Texas Proud and Circle of Gold (Long, Tall Texans #52) - Diana Palmer Page 0,5

spotlessly clean tub could lead to infections. Bernie had enough to worry about without those. So, she took showers.

She dressed in her pajama bottoms and one of the soft, thick T-shirts that she wore with it.

There was a tap at the door and Mrs. Brown came in with a cup of tea in a beautiful ceramic cup on its delicate saucer. “Chamomile tea,” she said with a smile. “It will help you sleep, sweetheart.”

“You’re spoiling me,” Bernadette complained softly. “You have enough to do without adding me to your burdens.”

“You’re no burden,” Mrs. Brown said gently. “You keep your room spotless, you never mess anything up, and I have yet to have to pick up after you anywhere.” She sighed. “I wish we could say the same for the two nice women on the second floor, and don’t you dare tell them I said that!”

Bernadette laughed. “I won’t. You know I don’t gossip.”

“Of course you don’t.” She put the cup and saucer on the bedside table. “What a nice man who brought you home,” she added with a speculative glance that Bernadette missed. “He’s renting a room here, too!”

Bernadette caught her breath. “He is?” she stammered, and flushed a little.

Mrs. Brown chuckled. “He is. The one on the other side of the bathroom, but that won’t be a problem. I’ll make sure he knows to knock first when he needs to use it.”

“Okay, then.” She sipped tea and smiled with her eyes closed. “This is so good!”

“I put honey in it, instead of sugar, and just a hint of cinnamon.”

Bernadette looked up at the older woman. “You know, he thought I’d fallen in front of his car on purpose.”

“You fell? You didn’t tell me!”

She sipped her tea. “The sidewalk was slippery and my toe hit a brick that was just a little out of place. I went flying into the street. Lucky for me that his driver had good brakes.” She frowned. “It was a limousine.”

“I noticed,” Mrs. Brown said with a wry smile. “He was wearing a very expensive suit, as well. I think I recognized him. He looks like Paul Fiore’s cousin.”

“I heard about that,” Bernadette said, “when I was working as a receptionist for a group of attorneys, before I got my paralegal certification from night school and Mr. Kemp hired me. I never saw him, but people talked about him. He was helping protect Merrie Grayling, wasn’t he?”

“That was the gossip. Goodness, imagine having contract killers stalking two local girls in the same family!” She shook her head. “I had it from the Grayling girls’ housekeeper, Mandy Swilling. She said the girls’ father had killed a local woman for selling him out to the feds on racketeering charges, and the woman’s son put out contracts on both Grayling’s daughters, to get even. He thought their father loved them so much that it would really hurt him.” She sighed. “Well, the man was dead by then, and the woman’s son was charged with conspiracy to commit murder. They say he’ll be in prison for a long time, even though he did try to help them find the killers.”

“Good enough for him,” Bernie said. “Murder is a nasty business.”

“That’s another thing. They say that Mr. Fiore’s cousin Mikey is mixed up with organized crime.”

“His cousin?”

“The man who carried you inside the house tonight,” Mrs. Brown replied.

Bernie sat with the cup suspended in one hand. “Oh. Him.” She laughed. She hadn’t really been paying attention.

“Him.” She laughed. “But I don’t believe it. He’s so nice. He was really concerned about you.”

“Not when I first fell, he wasn’t,” Bernie said, wrinkling her nose. “He thought I did it on purpose to get his attention.” She hesitated. “Well, you know, he is drop-dead gorgeous. When I first saw him, I could hardly even get my breath,” she confessed. “It was like being hit in the stomach. I’ve never seen a real live man who looked like that. He could be in movies.” She flushed. “Well, he’s good-looking, I mean.”

“I suppose some women do find excuses to attract men like that,” Mrs. Brown said in his defense.

“I suppose. He changed his mind when he saw the cane, though.” Her face grew sad. “When I was in high school, there was this really nice boy. I thought he was going to ask me to the senior prom. I was so excited. One of my girlfriends said he was talking about me to someone else, although she didn’t hear what he said.” She looked