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Inside the foyer, she paused to smile up at him. “I truly didn’t mean for our meeting to start off on the wrong foot.”
“Don’t worry. It didn’t.” He motioned toward the dining room. “Dinner is ready. I believe you know the way.”
“No drinks in the den first?” Tara chided lightly.
“It didn’t seem appropriate.”
“Perhaps not,” she agreed.
Jessy was busy buckling Trey into his highchair when Tara entered the dining room followed by Ty. Little Laura was her traitorous self, squealing with delight at the sight of Tara.
In an odd way, Jessy was equally glad to see Tara. Her presence signaled an end to a week’s worth of waiting. That alone was something to celebrate.
“Hello, Tara.” Jessy scooted Trey’s highchair closer to the table. “Please have a seat. Sally is bringing the food in now.”
“In that case, I will give her a hand.” Tara slipped the strap of her shoulder bag over the corner of a chair back and moved toward the kitchen.
“That isn’t necessary,” Jessy began.
“Nonsense. It’s the least I can do after the way I invited myself to dinner,” Tara insisted and continued to the kitchen.
When Jessy stepped away from the highchair, Ty said, “Let her go.”
“I wasn’t going to stop her,” Jessy replied. Just the same she was irked that the woman would act as if nothing had changed.
Chase shuffled into the dining room and halted, his glance shooting around the room before stopping on Ty.
“Where is Tara?”
“In the kitchen giving Sally a hand.”
Chase harrumphed and started toward the chair at the head of the table. “That woman has nerve.”
“She brought Buck with her.” Ty pulled out his customary chair to the right of his father.
That stopped Chase again. “Where is he now?”
“Waiting outside.”
Stepping to the window, Chase lifted aside the curtain and looked out. Just as abruptly, he crossed to the dining room extension and picked up the receiver. Squinting at the numbers, he punched out a series of them. “Jobe. It’s Chase Calder. Get two men over to The Homestead on the double. Buck Haskell is out front. I want him watched the whole time he is here. And I want him to know that he’s being watched.” After a short pause, he responded to a question from the man. “If he wants to go to the cemetery and visit his mother’s grave, that’s fine. But nowhere else.”
“He wouldn’t be fool enough to try anything tonight,” Ty said after Chase hung up.
“I agree.” Untroubled, Chase crossed to his chair and sat down. “But why let him relax and get comfortable?”
Sally had her back to the connecting door when Tara walked into the kitchen. “Something smells delicious in here,” Tara declared with airy brightness.
Startled, Sally turned around, a look of shock on her face at the sight of Tara. Immediately she pressed her lips together in a tight line of disapproval, all stiff and cool.
“What are you doing in here?”
“I came to give you a hand carrying things in.” Tara crossed to the counter where a serving platter held a long roll of pastry-wrapped meat. Appreciatively she inhaled the steamy aromas emanating from it. “Beef Wellington. You always do it so well.”
“I don’t need any help, thank you very much.” Sally was deliberately curt. “I prefer to do it myself.”
“Sally,” Tara murmured with a wounded look, “you aren’t angry with me, too, are you?”
“After what you did, I am surprised that you would dare to show your face around here.” Her movements were as crisp and quick as her voice as Sally retrieved serving spoons from the utensil drawer and stuffed them in the various dishes.
