LITMIR.BIZ

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his friend Travis helping themselves to the goods. He was guilty of taking advantage himself, but then he considered Pearl and a couple of the others his fringe benefits. He figured he was a hell of a lot more entitled to them than Lance.

      “Stay out of town unless I tell you different,” Monroe instructed the other man.

      Lance frowned.

      “You heard what I said, didn’t you?” He knew Lance had been sneaking into town behind his back. That boy better realize he had ways of learning about whatever went on here.

      “I said I would,” Lance mumbled.

      “Good.” Monroe sent Lance off and waited long enough to be sure he’d taken the road out of Sweetgrass. Then he climbed into his car; it was as hot as a brick oven. He was hot in other ways, too, and blamed the Wheaton woman for that. It was time to pay Pearl a visit—she’d probably missed him. He drove down several streets and stopped next to the community park. No need to announce where he was headed by leaving his car in front of her house.

      He cut through the alley and walked across Pearl’s backyard, then let himself in by the door off the kitchen. He didn’t bother to knock.

      Still in her housecoat, Pearl stepped out of the hallway. She looked shocked to see him. Noon, and she wasn’t dressed yet. Not that he was complaining. It saved time.

      “What are you doing here?” she demanded, placing her hands on her hips. The action tugged open the front of her robe and offered him a tantalizing peek at her breasts.

      “Guess,” he said with a snicker. He loosened his belt buckle, in no mood to play games.

      Her bravado quickly disappeared and she backed away from him. “Our agreement was once a month.”

      “That’s not the way I remember it.”

      Pearl might have been pretty at one time, but too many years of making her living on her back had spoiled whatever had been attractive about her. Her makeup was applied with a heavy hand—not like Molly Cogan’s. Monroe frowned as he thought about the old bastard’s granddaughter.

      “I … I don’t want you to tie me up this time.” Pearl’s voice trembled a little. He liked that. Just the right amount of fear, enough to make her willing to do things she might not do for her other customers. But then he wasn’t like the others. The Loyalists owned Pearl, and she did what he damn well pleased, whether she wanted to or not.

      Gramps had insisted Sam accompany Molly into Sweetgrass, and although she couldn’t see the sense of it, she hadn’t made a fuss. The boys were far too interested in exploring the house and unpacking their belongings to be bothered with errands. So Molly had left them with Gramps.

      Actually she’d hoped to use the time alone with Sam to find out what she could about her grandfather’s health. The old man seemed pale and listless this morning, although he’d tried to hide it from her.

      Gramps’s old pickup had to be at least twenty-five years old. Molly could remember it from when she was a child. The floorboard on the passenger side had rusted through, and she had to be careful where she set her feet.

      The ride started off in a companionable enough silence. Every now and then she’d look at Sam, but he kept his gaze carefully trained on the road ahead.

      She’d spoken first. “Are you from around here?”

      “No.”

      “Montana?”

      “Nope.”

      “Where else have you been a foreman?” she’d asked, trying a different tack.

      “I haven’t been.”

      “Never?” she asked.

      “Never,” he repeated.

      That was how their entire conversation had gone. In the forty minutes it took to drive into Sweetgrass, Sam didn’t respond once in words of more than two syllables. Stringing together more than a couple of words appeared to be beyond his capabilities.

      Molly had hoped to ease into her conversation, get to know him before she dug for answers concerning her grandfather’s condition. But no matter how she approached him, Sam Dakota remained tight-lipped and uncooperative.

      Molly gave up the effort when the town came into view.

      “Oh, my,” she whispered.

      If the Broken Arrow Ranch had changed in nine years, Sweetgrass hadn’t. Main Street seemed trapped in a time warp. Foley’s Five and Dime with its faded red sign still sat on the corner of Main and Maple. Her grandmother had often taken Molly there as a child so she could watch the tropical fish swim in the big aquarium. The hamsters, racing about in their cages, had intrigued her, as well. In addition to pets, the store sold knickknacks and tacky souvenirs to any unsuspecting tourist who had the misfortune of dropping by. Not that there’d ever been many tourists. In retrospect, Molly decided it must be the bulk candy displayed behind the glass counter that kept Foley’s in business.

      The bank’s reader board, which alternately flashed the time and the temperature, was directly across the street from Foley’s. Sweetgrass Pharmacy and the barbershop were next to the bank. Molly wondered if the singing barber had retired. As she recalled, he’d done a fairly good imitation of Elvis.

      The ice-cream parlor with its white wire chairs was exactly as she remembered.

      Sam glanced at her.

      “Everything’s the same,” she told him.

      “Everything changes,” he said without emotion. “Looks can be deceiving, so don’t be fooled.” He eased the truck into an empty parking space and turned off the engine.

      “I need to stop at the bank,” she said, looking over at the large redbrick structure. From there she’d go to the Safeway and buy groceries. The Safeway was at the other end of town, about six blocks away. A stoplight swayed gently in the breeze at Main and Chestnut. For a while it had been the only one in the entire county. But five years ago Jordanville, forty miles east, had its first traffic light installed, stealing Sweetgrass’s claim to distinction. Gramps had taken the news hard; he’d written her a letter complaining bitterly about the changes in Montana. Too damn many people, he’d grumbled.

      Without looking at her, Sam added, “I’ve got some supplies to pick up.”

      Sam wasn’t unfriendly, but he hadn’t gone out of his way to make her feel welcome, either. Molly had no idea what she’d done or hadn’t done to create such … coolness in his attitude. This morning he’d seemed neutral, but neutral had definitely become cool.

      “I’ll meet you at the bank when I’m finished,” he said.

      Molly climbed down from the truck and hooked the strap of her purse over her shoulder. Sam walked close beside her until they reached the bank, then he crossed the street. As she opened the heavy glass doors, she caught a glimpse of him studying her. It was an uncomfortable feeling.

      While the outside of the bank was relatively unchanged, the inside had been updated. The polished wood counters were gone, and except for the lobby with its marble tiles, the floor was now carpeted.

      Molly moved toward the desk with a sign that stated: New Accounts.

      “Hello,” she said, and slipped into the chair.

      “Hi.” The woman, whose nameplate read Cheryl Ripple, greeted her with a cordial smile.

      “I’m Molly Cogan,” she said, introducing herself. “Walter Wheaton’s my grandfather.”

      Cheryl’s smile faded and she stood up abruptly. Almost as if she couldn’t get away fast enough, Molly thought.

      “Excuse me a moment, please,” the woman said. She hurried toward the branch manager’s office, and a moment later, a distinguished-looking middle-aged man appeared.

      “Ms. Cogan?” he said, coming over

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