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“It willalwaysbe your home,” Maya assured her. “No matter what.”
Peri grimaced as she recalled her first home. A cold, barren place where she’d been a commodity, not a daughter. Thankfully the ranch was now firmly in her past.
“Oh.” Peri rose to her feet, grabbing the satchel she’d tossed on the desk when she’d first entered the office. “I just remembered.”
Maya arched her brows. “Remembered what?”
“Valen and I traveled to Wyoming to deal with my mother’s belongings last week.”
Maya reached out to touch her shoulder. “That must have been difficult.”
Peri shook her head. “Actually, it felt good to have a small service for Brenda and to spread her ashes.” Peri had dreaded entering the morgue to claim her mother’s body, but with Valen at her side, she’d managed to make the arrangements without being overwhelmed. And once they’d released the ashes, there’d been an unexpected sense of relief. As if Peri was finally able to purge the bitterness that had infected her for too long. “She’s free. Maybe for the first time.”
“What about the ranch?” Maya asked.
“I donated it to a charity to use as a campground for the local children to enjoy.”
“Generous.”
Peri had no idea how much the ranch was worth, and she truly didn’t care. Valen was obscenely rich and she had her own nest egg that could support her for the rest of her life.
“A nice end to a place filled with bad memories,” she said firmly.
Maya at last smiled. “So it’s over.”
“Yes, but in my mother’s belongings I found these.” Peri dug into her satchel. They’d spent a few hours at the ranch clearing out Brenda Sanguis’s personal belongings. There hadn’t been much. She handed Maya the pictures that showed Peri in front of the Witch’s Brew. “Mother was keeping track of me. Or she was paying someone else to keep track of me. Either way, I wanted to warn you in case there was still a lurker creeping around.”
Maya studied the photos with a strange intensity. “Can I keep these?”
“Sure. There are copies of them on my mother’s computer.” Peri closed the satchel and hooked it over her shoulder. “I should get back. Valen and I have a date.”
“Are you going anywhere special?” Skye asked, sighing as if imagining a romantic night beneath the stars. Or a midnight cruise along the Seine.
“To Valen’s penthouse,” Peri said.
Skye wrinkled her nose in disappointment. “Isn’t that where you’re already staying?”
“Yes, but he’s promised no cell phones and no Renee knocking on the door,” Peri explained. Since their return, Valen had been dealing with an avalanche of work. And while Peri accepted that his devoted assistant was simply doing her job, Peri had learned to dread her constant interruptions. “Just a bottle of champagne and a few hours of alone time.”
“Ah. Okay.” Skye winked. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” Peri moved to grab Skye’s hand, tugging her toward Maya so they could have a group hug. Warmth flowed through her as they clung to each other. Family. “I love you guys,” she murmured, before pulling away and heading toward the door. “See you tomorrow.” She flashed a wicked smile. “But not too early.”
* * *
Maya waited until the coffeeshop was closed and Skye had headed up to her rooms before leaving her office and exiting the building through a side door. She didn’t want anyone to overhear what she had to say.
Stepping out of the alley, she glanced from side to side, at last spotting her prey leaning against the light pole a few feet away. With firm steps she marched forward, the pictures she’d gotten from Peri clutched in her fingers.
“I thought I smelled fairy farts,” Joe called out as she neared.
Maya allowed her gaze to skim over the man who’d managed to hang around her store for years without creating any hint of suspicion. As always, he was dressed in a velour running suit, this one a bright red, with a fishing hat rammed on his head, nearly covering his eyes. His beard was bushier than ever.
“I have something to ask you,” she said as she stopped directly in front of the mysterious creature.
Joe shrugged. “It’ll cost you.”
“Fine.”
