Christmas at Colts Creek by Delores Fossen

Author:Delores Fossen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-13T12:32:39+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BRODY FIGURED THE timing for this was lousy, but he’d put it off long enough. Not intentionally put it off. He’d just been busy with the ranch. And with other things. But he needed to talk to his mother before she heard gossip about it from someone else.

He rang his mother’s doorbell and didn’t have to wait long before she opened the door. She was hopping around on one foot while she was putting a shoe on the other. Dressy shoes, a reminder that she was no doubt getting ready for Millie’s party.

“Is something wrong?” Darcia immediately asked. “Is Rowan okay?”

It occurred to him then that he almost certainly had a serious look on his face, and since Darcia usually jumped to a worst-case scenario when it came to her kids, Brody tried to relax. Hard to do, though, considering why he’d come.

“Rowan’s fine,” he assured her. “And nothing’s wrong.”

Brody stepped in and noticed that she’d already done her makeup and hair, signals that Janessa, Margo, Teagan and Sophia had likely done the same. He’d need to be meeting them at the ranch house so they could all drive over in one of the ranch’s big SUVs.

“Are you here to tell me you’ll be taking Janessa to the party?” Darcia asked.

He shook his head. “But I am taking her and three others.” Brody paused. “Sophia will be one of them.”

“I see.” Darcia went a little stiff. “She called me and said she hadn’t sent me the picture of Layla.”

He waited to see if that was all Sophia had volunteered. Apparently, it was because his mother didn’t add more.

“I believe her,” Brody said. And that was about as good of a lead-in as he was going to get. “In fact, someone sent Sophia a picture, too.”

Since there was a generous amount of surprise in her eyes, it confirmed that Sophia hadn’t mentioned it. Brody took a copy of the photo from the envelope he was holding. A copy that Janessa had given him, and he handed it to his mother.

“Someone sent this to Sophia twice,” he explained. “The first came right before she left Abe, and then a second one arrived a couple of days ago.”

He couldn’t help but notice her fingers tremble a little when she took the picture, and Brody kept his attention pinned to her face. Looking for any signal that she recognized herself in the shot.

“Any idea who that is?” he asked when she didn’t say anything.

“No.” Lifting her gaze to meet his, she gave the photo back to him. “I have no idea.”

“You’re sure? Because Margo thought that bracelet looked like one you used to wear.”

“Well, it’s not my bracelet, and it’s not me.” Now there was a little anger mixed with a smidge of outrage. “I don’t appreciate Margo saying it was, either.”

“Duly noted,” he said and continued to watch her. “Whoever sent this to Sophia might have been the one who sent you the photo of Layla. Janessa thinks it could be someone stirring up trouble.

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