and crisis-filled, as usual, though I plan not to think about that his weekend. I’m only a few miles from Winding Creek now. I’ll be there for dinner with Esther and the rest of the family. When are you arriving?”
When was she arriving? Oh, God. “This is the weekend of Grace’s baby shower, isn’t it?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot, Rachel.”
“Okay. I won’t tell you. When is the shower?”
“Tomorrow afternoon at three. It’s at Dani’s Delights. Dani is closing the bakery early for the party. It’s a really big deal. Half the women in town are coming. Everybody loves Grace.”
“Me included,” Rachel said, “but...”
“She’ll be very disappointed if you’re not here. Besides, you and I haven’t gotten together since Christmas. I’m really looking forward to seeing you.”
“Yeah. I’d like to see you, too,” she admitted, suddenly realizing just how much. “I’ll start out early in the morning. I’m far too tired to make that drive tonight.”
“Super, though I was hoping you’d taken the afternoon off and were coming in tonight so we could have one of our all-talk and no-sleep slumber parties the way we used to.”
“You mean back before you had a gorgeous husband to keep you entertained at night?”
“Right. But he’s competing in a rodeo in Longview tonight and tomorrow morning, so he won’t make it here until late tomorrow afternoon. The good news is we’re both taking Monday and Tuesday off.”
“So I’m second choice?”
“Yep. But I just checked the radar and it shows a line of thundershowers moving into the area over the next few hours, so it’s just as well you’re not driving this way now.”
“I do hate driving in the rain.”
“You did forget, though. I mean, there’s nothing going on there that made you have second thoughts about coming?”
Sydney never took things at face value. It was all that FBI training, Rachel expected. But her insight hit too close to home far too often.
“What are you intimating, my crime-fighting sister?”
“Just wondering if it’s the thought of returning to Winding Creek that’s really bothering you.”
“No,” she lied. “I’m fine with Winding Creek.”
“Then promise you’re not going to make some new excuse to get out of coming tomorrow so you can stay home and work. You need a break.”
Yes, she did. She hadn’t intended to just blurt out her news, but there was no real reason to keep it a secret.
“I know you’re sitting down, since you’re driving,” Rachel said, “but prepare yourself for a shock.”
“You’ve met a man?”
“Gads. That’s the last thing I need.”
“A matter of opinion. Then what is it?”
“I will no longer be overworking. As of about thirty minutes ago, I don’t have a job or a career. I did make off with a few company pens, though, as I stormed out of the building.”
“You got fired?”
“No. I beat old Fitch to it. I quit.”
“You’re joking.”
“Nope. In fact, I may be as shocked as you that I quit, but it felt right. Still does. But also a bit scary.”
“I can’t wait to hear all the details. But let me just say, I’m in favor of the decision. And you haven’t lost a career permanently. You’re still a dynamite attorney. You’ll land on your feet somewhere where they don’t expect you to give up sleep permanently in exchange for billable hours.”
“I hope you’re right. We’ll talk more when I get there.”
“Now I really can’t wait to see you. Actually, the whole family will be thrilled to see you again. Esther asks about you every time we talk.”
Esther was a jewel. So were all three of the Lawrence brothers and their families who had come home to Winding Creek and to Esther Kavanaugh.
The only problem was that the warm and loving family members were Sydney’s in-laws—not Rachel’s.
“Don’t mention my quitting my job to anyone else just yet.”
“I’ll have to tell Tucker. We talk about everything, but I’ll tell him to keep it under his hat.”
Rachel’s new life was off and running—ready or not.
* * *
RACHEL KEPT HER eyes on the passing scenery, watching for the gate to the Double K Ranch. All things considered, she was feeling surprisingly upbeat, or at least several notches above gloom.
Perhaps the reality that she was unemployed for the first time since she’d graduated from law school hadn’t fully sunk in. Or maybe Sydney was right about her needing a mental, emotional and physical break from the stress that Fitch, Fitch and Baumer provided.
The sun claimed dominance over a few cumulus clouds. Michael Bublé was crooning on her car’s radio. And she was actually going to spend two full days with her sister instead of driving back home on Sunday morning to a crush of paperwork.
She basically had nothing on her plate in the foreseeable future except freedom and possibly a few hours doing wrap-up at the office. She’d offered two weeks’ notice. A shocked and irritated Eric Fitch Sr. had said that wasn’t necessary.
All he needed was a verbal agreement that she would answer any questions that might arise concerning cases she’d been involved with. Eric Fitch Jr. had come by while she was collecting her personal belongings and tried to talk her into staying, assuring her he’d cleared the offer with his dad.
He’d offered a raise. She’d been tempted, but not enough to stay.
Lost in her thoughts again, she almost missed the Double K’s metal gate and had to throw on her brakes to keep from passing it by. She made the turn too fast, skidding across a wet patch of grass that bordered the ranch road.
She slowed and stopped at the closed and latched gate. Esther had talked about putting in an automatic gate opener to save herself having to get out in the weather. Obviously that was still on her to-do list. Neither weather nor much else slowed down Esther Kavanaugh.
Rachel switched the gear to Park but kept the motor running. She’d opened the door and was about to climb from behind the wheel when she was startled by the clattering engine noise of another vehicle.
She checked the rearview mirror. An old, mud-encrusted pickup truck had made the turn and had followed her to the gate. The male driver stopped mere inches behind her, blocking her between his front bumper and the
