last. “Do whatever you want.” He didn’t kiss her goodbye.
And he didn’t show up at the meeting that night.
Rain did, and Jude said irritably, “I don’t see how we can discuss McCoy with her son sitting right here.”
“You’re not discussing her,” Rain said easily, “you’re talking about her work. I’m familiar with it, God knows, so I shouldn’t have any problem keeping up with the discussion.” He smiled at Reed. “Just treat me like any other guy.”
But he wasn’t just any other guy. Reed realized, to her surprise, that she agreed with Jude. It was different discussing McCoy’s work with the writer’s son in the room. And weren’t they all being a little more careful about criticizing a particular work of McCoy’s? And weren’t they all wishing Rain would fill them in on personal information about the writer? Which he wasn’t about to do.
Any more than she was about to ask him to leave.
He walked her back to her dorm. Reed felt weird, walking with someone other than Link. Instead of talking about books, as she’d expected, they talked about school, about the parties and dances and fun that Rain had missed by traveling around so much and attending private schools most of his life.
“Are you absolutely sure you don’t have any lasting effects from that fall down into the well?” he asked her anxiously. “I mean, it was a long way down.”
“I’m sure,” Reed answered honestly. “I was really lucky. I wish you’d quit feeling bad about it.”
“Okay, if you say so. Anyway, I wanted to tell you, the fan club was a neat idea. McCoy isn’t much of a people person, but she’s always liked talking to people about her work. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that when I saw you guys there. Sorry.”
“No problem … are you going to be a writer, too?”
“Not in this lifetime. I’m going to do something fun, like digging ditches or stringing fence wire across a desert.”
Reed laughed. “Your mother seems to love it.”
“I know.” He shrugged. “To each his own. Me, I couldn’t stand the isolation. I’m a people person. She’s not.”
Reed remembered thinking Rain was shy and reclusive, like McCoy, when she’d first met him. Probably everyone thought that, at first. Now she knew he liked to have fun, just like everyone else she knew.
“I’m glad you joined the club,” she said sincerely.
He grinned. “Even though it’s hard talking about McCoy’s books with me there?”
“We’ll get used to it.”
“Good,” he said as he left her at the door to Lester. “I’d like that. Having you get used to me, I mean.”
Reed’s step was light as she hurried to her room.
The telephone was ringing as she yanked the door open.
Link, Reed flushed guiltily, remembering Rain’s comment about wanting her to get used to him. Link would probably hear something weird in her voice and call her on it.
But when she said hello, no one answered.
She said hello again, more sharply this time.
“Is this Reed Monroe?” a soft, almost inaudible voice asked.
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
“Karen Overmeyer. I’m calling from Baracca. Are you alone?”
Reed’s jaw dropped. Karen Overmeyer? “Yes. Yes, I’m alone.”
“Good.” The voice was so faint, Reed had to strain to hear it. “My sister Lindsey called me. She said you’re working for Victoria McCoy.”
“Yes, I am. I talked to your sister last night.” Reed sank down on the bed, holding the receiver so close to her ear that it hurt. It was the only way she could hear the voice on the other end. “You worked for her, too?”
There was a long silence on the other end. Just as Reed thought the girl had hung up, the breathy voice whispered, “Listen to my sister. She knows what she’s talking about.”
“But I don’t,” Reed said and added urgently, “Tell me.”
Her only answer was a final-sounding click.
And although she quickly called Information in Baracca and then dialed the number she was
And he didn’t show up at the meeting that night.
Rain did, and Jude said irritably, “I don’t see how we can discuss McCoy with her son sitting right here.”
“You’re not discussing her,” Rain said easily, “you’re talking about her work. I’m familiar with it, God knows, so I shouldn’t have any problem keeping up with the discussion.” He smiled at Reed. “Just treat me like any other guy.”
But he wasn’t just any other guy. Reed realized, to her surprise, that she agreed with Jude. It was different discussing McCoy’s work with the writer’s son in the room. And weren’t they all being a little more careful about criticizing a particular work of McCoy’s? And weren’t they all wishing Rain would fill them in on personal information about the writer? Which he wasn’t about to do.
Any more than she was about to ask him to leave.
He walked her back to her dorm. Reed felt weird, walking with someone other than Link. Instead of talking about books, as she’d expected, they talked about school, about the parties and dances and fun that Rain had missed by traveling around so much and attending private schools most of his life.
“Are you absolutely sure you don’t have any lasting effects from that fall down into the well?” he asked her anxiously. “I mean, it was a long way down.”
“I’m sure,” Reed answered honestly. “I was really lucky. I wish you’d quit feeling bad about it.”
“Okay, if you say so. Anyway, I wanted to tell you, the fan club was a neat idea. McCoy isn’t much of a people person, but she’s always liked talking to people about her work. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that when I saw you guys there. Sorry.”
“No problem … are you going to be a writer, too?”
“Not in this lifetime. I’m going to do something fun, like digging ditches or stringing fence wire across a desert.”
Reed laughed. “Your mother seems to love it.”
“I know.” He shrugged. “To each his own. Me, I couldn’t stand the isolation. I’m a people person. She’s not.”
Reed remembered thinking Rain was shy and reclusive, like McCoy, when she’d first met him. Probably everyone thought that, at first. Now she knew he liked to have fun, just like everyone else she knew.
“I’m glad you joined the club,” she said sincerely.
He grinned. “Even though it’s hard talking about McCoy’s books with me there?”
“We’ll get used to it.”
“Good,” he said as he left her at the door to Lester. “I’d like that. Having you get used to me, I mean.”
Reed’s step was light as she hurried to her room.
The telephone was ringing as she yanked the door open.
Link, Reed flushed guiltily, remembering Rain’s comment about wanting her to get used to him. Link would probably hear something weird in her voice and call her on it.
But when she said hello, no one answered.
She said hello again, more sharply this time.
“Is this Reed Monroe?” a soft, almost inaudible voice asked.
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
“Karen Overmeyer. I’m calling from Baracca. Are you alone?”
Reed’s jaw dropped. Karen Overmeyer? “Yes. Yes, I’m alone.”
“Good.” The voice was so faint, Reed had to strain to hear it. “My sister Lindsey called me. She said you’re working for Victoria McCoy.”
“Yes, I am. I talked to your sister last night.” Reed sank down on the bed, holding the receiver so close to her ear that it hurt. It was the only way she could hear the voice on the other end. “You worked for her, too?”
There was a long silence on the other end. Just as Reed thought the girl had hung up, the breathy voice whispered, “Listen to my sister. She knows what she’s talking about.”
“But I don’t,” Reed said and added urgently, “Tell me.”
Her only answer was a final-sounding click.
And although she quickly called Information in Baracca and then dialed the number she was
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