Devil’s Claw

without doing things the way he wants you to, either. He’s just now learning the hard lesson that he’s going to have to let you go, and he doesn’t like it.”

“You make it sound like an ordinary part of growing up.”

“It is an ordinary part of growing up,” Joanna said. “Being pregnant is a complicating factor, but it’s not the only one. This may seem to be a big deal to your parents, but in the larger scheme of things, it’s not important. You and Terry love each other. You’re going to get married and raise this child together. That’s what’s important. That’s all that’s important.”

Once again Kristin’s blue eyes brimmed with tears. “When you first came to the department, Sheriff Brady, I didn’t like you very much,” she admitted after a moment. “I’m sorry I made things so tough for you.”

Joanna smiled. “I didn’t like you very much, either. I think we both felt threatened, and now we’re over it.”

“The same way my parents may get over this?”

“Exactly the same way,” Joanna replied. “Just give them time.”

By the time Kristin finished drinking her cocoa, Joanna could see that the day’s emotional upheaval had taken its toll. “Go to bed, now,” she said. “The bathroom’s that way. We have only one, so we’ll all have to take turns. Once you have a decent night’s rest, you’re going to see the world through much different eyes. I have a feeling you haven’t been sleeping very well the last few nights. There’s nothing like tossing and turning to wear a person down.”

“How did you know that?” Kristin asked.

“Believe me,” Joanna replied, “it was more than a lucky guess.”

Once Kristin had retreated to Jenny’s room and while Jenny was in the bathroom getting ready for bed, Joanna walked Butch out to his car.

“I couldn’t help overhearing what she said to you on the porch. How pregnant is she?”

“Just barely,” Joanna said. “But remember, there’s no such thing as slightly pregnant. You either are or you aren’t.”

“If her parents threw her out, what kind of people are they?”

“Fallible people,” Joanna answered. “People who are doing the best they can. They’re like parents everywhere-wanting what’s best for their children and being upset when results come short of the mark.”

“Wait a minute,” Butch said. “Are we talking about Kristin Marsten’s parents, or are we talking about some other parents I could name?”

“All parents,” Joanna said after a moment. “Your mother and my mother included.”

“No! You can’t mean it.”

Joanna reached up and kissed him. “But I do mean it,” she said. “Maybe after all this time I’m finally growing up, too. Now good night. Drive carefully.”

Back in the house, Joanna hurried to clear the dining room table of paperwork before Jenny emerged from the bathroom. By the time a pajama-clad Jenny headed toward the couch, Joanna had refilled the briefcase and snapped it shut.

“Mom,” Jenny said, as Joanna stopped with her finger on the light switch.

“What?”

“Will you ever get so mad at me that you’ll kick me out of the house?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, Kristin must have done something really awful for her parents to get that mad at her.”

“It wasn’t so very awful,” Joanna replied. “And it’s something a lot of people have done before her-your mother included.”

“Really? Whatever it is, you did it, too?”

“Yes. Good night, now. I told you it was none of your business.”

“Good night.”

Thoughtfully, Joanna went into her own bedroom and undressed. When she first lay down on the bed, she thought she would have a hard time falling asleep. But she didn’t. In fact, she fell asleep sooner that night than any night in recent memory.

Maybe it was because on that night she went to bed knowing that one way or the other, the long warfare with Eleanor Lathrop Winfield might finally be coming to an end. Well, maybe not a complete end, but at least Joanna could see the possibility of a truce.

CHAPTER 20

Joanna’s eyes popped open with the sun, and her first thought on waking was, Three days to go. Most of the time she was able to compartmentalize her life enough that the wedding didn’t overwhelm her, but that morning it all seemed to be too much. No matter how hard she tried, she’d never get everything caught up at work. And the same was true at home. She’d never have the house in the kind of shape she wanted it to be in before Jim Bob and Eva Lou came to stay for a week to look after Jenny and the ranch while Joanna and Butch went off on their honeymoon.

And where were they going on their honeymoon anyway? Butch knew because he had made all the plans, but other than telling her she needed to have her passport in order, he had told Joanna nothing. Their destination remained top secret.

“But what kind of clothes am I supposed to pack?” she had asked.

“Minimal,” he had replied.

“What does that mean? Beachwear? What?”

He had shrugged. “Not beachwear,” he had said at last, relenting. “But again, I’d bring along as little as possible.”

By the time Joanna arrived in the kitchen, someone-Kristin, it turned out-was already in the shower. Joanna went out to feed and water the animals. When she had finished her chores and came inside, Kristin was already dressed for work.

“I’m on my way to meet Terry for breakfast,” she said. “I told him we’d better go early so neither one of us will be late for work.”

“Good,” Joanna said. “Are you feeling better this morning?”

“Much. I really did get a decent night’s sleep for a change.”

“And no morning sickness?” Joanna asked, thinking about the dreadful bouts of morning sickness that had almost hospitalized Marianne Maculyea during the early stages of her pregnancy.

“None.”

“You’re lucky then.”

A momentary shadow crossed Kristin’s face. “Right now, I don’t really feel very lucky,” she said.

“Well,” Joanna said. “You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

The extra shower had taxed Joanna’s aging hot-water heater. By the time Jenny emerged from the bathroom, Joanna had to settle for a very quick and barely lukewarm shower. On the way to work, Jenny seemed subdued.

“What’s wrong?” Joanna asked.

“Is it going to be very different?” Jenny asked.

“You mean after Butch and I get married?”

Jenny nodded.

“It’ll be different for all of us,” Joanna replied. “We’ll all have to learn to practice patience. Are you worried about it?”

“A little,” Jenny admitted.

“How come?”

“Last night when I went to bed, I thought about Kristin’s parents-about them throwing her out. I know you said you wouldn’t ever get so mad that you’d kick me out, but it could happen. What if you ended up loving Butch more than you love me? What if you had to choose?”

“Fortunately, I don’t think that’s something either one of us will have to worry about.” By then they had pulled