Always on My Mind by Deirdre O'Dare

Author:Deirdre O'Dare [O'Dare, Deirdre]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2017-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 3

The next day, Peter insisted Garth had to go riding with him. Garth was not really comfortable on horseback, but saying no to Peter was only a little easier than turning the tide, so he agreed. They rode up into the hills above the ranch, where Garth had to admit the views were fantastic, and turned back before the midmorning sun got too strong and hot. He was only a little stiff when he dismounted back at the corrals.

As they unsaddled and rubbed down the horses, Peter looked across at Garth. “Sharon will be out for lunch. I told you I’d try to get her here to talk to you. I think she’s willing to help us out, but it’s up to you to tell her exactly what you need and how shaky a limb she’s got to go out on to do it. I don’t want to see her hurt, but then she’s a grown woman and able to make her own decisions.”

Garth hesitated, unsure how to frame the question he felt compelled to ask. “Do you have a real relationship with her or was it just a casual thing?”

Peter shrugged. “Not quite either one. She’s a friend, for the most part. She needs someone to talk to at times, someone who treats her like a person and not just a prop to be used for photo ops and then forgotten until the next occasion. Shilling treats her like shit, and she doesn’t deserve that. This last time I told her she ought to divorce him.”

Something in Peter’s expression told Garth more than his words, but he went on. “It’d serve the sanctimonious bastard right. He cheats on her all the time, but somehow that never makes the news or even the National Tattler. Sharon’s a good woman, probably too good for the likes of me, but…well, that’s another story. For now, let’s just say she’s a friend. And for your information, I spent the night with her, but we didn’t sleep together. We never have.”

That stopped Garth in his tracks. He’d had some trouble trying to reconcile the image of Peter with the chilly and distant-looking woman who appeared in the background of many of Senator Shilling’s photos. She never looked happy, a silent, stiff figure standing in the shadow of a flamboyant man. Now he understood a little bit more. Somehow Peter had met and befriended her. The details were probably not important.

Peter had a kind heart. Garth knew that from his own experience. Peter took in stray, abused animals, tried to help down-and-out members of his tribe, and honestly hated to hurt anything or anyone. He might be heedless at times and hedonistic, but he was not cruel.

They were walking back to the house from the barn when the sleek, silver-gray Lexus pulled up, edging into the car port beside Peter’s SUV. Garth stood back and let Peter go greet the driver as she stepped out. This was not the Sharon Shilling from the news photos.

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