning,” he said as the door closed behind him. “You must be Abby. Derrick told me to say hi.”

  “Yes, I’m Abby,” she replied. “Where is Derrick?”

  “He and I traded routes. It was sort of sudden, but it worked out well for both of us, and our supervisor didn’t mind.” He walked up to the counter and stuck out his hand. “I’m Alan Murray. It’s nice to meet you, Abby—Derrick says you’re the best store clerk he’s ever worked with.”

  She blinked. “He did?”

  “That’s right. He also said I should tell you that my great-great-great-grandfather served as a Canadian Mountie.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Does that mean anything to you?”

  “Seriously? A Mountie?” Abby felt heat come to her cheeks. “If I tell you a secret, will you promise not to tell another soul on the planet?”

  “Sure. I love secrets.”

  “Okay. I guess I can trust you—UPS hired you and all that. So. I have a weakness, and it’s for that show. You know—the Mountie show? When Calls the Heart?”

  He grinned. “Yep, I know it. It’s my mom’s favorite. She says she’s honor-bound to watch it because it’s our family history.”

  “She’s right! There’s a moral imperative.”

  “I’ll be sure to let her know that I met a fellow Heartie today.”

  They traded packages, and Alan drove away after she signed the clipboard. That had certainly been unexpected—she’d never dreamed that Derrick would ask for a new assignment. She felt bad for about thirty seconds, but then she heaved a big sigh of relief. It was going to be so, so nice not to see him anymore.

  ***

  Reggie tried to squelch the little bubble of excitement that had been building in his chest since that morning, but it was pointless. He’d been looking forward to this hike with Abby all weekend, and he planned to make it extra fun. He checked his bag to make sure he had everything he needed, then stopped by the dining room to pick up the meal they’d boxed for him.

  “Hey, did you hear?” Barbi, one of his favorite waitresses, asked as she set his food on the counter. “Amber heard some weird noises coming from the direction of the mountain the other night, and then Wes found some weird clumps of hair up on the trail. They were talking about it when they were in here for lunch. Amber says it’s Bigfoot, but Wes doesn’t think it’s anything.”

  “Wow,” Reggie replied, hoping that was a noncommittal response. He wasn’t sure yet who all was in on it, and he didn’t want to give anything away.

  “Yeah. Pretty wild.” She rang him up. “Have fun on your date with Abby.”

  “How did you know about that?”

  “Same way I heard about Bigfoot. People talk around here.”

  Yep, they certainly did.

  He headed down Main Street and entered the UPS Store, glad to see that Abby had already changed out of her uniform and now wore jeans, a T-shirt, and had a sweatshirt tied around her waist.

  “You look great,” he said. “Ready to go?”

  “Yep. But first, I need to give you this.” She picked up a package from the counter and handed it to him. Yes! It had come exactly when the tracking information had said it would. “Lead the way, hike person.”

  They checked out an ATV and rode it to the base of the trail. Then Reggie hefted the picnic basket he’d brought and said, “Let’s do this thing.”

  He started out slow so he could gauge Abby’s ability. Not everyone was built for hiking, even if they were in good shape. He was glad to see that she was able to keep up a good stride, so he increased his speed slightly over the next several yards.

  “We’ll take the right fork of the trail today, if that’s okay with you,” he said. “I’ve been up the left a few times this last week, and I’d like a change of pace.”

  “I’m good with whatever,” Abby replied. “You’re the expert.”

  He paused, a grin on his face. “And I need to ask for your help with something.”

  “Oh? What kind of something?”

  “I need you to help me find a Bigfoot print.” That sounded more reasonable in his head.

  As they hiked, he filled her in on the prank and his involvement in it. When he reached the part about Nick building a website, she held up both hands. “Wait. Just . . . wait. You’re telling me that you people are putting together one of the biggest practical jokes ever to be played in ranch history? And you want my help?”

  He couldn’t tell from her face if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “Yeah. That’s what I’m telling you.”

  “This is the best date ever.” She grinned, her eyes alight. “Okay, so, what did you want me to do?”

  “Nick and Jamal came out here Saturday and planted all kinds of cool stuff. You and I are going to happen upon a footprint. You’re my witness—I was with you the whole time today, and I was out doing hikes Saturday and yesterday, so I couldn’t have done it then either. Tomorrow, Kaya and Glen are going horseback riding along one of the trails, and they’re going to find a pile of dung. It’s going to be great.”

  “You know, this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone say that dung is great.”

  Reggie chuckled. “But it is, right? You’ve got to admit, it is.”

  She nodded. “It totally is.”

  They reached a little clea
ring that was perfect for a picnic, and they spread out their sweatshirts to sit on. Then Reggie unpacked the food.

  “Wow. You really went all out,” Abby said, looking over everything he’d brought. “When you said we were coming up here, I was thinking, bologna sandwiches or something.”

  He paused in the middle of pulling out the container of chicken Florentine. “Did you want bologna? Because I’m sure we can find some—I can just pack up all this nice food again.”

  “Of course not.” She rolled her eyes at him. “This is me being pleasantly surprised. I’m not shocked or horrified or offended or anything.”

  “Good, because that wasn’t my intention. And once we’ve eaten, I have a little something else, too.”

  “Oh? What kind of something else? Is it chocolate?”

  It wasn’t. He hoped that wouldn’t be the thing that would shock and horrify and offend her. “You’ll just have to see.”

  The food was delicious, and they didn’t say much while they were eating. That was totally fine with Reggie—he always hated the expectation that he had to come up with something really fascinating to say and manage to eat at the same time. He couldn’t multi-task like that. When they were done eating, he checked his watch.

  “Actually, let’s go find the footprint now,” he said. “If we wait a whole lot longer, it’ll be too dark to see it.”

  “But what about the something else? You can’t promise a something else and then not deliver.”

  “I’ll still give it to you. It’ll keep.”

  “It might keep, but I don’t think my impatience will.” Even though she was protesting, she still helped clean up, and a moment later, they were back on the trail.

  “Nick sent me coordinates to where they put one of the footprints,” Reggie said. “And there it is.” He pointed, and Abby ran up to the spot.