McKettricks 06-08 - McKettricks Bundle by Linda Lael Miller

Author:Linda Lael Miller
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2007-07-10T18:30:00+00:00

CORA WALTZED INTO THE SHOP first thing the next morning, Maeve and Rianna tagging after her, and plopped a newspaper down on the counter, right under Echo’s nose.

“You made the front page of the Indian Rock Gazette,” Cora said proudly.

Echo, who hadn’t slept since leaving Rance’s bed a little after midnight, had to concentrate to focus her eyes. There she was, on opening day, with the big cake in front of her and Avalon’s big dog head jutting up at her side.

Town Welcomes Newcomer Echo Wells, the headline read.

Echo blinked.

Was it possible that she’d opened the bookstore only the day before yesterday?

“I took my camera right down to the newspaper office and had them download the picture into their computer,” Cora rambled on. “There’s no weekend edition—most everybody gets the Republic on Sunday—but here you are on Monday, big as life!”

Echo smiled and scanned the brief article, which included her name, the store’s telephone number and address, her business hours and a rather cute remark about dogs who read books.

“Thank you, Cora,” she said.

“A little publicity never hurts,” Cora answered.

“What’s all this?” Rianna asked. She’d come around the end of the counter, and found the box full of little mailing packets Echo intended to take to the post office at lunchtime.

Echo glanced at Cora, who was peering curiously over the counter, then turned her attention back to Rianna. “Just some stuff I’m sending out,” she said. “Samples.”

“Samples?” Rianna asked, puzzled.

“Rianna McKettrick,” Cora said, “you stop that snooping.”

“We get samples sometimes,” Rianna went on, staring solemnly up at Echo. “Laundry detergent and things like that. I never heard of sample books, though.”

“Well,” Cora announced, apparently making no connection between the packets in the box and the one she’d received her mail order love spell in, “I guess we’d better get out to the ranch and see how Rance is faring with the cowboy life.”

Echo’s face felt warm, and she looked away.

How in the world was she going to face Rance, after the things they’d done together?

“Are you all right?” Cora asked, pausing on the periphery of Echo’s vision as she turned to go. “You look a little peaky. I hope you’re not coming down with something.”

“I’m fine,” Echo insisted, making herself look at Cora. Her smile felt wobbly, and a little on the brittle side. Cora liked to play the matchmaker, it was true, but Echo’s having several hours of headboard-slamming sex with her late daughter’s husband probably wasn’t what she’d had in mind.

A little hand-holding, maybe. A few backyard suppers, with the girls in attendance. Innocent things like that.

Fortunately, Cora accepted Echo’s answer at face value. She looked at the box of mailers once more before she left, though, and a small frown creased her forehead.

The sideline, while something she wasn’t in the habit of talking about it, was no deep, dark secret, but Cora hadn’t actually asked for an explanation, so Echo hadn’t offered one. She wouldn’t have, anyway, while Rianna and Maeve were there to overhear.

The bookstore did

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