Kitabı oku: «Holiday Hideout», sayfa 2

“When you’re a bit better, we’ll take you into town to get checked out again by Dylan—or he can come by here,” Fiona offered softly.

“Dylan?” That was the second time his name had mentioned. The doctor? She had a vague recollection of an unfamiliar doctor’s office and a man asking her questions. But all she’d wanted to do was go back to sleep.

“Dr. Dylan Seabrook,” Cal confirmed. “He’s got a small practice at the base of the mountain. He’s the one who got you on the antibiotics and flu meds.”

“I don’t really remember much about that.” She thought about the money she’d tucked away in her little hidden pocket. “I suppose I need to pay him something.”

Cal offered a soft smile. “No worries. We’ll make all that right later when you’re feeling better.”

Abby lifted a brow. What doctor didn’t want payment as soon as possible?

As though reading her mind, Cal laughed. “Welcome to Rose Mountain.”

And what a welcome. Abby couldn’t stop the shiver that shook her. While she felt safe for the moment, she couldn’t help but wonder how long that feeling would last.

Her glance landed on the window where the darkness pressed against the pane as though trying to get in. She wondered if Reese was watching this very minute. If somehow he’d managed to follow her out to this ranch.

The thought made her sick. His words rang in her ears. “This is your fault. You’ll pay for this. I’m going to make sure you suffer every day for the rest of your life.”

It looked like he was well on his way to keeping his promise.

THREE

Saturday morning, Cal jammed the pitchfork into the pile of hay and tossed it into the nearest stall. In spite of the cold, sweat dripped from his forehead and he lifted an arm to swipe the liquid onto his sleeve.

Dropping the pitchfork to the floor of the barn, Cal slammed a fist into his palm, then turned to the punching bag hanging off to the side. He often worked out in the barn, letting off steam and trying to forget things that had a way of haunting him occasionally.

Like domestic violence victims.

Just the thought of someone trying to hurt Abby made his blood boil. He pounded the bag until the sweat started to drip into his eyes. Peeling off the heavy sheepskin coat, he draped it over the nearest stall and went back to pummeling until his hands throbbed.

“Boy, you better slow down or you’re going to pull something.”

Cal whirled to find Jesse Walker, the ranch’s resident horse expert, standing in the door, hands holding the reins to Teddy Bear.

Panting, Cal wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. “Hey, Jesse, sorry. I just needed a good workout this morning.”

“No problem.” He paused and looked behind him. “You got company coming. I’m going to go give Teddy Bear here his own workout.”

Cal nodded and Jesse left.

Something nudged his shoulder and he turned to find Snickers begging for a treat. Cal felt his blood pressure ease off at the horse’s affection. Reaching up, he rubbed the stallion’s silky nose. “I couldn’t help Brianne, Snickers, but I can help this woman.”

The horse nosed his hand and tried to nibble. Cal reached into his pocket for the apple he always brought with him. Snickers made short work of it.

“Hi.”

Cal turned to see Abby standing in the door of the barn.

The company Jesse had mentioned.

She had her red curls pulled up in a ponytail. Dressed in a pair of black jeans, a black turtleneck and a cream-colored wool sweater under a heavy black coat she’d left unbuttoned, he thought she looked a hundred-percent better than she did yesterday. “Hey, what are you doing up?”

She shrugged. “I’ve been lying in that bed so long, I needed to get up. Fiona said you were in the barn.” She smiled as she took in the horses lining the stalls. “Wow, you have a nice operation here.”

“Thanks. It’s a family thing. We board horses. We also breed and sell them.”

Cal watched Abby wander over to Snickers and rub the horse’s left ear. Snickers threw his head up, then brought it back down like he approved. Cal let his eyes take in the sight of Abby again, thinking the horse had good taste.

Planting his fists on his hips, he watched her run her hands over Snickers, admiring the strength of the animal. “You’re comfortable with horses.”

She looked at him over her shoulder and nodded. “I grew up riding. Our neighbors had horses and they let me and my sister come over and ride anytime we wanted.”

Cal wondered at the flicker of grief he’d seen flash in her eyes. Then it was gone, and he decided he’d imagined it.

