Diana Palmer Long Tall Texans 47 Courageous

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I did!
He glowered at her. Not that new.
She burst out laughing and went back into the house.
* * *
The next morning, she had to pick up a prescription for her father. He tended toward high blood
pressure, so Dr. Copper Coltrain had him on a medication that combined a water pill with something
to stabilize blood pressure. The pharmacy had a nice generic drug that they could afford, even on
their tight budget.
Nancy filled it and Bonnie brought it to the counter.
Have you heard from him? Peg asked excitedly, because Bonnie was grinning from ear to ear.
She d gone to the Cattleman s Ball with a man driving a white Rolls-Royce. It had been the talk of the
town.
In fact, he phoned me day before yesterday, she confessed as she rang up the prescription. From
Paris!
Wow, Peg said, all eyes.
He s coming back to the States in about three weeks, and he hopes he ll have time to stop by and
take me out to dinner in San Antonio. Bonnie shook her head. Imagine that, a millionaire likes me.
Everybody likes you, Peg pointed out. I think it s great!
So do I. I just hope it isn t really a dream that I ll wake up from.
Peg leaned toward her. Want me to pinch you?
Bonnie made a face. Shame on you.
Peg grinned. Just trying to help.
* * *
She stopped by Barbara s Caf� afterward. Barbara had a bag of fresh pecans for her. I always order
them for Christmas cooking, it s no big deal to get an extra bag for you, Barbara said firmly when
Peg tried to pay for them.
Well, thanks a lot, Peg told her.
You shared that great cake recipe with me, Barbara reminded her with a smile. It s been a big hit
with the customers.
We love it, too, Peg confessed.
Barbara lowered her voice. Heard from Grange?
She nodded, looking around cautiously. Just that he got where he was going. Nothing else.
Barbara bit her lower lip. I see.
What do you know that I don t? Come on, please?
Barbara drew her back past the kitchen, where two women were working at the stove and the
counter, onto the back porch.
Do you remember that officer who got in trouble for claiming Grange s battle strategy as his
own, the one who got Grange kicked out of the army?
Yes.
Well, he killed himself.
Oh, my gosh! Peg exclaimed.
That s not all, Barbara continued grimly. He s got a son who s not all there, if you know what I
mean. And he s sworn that he s going to make Grange pay for it.
Good luck to him, trying to find Grange, Peg said, trying to ignore the sudden coldness in the pit
of her stomach.
I hope you re right. But his father had friends and they might know something about where
Grange has gone, and why, Barbara continued. Rick heard from his father, General Machado, she
added under her breath. He said the general had to refuse to allow a journalist along with his
invasion force because she turned out to be some socialite who was pursuing Grange.
Peg s heart did a flip. A socialite?
Don t worry, Barbara assured her with a warm smile. The general said that Grange threatened
to quit the job if Machado let her accompany them. He hates her.
Peg relaxed. Well, that s something. You had a distinguished guest for Thanksgiving, we heard.
Yes. Rick s wife s father. He s a general, too. Has sort of a bad attitude, but a warm heart, she
added. She laughed. He likes to cook.
Now that s interesting, Peg mused with a wicked smile.
He also knows almost everything that s going on in the military, Barbara continued. So if
Grange s commanding officer s son has plans to go overseas, we ll know. Try not to worry. I just
thought you should be told.
Peg hugged her impulsively. I do, too. Thanks.
It s all very worrying, Barbara said. I totally agree with what General Machado wants to do. But
it s so dangerous.
Tell me about it. Peg sighed. It must be terrible for Rick, too, since he only just found out who
his father is.
Absolutely. He s afraid that he ll lose him before they really get to know each other.
We ll just hope and pray that everything works out, Peg replied.
They have good help, the older woman replied. Most of the men that went with Grange are Eb
Scott s.
He s fussy about the men he trains, I ve heard, Peg said.
Very fussy. They eat in the restaurant, so I know a lot of them. One of the best is a South African
named Rourke. She frowned. I don t think I ve ever heard his first name. She laughed and shook
her head. It wasn t until recently that I knew Grange s was Winslow.
Peg nodded. Everybody just calls him Grange.
Even you?
Peg flushed. Even me.
He doesn t date anybody locally, she pointed out. I mean, he was taking Tellie Maddox out for a
while, before she married J.B. Hammock, but they were only friends. And since then, he hasn t dated
at all. She laughed. We were all pretty shocked when you showed up at the Cattleman s Ball with
him, let me tell you.
So was I, Peg replied. I never dreamed I d get to wear such clothes, either. That was such a sweet
thing our local designer, Bess Truman, did, so sweet! And Mrs. Pendleton loaned me a coat!
I heard about that, too. Gracie s a doll. We ve been friends for a long time. She shook her head. I
could have slugged Jason Pendleton for the way he treated her. Let me tell you, that was a rough
courtship.
They seem so happy together.
They are, now. And they were good friends before he got mixed up with that model. But that s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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