Montana Sky

determined to work on those social skills. “I’m told Mr. McKinnon’s under the weather.”
    “Flu. Put him down hard the last couple days, but he’s feeling some better. You’ve had your own problems over to Mercy.”
    “Yes.” She drew back instinctively. “You’d better get back in your rig. It’s too cold to be standing out there.”
    “Wind’s got a bite, all right. Like a healthy woman.” He winked, stepped back. “I’ll follow you in. You be sure to tell old Jim I’m up for a game anytime.”
    “I’ll do that. Thanks for stopping.”
    “My pleasure.” Chuckling to himself, he tipped his hat. “Ma’am.”
    He chuckled out loud when he climbed back into his rig. So that was Lily’s half-breed half sister. He’d bet she would give a man a hard ride. He might have to find out. He hummed all the way into Three Rocks, and when Willa took the turn toward the main house, tooted his horn cheerfully and waved her on.
    Shelly opened the door, with the baby on her shoulder. “Will, what a surprise. Pie!” Her eyes went huge and just a little greedy. “Come in, grab a fork.”
    “It’s for your father-in-law.” Willa held it out of reach. “How’s he feeling?”
    “Better. Driving Sarah crazy. That’s why I’m here instead of home. Trying to give her a hand. Take off your coat, come on back to the kitchen.” She patted the gurgling baby on the back. “Truth is, Will, I’m spooked staying home alone. I know it’s stupid, but I keep thinking someone’s watching me. Watching the house, looking through the windows. I’ve had Zack up three times this week to check locks. We never locked up before.”
    “I know. It’s the same at Mercy.”
    “You haven’t heard any more from the police.”
    “No, nothing helpful.”
    “We won’t talk about it now.” Shelly lowered her voice as they approached the kitchen. “No use getting Sarah upset. Look who I found,” she announced as she swung through the door.
    “Willa.” Sarah put down the potatoes she was peeling for stew, wiped her hands. “How wonderful to see you. Sit down. There’s coffee on.”
    “Pie.” Though she was never quite sure how to respond to the spontaneous affection, Willa smiled when Sarah kissed her cheek. “For the invalid. Bess’s sweet potato.”
    “Maybe that’ll keep him busy and out of my hair. You tell Bess how much I appreciate it. You sit down now, have some cake with that coffee and talk to us. Shelly and I have about talked each other out. I swear winter gets longer and meaner every year.”
    “Beau Radley’s selling out and moving to Arizona.”
    “No.” Sarah pounced on the nibble of gossip like a starving mouse on cheese. “I hadn’t heard that.”
    “Sold to developers. They’re going to put in a resort. Dude ranch. Buffalo.”
    “Oh, my.” Sarah whistled through her teeth as she poured coffee into her company cups. “Won’t Stu have six fits when he hears.”
    “Hears what?” Silver hair flowing, bathrobe comfortably ratty, Stu strolled in. “We got company and nobody calls me?” He winked at Willa, gave her a quick pat on the head.“And pie? We got pie and you leave me up there moldering in bed?”
    “You won’t stay in it long enough to molder. Well, sit then. We’ll have pie instead of cake with coffee.”
    He pulled up a chair, eyed his daughter-in-law. “Going to let me hold my baby yet?”
    “Nope.” Shelly swiveled Abby around. “Not until you’re germ-free. Look but don’t touch.”
    “I’m being run into the ground by women,” he told Willa. “Sneeze a couple of times and you find yourself strapped in bed having pills forced down your throat.”
    “He was running a fever. One-oh-one.” Clucking, Sarah slid pie under his nose. “Eat that and stop complaining. Babies are less trouble when they’re ailing than any grown man I know. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been up and down those stairs in the past three days.”
    Even as she said it, she was cupping his chin, studying his face. “Color’s better,” she murmured, letting her hand linger. “You can have your pie and a visit, but then you go back and take a nap.”
    “See?” Stu gestured with his fork. “She can’t wait until I’m feeling off to start bossing me around.” He brightened considerably when the door opened and Zack came in. “Now we’ll even the odds a bit. Come on in, boy, but don’t think you’re getting any of my pie.”
    “What kind? Hey, Will.” Zack