“Well, there are plenty of places to ride out here.” He pointed to his left. “In that direction, there’re trees that back up to the main road. The river on this property runs right under it.” He pointed right. “That way is land for about as far as you can see, but at the end of it, you can see the highway.” Pride filled him as he let his gaze wander the land he called home. He loved it and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. “The three houses make a triangle. The main house, where mom lives, sits up on the hill overlooking the rest of the land. You can see the other two houses from it. My house is that way and you know where Fiona’s is. We all live within a mile of each other. When you feel up to it, I’ll take you for a ride over the land, show you the rest of the layout and tell you all about it.”

Life filled her green eyes for the first time since he’d met her. “That would be lovely.”

“We’ll plan on it, then.”

She smiled and he felt his heart thud an extra beat in anticipation of spending time with her. She nodded to the wall. “You collect weapons?”

He nodded. “Well, my dad did. He died from a massive heart attack last year.” Grief still filled him when he thought about the man. “He was a big collector.” Cal jabbed the pitchfork once more, then leaned it against the wall as he stared at the weapons. “I’m sure you noticed the wall in the little apartment.”

At her nod, he said, “Those were Dad’s, too. I guess one day, I’ll take them down and store them, but for now …” He shrugged.

Her sympathetic look said she understood. For a moment he just stood there, staring at her, taking in her beauty, unable to look away.

“Hi, Uncle Cal.” The little girl’s voice grabbed his attention and he swung around to see his mother standing in the door of the barn holding Tiffany’s mittened hand.

He smiled. “Well, hey there, kitten.”

“I’m not a kitty,” Tiffany protested with a giggle. “Who’s her?” She pointed to Abby.

Abby smiled and stepped forward. “I’m Abby.”

“I’m Tiffany,” the little girl said. Cal shook his head. That kid would talk to anyone. It was kind of scary in this day and age. Tiffany let go of his mother’s hand and walked to Snickers. “I wanna ride him.”

His mother laughed. “Not today. And not him. He’s too big for you.”

Tiffany planted tiny fists on her hips. “I’m big, too.”

Cal squatted to look her in the eye. “Give me some time and I’ll take you on a ride soon, I promise. If you can do that, I’ll let you feed Snickers another apple.”

She screwed up her nose and squinted at him. Then shrugged. “Okay.” She held out her hand.

Cal gave her the apple and helped her feed the delighted horse.

He heard his mother ask Abby, “How are you feeling, dear?”

“I’m better. A little weak, but that’s to be expected. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me.” Then she grimaced. “Speaking of feeling a little weak, I think I’d better go lie back down.”

Immediately, Cal went to her and grasped her hands. “What’s wrong? What hurts?”

He saw the surprise in her eyes—and a new warmth as she looked at him. “I’m all right, really. Just still trying to recover. A couple hours of sleep and I’ll feel like a new person.”

Relieved, Cal nodded. “All right. Come on, I’ll walk you back to the apartment.”

“And I’ll just take Tiffany back to the house,” his mother said. “She was antsy and needed a little outing. I thought the barn might be a good place to start.” The barn sat about midway between Fiona’s and his mother’s houses.

Cal flushed as he realized he’d forgotten all about his mother and Tiffany. His mother’s knowing look deepened the red he was sure was prominent on his cheeks.

As his mother led Tiffany back toward her house, Cal and Abby walked the gravel path back to Fiona’s. She asked him, “How many acres do you have?”

“About three thousand.”

“Wow!”

He smiled. “I know. It’s a lot of land for this little town. But we all pitch in to take care of it.”

“That’s nice that you all live near each other and get along.” Her soft voice held that wistful sadness he’d seen in her eyes earlier that made him wonder about her family and what kind of situation she was running from.

Before he could ask, hoofbeats sounded behind him. He turned to see Zane Dodson gallop up. Reining in the mare, the man tipped his cowboy hat to Abby, but focused his attention on Cal. “We got a fence down in the northwest quadrant. Fortunately, we’d already moved the horses, so we’re good in that area. Just need to fix the fence and find the yahoo who cut it. I’ve got Donny and Mike up there working on it right now. But you might want to come check it out.” The look in the man’s eyes made Cal’s nerves sit up and take notice. Only one kind of downed fence would put that expression on Zane’s face.

“You sure it was cut?”

“Yep.”

“Be right there.” Cal looked at Abby. “This is Zane, my right-hand man on the ranch. Zane, this is Abby, a guest here.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He was polite, but Cal could tell he was itching to get back to the fence.

“Where are the rest of the horses?”

“I’ve got ‘em corralled over in the south pasture.”

“We missing any?” That would be a problem.

“Nope.”

