Free Wyoming Bold (Mills & Boon M&B) by Diana Palmer Page A

there.”
    “No need, Darby. I’ll go with the truck and wait while they get the tires on it. I’ll phone the Bakers and explain.”
    “Well, okay. That might be best. While you’re there, get them to check the battery. Replace it if you need to. Truck’s been hard to start lately.”
    “I noticed. I’ll do that.”
    Ben sighed and called for the truck to be towed. As an afterthought, he tried to phone Merissa and explain the delay, but her phone didn’t seem to be working. No matter, he’d phone from the mechanic’s shop later. Surely it wouldn’t take that long for the mechanic to do the job.
    * * *
    “T HERE ,” THE   ELECTRICIAN said with a smile. “All done.”
    Merissa grinned. The man had been thorough. He’d checked all the phones and the wiring, and replaced the outlet where the squirrel had bitten the extension cord through and caused the short. He’d even checked out Merissa’s computer, just to be safe. Since it was so important to her job, he added, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure it was in good working order. She’d agreed.
    “That’s so kind of you,’ she told him. “Thanks a million. I’d be happy to pay you...”
    He waved payment away. “It’s just my job. I’m glad to help.”
    She walked him out to the porch. He was driving a black sedan, nothing fancy. She wondered why he hadn’t come in a ranch truck, but perhaps he had somewhere personal to go and didn’t want to use the ranch’s gas for it. She wondered why the man gave her an uneasy feeling. Probably, she reasoned, she was getting paranoid. He was personable and seemed very kind. Still...
    “Well, thanks again,” she said.
    He turned and smiled. He was tall and slender, with brown hair and dark eyes, very dignified. He didn’t look like a ranch hand at all. “My pleasure,” he said. He climbed into the car and drove away.
    “What a very nice man,” Merissa said to her mother.
    “Yes. The Kirks have been good to us.” She hugged her daughter. “I’m so glad that we still have each other. If Bill hadn’t gone away when he did...”
    “Don’t think about it,” Merissa said, hugging her close.
    Clara sighed. “I can’t help it. You know, San Francisco isn’t that far away, and Bill works for a shipping company on the docks, Meriwether’s. If he knew we were still here, if he ever tried to return...!”
    “He won’t come back,” Merissa said softly. “You told his cousin that we were living in Billings, didn’t you?”
    “Yes.” She relaxed. “Yes, I did. And I know he doesn’t have caller ID, so he wouldn’t notice the area code or the number. I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve lived in fear all these years that he’d want revenge, that he’d try to do something awful to us.”
    “He won’t come back,” Merissa assured her. “He won’t.”
    Clara drew back and smiled. “You’re right, of course.”
    “Of course! So let’s go have supper.”
    “That is an excellent idea,” Clara agreed, leading the way into the kitchen.
    * * *
    L ATER , T ANK   PHONED   THEM . “I’m sorry Ben didn’t make it over there,” he said. “He had to go with the truck and wait while they replaced the tires. The mechanic was swamped, so it took a long time. He said he tried to call you and couldn’t get through.”
    “Odd,” she remarked. “The phone didn’t ring.”
    That was puzzling, but the snowstorm did make the power and phone service a little sporadic lately. “Well, anyway, he’ll get there first thing in the morning.”
    “Ben?” Merissa asked, stunned. “Who’s Ben?”
    “Our electrician,” he replied. “The one who was coming over to replace your wall outlet.”
    “But...the electrician came,” she faltered. “He checked out everything, even my computer, and redid the wiring...”
    “I’ll be right over,” Tank said curtly, and hung up.
    Merissa looked at the phone with a puzzled expression. She wondered why Tank sounded so upset. Then she remembered what he’d said.