Showdown! by Laurie Paige

Author:Laurie Paige
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2003-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

After feeding the animals Sunday morning, Honey hurried to the house to wash and change her clothes. Uncle Nick had promised them pancakes for a late breakfast. When she entered the kitchen twenty minutes later, she was surprised to see a stranger there.

“Hi,” he said. “You must be Honey. Uncle Nick was just telling me about you.”

The man was obviously a Dalton. His eyes were blue and his hair was brown, but not as dark as Zack’s and the twins. Around six feet tall, he had the same lanky frame.

“I’m Beau Dalton,” the man continued. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please. You must be one of the cousins.” She took the steaming mug he poured for her.

“Beau’s the doctor in the family,” Uncle Nick said. He removed a towering stack of pancakes from the oven and a platter of sausages. “Put these on the table.”

Honey carried the plates to the dining room.

Beau brought in two pitchers of warm syrup. “I’ve recently moved my office from Boise to Lost Valley.”

“Do you have an office, or is it one of those mobile medical units I saw on television recently?”

“It’s a regular place, located next to the post office. A nurse-practitioner works with me. She’s also a midwife. Her sister-in-law is the office manager and keeps us both in line.” He studied Honey for a moment. “Uncle Nick says there’s a possibility you could be Tink.”

She set the table with six plates. “Zack thought I could be. I have a scar on my leg. Apparently your cousin did, too. My mother died when I was three. There was also an irregularity with my birth certificate that your cousin thought was a strong point. But I really don’t think three coincidences are much to go on.”

“Still, they open the door to questions,” he murmured.

“Yes. There are questions.”

The front door opened. Zack and the twins entered. They called out jovial greetings to their cousin.

During the meal, she learned that Beau’s sister, the female cousin, lived in Boise. She worked on software learning programs for elementary schools, but wanted to start her own business. The city had a booming technology industry and the economy was growing, according to Beau.

“I’m thinking of buying a house here,” Beau confided, “before land prices go up.”

“Are you expecting a land boom up here?” Zack asked, openly amused.

Beau grinned, but his answer was serious. “It could happen. Lots of folks are looking for second homes. With the lake and mountains, plus the peace and quiet, this would be a nice place to bring the family.”

“You thinking of marrying?” Uncle Nick asked, his eyes brightening with approval.

“Who would want someone who works all the time, even if he does become embarrassingly rich?” Trevor wanted to know.

Beau ignored his cousin. “Sorry, Uncle, no bride in the offing. I’m just following Seth’s advice about investments and all.”

“Seth is the lawyer cousin,” Zack explained to her. “He does everyone’s taxes and manages the ranch books. He also scolds us about our finances.”

“Or lack thereof,” Trevor added a trifle gloomily.

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