Relieved, Cal nodded. “Can you ask Jesse to saddle up Snickers for me?”

“You bet.” Zane galloped off toward the barn and Cal placed a hand on Abby’s back. “I’ll just see you back to the apartment, then go see what’s going on.”

“I’ll be fine,” Abby reassured him. “That sounds urgent. Go ahead.”

Cal looked to the barn, then back to Abby. It wouldn’t take Jesse long to have the horse ready. “All right, if you’re sure.”

She smiled, her eyes kind, encouraging him to go. “I’m sure.”

“I’ll see you in a little bit.”

He took off, worried what the cut fence might mean. Trespasser? Or possible horse thief? It didn’t happen often in Rose Mountain, and he was going to do his best to make sure it didn’t happen to the horses he was responsible for.

To be on the safe side, he’d stop by his house and grab his rifle.

* * *

Abby entered the apartment and went straight for the bed. She was still weak and the long walk after being so sick probably hadn’t been the best idea. But she’d felt smothered, claustrophobic in the small bedroom and getting out had been the best medicine she could have prescribed.

Her mind went to Cal McIvers. A tall man, compassionate, welcoming. Gorgeous blue eyes and a smile to die for.

And a cop.

She swallowed a sigh and rolled to her side as she felt sleep come over her. Thoughts of Cal would have to wait. Her body needed healing.

The baby’s wail brought her upright in the bed with a gasp. She blinked and rubbed her eyes.

How long had she been asleep?

A quick glance at the clock showed she’d rested for a little over an hour. Sitting still in the middle of the bed, she listened, ears straining.

Had she been dreaming?

And yet there it was again. The faint sound of a baby’s cry.

Had Fiona had her baby early?

By herself?

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Abby stilled her panicked thoughts and found her boots. Pulling them on, she paused when she heard a horse’s whinny outside her window.

Had Cal come back? Her heart thudded at the thought of seeing him again and she took a deep breath. The man had definitely made an impression on her. He had her interest for sure. Was it because he was incredibly good-looking or the fact that he’d caught her when she passed out? Or because he was one of a dying breed? A man who took care of his family and had compassion for strangers?

Or was it that when she was with him, she didn’t think about the trouble she had on her tail?

All of the above, probably.

She walked to the door and pulled it open. Another wail rent the air and Abby felt her knees lock. Grief pierced her and she almost doubled over to stop the pain. Every time she heard a baby cry, it felt like sandpaper scraping across her heart.

A gust of cold wind buffeted her and she shivered even though she still had on the warm wool sweater from earlier. Ignoring the grief roiling inside her, she focused on the sound.

With the door open, she stood still and listened. Another rising cry came from around the corner of the house. Heart in her throat, Abby rushed toward the sound. Had someone left a baby out in this cold?

Surely not!

“Hello? Is someone there? Do you need help?”

She rounded the corner and confusion filled her. A recorder? But why?

She looked around to see who could have left it there.

Nothing. The strategically planted trees swayed in the wind. Brown leaves rustled.

A shuffling sound came from behind her.

Before she could whirl to see who was there, a hand with a sweet-smelling cloth slapped over her mouth and nose.

FOUR

Cal crested the hill and pulled his horse to a halt. He couldn’t keep his mind on the ranch’s problems. His sister’s houseguest, Abby Harris, kept intruding.

From his position, he could see the main house, his mother’s house and the home he grew up in, directly in front of him. His house that he’d built six years ago sat to the left, Fiona’s to the right. Where Abby was.

His eyes narrowed on Fiona’s house and he decided to check in and see if Abby was feeling any better. Telling himself it was natural to be so concerned about a strange woman and that if she were sixty-five and ugly as a goat, he’d still feel the worry gnawing on his gut, he set off at a fast clip, his horse covering the ground with long, even strides.

As he approached, movement by the side of the house caught his eye.

He saw a flash of red and thought he heard a horse’s shrill whinny. Clicking to his mount, he moved closer.

What was going on? It looked like someone was fighting with Abby.

“Abby!”

Spurring his horse in the sides, he urged the animal into a full gallop. The closer he got, the clearer the picture became.

“Hey!” Someone was definitely trying to hurt Abby and her struggles seemed to be growing weaker by the second. “Stop! Police!”

Grabbing the rifle from the scabbard on his saddle, Cal raised it and fired a shot into the air.

The horse’s thundering hooves flew over the ground, eating up the space between him and the struggling duo.

