Cowboy Secrets. Alice Sharpe

here alone?”

      “I won’t be alone, I’ll have Pike. And while you’re in LA, you can see my dad and tell him what happened. If he cares. He probably doesn’t. Oh, and you can go to Mona’s house and get my things.”

      Sierra had to admit she was a little startled by Tess’s refusal to budge. She herself lived in a world of cooperation with law enforcement. She could hardly imagine Tess shirking this basic responsibility. On the other hand, Sierra had seen a man shot dead once, too, and it had shaken her down to her bone marrow. She tried again. “Your dad won’t listen to a word I say so there’s no point in my talking to him. And Mona is not going to let me rifle through her house looking for your stuff.”

      “Then Pike should go.”

      “But if you aren’t going to explain things to the police, I have to. Even then, they’ll probably have someone in Idaho come debrief you or even send one of their own investigators. And that’s a best-case scenario. When they catch the murderer you’ll have to testify at his trial. If you don’t, they could issue a warrant and make you return.”

      “I’ll do whatever they want as long as I don’t have to go back to LA. And if one of you has to talk to Mona and Dad and the other one has to talk to the cops, then both of you go.”

      By now they were coming over the hill into the main house’s yard. The house was well lit, shining like a Christmas-card picture with the clear skies overhead full of twinkling stars. In a way, Sierra hadn’t really believed such quaintness still existed.

      Grace met them at the back door, fussing and nervous, and for a second, Sierra thought it had to do with them bringing Tess back to this house, but she soon realized she was mistaken.

      “It’s those television people,” she said. “Frankie said they wouldn’t come until the weekend but then they got wind a storm is expected and they decided to drive here straight away.” She waved an irritated hand and turned her attention to Tess. “Oh, you poor thing. Come with me. We’re going to get you all comfy in the downstairs room. I already moved the humidifier close to your bed. I’m going to spend the night with you. It’ll be like a slumber party! But don’t you worry, Frankie and your Uncle Harry will be on alert. Pike called and gave us a heads-up. You’re safe here with us.”

      “I’ll stay with her—” Sierra began, but Tess had already allowed Grace to put an arm around her and lead her down a short hall. Sierra gazed up at Pike, who smiled at her.

      “Feel like you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole?”

      “Kind of,” she admitted. “I can’t believe how stubborn Tess is being.”

      “She’s had quite a day, you know.”

      She shook her head, a reluctant smile playing with her mouth. “Are you always so kind?”

      “Not always, no.”

      “She’s settling in,” Grace said a second later when she returned. “She asked if she could stay here with us while you and Pike take a short trip to LA to ‘fix things.’”

      “I would never ask such a thing of you,” Sierra said, horrified.

      “Don’t be silly. Tess is Pike’s sister so she’s one of ours. There are more than enough of us to keep an eye on her and I mean that in every sense. You have to remember, she’s visited here before, stayed in this house, cared for the horses. She feels at home here in a way, don’t you think, Pike?”

      “No doubt,” he said.

      “Exactly. And remember, last summer you took her all around, to see the ghost town and the old gold mine and the hanging tree and the lake up in the mountains? That gives her a sense of place and nothing makes a frightened person more comfortable than a sense of place.”

      “I wouldn’t argue with you,” Pike said diplomatically.

      “You know what family means to me, Pike. Everything. Go do what you have to do. I’ll try getting her used to the idea she’s going to have to return to California.” She looked closely at Sierra and shook her head. “You look almost as tuckered out as your sister does.”

      “I’d be happy to sleep in Tess’s room,” Sierra said.

      Grace shook her head sadly. “It’s too small for three of us and Dr. Stewart asked that I stay with her through the next couple of nights.”

      “Then another room?”

      Grace was the soul of hospitality and Sierra could see it pained her to have to shake her head. “I’m so sorry. The television people will be here until about midnight and they’re taking all our extra rooms. I don’t know why they couldn’t wait to get here until morning like ordinary people. Pike, I didn’t offer your place for lodging, so you have room there for Sierra. Now you get her home and tucked in before she falls over.”

      Sierra opened her mouth to protest, but what was the point? Grace was doing what the doctor ordered and the truth was she was so tired that her ability to process any more information seemed doubtful.

      “I believe Gerard put Sierra’s suitcase in your SUV so it’s ready to go,” Grace added, directing her comment to Pike. “He said to leave Kinsey’s car here and he’d pick it up later. And Sierra, I spot-cleaned your jacket. It’s hanging in the closet—Pike, get it for her, will you? I don’t know what to say about your boots,” she added.

      “I’ll brush them, they’ll be fine,” Sierra assured her.

      “I hope so. Gerard told me what happened. I don’t know what got into that dog. Give me a minute and I’ll put soup in a thermos so Pike won’t have to cook.”

      They left a few minutes later, laden with soup and freshly baked bread. Sierra had finally given Pike back his jacket, and hers, while clean as a whistle and way better fitting, wasn’t as comfortable as his had been.

      “What exactly did Grace mean when she said that thing about family meaning everything?” Sierra asked as they walked to Pike’s vehicle.

      “Don’t most people feel that way?”

      “Yes, but there was another quality in her voice.”

      “Grace is actually Kinsey’s mother as well as her mother-in-law. Kinsey was raised by her grandmother after her grandmother killed her father.”

      Sierra stopped walking. “Wait, are you saying Grace’s mother killed Grace’s husband?”

      “That’s what I’m saying. Of course, it didn’t go down so cut and dried. She was eventually exonerated but it tore the family apart for over two decades.”

      Sierra continued walking, and when they reached the SUV she sank into the passenger seat with a sigh. “I’m so tired I could sleep standing up,” she commented, and as the headlights swept the dark road ahead, she closed her eyes and didn’t open them again until the vehicle slowed down.

      Pike pulled up in front of a red barn. Illuminated pillars stood on either side of a large double door. As she watched, a plump yellow dog nosed its way through a dog flap, yawning and stretching and wagging its tail. The dog moved to Pike’s side of the car and when he opened the door, he spoke to her.

      “Hey, Daisy,” he said, and ran his hand along the dog’s head. “Did we wake you up?”

      “This is the barn you live in?” Sierra asked as she got out of the car, wary lest this dog jump on her, too. But Daisy seemed to only have eyes for Pike and attached herself to his side as he retrieved Sierra’s suitcase and unlocked the door.

      “Yep. Come inside. It’s freezing out here. Those film people are right, we’re going to have snow by the weekend.”

      He switched on lights and she found herself in a huge open space with rafters high above the floor. A wall covered with all sorts of shelves housed books and all sorts of other things, including a small painting of Pike wearing glasses, sitting on a hay