Texas Proud and Circle of Gold (Long, Tall Texans #52) - Diana Palmer Page 0,16
You okay?”
Bernie gasped. “Does he tell you guys everything?”
“Well, not everything. Just when he feels guilty about something.” She smiled gently. “He felt really bad that he’d misjudged you. But it’s not surprising. He’s had women jump in front of his car before.”
“My goodness!” Bernie exclaimed, fascinated.
“He is very rich,” Glory pointed out. “And some women are less than scrupulous.”
“Very true,” Bernie said. “But I’m not.”
“He noticed,” Sari replied, tongue in cheek. “He said you remind him of his grandmother.”
Bernie’s eyes widened to saucers, and she looked absolutely horrified.
“No!” Sari said quickly. “He didn’t mean he thought you were old. He said you had the same kind heart and the same sharp tongue she did. He was tickled when you compared him to that guy in the Police Academy movie.” Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Bernie. “Paul said he really was like that guy, too.”
Bernie laughed. “He’s a lot of fun around the boardinghouse. He makes our two older ladies very flustered. Mrs. Brown, too.”
“He’s a dish. But he’s not really a ladies’ man, despite the appearance,” Sari added. “In fact, he doesn’t like most women. He had a hard experience some years back. I guess it affected him.”
“We’ve all had hard experiences,” Glory remarked. She shook her head. “If anybody had ever told me I’d marry Rodrigo...!”
“If anybody had ever told me that I’d finally marry Paul...” Sari countered, and they both laughed.
Both women had had a hard path to the altar, with some painful experiences along the way. Now they were happy. Glory and Rodrigo had a son, but Paul and Sari hadn’t started a family. Despite being filthy rich, they were both career oriented. Paul was FBI at the San Antonio office and Sari was an assistant DA here in Jacobs County. Children were definitely in their future, Sari often said, but not just at the moment.
Bernie would have loved a child. It would have been difficult for her with her physical issues, but that wouldn’t deter her if she ever found a man who loved her enough to marry her. She thought briefly of Mikey and her heart fluttered, but she knew she wasn’t beautiful or cultured enough to appeal to a man so sophisticated. And if he’d reached his present age, which had to be somewhere in his thirties, unmarried, he was unlikely to be thinking of marrying anybody in the future. What a depressing thought, she realized, and how silly of her to be thinking of it in the first place. He was only here temporarily. He belonged up north.
She sat very still, aware of conversation around her and not hearing it. Mikey belonged up north. But he was in Jacobsville for no apparent reason, and he’d taken a room at a boardinghouse, which meant he was staying for a while. Why?
She knew he was worried about the people around him in the boardinghouse. Had he made somebody really mad, and they were after him? Was he in Jacobsville because he was safe here? She’d heard just a snippet of gossip from Mrs. Brown, that Mr. Fiore was being watched by one of Eb Scott’s men. Nobody knew why. But Eb’s men were mercenaries, experienced in combat. Bernie hoped that Mikey wasn’t being hunted.
What an odd word to think of, she mused as she pulled up the computer program she used in her work. Hunted. She’d guessed that Mikey was worried about somebody else. Her heart jumped. Was it a woman, perhaps? No. Sari said he was sour on women. A man? Somebody from his past with a grudge? He knew a lot about organized crime. Maybe it was somebody he’d come across in his job, because Mrs. Brown said he told her he owned a hotel in Las Vegas. He must, she thought, be very rich indeed if he owned property in that expensive place.
She was well into research on a new case precedent for the boss when Jessie breezed back in, wafting her expense perfume everywhere.
Sari glared at her. “Jessie, I’ve told you that heavy perfume brings on migraines. I’d hate to have to speak to Mr. Kemp about it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Jessie said at once, feigning surprise. “I won’t wear so much from now on.”
“Thanks.” Sari gave her a look she didn’t see and went back to work.
“Well, was he there, your rich mark?” Olivia drawled.