to protect her?
Apparently not.
The memory lapses Doc had mentioned came to mind, and Jared was even more determined to set things right. Even if it meant backpedaling and reining in a conversation that he now realized had started off on a bad foot.
“Maybe we ought to slow down a bit and clear the air. I’m Edna’s oldest son. And I’d like to talk to her. I get a little riled up when someone tries to put me off.”
“She told me about you. I’m sorry. I’ll get her.”
When the woman set down the receiver, silence filled the line. A barrage of questions begged for answers. And not just questions about Granny’s health, the women who’d infiltrated the ranch and the loss of money in Granny’s account.
What had Granny said about Jared?
It could have been any number of things, he supposed. But sometimes Granny had a way of revealing secrets, things a guy would rather keep to himself. And her lack of discretion was one reason he hadn’t gone into details about the divorce with her, just the irreconcilable differences part.
The real reason Jolene had left him remained deeply hidden within a ragged crevice in his heart.
“Jared?” that familiar, maternal voice asked. “Is that you?”
“Yes, Granny. How are you doing?”
“Fine as frog’s hair,” she responded. Then she made a fruitless attempt to cover the mouthpiece of the phone and speak to someone else, most likely Sabrina. “Thank you, dear. No, I’ll lock up for the night. Go on to bed.”
“Granny?” he asked, a bit put out that she’d be chatting with one of the moochers instead of him.
“I’m sorry. Where were we?” Granny asked.
“I asked how you were doing.”
“Oh, yes. I’m doing just fine. How about you? Are you well?”
Jared had been doing okay until Matthew moved in. And until Doc had called this evening. “I’m all right. Keeping busy.”
“What about Matt?” Granny said. “Is he doing okay, too?”
“Yes,” Jared said, not wanting to worry his mother. But the truth was, although Matt seemed to be mending physically, he’d been depressed ever since the accident.
Of course, Jared really couldn’t blame him. Matt had been the driver in the accident that killed his fiancée and her son. And he’d been the only one in the vehicle to survive.
“Does he still have to use a wheelchair?”
“Yes, but hopefully that’s only temporary.” Jared had built ramps to help him get in and out of the house, even though he seemed to prefer being inside. Or near the liquor cabinet.
“I’m sure it’s tough on him,” Granny said. “A man like Matt doesn’t cotton to being laid up.”
Jared wouldn’t like it, either. And while he wasn’t sure what Matt would say about the decision to go back to the Rocking C for a few days, he thought it might do him some good.
“You don’t usually call so late,” Granny said. “Is there something wrong?”
He suspected so, which was why he decided to lie about his reason for going back to the ranch and staying for a few days. “Matt and I have a couple of business meetings in Houston over the next week or so. We thought we’d come down, stay with you and drive back and forth.”
“Why, of course. I’ll ask Tori to make up beds in the den and in the guestroom.”
“Who’s Tori?”
“My new maid.”
“Then who is Sabrina?” he asked.
“She’s my new bookkeeper.”
Aw. The suspected thief. “What’s she doing at your house this late?”
“She and her nephew live here.”
The hordes had begun to move in, ready to pounce and take advantage of one of the kindest little old ladies in Texas. And Jared wasn’t going to let that happen.
“I guess I’ll meet her when we get there.”
“When are you coming?” she asked.
“Late tonight. But don’t wait up. I’ve got a key.”
And once Jared got to Granny’s ranch, he was going to take control of a sorry situation, evict a few freeloaders and see to it the thief ended up in jail.
It was after midnight, but Sabrina Gonzalez had never been able to sleep very well in an unfamiliar house. So it was no wonder she was wide-awake on one of the twin-size beds in the small guestroom Mrs. Clayton had given her to share with Joey. Her new job, which had been a blessing in and of itself, came with room and board, too. That was a bit out of the ordinary for a bookkeeper, but Sabrina wasn’t about to complain.
Besides, the room inside the Clayton ranch house was only temporary, since Mrs. Clayton planned to remodel an old cabin on the grounds. Sabrina and Joey, her six-year-old nephew, would move in as soon as it was ready for them. But God only knew how long that would be. The rustic structure hadn’t been used in ages, so it would need a lot of work to be livable.
Sabrina stopped by Joey’s bedside and gently caressed the top of his head.
Carlos, her twin brother and Joey’s dad, had been convicted of a crime he hadn’t committed and was currently serving time in prison, so Sabrina had stepped in as a guardian.
At first, when Mrs. Clayton’s job offer came through, Sabrina had declined to take it, since the ranch was quite a drive from Houston and she hadn’t found a competent and trustworthy sitter for her nephew yet. But the elderly woman had invited both Sabrina and Joey to live at the ranch, insisting that it was best for the motherless boy to be near a loved one at a time like this and not in day care.
How could Sabrina argue with that?
Joey stirred, and she shushed him until he grew still. Before leaving the room, she stopped by the closet for a robe, then hesitated. The door squeaked terribly when it slid open, and she hated to make any unnecessary noise.
Besides, what would it hurt to walk out into the kitchen wearing just her nightgown? There were only women in the house.
A night-light lit her way downstairs, the steps creaking under her weight. She walked into the living room, where she flipped on a lamp, illuminating the room. Then she went to the kitchen.
Connie, the new cook, was a sweetheart, but she hadn’t been hired for her culinary skills. The oatmeal cookies she’d made, however, were the best Sabrina had ever tasted.
Rather than turn on every light in the house, Sabrina decided not to flip on the switch. She could make her way through the dimly lit kitchen easy enough.
She
