Wyoming True - Diana Palmer Page 0,80
at Mrs. Simpson’s house,” Maude said. “I’ll feed Butler for you,” she added.
Ida smiled. The cat slept with her. So did Wolf, in fact. It had shocked her when the big German shepherd jumped up on the foot of the bed and curled up with Butler. It had given her a feeling of security, as well. She loved both animals.
“We need to get somebody to take Wolf out for a run,” she added. “I’d try, but...”
“We’ll get one of the cowboys to do it,” Maude interrupted. “Don’t you worry. I’ll get Johnny to do it. He loves Wolf and he’ll make sure not to let him get hurt. Okay?”
“Okay. Thanks, Maude. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“I’ll see you then.”
* * *
IDA WALKED OUT and got into the back of the limo. Fred held the door open for her, smiled politely and closed it.
Ida sank into the soft leather of the back seat and closed her eyes. “You know where to go, right, Fred?” she asked.
“Mrs. Simpson’s. Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay.”
* * *
SHE WAS DROWSY. She hadn’t slept well and her stomach was still queasy. It must have been something she ate, she thought, but she hadn’t had anything out of the ordinary. Still...
Her eyes went to the landscape and she frowned. “Fred, are we going the right way?” she asked.
“It’s closer this way, ma’am,” he assured her. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not.” She smiled. “You’re a nice man, Fred. We’re lucky to have you to drive us.”
There was a stunned hesitation. “Well...well, thank you, Mrs. Merr... I mean, Mrs. McGuire,” he stammered.
She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes again, feeling sleepy.
* * *
JAKE WAS SITTING down to dinner with Mina and Cort, after spending a wonderful half hour with his godson on the floor with a massive amount of plastic toys. He was in a good mood. He thought about a child of his own, with Ida.
“She talked to her doctor about having a child,” he mentioned to his shocked fellow diners. “She’s had a partial hip replacement, and it’s hard for her to get around sometimes.”
“One of my sisters-in-law had a bad heart valve when she got pregnant,” Cort said. “She came through in spite of it. She and Garon have a son and she’s expecting again, artificial valve and all.” He chuckled. “Theirs was a turbulent relationship. He thought she was an old-fashioned woman with no skills, and she turned out to be a member of Mensa. Shocked him speechless when she started spouting Arabic to a witness in his office. He’s SAC at the Jacobsville satellite FBI office,” he added.
“Well, if a woman with that bad a condition can get pregnant, there’s no reason Ida couldn’t,” Mina mused.
Jake actually blushed, but then he grinned. “Absolutely,” he agreed.
Mina and Cort hid smiles.
But a few minutes later nobody was smiling. Jake got a call from home, from Maude.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. McGuire,” Maude said, “but Ida left over three hours ago to have lunch with Mrs. Simpson. I got worried and called over there to see if she’d got talking or something, and Mrs. Simpson said she never showed up...”
There was a skirl of harsh language. Jake had gotten out of his chair and he was cussing mad. “Is she with Fred?” he asked abruptly.
“Yes, sir. He drove her.”
“Call Cody Banks and tell him what you just told me. I’m on my way to the airport. I’ll be there as quick as I can. If you hear anything, anything at all, you call me!”
“Yes, sir.”
He hung up and called his pilot and his driver. Afterward, while he waited for his ride, he turned a pale, worried face to Cort and Mina. “Ida’s missing. Her ex-husband’s made a lot of threats. I have to go.”
“If we can do anything, we will,” Mina said, Cort nodding beside her.
“Thanks.” He rushed out the door when the limo showed up. “Can you send my bag on to Catelow?” he called over his shoulder.
“First thing,” Mina called after him.
He threw up a hand, climbed into the car, and it sped away.
Mina peered up at Cort with a smug little smile. “I told you.”
He chuckled, pulling her close. “You did.”
“I hope she’ll be all right,” she added quietly. “What a terrible thing to have happen.”
“Jake will get to her in time,” he assured his wife. “He’s not a bad man, now that he’s not trying to talk you into marriage,” he added.
She laughed. “He just had his