“It’s kind of an unknown right now.” It depends on how much damage, and whether parts are in stock. My guy Jake said it could be a week.”
“Wow, living like this for a week. I could get used to this.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty nice.”
After breakfast, they inquired at the lobby desk about the riding stable. The clerk said the resort had an arrangement with the stable, with discounts for resort guests, and rides to the stable and back in the resort’s courtesy van.
“Doesn’t get better than that,” Hugh said.
Checking in at the stable, they were told guided rides were available, required actually, for new riders.
Hugh and Jenny looked at each other and laughed.
Seeing the clerk’s perplexed look, Hugh told him, “My name is Hugh Mann. I grew up on a horse ranch. The Mann Ranch, H-M Connected brand, in the Idaho panhandle. The H is for Hugh. You could look it up on the Internet. And Jenny has been riding her whole life. We’ll take the non-guided package please. And please no sleepy horses you reserve for greenhorns.”
“I’m sorry sir. I didn’t realize. Of course we can get you set up as you wish.”
Dirt roads, with trails breaking off from them, lay all over South Mountain in a spider web pattern. Hugh and Jenny had a large choice of little side canyons they could explore as they worked their way up toward the summit. Breaking through at the top they could see the view of Phoenix, and it was stunning.
“I bet this is damn hot here in the summer,” Hugh said when they had stopped to rest the horses. Late fall in Phoenix was balmy, as they had come to appreciate since they were spending additional time there.
“It’s not exactly Idaho,” Hugh said, as he looked out over the mostly treeless landscape. “But it’s beautiful in its own way.”
They had passed giant saguaro cacti, many looking like they would top forty feet. Barrel cacti and ocotillos dotted the desert landscape. Palo verde trees grew just tall enough to provide shade for resting humans and horses. Bushes included creosote, purple lupin and yellow-flowered brittlebush.
As far as Hugh was concerned it felt good to be sitting a saddle again, an unexpected pleasure after recent events.
“I like my horse,” Jenny said. “She’s alert, and seems to appreciate an experienced rider.”
“Same here. They did good by us. You ready to ride down and call it done?”
“Sure. I could stand to eat.”
They turned in their horses, and called for the courtesy van. Lunch would probably be at the resort’s grill again. They had liked the looks of the burgers on the menu when they were there for breakfast.
Tired from the ride, and full from their late lunch Hugh and Jenny collapsed on their bed and relaxed into each others arms for naps.
“Joe, I’ve got a job for you,” the attorney was telling Joe over the phone.
“What’s up?”
“Didn’t you say you know somebody with a trucking company? Somebody who works in a dispatch center?”
“Yeah.”
“Would that happen to be with WestAm, by any chance?”
“Actually, yes. She’s the girlfriend of one of the guys who’s done work for us on our jobs.”
“Good. I need you to get with him. I need to know when this Hugh Mann guy is going to be back in his truck and on the road again. Then I need to know where he is going to make his first stop. Maybe a truck stop to get fuel. And I need it as far ahead of time as I can get it.”
“OK, boss. Are we talking some extra pay here?”
“Let me put it this way, Joe. If you don’t do this job, and get it done right, then we’ll be talking about no pay for anybody. So what do you think the answer is?”
“Got it. I’ll get it done.”
“Good. Let me know as soon as you’ve got something. This is critical.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Life at the resort was pleasant and relaxing for Hugh and Jenny as one day passed into another while they waited for Hugh’s truck to be repaired. They spent their time following the same pattern they had established the first couple of days.
The day would begin with breakfast, sometimes in one of the resort’s several restaurants, other times with a room-service breakfast if they hadn’t felt like changing out of their pajamas.
They would find something to do in the Phoenix area, seeking out interesting places to visit. For example, Phoenix featured an excellent zoo. That would stretch their activity to late afternoon, which would lead to naps and movie-watching. The day would end with either a restaurant dinner or a room-service meal, a movie and a snuggle on the couch.
Hugh would call the Freightliner dealer every day for an update on the progress of repairing his truck. He would also call his driver manager at dispatch daily to keep her updated.
Hugh had learned the car crash victims had been identified, and an attorney representing the surviving husband of the deceased wife had already filed a settlement claim against WestAm Trucking. No number was officially revealed to WestAm employees, but word on the company grapevine was it had been in the fifty-million-dollar range.
Hugh was told the grapevine also carried the news the legal department had a denial letter addressed to the attorney already in the mail.
Finally, on the morning of the sixth day Hugh got a phone call from Jake at the Freightliner dealership telling him his truck would be ready to drive away at noon on the following day. Seven days, right on the button.
That phone call set Hugh into motion to make a number of phone calls of his own.
One call, which had to be done
