And as far as Nate knew, they’d added more men to their ranks. The five of them, Nate included, had formed a camaraderie that Nate missed powerfully every time he thought of his friends.
He did have Spencer now, and Nick, and a few other cowboys that lived in the house with him. He had Connor, and Ginger, and Emma. And his family, though he didn’t get to see them much.
He let Dallas talk about River Bay, and how nothing much had changed. “Oh, except guess who just took over your job in the office?” he asked.
“Who?” Nate asked.
“Josiah Manuel.”
All sound ceased as Nate absorbed that information. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish. And he’s strutting around now like he’s wearing the Manager’s uniform or something. He’s headed for a big fall.”
“I didn’t realize he had so much sway.” Nate hadn’t really either, but Josiah held a ton of tickets, and he’d almost been moved up a level of security because he loved to start fights.
“He doesn’t,” Dallas said. “Greg just wants him where he can keep an eye on him, because one of our wings is going through a remodel.”
“Ah, I see.” Nate wondered if he’d been in the office for a reason like that, but he dismissed the idea quickly. A beep sounded on the line, which meant that Dallas had one minute left on his call. So they said their goodbyes, and Nate hung up.
He moved to the edge of the bird blind and looked down the road, still finding it empty. He looked up into the clear sky, the hot sun burning straight through him. Frustration built inside him at his situation, so Nate decided to make one more phone call before he went back to the more populated areas of the ranch.
Sam Wiseman picked up his personal line after only one ring with the words, “Hello, Nathaniel. What can I do for you?”
“I need another withdrawal,” Nate said. “In the same amount as last time. Same envelope too, if possible.”
“It’s possible,” Sam said crisply. “I can have that ready for you for this afternoon.”
Nate started thinking about possibilities, and he asked, “Can you deliver it to someone for me?” He couldn’t imagine detailing how to put the money in a locker at the mall, not to Sam.
“No, sir,” Sam said. “We can’t do that.”
“Can I pick it up tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. The counter is open from ten until two. I’m not in on weekends.”
“How would I get it?” Nate asked.
“I’ll put it in your safety deposit box, if that works for you?”
“That works,” Nate said. He wasn’t sure how he’d carry the briefcase around the mall, disappear, and come back without it. He needed a new bag, one that would conceal the envelope and that he could carry with him reasonably. Did men carry backpacks around the mall?
He shook his head at this situation. He hated it. He just wanted to give Oscar his money and be done with it. But Oscar refused to take more than nine thousand dollars at a time, and for the twenty-six thousand dollars Nate owed Oscar, that required three drops.
Tomorrow would only be the second, which meant Nate had to go through this again.
His phone rang, and when he looked at the screen, he found Ginger’s name on the screen. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said.
“Hey,” she said. “You still out at the bird blinds?”
“It’s good to hear your voice.”
Ginger gave him a light laugh, and that made him smile. He wanted to confide in her, but he didn’t know how. She probably felt the same way about telling him about her ex-boyfriend.
A guy like him.
“And yes,” he added. “I’m out at the bird blinds. Done, but I can’t bear the thought of walking back in this heat.”
“I have good news for you then,” she said. “I’m about five minutes away, and the air conditioner in this truck works really well.”
“Bless you,” he said, actually sighing in relief.
She laughed again and said she’d be there soon. Nate decided he could brave the sun for a few minutes, and he stepped out of the bird blind and headed down the road. Sure enough, Ginger rounded the bend and came toward him. She pulled to a stop beside him and said, “You lost, Mister?”
He grinned at her and sighed as he got in the passenger seat. “It’s hot.”
“That it is,” she said. “I brought you a water.” She indicated it sitting in the console between them. Nate also spied something there that made his mouth water. “And yes, I got you a hamburger.”
“You’re the best,” he said, reaching for the food and then the water. “Seriously, Ginger, thank you.”
She gripped the steering wheel tightly. Her voice was a bit too high when she said, “Thanks for being someone I can trust.”
Guilt cut through Nate, but he said nothing. Once all the drops were done, once Oscar had his money and no reason to contact Nate ever again, then he’d tell Ginger. He’d tell her everything, share his whole life with her.
But for now, he had to keep this one secret. After all, how much damage could one little secret do?
Chapter Fourteen
Ginger had looked for ways Nate could potentially mess up. After the one time he hadn’t been in the stables where she’d expected him to be, her stomach clenched whenever she went to find him. But he was always right where he said he’d be. He learned quickly, and he was one of the hardest working men she’d ever met.
She’d been toying with the idea of offering him a permanent position on the ranch once his reentry term expired. But he didn’t seem to be hurting for money, and he’d mentioned moving into Ward’s house in White Lake more than once.
So Ginger had kept her mouth closed. White Lake was only about twenty minutes down the road, and she could easily make the drive to see him. Heck, after his residential program ended, he’d be a free man, and he could drive to see her.
She set the curling iron down, deciding she couldn’t make every lock of hair into a wave. Nate would know she’d spent an hour in front of the mirror, and she didn’t want him to think she was trying so hard. Even if she was.
They were going to the mall today to get her favorite Chinese food. She hadn’t told him it was to celebrate her birthday, but it was. She should probably text him just to let him know. As soon as she thought so, she recalled the idea. No, she told herself. It’s fine. She didn’t need him to buy her anything.
She knew he liked her, because he poured everything into his kisses, and Ginger had felt it time and time again over the past few weeks.
“There you are,” Emma said, leaning into the doorway. “I just put the cheesecake in. Jill, Jess, Michelle, and Hannah have all confirmed for tonight. So did both of your sisters.”
“Both of them?” Ginger turned away from her reflection. She was as beautiful as she was going to get, and another layer of lip gloss wouldn’t help. “Sierra isn’t going out with Max?”
Emma rolled her eyes. “She actually asked if she could bring him, and I told her irrevocably that she could not.”
“I’m surprised she’s coming then.” Her sister couldn’t do anything without her fiancé, and no one had the heart to tell Sierra that she and Max had been engaged for four years. Ginger wanted a man who couldn’t wait to get her to the altar, not one that put the wedding off and off and off…