Promise Broken (The Callahan Series) by Mitzi Pool Bridges Page B

own fear. It wasn’t fair to Mark.
    “That’s good. Can we go now?”
    “What’s your hurry? Nellie will meet us here when she’s finished. Let’s enjoy ourselves.”
    Mark’s face set in a frown.
    “What’s wrong, honey?” she asked, squatting down to eye level.
    “Nothing.”
    “Something’s bothering you.”
    A man came around the corner, a couple of books in his hands. He stopped when he saw them. “Hi!”
    Phyl’s heart kicked up several notches. Another stranger. “Hello,” Phyl responded, looking up at him.
    I don’t like him .
    The man stared at her with dark, cold eyes. Though he smiled, she sensed he was faking it. A chill ran up her back.
    Instead of running, she stood to face him. “We found what we came for. We were just leaving.”
    “Don’t let me drive you away.” He thrust out a hand holding several books. “Gonna get these for Buddy, my favorite nephew.”
    He showed them to Mark. “Have you read them?”
    Mark shook his head.
    “You can have ’em if you like. I’ll find another one or two for Buddy.”
    “That’s unnecessary,” Phyl said, her anxiety accelerating. “We have what we need.”
    “Not a problem.” His voice was gruff, as if he wasn’t accustomed to making conversation. But maybe that was her imagination.
    Mary Connors, the bookstore owner, came around the corner. “Have you two met?”
    “Not yet,” the man said, still smiling that fake smile.
    Phyl edged her way to the checkout counter. She had to stop this. Every stranger wasn’t a killer.
    Mary turned to Phyl. “You’re new in town. So is this nice gentleman.”
    New in town? Why? Oaktree wasn’t the kind of town that drew people. “Could we check out? We’re in a hurry to meet a friend for lunch.”
    “Sorry,” Mary said, and hurried her short squat body to stand behind the register. “I just love to talk.”
    Mary didn’t mention the man’s name.
    As he tried to draw Phyl into a conversation, it made her more and more uneasy. It was an effort to keep from pulling her cap down further. Keeping a low profile was imperative. Yet, here she was in the middle of town talking to a stranger who made her skin crawl. She couldn’t let her fear for their safety make her careless. Coming to town any day was careless, on auction day, worse.
    “I didn’t run you off, did I?” he asked as Mary put the books in a bag.
    “Not at all,” Phyl lied.
    “Don’t you work for the Callahans?”
    The chill turned to ice.
    Seeing the look on her face, he added, “Gossip,” he explained. “Part of living in a small town, I guess. Even a—what do you call it?—greenhorn like me hears it all.”
    Her nerves tightened. How could she stay hidden when everyone in town knew the Callahans had a woman working on the ranch?
    They don’t know you’re here . How could they?
    She put the change in the pocket of her jeans. “Thanks,” she said and nodded to Mary.
    Thankfully, Nellie was crossing the street toward them. Phyl wanted to get back to the ranch as fast as possible. It wasn’t safe here. Despite the hot weather, she shivered.
    She couldn’t be careful enough, not with a killer’s threat still ringing in her head.
    Maybe it was time to run again. Now that Donovan was back, there was no reason to wait.
    “Where’s Donovan?” Mark asked Nellie when she joined them.
    Phyl looked at her son with trepidation, turned toward the bookstore. The man stood at the window staring after them.
    When they eventually found Donovan, she was still nervous and her thoughts were scattered. It wouldn’t pay for the wrong person to connect her to a murder in California.

Chapter Six
    “Why can’t I ride Lily?” Mark whined a couple of hours later. He and Phyl were in their room at the ranch. Donovan had suggested they take the day off so he could catch up on the paperwork.
    “Because you’re too young to go by yourself,” Phyl reminded him.
    “Donovan can come with me,” he sniffed.
    “Donovan has other things to