Stranger At My Door (A Murder In Texas)
she’d been like a second mother to Dinah. She held out her arms. “Come and give me a hug, nena .”
    Rafe’s hand fell away from Dinah’s waist, and she was pulled into Miss Peppie’s embrace.
    “I was sorry to hear about your daddy. I kept hoping he’d see the error of his ways and return the money.”
    “I think he did repent. But it was too late to return the money.”
    Miss Peppie patted Dinah’s arm. “He is in a better place. His suffering is over.” She stepped back and eyed Rafe. “And shame on you for not telling me you were seeing Dinah. I’m working night and day to find you a good wife, and you go behind my back. With three single daughters, why am I wasting my time on an ungrateful—”
    Rafe’s face flushed. “That’s enough.” His tone brooked no disobedience, even from his mother.
    But Miss Peppie was not a woman to back down. She wagged a chubby finger at Rafe. “Is that the way a respectful son talks to his mother?”
    Dr. Ernesto stepped in to rescue his son. He had Rafe’s warm eyes and athletic body and was the cool to his wife’s fire.
    “You’re hogging the prettiest girl at the party, Peppie.” He gave Dinah a quick, fatherly hug before turning to his wife. “Ernesta is waiting on you. She’s ready to put out the beans.”
    “The beans! I almost forgot.” Miss Peppie fluttered off.
    Dr. Ernesto looked from Dinah to Rafe, then back to Dinah. “I am glad to see you are back, nena .”
    “Thank you, Dr. Ernesto.” For the kind words and interrupting Miss Peppie.
    Dinah flexed her shoulders. A pair of eyes was burning a hole between her shoulder blades. She twisted her head, prepared to stare down a nosy villager. It was Esme, standing by the barn, the reins of an appaloosa in her hands. She wore an old T-shirt and a pair of dusty jeans. When her eyes caught Dinah’s, she turned and disappeared into the barn.
    Rafe and Dr. Ernesto and the party were forgotten. She wanted—no, needed—to see Esme. All her unspoken apologies, damned up all these years, were bursting out. “Excuse me.”
    Rafe’s hand slid around her arm, holding her back.
    “Leave Esme be,” said Dr. Ernesto. “Please.”
    Rafe’s warm palm found its familiar resting place at her waist. “You look like you could use a cold beer, Miss Dinah. Let’s go find that cooler.”
    Dinah grimaced. They were right. Esme wouldn’t want anything to do with her. Not after everything she’d said and done. She followed Rafe to the cooler, but some of the pleasure went out of her day.

    On the ride home, Rafe was in the mood to talk. “So what do you have against cops?”
    Dinah closed her eyes. “I don’t want to discuss it. Besides, this isn’t a real date.”
    “Just wondering. On behalf of all my law enforcement brothers, of course. Come on, tell me.”
    A bolt of irritation slid through her, puncturing the little bubble of satisfaction she’d gotten from facing up to all those opinionated El Royans. She snapped out her well-worn line on the topic. “My daddy was a hypocrite. Going around town, pretending to be better than other folks. But he wasn’t, was he?”
    “So when he fell off his pedestal, every cop, past and present, fell off his—or her—pedestal as well.”
    “You don’t understand. I didn’t worship him. I just expected better of a cop. But they’re like everyone else—only more full of shit.”
    She could feel his anger even before he spoke. “You know what? You’re as bad as all those folks who turned their backs on you tonight.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?
    “It means, Miss Dinah, you are just as judgmental as they are. Maybe more since you know how much it hurts.”
    She hadn’t considered how Rafe might feel. He’d stuck up for her tonight despite the town’s disapproval, and so far, he was just about the only friend she had in El Royo except for Jamey and Hollyn. “I’m sorry. You’ve been a true friend, and here I am dumping all over you for something my

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