Aunt Dimity Goes West Read Online Free

promised.
    “I’ve arranged everything, airline tickets, a rental car, a driver—”
    “Why do we need a driver?” I asked, stiffening. It
    was a touchy subject. I didn’t share my husband’s low
    opinion of my driving skills.
    “Your arm may feel better, but your range of mo-
    tion is still limited,” Bill explained gently. “You won’t be able to handle mountain roads.”
    “Maybe not,” I said, conceding the point, “but what
    about Annelise? She can drive.”
    “Annelise is English,” he reminded me. “Do you
    really want her careering around hairpin bends on the
    wrong side of the road?” He shook his head. “I don’t
    think so. I’ve hired the cabin’s caretaker to look after you. His name is James Blackwell and he lives on the
    property, so he knows his way around. He’ll pick you
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    Nancy Atherton
    up at the airport, take you to the cabin, and act as your chauffeur while you’re there. He’ll be a great guide,
    Lori, and he’ll see to it that the cabin is stocked with food, drink, and firewood.”
    “How long will we be away?” I asked.
    “As long as you like,” said Bill. “I booked open-
    ended airline tickets and I checked with Danny—he’s
    not planning to use the cabin this summer and no one
    else has asked to borrow it.”
    I wondered briefly why the cabin was so unpopu-
    lar, but decided not to question Bill about it. If the
    place turned out to be a one-room shack equipped
    with kerosene lanterns and an aromatic outhouse, I’d
    make the best of it. I’d do whatever I had to do to keep the smile on my husband’s face.
    “Wow,” I said admiringly. “You really have thought
    of everything. What would you have done if I’d re-
    fused to go?”
    “I would have canceled the trip and tried some-
    thing else.” Bill kissed the top of my head. “Like a brain transplant.”
    “I’ve always wanted to stay in a log cabin,” I as-
    sured him hastily. “When do we leave?”
    “The day after tomorrow,” Bill replied.
    I stifled an incredulous squawk and forced myself to
    comment benignly, “The sooner, the better. Bluebird,
    Colorado, here we come!”
    I’d scarcely finished speaking when a chorus of
    earsplitting shouts came from the hallway.
    “We’re going!” bellowed Rob.
    Aunt Dimity Goes West
    17
    “We’re going!” hollered Will.
    Our pajama-clad sons galloped into the living room
    and pranced gleefully in front of the fireplace. Annelise followed at a more sedate pace, but her face was shining. I pursed my lips and looked at my husband, whose
    eyes were trained on the ceiling.
    “You wouldn’t have mentioned the trip to Will,
    Rob, and Annelise before telling me about it, would you?” I asked.
    “I might have let a few details slip,” Bill allowed.
    “Inadvertently.”
    I transferred my gaze to Annelise. “You and the
    boys wouldn’t have eavesdropped on our conversa-
    tion, would you?”
    “We might have overheard a word or two,” she ad-
    mitted. “Purely by accident.”
    “We’re going to Colorado!” Rob roared. “We’re
    going to pan for gold!”
    “We’re going to ride with cowboys!” Will yelled.
    “We’re going to see buffalo!”
    It sounded as though Bill had let more than a few
    details slip, but I didn’t mind. I couldn’t remember
    the last time the twins had made so much noise. They
    were hopping up and down instead of tiptoeing, and
    their voices were anything but hushed. Annelise’s eyes
    were bright with anticipation and Bill was beaming
    like Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Their joy was so
    contagious that I felt as if my troubles were at an end.
    I should have known better.
    Three
    W e brought the evening’s celebrations to a
    close with a marathon reading of the entire
    Cowboy Sam series, then put Rob and Will
    to bed. Annelise promptly retired to her room and Bill
    staggered into our bedroom, with Stanley at his heels,
    to catch up on the sleep he’d missed the night before.
    I stayed with him until he nodded off,