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“I planned to come by the ranch this afternoon, but no one at the house knew when you would be back.”
“Probably around one or two this afternoon.”
“Could you spare me an hour of your time?”
“Is it important?” she asked, thinking of the many and varied items on today’s agenda.
“I have something special to deliver to you.”
His statement aroused her curiosity. “What is it?”
“That is a surprise,” he declared with a trace of smugness. “And I am confident you will be very pleased with it. I shall see you at two o’clock then.”
“I’ll be there,” Jessy promised and hung up.
Observing her slightly bemused expression when she approached them, Laredo tipped his head to one side, studying her closely. “Is there a problem?”
“No,” she said with a quick shake of her head, her mouth curving easily into a smile. “It was
just Monte. He’s coming over this afternoon and wanted to know what time I would be back. He has something to deliver—something special, he said—but he wouldn’t say what. It’s probably a calf from his herd of registered Highland cattle, although I can’t imagine why he thinks I would be so pleased to get one.”
“Who is Monte?” Chase questioned.
“Monte Markham, our newest neighbor,” Jessy replied with a casualness that indicated her ease with the subject and the man. “He bought the Gilmore ranch last spring. But he’s originally from England, and it shows.”
“Just since spring, huh,” Laredo murmured thoughtfully, “which means he’s new to the area. That’s interesting.”
“You think it might mean something,” Chase guessed.
“Like you once said, it’s too soon to rule out anyone.”
“You don’t really think Monte might be involved in the attempt on Chase’s life?” Jessy was more than a little skeptical.
“Is that so impossible?” Laredo’s smile made the question seem less of a challenge.
“Not impossible, but unlikely,” Jessy replied. “I mean, what would be his reason? The man is practically a stranger. We barely know him at all.”
“But I have the impression that he has become a frequent visitor. Am I right?” The smile stayed, but there was a watchful quality to his eyes.
“I don’t know if I would call it frequent, but he has been over several times since he moved here. To me, it never seemed anything more than a desire for some company.” She shrugged to emphasize her total lack of concern.
“Obviously he isn’t married,” Laredo concluded. “Just out of curiosity, how old is he?”
“Thirty or forty. I never asked.” Quick to see where his thinking was leading, Jessy added crisply, “And if you’re suggesting that he might be interested in me, you’re wrong.”
“Maybe.” Laredo dipped his head in a gesture of concession, then held her gaze. “Then again, any man in his right mind is bound to spend a little time considering everything the widow Calder has to offer.”
Annoyed, both with his implication and his use of the phrase “widow Calder,” Jessy spoke with a bit more force. “For your information, Monte has spent nearly all his time with Chase. He has never said or done anything to suggest he is interested in me.”
“Yes,” Laredo inserted. “He probably knows he needs to take it slow with you.”
“I think it’s more likely that he knows I am not interested,” she said with some heat.
“Oh, you’re interested all right,” Laredo stated with utter certainty as he held up a hand to stave off her protest. “And by that, I’m not suggesting that you weren’t very much in love with your late husband. I think you probably were. But you are flesh and blood, the same as the rest of us. It’s as natural for a woman to want the company of a man as it is for a man to want that of a woman. It doesn’t have anything to do with being unfaithful or disloyal. It only means you’re human.”
She had to work at it, but she managed to respond calmly. “I am well aware of that.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Laredo said smoothly.
