Paradise and Blake said goodbye and walked back to the truck. “When she brings Tessa by herself, I’ll find out what she was lying about. She knows something about the will.”
Chapter 33
On Sunday night Blake sat out on the back deck listening to his mom and Paradise banging around in the kitchen as they cleaned up after dinner. The night sounds of nearby crickets and frogs mingling with the roars of the big cats out in the park reminded him how life went on even when it seemed impossible to find a way through the muck.
He buried his face in his hands and tried to pray for wisdom, but marshaling his thoughts and heart was impossible with the weight of responsibility bearing down on him. His mom hadn’t been happy they hadn’t turned over the will, but after talking to Wade and Elowen, he no longer believed it was real. God had brought up the right doubts at the right time, but had that been his decision because he wanted to believe it?
The slider onto the deck opened, and Paradise came to join him. Her plumeria scent enveloped him, and her presence strengthened his resolve to find out the truth and do the right thing.
She didn’t wait to be pulled onto his lap but curled into her usual spot there with her head on his chest. “What’s going onwith you? I can see the wheels turning. Did your mom’s reaction upset you?”
“A bit,” he admitted. “I thought she’d see the wisdom in getting to the truth. We have a little time to figure this out. It’s not like we had to turn that will over today. There are two weeks left. I think you’re right though—this will isn’t real.”
“Could we get the signature checked for forgery?”
“Hez would probably know who to contact, but we’d have to get a copy of Allen’s real signature. That might be difficult if Mary is in on this.”
He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her sweet scent. How had he survived without her? He pulled his face back, cradled her in his arms, and kissed her. Her lips softened under his, and he drank in her love and passion until they were both breathless. “I’m glad you’re with me to figure this out.”
She palmed his face. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
“Maybe you should talk to Abby about Mary. I could talk to her dad. The Dillards were neighbors of theirs for many years. They’d know Mary’s character better than most. I don’t want to accuse her without some evidence.”
“Good idea. And maybe Roger would have a sample of Allen’s handwriting. Over the years he could have sold him hay or something else for the animals.”
Blake kissed her. “We can go over tomorrow after work.”
“I hope Elowen brings Tessa soon. I want to hear what she knows that she’s hiding from Wade.”
“She may not tell you.”
“I felt a kinship with her. I think she might if she knows how important it is.”
He curled a strand of her hair around his finger. “You plan to tell her what’s going on?”
“At least some of it.” Her head cocked to one side when a big cat growled, and she frowned. “The cats are acting up tonight. Maybe we should check on them. They seem particularly upset.”
He’d been so engulfed with questions he hadn’t paid attention, but she was right. Roaring from tigers wasn’t unusual, but growling usually meant they were warning off another animal or even a predator keeper. The tigers had already been fed for the night, so what was out there upsetting them?
She slipped off his lap and stood waiting for him. “I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have to.” She still hadn’t fully gotten over her fear of the big cats, though her terror had lessened as she’d tended to their health issues.
“I’m okay. Let’s grab a tranq gun from the medical building, just in case.”
He got up and opened the sliding door. “Mom, we’re going to check on the cats. They’re a little raucous tonight.”
His mom sat at the table with a mug in her hand and her Bible open next to a plate of cheese and crackers. “I heard them and was going to ask you to check on them. Let me know if you need me for anything.”
“Will do.” Blake closed the door. At least she wasn’t still mad at him. He took Paradise’s hand, and they walked toward the medical compound. He left her at the door and grabbed two tranq guns and two big flashlights. When he returned she took one of each. The roaring of the tigers had increased by several decibels. Someone definitely had upset them.
He picked up the pace, and Paradise’s long legs kept up with him. He smelled the big cats before they reached their enclosures. They’d been spraying, which meant they were markingtheir territory. None of the males were kept together since they were solitary animals, so either another predator had gotten in with a tiger or they sensed an intruder.
He paused at the outer fence and flipped on his big flashlight. The powerful beam probed the dark and highlighted the big cat growling on the inside of the fence. All seemed well and he spotted no breaks in the fence.
Did they have an intruder?
The scent of the big cats and their growling set Paradise’s nerves on edge. “Do you see any reason for them to be riled?”
