Free Buchanan's Pride by Pamela Toth Page B

perhaps because of it, Amy had stepped up her insistence that what Leah needed most in her life was a man. She knew all about Gil, Leah’s ex-husband, but Amy didn’t consider one failure a reason to remain alone. There weren’t that many single men in town, but both Amy and Carter, her husband, were constantly offering to fix Leah up with anyone who had the misfortune of crossing their matchmaking paths.
    â€œYeah, I guess he’s attractive,” Leah replied slowly. If Amy ever found out that John had kissed her, she’d have no peace.
    â€œYou guess?” Amy echoed, leaning closer. “Haven’t you noticed? Where did you find him?”
    â€œOn the side of the road.” Leah took a big bite of her sandwich and chewed slowly while Amy’s eyes widened.
    â€œA hitchhiker?” she exclaimed. “You actually picked up a hitchhiker? Don’t you know how dangerous that can be?” Amy was from Detroit. In a lot of ways, she was still adjusting to rural Colorado.
    While Amy waited, impatience dancing in her brown eyes, Leah swallowed the bite of sandwich and washed it down with a sip of cola. Amy gazed at the soda can longingly. She’d given up caffeine for the length of her pregnancy.
    â€œWell, are you going to tell me?” she demanded finally. “I have to go to work in a couple of minutes, you know.”
    â€œHe was lying in the grass at the foot of my road,” Leah said, pausing for effect. “He was unconscious.”
    Amy popped up out of her chair. “Ohmygod! Are you serious?” she squealed. “What happened to him?”
    â€œI’m not sure. He says he was hitchhiking and he had a disagreement with the man who picked him up. He said he must have fallen and hit his head.” Even to her own ears, put that way, John’s story sounded as lame as a three-legged dog.
    â€œWhat did Sheriff Brody think of him?” Amy asked.
    Leah ducked her head and rooted around in her lunch sack for the carrot sticks she’d brought. “The sheriff hasn’t exactly met John.”
    â€œJohn?”
    â€œJohn Brown.”
    â€œDid he have references?” Amy demanded, hand on her hip. “Did you check them out?”
    Leah bit into a carrot and shook her head, wishing she’d never mentioned John at all. “He’s only staying for a few days.”
    â€œHow many days does it take to murder you and dispose of your body?” Amy cocked her head, pursing her lips.
    â€œI was desperate,” Leah said defensively. “Wranglers who will work for room and board aren’t exactly thick on the ground. Ever since Eli left, I’ve had more work than I can do alone.” Amy thought she was crazy to try to run the ranch by herself. She just didn’t understand how important it was to Leah.
    Now her friend looked distinctly skeptical. “Maybe Carter and I should come out and look him over,” she offered dubiously. “Carter could have a little talk with him.”
    Leah had to suppress a smile. Carter was tall and skinny, with glasses and thinning hair. The idea of him putting the fear of God into anyone was ludicrous to everybody but Amy, who idolized him. “Thanks,” Leah said, touched by the suggestion. She wouldn’t hurt her friend’s feelings for the world. “But I did ask the sheriff if any ax murderers were on the loose in the area and he reassured me there weren’t.”
    There was a frown on Amy’s round face. “But what do you really know about this guy?”
    Before Leah could answer, Miss MacPherson poked her head into the lounge. “Amy, would you clean the rest rooms first thing?” she asked in a not-too-subtle reminder that it was time to start work. “After the school visit this morning, I’m sure they need attention.”
    With her back to the librarian, Amy rolled her eyes at Leah, who had to struggle not to react. “Will do,”