Abby’s attacker threw her to the ground and raced out of sight around to the other side of the house.

Soon, the man was on the back of a powerful animal, bolting across the open field, his horse going full out toward the edge of the property. Cal saw Abby lying still, her face turned away from him.

Grabbing his satellite phone, he punched in Zane’s number. When the man answered, Cal ordered, “I’ve got a trespasser headed past Fiona’s house to the edge of the property. He attacked Abby. Chase him down and bring him back here, but be careful, he might be armed.”

“You got it.”

Zane didn’t waste any more words and hung up. A former special ops marine, Zane could take care of himself. Cal pulled his horse to a halt a few feet from Abby’s still form.

Bolting from the saddle, he knelt beside her. “Abby.” His hands ran over her, looking for any wounds. Nothing.

She moaned and he turned her on her back.

She shivered and her teeth began to chatter. Cal took a chance that nothing was broken and lifted her into his arms.

Spinning, he pushed open the door to her small apartment and stepped inside. Kicking the door shut behind him, he felt her start to struggle. “It’s me, Abby, be still.”

At his voice, she calmed.

Settling her on the bed, he took in her pale features. “Hey, what happened? Can you hear me?”

Puzzled, he looked her over again. No bruises anywhere, no blood. Then why wasn’t she responding?

Finally, her eyelids lifted. “Cal?”

“Yeah. Who was that guy?”

“I …” She licked her lips. “I don’t know. Think he had chloroform or something. I managed to avoid breathing most of it in. May have gotten a good whiff because I feel sluggish. Be all right in a little while.”

Cal heard a knock on the door, then Fiona’s voice, “Abby, are you down here?”

“She’s here,” he answered for her.

Fiona opened the door a crack. “Cal—oh, good, you’re here. I heard a gunshot. Is everything all right?”

Cal’s lips tightened at the worry on his sister’s face. “Everything’s fine now, but I think someone just tried to kidnap Abby.”

“What?” Her worry turned to outrage. “Here? On our ranch? But how did anyone know she was here?”

Cal thought about the man he’d chased outside of Dylan’s medical building. Was it possible he’d followed them home?

More than possible, he realized. It was the only reasonable explanation.

He turned to Abby. “Who is he? Who tried to kidnap you?”

She frowned. “I … I’m not sure. He grabbed me from behind. I never got a look at his face.” Her eyes shut and he watched her force them back open. Fear stared out at him and his gut clenched.

Cal wondered if she was telling the truth. “I didn’t, either. Even though I noticed he had dark hair, it was hard to tell his build through the heavy coat. I don’t even think I’d recognize him if I passed him on the street. Abby, if someone’s after you, I need to know who it is.”

She turned her head. “It’s no one. I can’t believe …” She sighed. “As soon as I can, I’ll be gone. I don’t want to bring any more trouble to you or your family.”

Cal took her fingers and squeezed. She didn’t flinch or pull away, but she didn’t look at him, either. “Abby, you’re not the first person who’s needed help around here. After today, your enemy just made the biggest mistake of his life.”

“You don’t mess with the McIvers or their friends,” Fiona stated, eyes narrowed as though imagining what she’d do to the creep who’d dared step foot on her property to cause harm to one there. She looked at Cal. “Sounds like we might need to keep the rifles a little closer.”

He nodded. “I’d say that for now.”

Abby’s gaze bounced back and forth between them and he smiled reassurance. “Don’t worry. Now that we know trouble’s here, we can keep an eye out for it.”

Cal’s phone rang and he pulled it off the clip on his side. He looked at Fiona. “It’s Zane.” Into the phone, he said, “Did you catch him?”

“Sorry, boss, by the time I got to where you said he was, he’d disappeared. I followed his trail for a while, then he started walking his horse in the river. Don’t know if he went east or west. It looks like west, but I never caught up to him.”

The river ran east to west dividing the property in half. About seventy-feet wide, it was one of the reasons Cal’s great-grandfather had chosen this piece of land. An endless supply of water. And either way, as long as the man stayed in the shallow edge, he would be able to get off the property by following the river far enough.

Cal blew out a sigh. “All right, thanks for trying. Tell the boys to keep their guns handy. I don’t want this snake anywhere near the houses. He attacked Abby and there’s no guarantee he won’t be back.”

Cal heard Zane’s swift indrawn breath. “We’ll keep an eye out. Might even need a night lookout.”

