“The little squirt asks about you every time I call her.”
“Is Kathleen keeping her busy?”
“Mom said she falls into exhausted sleep every night. Poor old Jarhead too. He hasn’t run so much in years.” He dug into the thick Belgian waffle she’d put in front of him.
“Jarhead?”
“Dylan’s old dog. He brought him to the ranch and gave him to me when he went in the Marines.”
“Holy hail, how old is he?”
“Fifteen. Amber gave him a new lease on life. Mom said his coat is shiny and he’s put on a couple of pounds.” He shook his head. “I often wonder how many more times I’ll see him. He’s already outlived the profile for the breed.”
She reached down and scratched Skipper’s ear. “Teacup Chihuahuas can live to be twenty. Skipper’s two. Even with knowing how long he may live, it kills me to think of losing him.”
Dwayne snapped his fingers. “Come over here, Sergeant Danaher.” Skip scurried to him.
“Little turncoat,” Marla grumbled.
While he was making a fuss over her dog, she thought it would be a good time to tell him about her latest encounter with Francine and Luke. “Oh, I almost forgot. Sunday night Francine and Luke showed up on Charlene’s doorstep while I was there.”
“What!” His voice was so loud Skipper cowered and Marla jerked. “When were you planning to tell me this?” He dropped his fork on the table with a clunk.
Realizing that there probably wasn’t a good time to tell him, she soldiered on. “I didn’t think it was important. Char called the sheriff and they got there in a couple of minutes. Nothing happened. The deputy told them to get out of town, and they left.” The look on Dwayne’s face terrified her. “They didn’t do anything.”
He stood so fast he knocked over his chair. “Goddammit! I’m going to kick that sonuvabitch’s ass all the way back to Montana. Hers too!”
“No, Dwayne! They’ve already left.”
“I’m gonna make sure.”
“No. Don’t go, Dwayne. I mean it.”
He whirled on her. “You mean it? Let’s get something straight, Marla. Stop giving me orders—and stop now!” His jaw muscles twitched, his fists clenched. “Is that clear?”
She shrank from his glare. Like a chameleon, he’d changed in an instant. Her umbrage built at the tone of his voice. “I’m not ordering you. I’m asking you.”
“It sounded a helluva lot like an order to me.” He threw his napkin on the table and headed for the door.
“Dwayne, wait. I didn’t tell you until now because I was afraid you’d fly off the handle. I was afraid you’d do something that might jeopardize your standing in court, if this business with your ex-wife and Amber ever gets that far. You need to calm down.”
“Another order?” He snatched his leather jacket off the back of a chair and kept right on going.
“If you leave like this, Dwayne Dempsey, then don’t come back!”
The door slammed so hard it rattled the dishes in the kitchen cupboards.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The impossible woman! She kept that information from him then ordered him not to do anything about it? He was mad as hell.
Dwayne drove straight to the motel where that scum had been staying. He scanned the parking lot for their car. It wasn’t there, but that didn’t prove anything. He parked in front of the office and slammed inside.
The same clerk came to the front desk and stopped. He shook his head. “Did you break something else?” His attempt at a joke shriveled when Dwayne glared. “Something I can do for you, sir?”
Dwayne put his hands on the counter. “Are those assholes still here?”
“No sir, they left on Sunday night. Stiffed me on the bill too.”
He slapped the counter. “Figures.” He turned to leave then changed his mind. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so…”
“No offense taken, sir.” He backed up. “Have a nice day.”
Back in his truck, Dwayne fumed with indecision. He pulled out of the lot and drove up and down streets and roads at random looking for Luke’s car until he was satisfied they had gone.
He phoned his attorney to give him a heads-up. “She didn’t tell me until this morning, otherwise I might have been able to catch them.”
“And what would you have done then, Mr. Dempsey?”
The question caught him off guard.
“I don’t know. I’m just so damn pissed that she didn’t tell me.” He dragged a hand through his hair and pounded his fist on the steering wheel.
“I think the lady did you a favor.” He paused. “No disrespect, Mr. Dempsey, but I warned you about acting against your own interests in this matter. By this latest incident, they’ve established a police record here showing a pattern of harassment. It may be used to your advantage at some point if necessary, but not if you ruin it by harassing or threatening them back. In the meantime, I suggest you back off and let me do what you’re paying me to do.”
Dwayne didn’t miss the frustrated tone in the man’s voice. He’d behaved like a fool and he knew it.
“I’m sorry. I see your point. Ms. Danaher and my daughter are important to me. It makes me nuts something could happen to them while I stand by and do nothing. It was a knee-jerk reaction. I’ll cool it.”
“Good. I’m presently waiting for a response from Ms. Henry’s attorney regarding her claim of standing. I’ll keep you in the loop.”
“Thanks.” Dwayne pressed the off button and laid the phone on the passenger seat. He picked it up again with the intention of calling Marla to apologize. He’d call her later and make it up to her somehow. His watch told him he was late on the jobsite.
Jack and Slim were conferring with the concrete contractor when he arrived. Jack waved him over. “They’re ready to start with the foundation but didn’t want to go ahead without your
