Her shoulders slumped.“I couldn’t do it, Doctor Joe.I couldn’t marry a man I didn’t love.”
An odd smile broke the wrinkles in the old doctor’s face.He looked toward the cowboy who was pulling that big white car to a stop outside the door.
“So, it must have been love at first sight for you two, then.”
Casey looked startled.“Oh no!It was nothing like that.Ryder is a good man… at least I think he is.But we have an understanding.I’m just fulfilling the terms of Delaney’s will.Nothing less.Nothing more.In a year, this will all be over.”
Unaware that he’d been the topic of their conversation, Ryder came up the hallway, shook the doctor’s hand, and all but carried Casey out to the waiting car.
Hitchcock had his own ideas about understandings.That’s what you say now, Casey Dee, but a year is a long, long time.
As Miles Dunn staggered out of the bathroom with a wet paper towel pressed to his forehead, Hitchcock reminded himself of the vows he’d taken to administer toallwho were sick or in need of heating and took him by the arm.
“Come with me, boy.”
Miles looked out the door toward the car.He could see Casey was already seated inside.“But they’re about to—”
“They’ll wait,” Hitchcock said.“Besides, this will make you feel better.”
The doctor had said the magic words.Miles followed without further comment.
* * *
“Lord have mercy!”
If Tilly had said it once, she’d said it a dozen times since Ryder’s arrival at the Ruban estate.And she was saying it again as Joshua passed through the kitchen on his way upstairs with an ice bag for Miles’s head.The soup bubbling on the stove was for Casey.The tears running down her face were those of relief after she’d seen for herself that her girl was all right.
The house phone rang just as Ryder came in the back door.
Startled by the sound, Tilly jumped and the soup she was stirring sloshed over the side of the pot and splattered with a hiss onto the hot cooktop.
“Lord have mercy!”she muttered again.
“I’ll get it,” Ryder offered, and answered the phone before Tilly burst into a fresh set of tears.
Well aware that the call had to be from someone in the family, Ryder’s answer was less than formal.
“This is Ryder, what’s up?”
Erica’s complaint was left hanging on the edge of her tongue.Somehow she didn’t have the guts to say what she’d intended to say, at least not in the same tone of voice.
“Umm…I was wondering if someone was bringing up the ice bag for Miles’s poor head.”
Miles’s poor head be damned, Ryder thought, but kept his opinion to himself.He glanced at Tilly.
“Erica wants to know about some ice bag.”
“Tell her it’s on the way up.”
“It’s on the way—”
“I heard her,” Erica said.“Thank you.”
“No problem,” Ryder said, and started to hang up.
“Wait!”Erica shouted.
Ryder waited.It was her call.Her question.Her move.
