“There’s something else you might consider,” Annie told them.
“What?” Mildred asked. Her attitude showed that she didn’t appreciate the high-handed way the woman had taken with them.
“There’s a storm coming tonight,” Annie said.
“How do you know?” Ryan asked.
The woman focused her attention on him, the dark slate eyes locking on his. “I’ve lived here almost all my life. I know the land, and I know the weather that surrounds it. And I’m telling you now that there’s a storm blowing in from the south that’ll be here by nightfall.”
Ryan glanced at Morse, and the sailor gave him an abbreviated shrug.
“You’re welcome to tie Junie up to the pier below,” Annie stated, “but you’re also welcome to stay up here at the trading post if you’ve mind to.”
“I thought your guest houses were full up,” Ryan said.
She nodded. “They are. But you’re welcome to sleep in the barn if you’d like. It’d be better than trying to rest up out in that boat with the river running wild as it’s gonna be.”
“Getting off the boat for the night sounds good, lover,” Krysty said. It was her way of letting him know she sensed nothing untoward about the offer.
Then again, Ryan had no reason to believe that her customary powers of deduction were what they usually were.
“I’ll even add a little more to sweeten the pot,” Annie stated. “The guest I’ve got staying with me even has his personal cook with him. He’s rented my rooms and access to my larder. When he heard you folks were coming, he made me promise to ask you up to the table if you stopped by.”
Doc turned to her and put on his most charming smile. “Dear lady, the mere thought of enjoying a delicious repast with you is fraught with the promise of exhilaration. I should think we would be delighted to join you. What say you, friend Ryan?”
“Sounds okay,” Ryan replied. “But I want some idea of how much jack you’re going to charge us before I accept your hospitality.”
Annie grinned at him, her eyes blazing. “A practical man, Ryan Cawdor?”
“Always want to know if I can carry the freight before I heft it to my shoulder.”
“Then I give you my word that the price you’ll pay for the experience won’t be anything you can’t live with. My word on that. And I can vouch for the cook. He’s been in my kitchen for the last nine days.”
“Do you have a place we can wash up?” Mildred asked.
“There are horse troughs out in the barn,” Annie said. “Got a hand pump out there, too, and a fireplace you can use to heat up water for baths. We get our water from an underground stream, not that shit out in the river, so you don’t have to worry about diseases. It can be drank without purification or any fear of contaminants. There’s tack you can use for bedrolls.”
“When do we get to look at the supplies?” Ryan asked.
“If you want to do it now, Max will take you.”
“I’d like to see what I’m getting.”
Annie looked at her son, who nodded.
“Come with me,” Max said.
“J.B.,” Ryan called, “you come with me. The rest of you get down to the barn. We’ll be along in a few minutes.”
“Doc,” Annie said, “I was wondering if you might spend a few minutes.”
“I fear I really do not like shirking the work my fellow companions must be about in the barn,” the old man said.
“It’s okay, Doc,” Ryan said. “We’ll get things ready.”
Doc looked vaguely surprised. “Well, if you are sure.”
“I’m sure.” Ryan followed Max and J.B. deeper into the huge house along another corridor. He marked two lefts, then they were in another windowless large room. Three big tables occupied the center of the room, surrounded by wooden stools that didn’t look at all comfortable.
“Have a seat,” Max said, pointing at one of the tables.
“I’ll bring out some of the merchandise, give you a chance to look it over.”
Ryan and J.B. sat while the big man walked over to the door to an adjoining room and fitted a key into the lock. He let himself inside without looking back.