LITMIR.BIZ

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“Yes, like your mother.”

      He’d hit a nerve. He’d spent a lifetime wanting to say that and trying not to. And now that he had, he didn’t feel any better. “Julianna may have been the best thing for me, but I wasn’t the best for her. I doubt she’d agree that there’d been anything good between us.”

      Abe spat on the ground and grumbled, “People don’t always say what they mean, you know.”

      Yeah, he knew. He saw it in his job all the time. People lied to save their butts. But Julianna wasn’t a liar. She’d meant every last hurtful word. Every time he thought about it… Hell, dealing with both Jules and his father, his head felt about to explode.

      “Things happen,” Abe said. “Good stuff, crappy stuff. It’s called life. If love is there, it’s there. People go on.”

      “Dammit. It’s a dead subject, Dad. Now why don’t you just tell me why she’s here and be done with it.”

      Abe grabbed the roll of wire Luke held and yanked it away. “I told you. It’s not my place. Ask her yourself.”

      Luke released his grip before the wire cut his hand. Then suddenly Abe spat out a string of cuss words. His face went ghost-white, his lips blue. He staggered back, grabbed his chest and sank to his knees.

      Shit. Luke dropped the roll.

      “IT’S OKAY, MARK. I’m finishing the story and that’s that. I’m in the safest place I could be, under the circumstances.”

      “But you can’t stay there forever.”

      She sighed. “I know. Once the story is done—”

      “What makes you think this lowlife will stop bothering you when you’re finished?”

      “That’s what his threats are about. He doesn’t want me to finish, so if I do, he’s lost.”

      “I think you’re wrong. It could make him even more incensed that you didn’t listen.”

      That was true. So far it had. “Look, Mark, I’m not going to live my life in fear because of some jackass. No one is going to tell me what I can and can’t do when it comes to my writing.” Her temper flared at the thought.

      “Well, I can.”

      She stifled a laugh. “Right.” Mark was such a cupcake. He’d given her free rein after only a month on the job. And she was careful not to abuse the confidence he had in her. “You’ll see. It’ll be business as usual after the last installment.”

      “Damn, I hope you’re right. Because otherwise I’m going to feel responsible.”

      “So, what else is new, Dad?” Mark wasn’t much older than her own thirty-two years, but he acted as if he was sixty sometimes.

      He chuckled. Finally.

      “I’ll be in touch.” As she hung up, Julianna heard something bang outside. She glanced at her watch. Luke and Abe had only left a half hour ago, it couldn’t be them.

      Just as she went into the kitchen, Abe burst through the back door, Luke right behind him. “What’s wrong?”

      “Nothing a little good sense won’t fix,” Luke said.

      Abe waved him off with a hand covered with a blood-soaked cloth.

      “Oh, you’re hurt!”

      “Just a little cut. I’ve had worse. No big deal.”

      “When did you last have a tetanus shot?” Luke asked.

      Abe shrugged.

      “That’s what I thought.”

      “That’s enough, you two. What we need right now is a first-aid kit. Do you have one, Abe?”

      “Under the sink in the bathroom,” he grumbled, then quickly added, “But I’m not going to get any shots.”

      “Can you get it, Luke?” Julianna asked as she lifted Abe’s hand to see the damage. “What were you doing?”

      “Nothin’ I don’t do all the time. I just got distracted.”

      As Abe answered, Luke returned with the kit and handed it to Julianna. She went to work, cleaning the wound, a gash about two inches long. “You really should see a doctor. It might need stitches.”

      No response.

      “While you’re taking care of that, I’m going back out to finish what we started.” Luke motioned with a tip of his head that Julianna should follow him outside.

      “Hold the pressure on it, and I’ll be right back, Abe.”

      Outside on the porch, Luke stood with his feet apart, arms crossed over his chest. “He wasn’t distracted,” Luke said, keeping his voice low. “He looked unsteady on his feet, as if he was dizzy or something. Then he fell. But he wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. Maybe while I’m gone you can find out. I think he needs to see a doctor…whether he wants to go or not.”

      Julianna saw the concern in Luke’s eyes. For a tough cop, he felt things intensely, though it wasn’t always easy to tell.

      “I’ll see what I can do.” Before she could go back inside, Luke placed a hand on her shoulder.

      “You’re going to have to tell me why you’re here, because we both know it’s not just a visit. I don’t have any desire to pry into your personal life… I mean if it’s something like you’ve had a fight with your boyfriend or whatever, just say so and I’ll butt out. But if it’s something else and it involves my father, then I need to know.” He stared at her, determined. “Besides, you know I’ll find out one way or another.”

      The skin on her arms prickled. “And what does that mean?”

      He shrugged, but didn’t let her go. “I’m a detective.”

      Annoyed, but knowing he meant what he said, she pulled away. “Okay…it’s personal, so butt out.” She stalked back inside. It wasn’t exactly a lie. It was personal…and if telling a tiny untruth meant he’d leave her alone, so be it.

      After she finished cleaning Abe’s wound and bandaged it as best she could, she said, “So, how about that tetanus shot? I’ll be happy to drive you.”

      “Nearest doc is in a little clinic outside Pecos.”

      “Fine. Let’s go.” Before he could protest, she said, “Oh, one other thing.”

      He glanced at her.

      “I received a couple of voice-mail messages on my home phone. Threatening messages.”

      “The bastard,” Abe spat out. “It’s a good thing you’re here then.”

      “I was thinking of going somewhere else.”

      “Nonsense.”

      She sat on a chair next to him and clasped his good hand. “It’s not nonsense. If there’s any chance I’m in danger, then my being here puts you in danger, too.”

      Abe squinted. “Why do you think you’d be any safer someplace else? No one’s going to find you here. And if they can’t find you, that keeps us both safe. Right?”

      She shrugged. “I don’t know. I took precautions, but I can’t be sure it was enough. I couldn’t bear it if—”

      He held up a hand. “I won’t hear of it,” he sputtered. “You leave, you’ll have the same problem. This is the best place and that’s the end of it.”

      Julianna smiled, then gave Abe a long hug.

      “So, let’s quit jawing and get that shot.”

      “I’ll leave a note for Luke.”

      She started to help Abe get up, but he protested.

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