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his father arrested for apparently greatly abusing her.
You know, there are scary people in the world, Jillian told Sassy in a subdued tone. I ll bet if
Uncle John had ever really talked to Davy, he d never have let him in the front door in the first place.
He s mentally disturbed, and it isn t apparent until he starts talking about himself.
I noticed that, Sassy replied. She drew in a long breath. I m glad we have Rourke.
Jillian frowned. Where is he?
Watching us. If Harris had made a threatening move, he d already be in jail, probably after a
trip to the emergency room. I ve never seen Rourke mad, but John says it s something you don t want
to experience.
I got that impression. She laughed. He cooked steaks for Ted and me.
I heard about that, the other woman said in an amused tone. Ted was jealous, was he?
Very. But after he realized that Rourke was just being friendly and protective, his attitude
changed. Apparently he knows a police chief in Texas that Ted met at a workshop back east.
Rourke does get around. She glanced at Jillian. He acts like a perpetual clown, but if you see
him when he thinks he s alone, it s all an act. He s a very somber, sad person. I think he s had some
rough knocks.
He doesn t talk about them much. Just about his ranch.
He doesn t talk about K.C. Kantor, either, Sassy replied. But there s some sound gossip about
the fact that Rourke s mother was once very close to the man.
From what everybody says about that Kantor man, he isn t the sort to have kids.
That s what I thought. But a man can get into a situation where he doesn t think with his mind,
Sassy chuckled. And when people get careless, they have kids.
I d be proud of Rourke, if I was his father.
You re the wrong age and gender, Sassy said, tongue in cheek.
Oh, you know what I mean. He s a good person.
He is, Sassy said as she pulled up in front of the ranch house. I m glad John hired him. At
least we don t have to worry about being assassinated on the way to town!
Amen, Jillian sighed.
John Callister was an easygoing, friendly man. He didn t seem at all like a millionaire, or at
least, Jillian s vision of one. He treated her as he would a little sister, and was happy to have her
around.
Jillian also liked Sassy s mother, who was in poor health, and her adopted sister, Selene, who
was a whiz at math and science in grammar school. John took care of them, just as he took care of
Sassy.
But the easygoing personality went into eclipse when he heard that Davy Harris had followed
them into the dress shop in Billings.
The man is dangerous, he said as they ate an early supper with Rourke.
He is, Rourke agreed. He shouldn t be walking around loose in the first place. What the hell
is wrong with the criminal justice system in this country?
John gave him a droll look. It s better than the old vigilante system of the distant past, he
pointed out. And it usually works.
Not with Harris, Rourke replied, his jaw set as he munched on a chef s salad. He can put on a
good act for a while, but he can t keep it up. He starts talking, and you see the lunacy underneath the
appearance of sanity.
Disturbed people often don t know they re disturbed, Sassy said.
That s usually the case, I m sad to say, Rourke added. People like Harris always think they re
being persecuted.
I knew a guy once who was sure the government sent invisible spies to watch him, John
mused. He could see them, but nobody else could. He worked for us one summer on the ranch back
home. Gil and I put up with him because he was the best horse wrangler we d ever had. But that was a
mistake.
How so? Rourke asked.
Well, he had this dog. It was vicious and he refused to get rid of it. One day it came right up on
the porch and threatened Gil s little girls. Gil punched him and fired him. Then he started cutting
fences and killing cattle. At the last, he tried to kill us. He ended up in prison, too.
Good heavens! Jillian said. No wonder you hired a bodyguard for Sassy.
Exactly, John replied tersely. He didn t mention that Sassy had been the victim of a predator
herself, in the feed store where she was working when they met. That man was serving time now.
His eyes lingered on Sassy with warm affection. No body s hurting my best girl. Or her best
friend, he declared with a grin at Jillian.
Not while I m on the job, Rourke added, chuckling. You could marry me, you know, he told
Jillian. I really do have most of my own teeth left, and I can cook. Your fiancé can t boil water, I
hear.
That s true, Jillian said, smiling. But I ve known him most of my life, and we think the same
way about most things. We ll have a good marriage. She was sure of that. Ted would be gentle, and
patient, and he d rid her of the distaste Davy had left in her about physical relationships. She d never
been more certain of anything.
Well, it s a great shame, Rourke said with a theatrical sigh. I ll have to go back home to my
ugly cattle and live in squalor because nobody wants to take care of me.
You ll find some lovely girl who will be happy living on a small farm in Africa, Jillian
assured him.
John almost choked on his coffee.
Rourke gave him a cold glare.
What is wrong with you? Sassy asked her husband.
He wiped his mouth, still stifling laughter. Private joke, he said, sharing a look with Rourke,
who sighed and shrugged.
But it had better be somebody who can dress bullet wounds, John added with a twinkle in his
eyes as he glanced at the other man.
I only get shot occasionally, Rourke assured him. And I usually duck in time.
That s true, John agreed, forking another piece of steak into his mouth. He only has one head
wound, and it doesn t seem to have affected his thinking processes. He didn t mention the lost eye,
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