“Sadie and Lem,” Trish said, remembering what they insisted she call them. Or Grandma and Grandpa since mostly everyone called them that now. She never would, though. While they were very sweet, they weren’t family to her.
Bob chuckled. “Ah, scared you off, huh? Were they matchmaking?”
She shuddered a bit at the thought. “I doubt they would try to match me up with anyone.” But they had kept asking her about Brett.
“I don’t think anyone is safe with those two,” Bob said. “Even me.” He shuddered, too. Then he bent down and scooped up Smokey. “This is the only companion I want in my life.” And he carried the kitten down the long hallway.
“So you’re just using me as an excuse to get away from the ranch?” Maci asked, but she was smiling as if she wasn’t offended.
Trish hoped she wasn’t, that she hadn’t done too much damage to their friendship. “I also wanted to make sure that Nolan did everything you needed him to in order to get the estate settled.”
“And you’re asking me instead of him?” Maci asked. “Don’t you trust him?”
Trish sighed. “I don’t know if he trusts that I’m doing what’s in my best interests.”
“I don’t think he’s worried about just your interests,” Maci said.
“I’m sorry that you’ve had such a difficult time with him,” Trish said. “Until you told me, I had no idea that he was having anyone spy on you.”
Maci pointed to the empty receptionist desk. “That’s why nobody is sitting in that chair anymore. Robert admitted to spying for Stokes.”
Trish shook her head. “I’m sorry you had to fire him.”
“He quit,” Maci said. “And he feels bad about what he did. Does Stokes?”
Trish shrugged. “I don’t know what he thinks,” she admitted.
“So the two of you aren’t close?” Maci asked.
“He’s been kind to me,” Trish admitted.
“Is he interested in you?” Maci asked.
Trish laughed and patted her belly. “I don’t think anyone is interested in me right now.”
“You’re beautiful,” Maci said.
Trish laughed again.
“I’m serious,” Maci said. “And I hate that your mother undermined your self-confidence. You were always beautiful, but you’re even more so now.”
Tears stung Trish’s eyes again. She would have blamed the hormones, but she knew her friend’s sweet compliment would have affected her no matter what. “I’ve missed you,” she said. Stepping forward, she closed her arms around Maci and hugged her as tightly as her big belly allowed.
“I was always here,” Maci said. “And I will always be here for you.”
“Thank you,” Trish said.
Maci hugged her back. When she pulled away, she wiped a tear from her cheek. “I’m so glad you’re home. And yes, Nolan Stokes withdrew his petition to probate court. Everything is settled.”
Trish sighed. “That’s good.” She waited for the relief to wash over her. But she had a strange feeling—or maybe it was just the nerves from earlier that were still hanging on—that she couldn’t relax yet.
Maybe it was just the concern that she’d taken on more than she could handle on her own that was making her feel so unsettled despite Maci’s claim. But as Brett had pointed out earlier, she didn’t have to do everything on her own. She just wanted to.
* * *
Trish Dempsey wasnot at all how Bob had pictured her. He hadn’t expected her to be the sweet, beautiful young woman that she was. But she had been best friends with Maci and Frankie, so maybe he should have expected her to be more like them than the lawyer she’d hired.
Not that he’d met her lawyer. But he probably needed to do that to find out why the guy had hired Bob’s former assistant to spy on him.
