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“Kind of hard not to, wasn’t it? And to be honest, what happened tonight is kind of mild in comparison with some of the bad behavior Veronica’s had to put up with online. She seems to have had more than her fair share of creepers and trolls.” Thinking about the chat made Grace tired. She admired Veronica’s ability to maintain her composure under pressure. She was on board if there was a way she could help.
“I agree and I think Veronica is more stressed out than she lets on. She’s a bit of a hermit, you know. Someone actually showed up on her doorstep a while back, claiming to be her greatest fan. She wasn’t very forthcoming when I asked her but I heard about that and one other incident from her brothers recently. I have to confess, I’m a little worried about Veronica. She lives so much of her life online and that can’t be healthy.”
“Tell me what you need.”
“She needs a change of scenery, in my opinion. I don’t know if she’s ever taken a vacation. And there’s this pattern I see in her that I don’t like. It’s not so much that I wanted to see her defend herself against that bully in chat tonight, because those kinds of battles are impossible to win, but…” Grace perked up, because Kate wasn’t the type to not be able to put her feelings into words. “I think she could use a little sabbatical. A little time to gain perspective and to find…whatever it is that’s missing in her life.”
Grace answered without hesitation. “I think you should bring her with you. We have plenty of room.”
“The dilemma lies in the fact that you keep your online life and your real life very separate and I wouldn’t want to compromise your privacy. She doesn’t realize that my friend Grace in Divine and Caressa MacFarland, successful erotic romance author, are one and the same person.”
“Do you think she could be trusted?”
“Absolutely. I’m sure of it.”
“Then that’s good enough for me. You understand why I protect my privacy and wouldn’t endanger that by letting someone know my secrets. I’ve known Veronica online for some time now. While I don’t make a habit of revealing my private life to author friends, there are exceptions. You say you’d like for her to take a sabbatical down here but early in the chat she mentioned that she was going into a heavy writing cycle, trying to get a three book series completed.”
“Yes, that’s what she said.”
A plan began to formulate in Grace’s mind. “Would she like someplace quiet, where she could work and get some much-needed rest?”
“Ideally, yes. She’s already planning on a working vacation in Lusty. I just want to get her out of Billings. Out of her gloomy apartment, and…”
“And?”
“And away from that boyfriend of hers. Brent-somebody.”
“She has a boyfriend?”
Grandma Kate’s voice took on a sharper edge. “Yes. I’ve met him a time or two in the last couple of years. He’s not respectful or loving toward her. He drives one of those jacked-up trucks that sometimes make me wonder if the owner isn’t compensating for a small penis size. The gigantic bull testicle ornament he displays on his trailer hitch leads me to believe that he’s covering up for all-around deficiencies. Veronica’s brothers, Cord and Jackson, refer to him as Bubba, the knuckle-dragger. I don’t think online bullying is the only kind of bullying Veronica is dealing with. I think she has a hard time with confrontations and defending herself.”
“Oh, no. He sounds like someone I used to know.”
“I was hoping you’d see it that way. So you wouldn’t mind an extra houseguest?”
“Not at all. You could stay in the ranch house with us, and if Veronica would like to have quiet and a little space, she could set up in the old foreman’s house. It’s clean and unoccupied at the moment. It has some beautiful views of the ranch, too.” She glanced up to find Jack and Adam watching her and when she caught his eye, Jack nodded and gave her the thumbs-up.
“You’re sure it’s no bother?”
“None at all. And if she’s interested in ménages, this would be a great place to do research. I know several people who would be happy to talk with her.”
