Seduction, Westmoreland Style - Brenda Jackson [58]
Durango took a swallow of his beer before he went on. “If you’re so convinced she’s going to leave anyway, what do you have to lose?”
Casey glanced across the table at Henrietta as the older woman peeled a bunch of apples for the pie she intended on to bake later. There was something Casey wanted to know and was hoping Henrietta would have an answer for her. “Henrietta, who is Lynette?”
The woman stopped what she was doing and glanced over at Casey, her eyes sharp. “Who mentioned Lynette to you? I know it wasn’t McKinnon.”
Casey nodded. “No, it wasn’t McKinnon. Norris let her name slip one day saying that I was nothing like her and he was glad.”
Henrietta smiled. “No, you aren’t anything like her. And it’s not that Lynette was a totally bad person, it’s just that she didn’t stick by McKinnon when she should have, especially when she claimed she loved him. The woman hurt the boy something awful.”
Casey couldn’t help but wonder just what had Lynette done. It didn’t sound like she’d been unfaithful to McKinnon. And how should she have stuck by him? Was this Lynette the reason he refused to open his heart to another woman? “Does she still live around these parts?” she asked.
Henrietta shook her head. “No, thank goodness. From what McKinnon told me, Lynette is married now with a child and living somewhere in Great Falls. The last thing McKinnon needs is to see Lynette and her baby.”
Casey tilted her head back. Now her mind was flooded with even more questions. Why would seeing Lynette with a baby bother McKinnon? Had he and Lynette lost a baby together or something? She couldn’t help but ponder Henrietta’s statement. “But why would that bother him?”
Henrietta glanced over at Casey as if she was about to say something, then changed her mind and shrugged wide shoulders. “It’s not my place to say, Casey. Maybe one day McKinnon will tell you all about her. About everything.”
Casey doubted it. In fact, since waking that morning she’d noticed a change in McKinnon. Usually they ate breakfast together but this morning he had already eaten and left before she’d awaken. He’d been acting strange ever since mentioning Joanne Mills’ call. Was he upset that she had resumed looking for a place to live? Did he think she was supposed to just continue to live here with him forever? She really didn’t know what to think but she hoped it was her imagination and that McKinnon wasn’t trying to put distance between them again.
“Thanks for at least letting me know who she is,” Casey finally said to Henrietta.
“No problem,” Henrietta said quietly. “Like I said, that woman hurt him but now you’ve made him happy.”
Casey smiled. “You think so?”
Henrietta chuckled. “I know so. He smiles now more and his disposition and moods aren’t like they used to be, and you’re the reason for it. And I know you love him, too. And I mean really love him.” The older woman was silent for a few moments and then she said. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“No matter what happens, follow your heart and you can’t go wrong. When it comes to love, there’s no way you can turn your back on it and walk away. There’s no way.”
Casey was waiting for McKinnon later that night when he got in. He hadn’t come home for dinner, which only deepened her belief that he was trying to avoid her. She was standing by the fireplace and he looked over at her the moment he opened the door.
“McKinnon,” she acknowledged when he didn’t say anything. “I looked for you at dinner.”
He shrugged, closing the door behind him. “Something came up and I had to stay on the range longer than expected. I’m surprised you’re still up.”
For some reason she got the impression he’d been hoping that she hadn’t been up, and that only strengthened her resolved and made her even more determined to find out just what was going