Truth and Justice - Fern Michaels Page 0,73

Paul Montrose was, unfortunately for the Sisters, who all missed their men, the only male within miles on this particular day. “Probably tall, sandy hair, hazel eyes, good build, is a gym rat. Was he the one someone said was forty-three? Not married. Wonder how he escaped that? Maybe he’s gay and has a partner. Bella really didn’t know much about him other than that her husband considered him his best friend.”

“A lot of men who make the military their career don’t want to get married. I read that somewhere. They say it’s not fair to the family because they’re gone all the time. I hear there are a lot of military bachelors out there. Bella said Mr. Montrose was a full bird colonel, but he got out. I assume that means he actually retired from the military. I guess if he’s forty-three, he put in his twenty years and decided not to make the military his life, or was not promoted and had to retire. Now he gets a pension and he can have a second life and get married and have a family if that’s in his plans. Maybe, if we’re lucky, he and Bella will hit it off and become a couple. And if not, friends. He sounded really nice via his texts. My goal in life is not to be a matchmaker, so I’ll just keep my fingers crossed,” Maggie said.

The Sisters started to trickle into the kitchen one by one. While everyone was freshly showered and dressed, they all still looked sleepy. As one, they mumbled the word coffee, and in the blink of an eye, the pot was empty and Annie was filling it up again. “Whatever would we do without our morning coffee? I think I would just curl up and wither away. How did we ever get so hooked on something?” she asked.

“I don’t know, and right now I really don’t care,” Nikki said as she looked up at the monitor over the door. “I think our guest just arrived. Hop to it, Maggie!”

“Bella isn’t here,” Myra said.

“That’s because you told her to come at eight o’clock, and it’s only a quarter of now. Mr. Montrose is also early. Whose turn is it to set the table?” Yoko asked.

“Mine. Oooh, look, he’s getting out of the car. Now, girls, that is what I call a mighty-fine-looking specimen,” Kathryn joked. “A pity we’re all taken. If I weren’t, he could park his shoes, or boots as the case may be, under my bed any day of the week.”

“You harlot, you,” Nikki teased.

Kathryn winked. “I’m just saying out loud what you are all thinking to yourselves, and don’t bother to deny it. I really think someone should open the door. He’s knocked twice now, and all we’re doing is standing here ogling him. Helloooo.”

Yoko sprinted across the kitchen and opened the door. “Mr. Montrose, please come in. Let me introduce you to your hosts.”

Introductions over, Myra said, “Bella should be here in a few minutes. She’s staying in my guest cottage. We were . . . um . . . concerned for her safety, so we thought it wise to . . . to keep her close by.”

Nikki stared at the attractive man with the ramrod military posture seated at the table. She didn’t think he could possibly sit up any straighter, but he did when he asked, “Is Andy’s wife in some kind of danger?” He turned in his chair to stare at Myra and Annie, assuming they were in charge of the group.

“This might be a good time for me to ask you people who you are and how it is you’re involved with Bella if she’s in danger. Shouldn’t you maybe at least think about calling the police? There are eight of you counting the newspaper person!”

“It’s a long story, Mr. Montrose,” Myra said. “We’ve just recently come into Bella’s life. Alexis and Nikki are lawyers. They are working on Bella’s case, and before you can ask, Alexis met Bella by pure chance at a restaurant and offered to help her when she saw her sitting at the table crying. We’re simply trying to help her.”

Montrose looked around. “So what you’re saying is you’re strangers to Andy’s widow. I don’t see Sara anywhere. Shouldn’t she be included and be here helping Bella. I think that’s what Andy would want. In fact, I know that’s what Andy would want. If he thought his wife was in danger, his sister is the first