“Call a meeting. We need to discuss this and develop a plan.”

“You got it. I’ll be in touch.”

Cal hung up and looked at the women who’d listened to the conversation. “Well, guess you heard. He got away.”

Abby swallowed hard and her eyes closed again. “I’m sorry.”

Cal looked at Fiona. “Let her sleep. I’m going to gather the men and we’re going to cover the property. I want to make sure that guy is gone and gone for good.” Fiona nodded and Cal left, his fury at Abby’s attacker eating him from the inside out.

As soon as they finished the search, if they didn’t find the man, he’d return to the ranch and start digging a little deeper into Abby’s past. He refused to feel guilt at the thought.

If he didn’t know who he was fighting, it would be a lost cause from the very beginning.

And for Abby’s sake, this was one fight he was determined to win. Even if he had to enlist the help of every deputy on the force, he would keep Abby safe.

Abby heard the door open, then close. Cal had left. To track down the man who’d attacked her. She opened her eyes and squinted into the darkness.

Sitting up, she decided that other than a slight headache and the desire to take a long nap, she felt all right.

It was time to go to work. Before leaving home, she’d spent long hours at the office, on the computer, updating files and entering information. Some of it she’d done simply to escape her grief, keep her mind from her sister’s death.

As a result, she’d come across information that she wanted to look at again. Saving it to a flash drive had seemed the best way to do that at the time. Now she just had to find a computer.

She thought of her attacker and shivered. Was it Reese? And when she thought about that, she couldn’t stop her mind from going to one of the nights she’d worked late.

Her business partner, Dr. Randall Cromwell, had stopped by her office and compassionately told her to go home. She’d agreed. Only as she grabbed her stuff to walk out, she’d looked out the window.

And seen Reese leaning against his car, watching the building.

Waiting for her?

Obviously.

“Are you coming?” Randall had asked as she continued to stand and stare.

“I can’t go out there. Reese is there by his car, waiting. He scares me.” Her insides twisted in knots. “Look.”

Randall had walked to the window. “He’s just standing there.” A pause. “He has something in his hand. Looks like a folder or a file folder of some sort. Why don’t you just go out there and ask him what he wants? I’ll come with you.”

She’d sighed and shared, “He threatened me, Randall, so I took a restraining order out on the man. There’s no way I’m going to approach him.”

Randall had pulled out his cell phone. “Then call the cops and tell them he’s violated the restraining order.”

“No,” she’d all but shouted.

Her partner had slowly put the phone away. “Okay,” he drew out the word and she knew he thought she was crazy.

“But will you walk me to my car?” she’d asked.

Randall and Abby had walked out of the office, her partner acting as her bodyguard until she was safely in her car. Reese had watched them, frustration stamped clearly on his face.

Abby wouldn’t approach him, but he’d violated the restraining order by coming to her place of business.

He’d been ordered to stay off her property and he could come no closer than fifty yards if they happened to be in the same public place.

The encounter had scared her. Frightened her that he was becoming more bold. Then again, why wouldn’t he be?

As Randall had opened the door for her and she slid into the car, she supposed she should call the police and report Reese.

Then she’d snorted in disgust. Like that would do any good. Reese was a cop. Cops stuck together.

She’d left the next day and within days found herself on the McIvers’ ranch.

Slipping from the bed, she turned the light on and blinked at the sudden brightness. Her jeans lay draped over the chair in the small kitchen area. Her white turtleneck and blue sweater were neatly folded in the seat.

Grabbing her jeans, Abby felt for the pocket she’d sewn on the inside. Relief filled her when she felt the small lumps indicating the flash drive, cell phone battery, traveler’s checks and her ID were still there.

Using a fingernail, she loosened the threads and soon had the items in the palm of her hand. Thank goodness Fiona hadn’t washed her clothes or her battery would be toast. But then she wondered why she even bothered to keep it. As soon as she put it in the phone, Reese would somehow find out and track her.

If he hadn’t already followed her.

The recent attack said not only was it a possibility, but it was also a probability.

She really should leave.

But how? And where would she go? She’d done her best to outrun and outsmart Reese Kirkpatrick, but all she’d done was wear herself out without shaking the man from her trail.

She’d have to decide what to do about that soon. Leave and take a chance on Reese catching up to her? Or stay and possibly put this sweet family in danger?

Not really a choice.

Clutching the flash drive, she went in search of Fiona. Hopefully, the woman had a computer she wouldn’t mind Abby borrowing.

