Jamie liked the way Amanda smiled, liked the way she leaned forward as she listened, as though the words coming out of Jamie’s mouth were very important to her. And she liked the warmth of Amanda’s touch. She found herself wanting the woman to approve of her, to like her.

“I understand that you’re pregnant, too,” Jamie said.

Amanda’s smile faded. “Freda never should have told you that.”

“You mean, it’s not true?”

“I’m…” Amanda began then paused. “I am much too old for childbearing and having some problems, so I prefer that no one know anything about my condition just now. You know, just in case…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes were downcast.

“I hope everything works out all right,” Jamie said.

“Montgomery tells me that you were worried that I wouldn’t want the baby you’re carrying if I had one of my own. You must put such a silly notion out of your head, Jamie. My husband and I are thrilled about both pregnancies-the one we planned so carefully and the one that caught us totally by surprise. Now, tell me, my dear, other than maternity clothes, is there anything you need?”

“I’d like to borrow binoculars for my bird watching if there’s a pair available.”

“I’ll see that you get a pair,” Amanda said. “Are your accommodations satisfactory?”

“Yes, I am quite comfortable.”

“Now, you would tell me if there was anything bothering you, wouldn’t you?”

Jamie nodded again, this time feeling a bit dishonest. Lots of things were bothering her. She was none too fond of Miss Montgomery, and she was lonely as all get out. A part of her wished she had never signed on for this gig, but she would see it through to the end because that was the sort of person she was and because she was tired of being poor. But she deliberately did not think about the life growing inside of her because she was afraid that if she thought about it and got the least bit sentimental, she might find herself wondering if she wanted the baby to be raised by a televangelist and a man who seemed to have no job or purpose in life other than to keep himself beautiful and to adore and serve his wife. Of course, there was a community of several hundred people on this ranch who also lived to adore and serve Amanda, which had seemed odd to Jamie, but here in the woman’s presence, she understood why people felt that way. At this moment, she would have liked to linger a while longer, basking in Amanda Hartmann’s glow.

Probably weird old Mary Millicent was confined in the tower to keep her from wandering off or getting into mischief, Jamie decided. If she hadn’t promised Mary Millicent that she would keep her visit a secret, she would have asked Amanda about her mother.

“You seemed quite engrossed in the family pictures,” Amanda observed, nodding toward the wall of framed photographs.

“Miss Montgomery told me some of your family history. I find it very interesting.”

“Yes. And sad. My father died in his prime. And I suppose that Bentley Abernathy told you about my son’s accident,” Amanda said, her gaze growing distant, her eyes filling with tears. “I have never felt such despair. I wanted to curse the Lord, but He lifted me up and told me how to survive. I wish you could have known my Sonny. He was so beautiful. So dear. No child ever filled a mother’s heart more.”

Jamie reached into her pocket for a tissue and handed it to Amanda. “I’m sure that Sonny loved you very much and was very proud of you.”

Jamie paused while Amanda dabbed at her eyes then asked, “What about your mother? Is she still alive?”

Amanda hesitated before saying, “My remarkable mother is no longer the guiding light in my life. But I have my dear brother, and the Lord sent me my darling Toby. And soon we will be parents. You can’t imagine how that knowledge fills my heart.”

Feeling a wave of discomfort at Amanda’s deceit, Jamie moved an inch or two away from her.

“I watched you on television last week,” Jamie said.

“I am so pleased,” Amanda said, smiling through her tears. “Did you pray with me? Did you accept our Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior?”

“Not really,” Jamie admitted. “I just watched.”

Amanda took both of Jamie’s hands in hers. “You must look after your soul, child. I want you to pray with me now.”

Jamie dutifully bowed her head and listened while Amanda thanked God for the beautiful day, for the birds that gave Jamie such enjoyment. “And I ask your blessing on this young woman and the precious infant she carries. She is a good person and accepts that you are the one true God.”

Jamie joined her in saying “Amen.”

Chapter Fourteen

LENORA HAD NEVER been to the Texas Panhandle before. Most of what she knew about the region came from weather reports on the evening news. The Panhandle had more winter storms and tornadoes than the rest of the state.

As their flight banked for a landing at the Amarillo airport, she was surprised to see the sprawl of a large city spread below them after flying over hundreds of miles of emptiness. “Why do so many people live down there?” she asked Bentley.

Bentley chuckled. “Amarillo is a major distribution center for oil and cattle,” he said, closing his briefcase. During the flight they had been going over his notes in preparation for the Marshall County commissioner’s meeting that he would be attending this afternoon.

“And there’s a huge facility for slaughtering cattle and a number of petrochemical plants,” he added.

Lenora made a face. “Sounds lovely,” she said.

Once they were on the ground, Lenora headed for the car-rental counter while Bentley made a few phone calls. Less than twenty minutes after landing, they were on their way. Lenora followed the signs that led her from the airport and soon was heading west on Interstate 40.

“Think you can light a fire under the county commissioners?” she asked.

“Actually, they really aren’t dragging their feet,” he admitted. “They’re having the motor rebuilt on their forty-year-old bulldozer. Your concern for Jamie Long has begun to rub off on me, though, and I took a certain perverse pleasure in prolonging Gus Hartmann’s irritation.”

“You know, either Gus Hartmann is getting more cantankerous or you’re suffering from burnout,” Lenora observed.

Bentley sighed. “Maybe it’s some of both. But the truth of the matter is I need Gus more than he needs me.”

“You signed the papers on the haunted house yet?” Lenora asked.

“Day after tomorrow. I’ve never seen Brenda more excited. She drives out there every single day, and yesterday I heard her whistling. I’ve been married to her for almost thirty-five years and never once heard my wife whistle.”

“So?”

“So I’m jealous of a goddamned house that would fall over if I leaned on it.”

“I’m sorry,” Lenora said.

“Me, too.”

Once they had left the outskirts of Amarillo, the landscape was unvaried but majestic in its vastness and loneliness. The drive to Alma took about an hour.

The most noticeable thing about Alma was the overpass that allowed motorists to sail over the town without even slowing down. Lenora parked in front of the Main Street Café, where they both ordered the blue-plate special-chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.

After lunch, Bentley headed for the courthouse, and Lenora drove north. Within minutes she had left the town far behind her, with only an occasional lonely farmhouse and its cluster of outbuildings to break the monotony of the landscape. Lenora realized as she drove along that she hadn’t seen another vehicle for miles, which she found disconcerting. She was a city girl. What if she had a blowout? Did AAA send tow trucks to such remote places? And where did one go to the bathroom?

Her first indication that the ranch was near was a high fence posted with signs warning DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE. Then she saw a stone tower rising above treetops. As she drove a bit farther, she could see that the tower was part of a very large stone house set about a half mile or so back from the road in a grove of trees. And some distance north of the ranch house, she could see other structures, including a water tower and a large silo.