Paradise Valley Read Free

while and I’m taking care of the dogs and horses.” Walt said this with a touch of pride. The studio contract had provided for help with her dogs on location and someone to stay at the farmhouse and take care of the horses, but Walt didn’t want these valuable extensions of Muriel in the hands of strangers and had asked her to trust him to do the job. “She’s gone back to Hollywood to make a movie. I imagine she’ll have long weekends here and there, but it’ll probably be close to six months before they’re done.”
    “No kidding?” Jack said. “I had no idea.”
    “It was pretty sudden.”
    “Must’ve been sudden.”
    “Oh-ho,” Walt said, sipping his beer. “One minute she was considering a script she described as having possibilities for her if the right people were involved. The next minute I was driving her to the airport.”
    “Whoa.”
    “My exact reaction,” Walt said. “I’ve spoken with her a couple of times. She’s hard at work. And the animals are fine.”
    Jack smiled. “Gives you some time on your hands, then.”
    Walt just nodded. It was hard after all these years to regress. He’d forced himself to get used to living a single man’s life after his wife died. In fact, he had never expected to find another woman to fill that space. But once Muriel had, it astonished him how quickly he got used to female companionship. And not just any companion, but a woman who seemed perfect for him. While she was here, riding, shooting, hunting, refurbishing her house, he realized they were made for each other. But the minute the call came from Hollywood he began to think he’d been ridiculous to imagine they had anything in common. It was so easy for her to pack up her cosmetics and dainties, board a fancy Lear and take off for another kind of life.
    “I saw Shelby and Luke the other night. They came by for a beer and a take-out dinner. Looks like things are back on track there,” Jack said.
    “I guess so,” Walt said. “Do they look content?”
    Jack leaned toward him. “In every sense of the word,” he said. Then he laughed. “Took Luke lots longer to bite the dust than I gave him credit for.”
    “I just want Shelby to be in good hands,” Walt said.
    “Oh, General, there’s no question about that. Luke gave up the fight.” And he grinned. “He’s all hers.”
    “Better be,” Walt growled. “I wouldn’t mind shooting him.”
    Jack laughed at him. Walt put the fear of God in a lot of men, but there was no evidence he’d actually done any physical harm. However, he had enough hot air in him to float a balloon.
    Only a moment later, Mike V came in the back door and sat up next to Walt. Then came Paul, whose approach was always signaled by the banging of his muddy boots on the porch before coming inside. Walt remembered why this place soothed him; a few men enjoying a beer at the end of the day, Jack with his coffee cup—male camaraderie. And then Mel came in, the baby tucked under her coat.
    After she said hello to everyone, she asked Mike, “Brie coming out to dinner?”
    “Not tonight. She’s going to get the baby settled early, if possible. Little Ness likes to burn the midnight oil.”
    Mel looked at Paul. “Vanni?”
    He shook his head. “Vanni’s cooking tonight.”
    “And Abby?” Mel asked, speaking of their houseguest.
    Paul shook his head. “Cameron’s taking her over to Grace Valley for an ultrasound, and he offered to take her to Fortuna for something to eat afterward, just to get her out of the house.”
    “Ah,” Mel said. “I knew he had an errand and I’m on call till he gets back. That’s nice of him to do for Abby.”
    Paul nodded. Then with a semitortured look he tried to conceal, he turned to Walt. “Vanni mentioned Muriel’s out of town, sir. Would you like some dinner?”
    Walt looked him up and down shrewdly. Paul had his wife all to himself for a change and was going to begrudgingly invite her father to join them? “I don’t think so,