only one CD that wasn’t “like totally stone age,” they reached Tony’s Market, a small corner grocery store.
“I need to pick up a few things for dinner tonight,” Alyss said as they walked inside.
The market was neat, clean. Three aisles, filled with the usual grocery store items, ran the length of the store. Deep wooden bins, brimming with orderly displays of ripe vegetables and fruits, lined one wall. At the rear, sat a freezer cabinet of ice cream treats and a butcher’s case of fresh meats and fish. A slim man with thinning black hair and gold-rimmed glasses smiled as they walked up.
“Hello, Alyss,” he said. “How are you doing today?”
“OK, Tony. You?”
Tony shrugged and extended his hand, palm down, and rocked it back and forth, indicating ambivalent feelings. “Terrible thing about Lloyd.”
“Yes, it is.” Alyss introduced Sam and Shelby and then asked for five Cornish hens.
“Coming right up,” Tony said and then disappeared into the walk-in refrigerator behind him.
“I thought I’d make tomato and butter lettuce salad, stuffed hens with port wine sauce, veggies, and French bread,” Alyss said. “And we’ll get some ice cream to go with the cobbler.”
“Sounds delicious. When’s dinner?” a deep masculine voice behind them said.
Sam turned to see a striking looking man. Tall, trim, mid-fifties, he wore a dirt-stained denim shirt that deepened the cool blue of his eyes. Equally soiled jeans and boots and thick blonde hair, graying slightly at the temples, lent a rugged masculinity. Not the kind of man you would miss in a crowd or anywhere else. A casual glance would become a lingering gaze.
“Sam, this is Burt Eagan,” Alyss said. “Burt, Sam Cody and my daughter Shelby.”
Burt shook hands with Sam and then turned to Shelby. “Your mother has told me a lot about you, but you’re even prettier than she said.”
Shelby blushed. “Thanks.”
“Pardon my appearance,” Burt said. “And the smell. We had to move some cattle this morning.”
Alyss smiled. “I don’t know how you keep up with a ranch the size of yours. I can barely handle my two little acres.”
“Sounds like you ladies have big plans tonight,” Burt said.
“Dinner for my first guests,” Alyss said.
“Congratulations. Exciting isn’t it?” Burt said.
Alyss nodded. “And a little scary.”
“It’ll be great.” He looked at Sam. “I understand you had the misfortune of finding Lloyd.”
“True.”
“Terrible thing. He was a fine man.”
“So I hear,” Sam said.
Burt nodded. “You’re a deputy. California isn’t it?”
How does he know all this? Sam wondered to herself.
As if reading her mind, he added, “Forrest Wade called this morning and told me about it.” He shook his head. “This kind of thing doesn’t happen around here.” He looked at Alyss. “You be careful until Wade tracks down whoever did this.”
“We will.”
“Not meaning any offense,” he said. “But, three ladies, alone...I could have one of the boys camp outside your inn until this is solved.”
Alyss smiled, nodding toward Sam. “Thanks, but she’s armed and dangerous.”
Burt smiled. “Well, the offer stands if you change your mind.”
A young man wearing a white apron walked up. “Mr. Eagan, you’re groceries are ready up front. I’ll take them out to your car whenever you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Jimmy,” he said. The boy walked away. Burt turned back to them, his gaze bouncing off Sam and falling on Alyss. They stood, eyes locked on each other, for a long moment.
Alyss broke the silence. “You’re welcome to join us this evening.”
“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Burt said. “Besides, you need to entertain your guests, not me.”
“Still, you’re welcome to come.”
He turned to Sam. “I’ve been trying to get her out to dinner for weeks, but she’s been too busy.”
“Really?” Sam said, eying Alyss with a raised eyebrow.
Alyss frowned at her. “Putting
“I need to pick up a few things for dinner tonight,” Alyss said as they walked inside.
The market was neat, clean. Three aisles, filled with the usual grocery store items, ran the length of the store. Deep wooden bins, brimming with orderly displays of ripe vegetables and fruits, lined one wall. At the rear, sat a freezer cabinet of ice cream treats and a butcher’s case of fresh meats and fish. A slim man with thinning black hair and gold-rimmed glasses smiled as they walked up.
“Hello, Alyss,” he said. “How are you doing today?”
“OK, Tony. You?”
Tony shrugged and extended his hand, palm down, and rocked it back and forth, indicating ambivalent feelings. “Terrible thing about Lloyd.”
“Yes, it is.” Alyss introduced Sam and Shelby and then asked for five Cornish hens.
“Coming right up,” Tony said and then disappeared into the walk-in refrigerator behind him.
“I thought I’d make tomato and butter lettuce salad, stuffed hens with port wine sauce, veggies, and French bread,” Alyss said. “And we’ll get some ice cream to go with the cobbler.”
“Sounds delicious. When’s dinner?” a deep masculine voice behind them said.
Sam turned to see a striking looking man. Tall, trim, mid-fifties, he wore a dirt-stained denim shirt that deepened the cool blue of his eyes. Equally soiled jeans and boots and thick blonde hair, graying slightly at the temples, lent a rugged masculinity. Not the kind of man you would miss in a crowd or anywhere else. A casual glance would become a lingering gaze.
“Sam, this is Burt Eagan,” Alyss said. “Burt, Sam Cody and my daughter Shelby.”
Burt shook hands with Sam and then turned to Shelby. “Your mother has told me a lot about you, but you’re even prettier than she said.”
Shelby blushed. “Thanks.”
“Pardon my appearance,” Burt said. “And the smell. We had to move some cattle this morning.”
Alyss smiled. “I don’t know how you keep up with a ranch the size of yours. I can barely handle my two little acres.”
“Sounds like you ladies have big plans tonight,” Burt said.
“Dinner for my first guests,” Alyss said.
“Congratulations. Exciting isn’t it?” Burt said.
Alyss nodded. “And a little scary.”
“It’ll be great.” He looked at Sam. “I understand you had the misfortune of finding Lloyd.”
“True.”
“Terrible thing. He was a fine man.”
“So I hear,” Sam said.
Burt nodded. “You’re a deputy. California isn’t it?”
How does he know all this? Sam wondered to herself.
As if reading her mind, he added, “Forrest Wade called this morning and told me about it.” He shook his head. “This kind of thing doesn’t happen around here.” He looked at Alyss. “You be careful until Wade tracks down whoever did this.”
“We will.”
“Not meaning any offense,” he said. “But, three ladies, alone...I could have one of the boys camp outside your inn until this is solved.”
Alyss smiled, nodding toward Sam. “Thanks, but she’s armed and dangerous.”
Burt smiled. “Well, the offer stands if you change your mind.”
A young man wearing a white apron walked up. “Mr. Eagan, you’re groceries are ready up front. I’ll take them out to your car whenever you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Jimmy,” he said. The boy walked away. Burt turned back to them, his gaze bouncing off Sam and falling on Alyss. They stood, eyes locked on each other, for a long moment.
Alyss broke the silence. “You’re welcome to join us this evening.”
“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Burt said. “Besides, you need to entertain your guests, not me.”
“Still, you’re welcome to come.”
He turned to Sam. “I’ve been trying to get her out to dinner for weeks, but she’s been too busy.”
“Really?” Sam said, eying Alyss with a raised eyebrow.
Alyss frowned at her. “Putting
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