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Back The Last Mile Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. EPILOGUE
  49. Teaser chapter

Gage slowed the vehicle enough to give them each a chance to look. “Pretty amazing,” he said. “The photos don’t do it justice.”

“No,” Abby said softly.

They both fell silent as the SUV traveled farther down Apache Trail toward their destination. Gage spotted the tall wooden gate with the words CEDAR CANYON RANCH burned into the wood over the top.

As he pulled the SUV to a halt in front of a cluster of wooden buildings, cracked open the door, and got out, the older man he recognized from the Cedar Canyon website walked up to greet them.

“Walt Jenkins,” the man said, extending a weathered, darkly suntanned hand. “Welcome to the Cedar Canyon Ranch.” He was average height, early seventies. In a short-sleeved blue plaid western shirt, he was bone-thin, his arms long and sinewy.

“Gage Logan,” he said, accepting the handshake Walt offered.

Abby rounded the hood of the car to join them. She extended her hand. “Abby Holland. Nice to meet you.” She and Walt shook.

“This is my boy, Kyle,” Walt said proudly as his son walked up.

Kyle gave a friendly tug on the brim of his battered straw cowboy hat. “Welcome to the Cedar Canyon Ranch.” He was spare but not as thin as his dad, solidly muscled, suntanned, dressed in jeans and boots. With his dark hair and dark eyes, the guy was handsome, a few years younger than Gage, late twenties, with a wicked smile he turned on Abby that made Gage want to hit him.

Fortunately for all of them, Abby’s smile held a warm greeting but no invitation for anything more.

The muscles in Gage’s shoulders relaxed. Dammit. He wasn’t the jealous type, and even if he were, he had no claim on Abby.

“Your man, Mateo, is already here,” Walt said. “Cabin five, but he ain’t there now. Took off walking about an hour ago. Said he’d be back in time for supper.”

“I was looking forward to meeting him,” Abby said.

“Mateo has a way of disappearing, then suddenly reappearing out of nowhere,” Gage said. “It’s kind of spooky, but you get used to it.”

Walt just smiled. “Come on. I’ll show you where to stow your gear.” They crossed the open area in the middle of the compound to a row of small wood-frame cabins, each with a covered front porch. Beyond them was a weathered red barn and several corrals.

Walt opened the door to cabin number 1, while Kyle opened the door to cabin 2. Abby disappeared inside with Kyle, and Gage followed Walt into the living room of cabin 1.