Page 47 of Dangerous Secrets
“Good.Keep an eye out,and if you see anything unusual, someone parked on the street youdon’t recognize, someone following you, call me ornine-one-one.”
Laney asked, “Mrs.Watkins, can you gostay with your daughter for a while?”
“I could, but I don’tthink there’s a need.I’m always careful.My girls here raise aruckus if anyone so much as sets a toe across my property line, andI had a very good security system installed on my house after myCharlie passed.I wasn’t used to living by myself and this oldhouse makes a lot of noise as it settles for the night.I’ll befine.”
Minutes later, Walker and Laney werein the truck, heading down Piñon Road.He felt her gaze.
“You’re worried abouther.”
“Yeah.I don’t want anyoneelse caught in the crossfire when shit starts happening.”He shother a look.“You included.”
“I’m fine.”
“You need to be carefultoo.I’ll talk to Sawyer about getting the sheriff’s office to keepan eye on Mrs.Watkins.
“Meantime, I’ve got a boxto go through.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Delaney hopped out of the side-by-sideand trudged toward the house with Callie following behind her.She’d spent her morning dealing with a leaking valve thatcontrolled water flow to the east orchard.The job had been muddy,messy, and frustrating, but finally she’d gotten it straightenedout.
She stepped onto the deck at the backof the house, then stopped short.A gorgeous pot of bloomingflowers stood next to the door.It hadn’t been there when she’dleft the house before seven that morning, and now at lunchtimethere it sat teeming with cheerful geraniums with full blooms ofdeep pink.They were planted in a clay pot decorated with a rainbowof ceramic tiles in swirling colors.She paused to brush the softleaf of a geranium with her finger before pushing through thescreen door.Geraniums looked so cheerful and were among herspecial favorites.
She opened the screen and stepped intothe kitchen.Clara stood at the island with several dozen travelflyers fanned across it.“Look here, Delaney.The cruise companysent all these brochures of places we’ll stop on our voyage.”Shepicked up one showing a quaint New England-looking port with animage of a lobster in the corner.“One of our stops on the Atlanticcoast is in Maine.I’ve always wanted to go to Maine.”She pickedup another flyer.“This one is for a port on the Yucatan Peninsula.DeeDee and I decided we’re going to spend our money in locallyowned shops and restaurants as much as possible so what we spendstays in the communities we visit.”
“I like that.You’re goingto have a grand adventure.”
“It feels like we will.Did you know my grandfather was an engineer, and as a young manworked on the construction of the Panama Canal?And now hisgranddaughter will be going through the canal and sailing acrossthe Caribbean.”
It’d been a long time since Delaneyhad heard her grandmother enthusiastic about anything.She tippedher head onto Clara’s shoulder.“I’m glad you’re doing this, Gran.It sounds so exciting.You’ll have a wonderful time.”
Clara laid her head briefly againstDelaney’s before straightening.The moment might’ve been brief, butit packed more punch because such gestures were so rare.“I need toget away.I love the farm, but my heart breaks all over again everytime I think of something and start to look for James to share withhim.A change of scenery will do me good.”
“I know, Gran.I miss himevery day.I hope he knew how much we loved him.”
“He did,” Clara murmured.“I wouldn’t leave you like this if I didn’t think you couldn’thandle the season without me.But you can.You have Franny andOscar, and now you have Walker.”She patted Delaney’s hand.“Thathe’s here eases my mind immeasurably.”
She hadn’t told her grandmother aboutthe calf or the attack on Walker.He’d agreed with her decision andhad pulled strings with a friend at a body shop who’d repaired histruck.The last thing either of them wanted was for Clara to cancelher trip because of worry over the farm or the people onit.
“You’ll check the mail fora response from your sister?I included my email address in caseCameron wants to contact me that way.I can check email on theship, but she may go the old-fashioned way and send a letter.Ihope the private investigator will find something on your othersister soon.”
“I’ll look and let youknow if anything comes in.”Delaney still had mixed feelings aboutClara’s quest to find her “lost” grandchildren.That they’d heardnothing in response to her grandmother’s queries told Delaney thewomen weren’t interested in establishing family connections.Hopefully, Clara would be satisfied with her efforts even if theycame to nothing.
“Where are you off to?”Clara was dressed in her “going out” clothes.Today she wore atailored shirt and slim cotton slacks with matching navypumps.
“Doctor’s visit.I need toget an extended prescription for my blood pressure medicine.Thecruise line also requires certain vaccinations, so I’ll be takingcare of that.”
“Okay.By the way, I lovethe flowers you put by the back door.They’rebeautiful.”
“What flowers?I didn’tput flowers by the back door.”
“Someone did.There’s abeautiful geranium with magenta flowers in a gorgeouspot.”
Clara crossed the floor to push openthe screen.“Oh, those are beautiful.I wonder who left themthere.”She cast a speculative eye at Delaney.
“What?If you didn’t, itmust’ve been Oscar.”
“Except today is Oscar andFranny’s day off and they’ve driven to Stockton to visit theirdaughter and the new baby.”Clara raised an arched brow.
