The Rancher's Wedding - Diana Palmer Page 0,48

said. “You never know if you’re having coffee next to a Russian spy.”

“You watch too many old James Bond movies,” he teased.

“No, no, it’s the new ones, with Daniel Craig!”

“And they’re espionage agents, not spies.”

“Have it your way. Just don’t get captured.”

“We need to talk about spies.”

“When you get home,” she promised.

There was a lazy affection in his deep voice. “When I get home,” he agreed. “I’ll see you Sunday.”

“Bye,” she said.

“So long.”

She hung up and caught her breath. She hadn’t expected him to call her. It was a surprise, a very nice one. He missed her. She felt lighter than air, happier than she’d been in ages. Life was looking up. Way up!

* * *

She wished that she and her father could afford one of the nice cable packages that offered Warlocks and Warriors, so that she could keep up with the series she’d written for. She missed being part of it. She missed the other writers, the crew, the actors, she missed all of it.

She’d written for the show for three years. It had been quite a feather in her cap to become even an associate writer. Her father’s contacts had given her a boost. Her writing skills had clinched the deal, of course. Even contacts would do nothing for a person with no literary ability. But her father’s contacts had certainly helped.

She’d worked for a daily newspaper while she was in college in Atlanta. It had taught her a great deal about communities and how they worked. That insight also helped with her chosen craft. Even medieval communities had much in common with small towns, like the one she’d lived in while she was going to school. Human nature never changed, even if plenty of other things did.

It had been hard, giving up her work on Warlocks and Warriors. But the harassment wouldn’t have stopped. Her father was leaving town. If she’d stayed, the brunt of the publicity would have shifted to her. It was a no-brainer, that she’d have to go with him. Waiting tables, she thought sadly, with two years of college and three years as a prestigious TV writer working on one of the top series on television. It was a comedown. But she had to be philosophical about it. At least she had a job, and a place to live, and food to eat. The necessities. It would be a learning experience, as much of life was.

She fixed a light supper for her father and herself Saturday night when they both got off work.

“My feet are throbbing,” she laughed as they ate chili and corn bread. “I’m still not used to being on them all day.”

“It’s a comedown, I know,” he said apologetically.

“Nobody made me come out here,” she pointed out. “You’re my dad. We’re a matched set.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.” He finished his chili and sat back to drink coffee. “I wish we could afford satellite,” he added wistfully.

She laughed. “I was just thinking how nice that would be,” she confessed. “I miss seeing Warlocks and Warriors.”

“You miss writing for it, too, I know,” he said. He grimaced. “I miss being part of a hit TV show as well.” He shook his head. “One mean-spirited woman and her lies, and look at the trail of misery she’s left behind her.”

“It sounds trite, but what goes around does come around,” she pointed out. “She won’t get away with it forever. Eventually, somebody’s going to call her bluff.”

“I wish I had,” he said. “I could have produced witnesses, even if I’d had to have Jake browbeat them first into testifying. All she had for evidence was a big mouth and accusations.”

“Mama always said that God never closed a door, but He opened a window. There’s a benefit to anything, if you look for it.”

“I’m short on benefits and long on misery,” he laughed. “Sorry. It’s been a long day. I missed another sale. This time, it wasn’t my fault. The customer was willing to buy the machinery. But his bank informed us that he didn’t have the price of a roll of paper towels.” He sighed. “Just my luck. It would have been a very nice commission.”

“There will be other ones,” she said. “It’s just now technically spring, even though we’re still dealing in snow. People will need to replace equipment.”

“I guess so.”

“Don’t get discouraged,” she pleaded. “It’s early days yet. We’ll get through this. No matter how rough it gets, it won’t be as bad as what we’ve already lived through.”

“Your grandmother had a saying