Abby knocked on the door at the top of the stairs. Almost immediately, she heard footsteps coming in her direction. Seconds later, the door opened. Fiona smiled. “I thought you were sleeping. Come on in. You haven’t been up on this level yet. If you feel up to it, you can start coming up here for meals.”

A flash of guilt hit her. “I’m so sorry. You’ve been bringing my meals down those steps. I’m sure that’s not what you need to be doing in your condition.”

Fiona gave a laugh. “It’s not a big deal, I promise. The exercise is good for me. I don’t go outside very much because we’ve got a bit of ice and I don’t want to chance slipping.” She nodded toward the window. “And it’s snowing again.”

Alarmed, Abby walked to the window and looked out. Big flakes fell in silent wonder. She looked back to the pregnant woman. “Aren’t you worried you won’t be able to get out? What are you going to do if that baby comes early?”

She shrugged. “We have a four-wheel drive and chains on the tires. Joseph said he’d get me to the hospital one way or another when the time came.”

Relief filled Abby. The last thing she wanted to do was have another home delivery on her hands.

Then Fiona shattered her relief when she said, “Then again, if I wind up having the baby here, it’s not a big deal. Mom’s a nurse and has helped deliver a number of babies.” A smile softened her eyes. “It might be kind of nice to have a home birth.”

She wasn’t worried about having the baby at home.

Lovely.

Memories assailed Abby, nearly suffocating her. Her sister’s joyful cries as she called to tell Abby it was time. Abby’s rush to Keira’s home. Everything moved along like it was supposed to, then the baby just seemed to get stuck. She wouldn’t move down the birth canal.

And then her sister’s sudden, terrifying silence.

Abby shuddered. No way would she ever deliver another baby outside of a hospital.

“So, here we are in the kitchen.” Fiona’s bright voice sliced through her terrible memories.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, forcing a smile. “I love the Christmas tree in the corner and the mistletoe hanging above the door.”

Fiona nodded. “I told Joseph I wanted a tree in every room of the house. He thinks I’m crazy. Then he came up with the mistletoe. Said if I got a tree in every room, he got to have mistletoe hanging above every door.”

Her twinkling eyes told Abby the woman didn’t mind a bit. She imagined Joseph didn’t mind the trees, either. A shaft of longing swept through her. Would she ever have a relationship in her life that lasted longer than one interrupted dinner? Most of the men she’d dated—and there hadn’t been that many—didn’t like the fact that when she was on call, she didn’t waste any time getting to the hospital to deliver a new life into the world. If that meant leaving the dinner table, walking out of a movie or being unavailable on Saturday night, so be it.

But she wanted a man who could handle the crazy hours she sometimes worked.

Her mind flashed to Cal. Someone like Cal would understand. She was sure he put in some crazy hours himself as a cop. Then again, how much crime could there be in this little town?

Fiona ran a hand over the black-and-gold granite countertop. “This is my favorite place in the house. The kitchen. I love to cook and Joseph loves to eat, so it works out well.”

Abby took another glance out the window and said a small prayer that the snow would stop. Then she grimaced. She’d given up talking to God the day her sister died. No need to start now. He hadn’t listened then, He sure wouldn’t listen now.

But a small part of her wanted to get over her anger at God. The other part argued that He could have saved Keira and she had every right to be angry with Him.

Fiona touched her arm. “Are you all right?”

Abby jerked. “Oh, sorry, just thinking. Yes, I’m fine.”

Fiona didn’t look like she believed it but nodded. “The great room is off the kitchen through here. This is where we spend most of our time.”

The big-screen flat-panel television mounted over the fireplace played a news channel but was on mute. Noting yet another Christmas tree in the corner of the massive great room, Abby moved to the oil painting on the wall. “Is this the ranch?”

A soft sad smile curved Fiona’s lips. “Yes, a cousin of mine did it for me about a year ago. It’s almost a perfect rendering of what the ranch looks like from a bird’s-eye view.”

“It’s beautiful. Your cousin is very talented.” She leaned forward and studied the signature. Brianne Sawls.

“Yes, she was. Thank you.”

Was?

The sad smile and the use of the past tense made Abby wonder if the cousin was dead. Before she could ask, Fiona seemed to shove off her melancholy and said, “Two bedrooms are down the hall and two are upstairs. I thought we’d let you keep the apartment in the basement. It’s more private and we won’t bother you.”