Defender

She sighed and turned toward the door. She paused at the doorway. “And I’m sorry again.”

“For what?”

She made a face. “Bringing back bad memories for you. Good night.”

She was gone before he could protest, in a whirl of pink froth.

He lay awake in the dark, memories haunting him. Memories of blood. So much blood. Blond hair, darkened with it, spread on the bare floor, and a smaller form…

He rolled over and buried his face in the pillow. Don’t think, don’t remember, it’s gone, it’s over. He closed his eyes. Eventually, he slept.

FOUR (#ulink_86211aca-bfc2-5128-bbe6-6994e4c17c0c)

Paul was restless after his conversation with Isabel the night before. He kept seeing her sitting close to him, her pretty pert breasts straining at the silky fabric of her nightgown, hard little points pushing up and out. She wanted him. She might not realize it yet, but he knew.

Sari didn’t know her body had betrayed her, but she remembered the way Paul had touched her hair, the way he’d looked at her mouth. She might be innocent, but she knew what he’d been thinking. He’d thought about kissing her. His eyes had clung to her lips like a bee to honey. It made her wild, thinking about how it would have felt if he’d moved toward her, just a few inches…

She stopped herself. If he ever moved toward her, her father would find out and fire him. He might do more than that. She kept remembering the cowboy who’d moved all the way to Arizona hoping Mr. Grayling wouldn’t come after him for trying to date Merrie.

“You’re so unsettled lately,” Merrie chided when they were alone in her room. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Daddy,” Sari said miserably. “We’re never going to have the opportunity to get married and have families.”

“That’s not quite true,” Merrie said miserably. “I overheard him talking to Paul. He said he’d find husbands for us.”

Sari clenched her teeth. “Oh, that’s just great. I can imagine what sort of man he’d have in mind!”

“So can I,” Merrie groaned. “But what can we do? If we try to run away, he’ll have his bodyguards catch us before we can get to the bus station or the airport. We’d never get away! He could have us brought back. He owns people in all sorts of shady professions.”

“Paul would help us.”

“Paul could be fired and hunted,” Merrie reminded her. “He’s just as vulnerable as anybody else who works for Daddy. I’d hate to see him gone,” she added. “He and Mandy are all we have!”

Sari nodded sadly. She and her younger sister exchanged despondent looks.

“We could try to run away,” Merrie suggested suddenly.

“Where? There’s no place on earth Daddy couldn’t find us.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” Merrie said. “My friend Randall has an older brother who has this huge ranch in Wyoming. He’s almost as rich as Daddy. Randall said that if things got too bad, he could hide me up there. I know he’d let you go, too.”

Sweet Merrie. So kind. And so clueless. “Merrie, I have law school starting up in August,” she reminded her. “It might be practical for you to run, but I have responsibilities. If I want a career, this is the only way I can afford it. Daddy won’t even let us get part-time jobs!”

“Sorry,” Merrie said, grimacing. “I keep forgetting about law school.” She drew in a long breath. “I wanted to go to college, but it looks like a few art classes at Jacobsville Community College are going to be what I end up with.”

“Your paintings are exhibition quality,” Sari chided. “You do the most lifelike portraits of anyone I’ve ever known. Your landscapes are exquisite, whatever medium you work in. You have genius in your hands, Merrie. College won’t matter.”

“Thanks,” Merri replied. She hugged her sister. “I’m glad you think so.” She smiled wryly. “It’s just as well, really. I don’t see myself as a doctor or a lawyer. But you’ll be a natural,” she added with twinkling eyes. “Lawbreakers, beware! Assistant DA Sari Grayling will nail you to the wall with her legal briefs!”

Sari laughed. “As if!” she teased. “I talked to Mr. Kemp this week. He said I’d have a job waiting when I graduate law school, if I still want it.”

“If Daddy will let you take it,” Merrie said miserably.

“I’ll cross that bridge when water runs under it,” the older woman replied. “If worse comes to worst, I might let Mr. Kemp plead my case. Daddy respects him. Well, as much as he respects anybody.”

Merrie nodded. “You might marry.”

“And elephants might fly,” Sari returned whimsically.

“You must have thought about it. You love children so much,” she added softly. “Don’t you want a family?”

Sari hardened her heart. “It’s no good wanting something you can’t have,” she replied.

“You don’t know you can’t have it if you haven’t tried to grab it with both hands,” her sister argued.

Sari dreamed about Paul’s hard mouth on her own and got goose bumps. She rubbed her arms and laughed. Talk about the impossible dream!

“Are you cold?” Merrie asked, frowning.

“No. Somebody just walked over my grave,” she laughed, using the old folk saying.

“Don’t say things like that!” Merrie blurted out. She hugged her sister, laying her head on Sari’s shoulder. “Don’t ever say that. All we have is each other.”

Sari hugged her back tightly. “I know. I’m sorry. I was only kidding.” She didn’t add that she’d had an uneasy feeling lately, one that was puzzling as well as worrying. It felt as if she were sitting on top of a stick of dynamite, waiting for the fuse to run out. Which was absurd. Her life was as tranquil as a pond in the woods, without even a water skimmer to touch it.

She let Merrie go. “Stop worrying,” she chided. “I’m healthy and happy and I plan to live for years. At least long enough to get every single lawbreaker in Jacobsville behind bars!”

“That would take about two days,” her sister said with a droll smile. “I mean, there are like, what, two criminals in town and they’re both locked up.”

“Chief Grier finds more every day. We’re growing.”

“Yes, we actually had an increase of five people this year in our population!” Merrie exclaimed. “We’ll have to expand the water system!”

Sari picked up a newspaper and threw it at her.

“Overcrowding in the schools!” Merrie called after her as she left the room. “Increased traffic jams…!”

“I’m not listening!” Sari called back.

Soft laughter followed her down the staircase.

Paul was standing just inside the front door. He looked up. “What in the world was that all about?” he asked.

“We had a huge population increase, it seems,” Sari told him. “Merrie says we’ve gained five whole people in Jacobsville this year.”

“The jails will be full!” Merrie called over the banister.

“Will you go paint something, please?” Sari called back, exasperated.