Passion's Law Read Free Page B

“Seems to me you’re going to a lot of trouble for a man who doesn’t think anything’s wrong.”
    Joe clapped a hand on his foster brother’s shoulder. “After what’s happened lately, I’ve decided to wise up and take precautions. Besides, my favorite niece plans on living and working here now. I’d like to think that all these security measures will give you and Andie some peace of mind.”
    Peter nodded, thinking of the way his wife, Andie, had reacted when she’d heard what Heather plannedto do. She liked having her daughter close. “You’re right, of course. I’m grateful that you’re finally ready to put your safety in the hands of an expert.”
    At the appearance of the housekeeper, Inez, announcing that lunch was ready, the two men made their way to the beautiful dining room, overlooking the courtyard. They met Heather just coming from the other direction.
    â€œWill Aunt Meredith be joining us?” she called cheerfully.
    Joe shook his head. “Meredith never eats lunch here. In fact, she’s rarely at home. That’s just one more reason why I’m so glad you’re here, sweetheart. You’ll be great company. Besides, your father assures me that you’re an expert at whipping an office into shape.”
    As the three were seated they could see, through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Thaddeus Law walking to his car.
    â€œSpeaking of experts.” Peter nodded toward the figure of the officer. “I wouldn’t want to mess with Detective Law. He looks like he could take on an entire gang of gunmen without flinching.”
    â€œYeah.” Joe laughed. “And spit out their bullets if they were foolish enough to fire at him.”
    The two men shared a laugh while Heather merely watched in silence as the man they were discussingtossed his jacket on the passenger seat before stepping inside and driving away in a cloud of dust.
    Somehow she had the impression that her father and uncle weren’t too far from the truth.

Two
    H eather showered and dressed quickly, in a simple turtleneck and jeans, eager to begin her first day at the ranch. She ran a brush through her hair and tied it back with a clip, then let herself out of her room and danced barefoot down the stairs.
    She knew that the tender farewell scene with her father yesterday had been much harder on him than on her. He’d felt that he was losing his baby, and had actually said as much. For her part, she felt only a sense of freedom. For the next few weeks or months she would have no commitments. Her only responsibility was to her uncle and his business affairs. That was a level of comfort that suited her far more than the corporate setting she’d had to adapt to for the past couple of years.
    She smiled to herself. She was sick of business suits and cramming her feet into high-heeled pumps. Bored with long-winded presentations and working lunches. Weary of dressing up at night for black-tie charity events, and making small talk with high-powered executives who always seemed to have one eye on the media.
    In the kitchen she was thrilled to discover that she was the first one up. She plugged in the coffeemaker before rummaging through the cupboards. When she located some cereal she poured a bowl, topped it with milk, and grabbed up a spoon before heading out the door. On the porch she settled herself on the top step and leaned her back against the railing, enjoying the spectacular sunrise while she ate.
    The sky was ablaze with ribbons of pink and mauve and deep purple. The air was warm and dry, with just a hint of the perfume of jewel-colored dianthus and ivy in nearby terracotta planters.
    Heather saw a blur of movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to look, her spoon halfway to her mouth. She nearly bobbled the spoon when she realized it was Thad Law. But this wasn’t the man in the rumpled suit that she’d met the previous day. This