Whispers of Moonlight by Lori Wick Read Free Book Online

Rebecca was miserable and had convinced herself that the only thing that could comfort her would be to see Travis.
    "Rebecca." Lavena had come to the edge of the room. "Did you want to help me with these cookies?"
    Rebecca moved slowly away from the window. "All right, Lavena. I'll help."
    The housekeeper rolled her eyes but didn't comment. You'd think she's gonna die, the way she carries on, she thought ungraciously, but she wasn't really angry. She led the way into the kitchen and pushed a large bowl across the table.
    "Now, just a spoonful at a time, you hear?"
    "All right, Lavena."
    The live-in cook watched Rebecca load dough onto the pan and then turned away. The week before she'd forgotten Rebecca couldn't cook and left her on her own. The cookies had been the size of horses' hooves and raw in the middle. Not even Biscuit had wanted them, and in
Lavena's opinion that man had no taste at all.
    "Where's Papa?" Rebecca suddenly asked.
    "In his study, just like he told you he'd be."
    "Oh, that's right."
    "There's no use pining, girl," she added a little more gently.
    Rebecca only sighed.
    Lavena decided then and there to go into town the next day. She didn't need much, but she would take Rebecca with her. They worked in silence, the afternoon stretching on. At one point Lavena turned and caught Rebecca's profile. The line of her chin was more prominent than it had been four weeks ago. She was dropping weight. Turning back to her cutting board Lavena called on Travis, wherever he was, to come home soon.

    Everything she told you is a lie. Andrew read the line again and again and then sat back in his desk chair. What had happened to his sister? He hadn't heard from her since the letter came saying Rebecca had left Philadelphia, and now she opened with this line. The rest wasn't very long, and he now read that again too.
    / never tried to keep her from you. I gave her everything you sent. It was Franklin, He's mad but won't admit it. Rebecca is a spoiled child. I gave
her everything a girl could dream of and she betrayed me. I tell you it's all lies, Andrew, all of it, God will get you for what you've done.
    And that was the end. It wasn't even signed. Andrew shook his head. Should he respond? Would she even open a letter from him? He knew Rebecca had yet to write to her.
    And Travis. What could be keeping him for a month? Why, they hadn't even had snow yet. Andrew shook his head. Could he have been that wrong? He'd seen the young cowboy's eyes. He was honest; Andrew was certain of it. And the way he'd looked at Reba ...
    Again Andrew shook his head. He had to be right. He simply had to be. Rebecca had been pushing her food around her plate for over a week now. That man simply had to come back. Andrew pushed himself to his feet and walked to the window. He would welcome the beauty of the snow on the mountains, except that he wanted Travis to return first.
    With a hand to the back of his aching neck, he turned to the desk. His sister's letter was as he'd left it. Oh, yes, he wanted Travis to return, not for the money—for Rebecca. But for now, it was time for Andrew to find out from Rebecca what his sister was afraid she would tell.
    Denver
    "I'm back," the sheriff commented, but Travis remained silent, his feet planted firmly apart, his expression remote. He'd been in a Denver jail cell for over a week and had little to say.
    "I talked to your friend, Grady," the sheriff told him. "He's certainly in a bad way."
    Travis remained silent.
    "He backs up your story about Andrew Wagner." The sheriff spoke as he made himself comfortable in the desk chair. "Says he gave you the money and all, but I still haven't heard from Texas."
    Travis sighed; he couldn't take any more. "How many times do I have to tell you that I have never run from the Texas law? There is no wanted poster out on me."
    "Then how do you explain this?" The sheriff lifted the handbill from the desktop, and Travis' face stared back at him.
    "There's nothing to