But Cash left. Mikey went out. Paul was still at work. Sari had come home for lunch. Merrie was wandering around the house, lost in thought and misery.
The bodyguards were patrolling outside. Mandy was cooking. Merrie was brooding. Sari saw her from the staircase, watching, worrying.
“You’ve got too much free time on your hands,” Sari remarked. “You think too much.”
“I can’t help it,” Merrie retorted. She drew in a long breath and smoothed back her ponytail. “It kind of figures that I’d go overboard for the first man who paid me any real attention, right?” she added. “I was an idiot.”
“You didn’t know what he thought you were,” Sari said. “Randall should have made it clear to him.”
“Randall’s a sweetheart, but he’s flighty,” Merrie explained. “He told Ren I was his friend. But we both know how that word gets thrown around these days.” She grimaced. “I never thought...” She swallowed. “Well, live and learn. I won’t be so gullible next time.”
“My poor baby.” Sari hugged her. “Why don’t you go into town and see Brand Taylor? You spoke about buying him out at the art gallery. This is a good time to sound him about it.”
“What a good idea!” she exclaimed.
“You can take the bodyguards with you.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, in Jacobsville? Even a professional hit man would think twice about trying to pop me in the middle of town. If he’s even here. I left Wyoming in the middle of the night. He’s probably camping outside Ren’s ranch, waiting for me to show myself in a window. Paul flew me down here in the private jet, with our own pilot. Even if the killer checked commercial flights, he’d be no smarter, and Delsey drove us to the airport in Catelow. We didn’t leave a paper trail. Not even a digital one.”
“You could be right. But maybe we should ask the bodyguards first what they think,” Sari began.
Merrie kissed her cheek. “It’s nice that you worry about me, but now you’re going overboard. I’ll have the chauffeur bring the limo around. It’s got bulletproof glass. And that new driver is an ex-cop, right?”
“Yes, he is. He had references, and we checked them. He’s very nice.”
“I wouldn’t know. You hired him while I was in Wyoming.”
“Take my word for it. He’s very nice. He also has a concealed-carry permit, and he carries a .45 automatic.”
“You’re sure he isn’t following in Morris’s footsteps?” Merrie wondered, alluding to the former chauffeur who was in jail awaiting trial on attempted murder charges for taking two shots at Sari. He’d been one of two killers Timothy Leeds had hired to kill the Grayling sisters, in a failed attempt to torment their father. Leeds had put out the contracts without knowing Grayling was already dead.
“I’m sure. Paul checked him out, too. The driver has relatives in Corpus Christi. They vouched for him. So did the former police chief there, where he worked.” Sari smiled. “My, you’re developing a suspicious nature. Good for you!”
Merrie laughed. “I guess I am. After what we’ve both been through lately, I guess we’re all a little twitchy.”
“Nice choice of words,” her sister replied, tongue in cheek.
“Thanks. I’m also developing a larger and more useful vocabulary.” She pursed her lips. “One of Ren’s cowboys hit his thumb with a hammer outside the kitchen window and I learned five new words.” She grimaced at the memory of Ren.
“You must have enjoyed some part of that visit.”
“I enjoyed a lot. There was this poor horse, Hurricane,” she added. “One of Ren’s men had beaten him very badly. He wouldn’t let anyone near him. But Hurricane let me take off the bridle they hadn’t been able to remove. He even let me doctor his cuts. Ren was furious, because he’d told me not to go near Hurricane.”
“Horses can be very dangerous. You know that.”
“I do. But the horse was in terrible pain and scared to death. I think he sensed that we were kindred spirits. Later on, I painted him. And...oh, dear, Willis’s wolf!”
“Willis’s what? Who’s Willis?”
“He’s Ren’s ranch foreman. He has a pet wolf. It lost a leg to a bear trap, so he rescued it and tamed it. He takes it to schools to teach children about wildlife.” She grimaced. “I promised to paint him, but my sketchbook is still at the ranch. I have to send boxes and a label out there. Delsey will package up my stuff and send it on if I ask her to.”
“Who’s Delsey?”
“She’s Ren’s housekeeper,” Merrie said softly. “She’s so sweet. She was kind to me.” She lowered her eyes. “Ren was, too, until...”
Sari hugged her. “Merrie, time heals all wounds, and that’s the truth. Listen, it’s almost November. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. We have to order new Christmas ornaments for the tree.”
“Ren won’t let Delsey put up a Christmas tree, except in her room,” Merrie said. “He made me hide my cross under my shirts so it didn’t show.”