Texas Tall - Janet Dailey Page 0,45
Sunday dinners around the dining-room table, the long talks with Jasper on the porch, playing in the paddock with Tesoro, watching sports on the big-screen TV with the men of the family, and helping Bernice in the kitchen—all these things would be gone for her.
Erin wouldn’t just be losing her father’s presence. She’d be losing her whole happy, secure world.
But enough, why agonize over something that hadn’t happened—and wasn’t going to happen? She was going to win Will’s case and set him free, Tori told herself. Failure wasn’t an option. The stakes were too high for that.
She was getting out of the car to go into the house when her cell phone rang. She glanced at the display. The caller was Drew.
“Hi,” she said, “I was just thinking about you—good thoughts.”
He laughed. “Nice to know. I was thinking about you, too. Extremely good thoughts. What are you up to today?”
“I’m at the ranch. Some business with Will’s case.”
She sensed the slight hesitation. “Oh? How’s that going?”
“I can’t discuss the details. Lawyer-client privilege. But the trial’s four weeks off, and it’s shaping up to be a fight. I’ll have my work cut out for me.”
“I take it that means you’re going to be busy.”
“I am. I’m counting on you to help keep me sane.”
She meant what she’d just said. If she let him, Drew would provide an oasis of calm amid the craziness of the upcoming trial. Besides, she needed to give him some encouragement. Otherwise, he could be gone. Distracted as she was right now, she wasn’t ready to lose him. When her life slowed down enough to make future plans, she wanted him there.
“I can do more than that, but not over the phone. Are you free for steak and lobster in Lubbock tonight?”
Was she? Tori had work to do, but she’d already come to the decision to make time for him. “That sounds wonderful,” she said.
“Seven o’clock? I’ll pick you up. And I loved that black dress on you the last time.”
“I’ll wear it again, just for you. And seven is fine. Gotta go.” Tori ended the call, thinking about the need to structure her life into separate compartments—Will’s trial, Will’s family, Erin as her daughter, Erin as a witness, and her time out with Drew. If she tried to deal with everything at once, she’d be on the fast track to a meltdown.
In the house she found Will, Beau, Bernice, Jasper, and Erin seated around the kitchen table, eating a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, baked beans, and potato salad. Tori grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge and slipped into the empty chair. As if by mutual agreement, they were laughing and exchanging small talk, putting Will’s trouble on hold for now.
“Lauren’s taking me on a treasure hunt tomorrow,” Erin announced. “We’re packing a picnic and going up the canyon to look for the Spanish gold.”
“Well, don’t get your hopes up about findin’ it,” Jasper said. “That tale about the Spaniards hidin’ their treasure before the Comanches killed ’em all is nothin’ but a made-up story.”
“Well, who made it up?” Erin demanded. “That’s what I’d like to know.”
“Can’t say for sure,” Jasper said. “The story’s been goin’ around since before my time. But I know that Lauren’s granddad Ferg Prescott searched every inch of that little canyon—dug it all up by his self and never found a thing.”
“Is that why he bought the canyon from Grandpa Bull? Just so he could look for the treasure?”
“You’d have to ask Old Ferg that question. And he’s long gone to his grave.”
“Well, maybe he didn’t look hard enough or dig deep enough. If the treasure’s there, we’re going to find it!”
Tori listened, enjoying the exchange. It was a relief to be talking about something besides Will’s case. Even Will was getting involved in the conversation.
“You know the canyon belongs to Lauren now,” he said. “Anything you find will be hers.”
“No,” Erin protested. “Lauren promised me if we find the treasure, we’ll share it with everybody, even Jasper and Bernice.”
“Now that’s right nice of her,” Jasper said. “ ’Specially for a Prescott. But I’m not holdin’ my breath till you two make us all rich.”
“It’s not the treasure that matters, Erin,” Tori said. “The important thing is that you and Lauren have a fun adventure. I hope you thanked her for inviting you.”
“I did.” Erin helped herself to another sandwich. “Sky was going to come, too, but he’s got work, so it’ll be just us girls. Why don’t you come