LITMIR.BIZ

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her out of bed. She reached for her robe and went from room to room checking doors and even the small windows. All were still locked, yet Alex was gone. Had he materialized from her dream?

      She lay down again, but it was a long time before she fell asleep. Her dreams had turned to nightmares.

      IN THE EARLY morning hours, Nicki drove out to her father’s horse farm. The property lay just beyond the much larger, wealthier Huntington Horse Farm. For years, the Huntingtons had been trying to get her father to sell out to them, but Bernie Michaels had a streak of stubborn that ran all the way to the core of his being. Despite the heart ailment that had caused him to cut way back on his activities, he still managed the farm and his family with a will of iron.

      Nicki found her sister, Hope, in the kitchen clearing away the remains of breakfast.

      “Hey!” Hope greeted. “Did you find my bracelet?”

      “Good morning to you, too. I forgot to look. The car’s out front if you want to check.”

      “You forgot to look?” Hope’s eyes danced merrily.

      “In case you haven’t heard, a man was shot and killed behind my store. The police had the area sealed off until yesterday afternoon.”

      Hope gaped at her. “What man?”

      “Someone named Thorton Biggs.” Nicki walked over and closed the forgotten dishwasher.

      “I haven’t heard a newscast in days, Nicki. Do they know who killed him?”

      “Thad Osher thinks it was Alex Coughlin. Osher arrested him for questioning.”

      Her sister gripped the edge of the table. “Oh, no! He couldn’t have! Osher’s wrong. Alex wouldn’t kill anyone.”

      Nicki eyed her sister. “Funny, that’s what Alex says. But why would you say that? You don’t even know Alex.”

      “No, but you used to like him.” Hope wouldn’t meet her eyes. “So you did get to talk to him?”

      “Briefly.” She wasn’t about to tell her sister about her discussion with Alex. While puzzled by Hope’s initial reaction, she didn’t have a lot of time this morning for prying answers from her sister. Hope took after her father when it came to sheer cussed stubbornness.

      “Where’s Dad?”

      “Getting Big Man ready to take over to the Huntingtons. He’s going to cover one of their mares. What about Alex?”

      “What about Alex?”

      Her sister shifted, looking uncomfortable.

      “Why all the concern about Alex?”

      Her sister wouldn’t meet her eyes. “You used to be in love with him. Remember when you’d sneak out and meet him?”

      “Some things are best forgotten,” Nicki said firmly. “Alex is one of them.”

      “You don’t mean that.”

      “Yes. I do.”

      Hope started to say something else, but ended up staring at her with a bewildered expression.

      “You want to tell me what’s going on, Hope?”

      “Nothing! Nothing’s going on.”

      Her sister was lying, but why? “You didn’t try to set me up the other night by any chance, did you?”

      “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

      Nicki recognized the stubborn set to her sister’s lips. She wouldn’t get anywhere with the direct approach.

      “Hope, we need to discuss this.”

      “I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about and I’ve got to get going.”

      She’d get nothing further out of her sister right now, Nicki realized, so she changed tactics before her sister could escape. “Hold on a minute. Why is Dad working with the Huntingtons?”

      “You know Dad,” Hope said vacantly. “He doesn’t let personal issues get in the way of business.”

      “But working with the Huntingtons?”

      “Jeff Huntington wanted to buy Big Man. Dad and I argued for days, but he finally agreed not to sell. Big Man is going to turn this place around, Nicki. I told Dad he was a winner. Since Jeff couldn’t buy him, Mr. Huntington offered us a lot of stud money to cover some of his mares.”

      “Oh.”

      “Look, I’ve got to get outside and bring the rig around.”

      “Dad lets you do that now?”

      Hope nodded. They shared a look of sad understanding. “He’s letting me do a lot of the stuff now.”

      “Are you okay with that?”

      “Sure. I love this place and the business. It’s what I’ve always wanted. You know that.”

      Nicki did. “I’m glad Dad’s finally accepted your abilities. What about your bracelet?”

      “Huh? Oh. I’ll look for it later.”

      “While you’re at it, how about returning those earrings of mine you borrowed a couple of weeks ago.”

      “Huh? Oh. Right. I’ll give them back. Here comes Dad. I need to use the bathroom before I go to the barn.”

      Nicki watched her sister skitter away. Hope was acting weird even for her, but Nicki would have to investigate the cause later. She wanted to know what Alex had meant last night when he said her father had been right about them. It had been her first thought on waking this morning.

      “Thought that was your car I heard,” Bernie greeted her. “You in trouble?”

      Nicki sighed. Some things never changed. “No, Dad. I’m not in trouble.”

      Her father strode to the sink and washed his hands. He’d lost more weight that he couldn’t afford to lose and his surly expression was more pinched than usual. Was it just the light, or did his skin have a gray cast to it this morning? He didn’t like questions about his health, especially since he’d been diagnosed with that heart condition last year. If he’d just go and have the recommended surgery they could all breathe easier.

      “Thought maybe that murder out back of your store was a problem for you. Heard they arrested that Coughlin boy.”

      Nicki seized on the unexpected opening. “They let him go. But Alex said something that made me wonder. Did you know I was…sort of seeing him in high school?”

      Her father studied her, his expression unreadable. “You and I have never been close, Nicki. My fault, I guess. We’re too much alike, you and me. Besides, you always reminded me of your mother.”

      Nicki fought a sudden lump of emotion. Her father never spoke of his emotions. And he never spoke of her mother, who’d died in a car crash shortly after Nicki’s birth.

      “But you’re my daughter and I’ve always done the best I could for you.”

      “I know that Dad. I love you too. I—”

      “You were barely sixteen. Alex Coughlin would have ruined your life. I told him as much. Knew you wouldn’t see it, but I made him promise to leave you alone. I’d do the same thing all over again if I had to and that’s all I’m going to say on the matter. Where’s your sister?”

      “But Dad—”

      “Here I am.” Hope came around the corner a little too conveniently. No doubt she’d been standing out of sight in the dining room listening. “Ready to go?”

      “Yeah. Move the rig and we’ll get him loaded. It would have been easier just to sell him.”

      “Maybe so, but we’ll make more

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