Page 55 of Wyoming True

“And then they’ll take ten years to approve it for general use,” Maude muttered. “I’ll just go clean up the kitchen. What would you like for supper, Mr. McGuire?”

“Just soup and salad. I expect that’s all Ida will want, too. She’s upset about her cat.”

“I know how she feels. I have four cats at home. One got run over by a car and barely escaped with his life. They had to take off one of his legs, but he still runs pretty good,” she added with a smile.

He nodded. “Lucky cat.”

“That’s his name, all right. I’ll have supper on the table about six.”

“Six is fine. How’s Ida?”

“Fast asleep.” She shook her head. “She’s got such huge dark circles under her eyes. I don’t think she sleeps well at all.”

“She has nightmares,” he returned.

“And that doesn’t surprise me at all.”

“If the vet’s office calls here, if they can’t reach me on my cell phone, take a message, okay?”

“I’ll be glad to. And, sir,” she added, a little shamefaced, “I’m sorry about the way I was when Mrs. Merridan came in here. She’s not the woman I expected. Not at all.”

He smiled. “She’s not the woman anybody expects.”

HEWENTINto look at Ida. She was curled up on her side in the huge bed, her eyes closed, long black eyelashes lying on her cheeks. She looked beautiful like that. He had to force himself to leave the room.

When he recalled not only the sheriff’s, but also the investigator’s interest in her, he felt himself bristling. He had competition. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it, which surprised him, because he’d been certain that Ida wasn’t getting next to him. Apparently, he’d made a miscalculation. It gave him something to think about while he worked in the office.

IDAWOKEUPjust in time for supper. Maude brought her a tray with soup and salad and homemade dressing, with a cream puff for dessert.

“I could have come to the table, Mrs. Barton,” she protested. “This makes so much more work for you!”

Maude just smiled. “It’s no work at all. I love to cook. And it isn’t as if you’re on the tenth floor of some apartment building, you know. You’re just right down the hall.”

Ida laughed softly. “So I am. But thank you.”

“Very welcome. I hope you enjoy it.”

She went back into the kitchen and dished up Jake’s supper. He was sitting at the table reading a market bulletin and glaring down at it.

“Now, now, Mr. McGuire, reading all that political stuff is just going to mess up your mind and ruin your appetite.”

He laughed hollowly. “True enough,” he conceded. He folded the paper and moved it to one side.

“It’s a good night for soup,” she pointed out. “Viciously cold and they’re calling for a foot of snow tonight.”

“I know. I’ve been making phone calls to get things organized here. You’d better get on home while the road’s still passable. We’ll put the dishes in the sink when we’re through with supper.”

“Mrs. Danbury hasn’t shown up yet, and her husband phoned and said one of the children was sick and she might not make it over here tonight,” she remarked worriedly. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

He just laughed. ‘With Ida in her present condition, I don’t think we’ll present much of a scandal.”

She grinned. “I should think not. I’ll pass that along, by the way. Mrs. Merridan’s had her share of problems. I’ll see if I can help solve at least one of them.”

“Thanks.”

“I like her. She’s nice.”

“Yes,” he sighed. “She is.”

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