Hero in Disguise by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Author:Vicki Lewis Thompson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

WHEN SHE GOT to her office at the lodge the next morning, Sheila decided to put in a call to her aunt Gracie, her father’s stepsister. The child of a late second marriage for Emil’s father, Gracie was thirty-three years younger than her stepbrother and more of a sister than an aunt to Sheila. She lived in a rural area some distance outside of Tyler and kept extremely busy raising toy poodles. Although she had limited time to visit and didn’t want to appear to hover, she was worried about Emil and had asked Sheila to keep her informed about his mental health. At last Sheila had something good to report.

She could tell her aunt had answered from the kennel extension by the constant barking in the background. “Hey, sweetheart!” Gracie said, effervescent as always. “I’ve been thinking about you. That was great coverage on television for the reenactment group you had at the lodge.”

“Unfortunately we lost money when it snowed and we had to put them up at the lodge gratis,” Sheila said. “But Mr. Wocheck didn’t seem to mind about that. He kept emphasizing all the free publicity.”

“Edward Wocheck’s a smart man. Always has been,” Gracie said. “For one thing, he hired you.”

“And you’re prejudiced.” Sheila fought a lump in her throat. Now that her mother was gone, Gracie was the only close female relative she had, and she cherished her aunt’s loyal devotion more than ever.

“I am not prejudiced,” Gracie said. “I’m a professional breeder, and I know quality when I see it.”

Sheila laughed. “Next you’ll be praising my conformation.”

“Which is pretty good, now that you mention it. What other groups have you lined up besides the reenactors?”

“Next we have a convention of twins,” Sheila said, ticking them off on her fingers, “and then fly fishermen, and—let’s see—oh, jingle writers.”

“Where on earth did you get all those ideas?”

“There’s a great directory of organizations I found. So I’m sending brochures to the most interesting ones.”

“How about dog breeders?” Gracie asked. “We’re a pretty crazy bunch.”

“You’d, ah, bring dogs?” Sheila had visions of issuing pooper-scoopers to the entire staff.

“Of course we’d bring dogs! We’re never without dogs. But you’re a clever girl. You could work out the logistics.”

“Well, maybe.” Sheila decided it was time to change the subject. “Listen, I called with some good news about Pa.”

“Really?”

Now that she was at the point of explaining, Sheila realized she wasn’t quite sure how to describe her relationship with Douglas. “You know how he and Ma used to play chess,” she began.

“Lord, yes! Used to drive me crazy, the two of them sitting there for hours. When I visited them as a kid I’d run through the kitchen pretending to be a fire engine. They wouldn’t even look up.”

“I used to roar like a jet taking off,” Sheila said, chuckling. “Same response. Anyway, I’ve found Pa a chess partner who’s a real match for him.”

“Sheilie, that’s inspired! Who is he, some old geezer from Worthington House?”

Sheila thought of Douglas in his tight buckskin outfit and smiled.

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