“No.” Bernice laid a hand on Michaela’s shoulder. “No, they and their boys are all fine. But Will’s sister-in-law, Diane, married to his brother Chris just passed this morning. They discovered only a month ago that she had cancer. It was so fast, and she was so young! Not even as old as my niece, Victoria, who died suddenly a few years ago—that would be Clayton’s first wife.” Bernice sighed. “There’s just something wrong with this world when folks do everything right and then are gone so young, anyway.”
“I know what you mean,” Lewis said. “We had a friend in Billings, a guy we went to school with named Elliot Green. He died suddenly last year—he was our age. In good shape, exercised regularly, but he dropped dead of a heart attack. Left behind two little girls, aged five and seven. It’s a hard thing, for everyone.”
“It is. I don’t believe Chris and Diane had any children, which in one way is a blessing.” Bernice sighed. “Samantha and her husbands are headed there this afternoon, as they knew them well. Henry and Morgan are flying them there in one of the family’s jets. Will, Norm, and Jacqui will be glad of the extra support, as will the triplets—Samantha’s brothers-in-law—and their wives.”
“There’s nothing better than being surrounded by family when tragedy strikes,” Lewis said. “Especially, I think, when you’re surrounded by this family.”
“I have Jacqui on my Facebook,” Michaela said. “I’ll send her a note when I get home.”
“That would be nice,” Bernice said. She looked from Lewis to Michaela, and then, as Randy came in, she looked at him too. “Life is damn short. You need to live each day the best you can to the fullest that you can.”
“Wise words, Aunt Bernice,” Randy said.
“I’ll give you a moment to look over the menu.” Bernice gave them all a sweet smile. Like most of the older generation he’d met here in Lusty, the woman had a kind way about her. He doubted she was one to stay sad or down for long. But by the same token, he felt pretty confident that she’d also be there for family and friends, no matter what.
Hadn’t she been the one who’d come by with soup and bread for them just yesterday?
Lewis waited until Bernice Benedict was seeing to other customers to catch Randy up on the latest family news. Since he’d seen Randy stop by the truck, he knew the condom problem had been solved.
“So now it’s only one stop after lunch.” Michaela grinned as she looked from him to Randy.
“Not much gets past you,” Lewis said.
“Not even that ‘brat’ reaction at the clinic,” she said. “In the spirit of complete disclosure, I should tell you. When you asked me what I knew about the subject, I said I’d heard a few things. A few weeks before you gentlemen arrived in our fair state, I attended a girls’ night at which several local women, some of them submissives, were in attendance.”
Lewis met her gaze. She was just so…so open. She didn’t use guile, though she’d use humor if she needed to get her point across—or herself out of a sticky moment. She’d been a little slow to trust, but he couldn’t hold that against her.
“You probably have more information on the topic than we do, then. Might make for an interesting evening or two, in the future.”
In his experience, a person only knew what they knew. Maybe he’d buy Robert Jessop a beer or two and ask a few questions.
“I think it just might.” Michaela’s cheeks turned the prettiest pink he’d seen in a while.
She picked up her tea and took a drink. “There’s no hardware store in town here,” Michaela said. “We’ll have to go into Gatesville to get that lock for the barn.”
“That shouldn’t take long.” Lewis looked across at Randy. Then he picked up his woman’s right hand and kissed it. “Any suggestions on what you’d like to do with the rest of the day, after we see to that little thing?”
“Yes. Let’s have a full meal now. That way, we shouldn’t have to stop, later, to eat. To hydrate, maybe. But not to eat.”
“Woman, I like the way you think.” Randy grinned at her, and Lewis had to agree.
Michaela Powell had one first-class mind.
* * * *
“Looks like you’ve got a visitor.”
Michaela frowned when she recognized the man standing on her front porch, peering into her living room window. She’d been conjuring images of what all the next few hours would hold and didn’t like tucking those thoughts away to deal with the moment.
“I wouldn’t call him a visitor, exactly. More like a growing pain in my ass.”
“Do you want us to rough him up for you, sweetheart?”
Randy’s question yanked her attention off the porch. The look on his face, having just asked that bizarre question, put her in mind of a kid who was about to be given a gift, something really neat.
“No!” She laughed and really hoped he’d been joking. “His name is Terry Gowan, and he’s been trying to talk me into selling my land. I don’t know why the man cannot take no for an answer.”
“Men who can’t take no for an answer are assholes,” Lewis said.
Rather than parking near the barn, which he’d said they would do so they could install the lock right away, he stopped his truck near the porch.
Of course, Gowan had turned around, likely as soon as he’d heard the vehicle. His gaze was fixed on them as they’d approached. Michaela thought, once he saw it was her, his scowl would disappear. And it did—after that one moment when it looked as if he was seriously pissed.
Maybe that was a trick of the light. There was no reason that she could think of for him to be angry about anything regarding her.
Randy helped her down from the truck. Terry took a few steps toward her. “There you are. I was wondering if I should break down
