Death on the Range: Target Practice Mysteries 1 by Nikki Haverstock Page A

of pens spread out in front of her. I had closed my eyes for just a second when a knock on the door broke the silence again.
    “Come in,” I called out as I swung my feet onto the floor. Jess entered, buzzing with excitement. Following behind her was a beautiful, tall lady dressed in an impeccable outfit. Her stance reminded me of many a CEO I had met in California, confident and observant. Her eyes landed on Mary, and she greeted her. “Hello, Mary, how is your mother?”
    “Very good, thank you for asking.”
    Jess gestured at me. “This is Di. Di, this is the owner of Westmound Industries, Mrs.—”
    But the lady stepped around her and extended her hand while saying, “Call me Elizabeth, please. We are all part of the Westmound family.”
    I stood up, wishing I had bothered to look in the mirror before they arrived, and shook Elizabeth’s hand. She had a strong grip.
    “I wish I could have met you under better circumstances. I came over as soon as I was notified. Liam says that you found Honey. How are you doing?”
    I had heard that Westmound headquarters was in Utah; she must have driven over first thing this morning.
    “I was pretty upset, but Liam was very kind.”
    “I’ll be making arrangements for a grief counselor to come to the center and talk to everyone as soon as possible.”
    I waved a hand in the air. “Oh no, I’m fine.” I smiled brightly while Elizabeth studied my face.
    “Do you mind if I sit for a second?” As I nodded, she sat in a chair and gestured to the couch for me to sit before continuing. “Do you know that I personally made the final decision on every person hired for the center? This center is really my pride and joy. I love the entire outdoor industry, but I have a special place in my heart for archery. You were the final hire we made, and I did some internet research on you. We’re very lucky to have you here.”
    I fidgeted in my seat. I knew there was quite a bit about me available online, from articles about high-dollar contracts our company earned to a few about women in technology and at least one article about me leaving the company when divorce proceedings started. I silently begged that she not ask about the divorce. “Thank you, I’m happy to be here.”
    “About ten years ago, my husband and father passed away in the same year. I was left to run both growing companies. I insisted that I was fine and had everything under control. Eventually my son quit college to come home and help me. He made me go and talk to someone, and I think that was the only thing that saved me. There is no shame in letting someone in.” She smiled at me with genuine warmth.
    I smiled back. “Thank you.”
    “If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to tell Jess or Liam. Or you can call me directly.”
    As she headed to the door she asked Jess to show her where Liam’s room was. They said goodbye to us and left.
    Mary gushed from her spot on the floor.
    “She’s so awesome. I did a couple articles on her and Westmound companies in general last year. She’s one of the few female owners in the industry. She knows everyone by first name, even if you met her once five years ago, and she pays attention to every company she owns and employee she has. She must not sleep. Plus, she has been so kind to me. That’s part of the reason I applied to work here. I want to be her when I grow up,” Mary said in an awestruck tone.
    “I think I do, too. I can’t believe she took the time to come by the room. She probably has a lot of other stuff on her mind right now.” I gazed at the door. “How long was I asleep?” I was still exhausted, but I no longer felt like death warmed over.
    “A couple of hours, but I have good news. I finished reading the memoir. Even being super careful to read every word, it was still really short. I highlighted some stuff to read to you. Honey didn’t exactly tell the truth in a lot of the stories.”
    “Like what?” I dragged the notebook over the