*
Nita was in her favorite pink silk pajamas. Her makeup was off, and she’d already pinned her hair up for the night when her phone rang. She glanced at caller ID and then grabbed it.
“Hello, my darling. How sweet of you to call,” she cooed.
Andrew fell right into his “adoration of Nita” tone.
“I’ve been missing my girl,” he said. “I kind of thought you would call me. Have I hurt your feelings in any way?”
Nita wiggled with delight. Finally someone focusing on her in a special way, and even if it was bought and paid for, he was good at it.
“You have not, you silly thing. It’s just been a day of hell. The county constable was here this morning, interviewing everyone about that nasty murder thing.”
“I can only imagine,” Andrew said. “What you need is a little loving from a good man. I’d readily volunteer—unless you have a better one waiting in the wings?”
Nita moaned beneath her breath.
“No, no, there’s no one in my life but you, and I do need you. I would thoroughly love a session with you and your big, hard dick.”
Andrew chuckled. He did enjoy a satisfied customer.
“Do you want me to pick you up?” he asked.
Nita sighed. “I’m already undressed and in bed,” she said.
Andrew growled softly in her ear.
“Then you’re ready. Turn out the lights and lock your door. I’ll talk you through the biggest orgasm you’ve ever had.”
Nita moaned.
Andrew smiled.
Success, and he didn’t even have to break a sweat.
Twelve
The thunderstorm passed before morning, and Bowie slept all the way through it with Talia in his arms. Although the passion between them had him longing to make love all night, she was fragile in so many ways that all he could bring himself to do was hold her.
Waking up beside her was a wonderful glimpse of their future. He was already planning how to change his job for the oil company so he didn’t have to work the offshore platforms anymore. No way could he stand being on-site for weeks at a time. Whatever it took to be able to go home to her each night would be worth it. They’d lost time, but thank God they hadn’t lost each other.
After a quick breakfast together, he was already regretting he couldn’t stay, but he had to go home and help there, too. Talia followed him out onto the front porch and then shamelessly threw herself into his arms to say goodbye.
Bowie laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you, sweetheart?”
She shook her head.
“Once I let you leave my life without a word. That will never happen again. Come back to me, love, when you can.”
He cupped her cheeks as he brushed a kiss across her lips.
“Oh, I have to come back. I’m leaving my heart with you.” Then gave her one last hug before leaving.
Talia watched him back out of the drive, then went inside to wait for the people to come pick up the hospital bed. While she was waiting, the funeral home called to tell her that her father’s body was ready for a last viewing. Too many things happening at once.
*
Justin Wayne was on his way to the helipad, thinking about what Blake had asked him to do. The investors were going to fly over the area one last time to see if they could find a suitable substitute for the resort location. If they couldn’t settle on anything here, they would scrap the resort altogether and take their project to the state that had been their second choice. Justin knew what that would mean to the family. If the developers took the resort out of state, the Waynes would be the proud owners of a whole lot of useless land on a mountain and nothing more.
His mind was on the job until he turned down the street that would take him to the helipad. He noticed a couple kissing on a front porch. When it dawned on him that the man was the same one who’d stood outside their gates challenging him, he nearly hit the brakes. What stopped him was the realization that the man was even bigger than he’d thought. He was suddenly glad Fiona and Nita had stopped him from making a fool of himself. Still, the urge to take the man down was strong, and ways to make that happen floated through the back of his mind all day.
*
Once Bowie got home, his job became keeping Jesse busy so that Leigh could work in peace in the garden.
She’d been hoeing these green beans when Stanton was murdered, and now it was time to pick them again. Later they would all sit out on the porch and break the beans so she could can them. Stanton was gone, but they were not, and life’s needs went on. She finished about an hour before noon and left the green beans inside the utility room when she went inside to start the midday meal. It passed in relative quiet once Jesse settled down to eat. They were just finishing when they heard a car coming up the driveway.
“Someone’s here!” Jesse cried, and bolted from the table.
Leigh sighed.