With Love From Paris : A sweet, heartwarming, enemies to lovers romance

Chapter 1

Tap-tap-tap.

With a small shriek of delight, Annette flew to her apartment door and threw it open, her heart racing. Gabrielle stood outside, leaning the extended handle of a small red suitcase against her hip, and shifting from one foot to the other.

“Ready to go?” Her eyebrows arched.

Annette’s stomach dropped. She hated to disappoint her sister, but she was nowhere close to being ready. Grabbing Gabrielle’s arm, she pulled her inside, the clattering of the suitcase echoing through the hallway. Today they would embark on their long-awaited journey to Canada. The trip was in celebration of Annette’s four years of hard work towards her fine arts degree and she could hardly contain her excitement. Annette pushed the door closed behind them.

The small entry, that Gabrielle had kept scrupulously neat and tidy when this had been her apartment, was a testament to disorganization and clutter. She tripped on a jumble of Annette’s boots, that were tossed in a heap beside the empty shoe rack, and pitched headlong toward a teetering trolley of art supplies. Just before impact, she righted herself by slamming the palm of her hand into the center of a dead fern.

She caught her breath and straightened. The brown fronds of the plant crumbled in her fingers, and she shook the remnants off distastefully as she glanced at Annette with a frown. An easel was set up in the kitchen, and tubes of paint, brushes and rags littered the table.

“Don’t be upset. I know it’s messy in here, and I should have packed yesterday, but I didn’t have time.” Ignoring the exaggerated sigh that issued from her sister’s lips, Annette grasped Gabrielle’s shoulders and kissed her cheeks, one after the other, four times in quick succession. “This might be a good time to remember,” she suggested mischievously as she led the way through the salon, “that you love me.”

She stepped aside as her sister entered the bedroom where an enormous, suitcase lay open nearly buried under piles of clothes. Gabrielle’s sharp intake of breath was unmistakeable, and her eyes widened in horror.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Annette hastened to say.

“It’s not…how?”

“I’m almost done,” she said defensively, tucking a strand of curly chestnut hair behind one ear. “What time did you say our flight leaves?” She tucked the protruding leg of a favourite pair of trousers further into the bag.

“How can you not know this?” Gabrielle threw her hands in the air with exasperation. “We need to be on route to Charles de Gaulle airport in one hour. And at the rate you’re moving…” she explained and waved at the cyclone of clothes spread over the coverlet, “we may need divine intervention to achieve it.”

Annette giggled remorsefully and bent to grab a pair of lilac high heels from the closet behind her. She held them in the air, admiring the lavish satin bows over the toes and the long ribbons that would secure the fragile shoes to her ankles. The colour matched a dress she’d recently purchased, and she was looking forward to wearing the ensemble. Exams had concluded in May, and she’d treated herself to the outfit with a little of the money her father had sent as a graduation gift. It was an extravagance. Yet holding the shoes up in the light of the small bedroom window, she admired them without regret.

“You can’t take those!” Gabrielle gasped, pointing at the shoes as though they were coiled rattlesnakes. “Put them down and step away from the closet. We’re going to a ranch. Not New York City for a luxury stay at the Ritz.” Gabrielle gestured at the gaping suitcase already full of brightly coloured clothes. “And this bag is too big. I didn’t pay for checked luggage. Trade it for your carry-on, and pack less. They have washing machines in Canada, you know.” Sarcasm lent an edge to her tone.

“Relax,” Annette soothed. “I can downsize…maybe.” With a sinking heart she surveyed the mound of clothes already overflowing from her bag and glanced at the closet where others she had planned to take, still hung. Despite all that she had removed, the wardrobe was still stuffed to overflowing. How could anyone be expected to make do with such a cramped space? Boxes filled with shoes, purses, and scarves were stacked underneath the full hangers and she stifled a groan of disappointment to think that Gabrielle would no doubt prevent her from taking any of her outfits’ co-ordinating accessories that littered her dressing table.

She didn’t want to annoy her sister, but packing was difficult. She had painstakingly curated so many outfits and loved each of them. After all, for the past several months she had eagerly anticipated this trip. Still holding the shoes, she flipped through a heap of garments on the bed and found the co-ordinating dress before folding it with care and laying it on top of the to-go pile. She added wistfully, “I have to take a few nice clothes, don’t I? What if we go out for dinner somewhere? Or to a party?”

“Parties!” Gabrielle spluttered. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths and appeared to be counting, then responded in an even tone. “If, by the remotest chance, we go out to dinner, we’ll wear our very best jeans with a nice blouse.” She tossed her signature braid of glossy black hair over her shoulder. “Honestly, you have no idea what it’s like in Canada. It’s not a resort, it’s a working ranch.” She sighed and shook her head. “We talked about this already. Andrew’s mom owns a gorgeous piece of the rolling foothills near Canada’s Rocky Mountains. But you’re not going to sit inside the house staring at the scenery through a window. Or drink cocktails on the veranda while I gallop past on horseback. I want you to experience this week with me. It will be an adventure. That’s the whole point in you going.” Her voice rose in annoyance. Lifting a pastel-pink crop top from the piles of clothes already in the case, she examined it with deep disapproval.

Annette turned away to rummage through hangers in her closet, struggling to remain unperturbed. She chose another dress and whipped around to fling it on the heap. “But it’s still a holiday, right? I want to be prepared.” She folded her arms, knowing it was a losing battle as Gabrielle took another deep breath.

“Please listen to me, Annette. No one will be wearing dresses. You need to take a warm jacket, sweaters, jeans, boots, t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, and maybe a couple of prettier blouses. It’s June in Canada. Sophie said it might be cool, especially at night. And we’ll be outside a lot.” Despite the warmth of this beautiful morning in Paris, Gabrielle was a living example of what she was trying so hard to convey. She plucked at the sleeve of her light blue, hooded jacket with a white turtleneck peeking out the top, and leaned across the bed to catch her sister’s eye.

“See,” she said meaningfully indicating to her outfit. “These are the sorts of things I’ve packed. No party dresses or ball gowns in sight.”

Annette sniffed. “Ugh, I suppose you’d be happy if I wore head-to-toe flannel. Or a shapeless, plaid sack that drapes to my ankles with a nice pair of rain boots underneath?” She lifted her hands in a pleading gesture. “Fashion is part of who I am.” She looked down at what she was wearing for the flight. It had taken hours to pick her outfit: a form-fitting cream, off the shoulder long-sleeved t-shirt that exposed her bare midriff before her fashionably high-waisted, baggy blue jeans began. The ensemble was finished with a pair of short, chunky black leather boots. It was comfortable, but stylish and she knew it perfectly set off her shining halo of nearly waist-length hair. She twisted one of the gold hoop earrings she wore, and hesitated. Gabrielle would know what was best. She squinted at the heap of clothes she’d accumulated on the bed and began to rethink her choices.

“Fashion isn’t going to impress a herd of cattle or amaze a pack of coyotes,” Gabrielle continued to explain. “Be reasonable. I’ve been to Canada a few times now and it’s not a beach holiday.”

Although it hurt her to do so, Annette flipped the case over, dumping the contents onto her bed, and set it aside. “Fine. I believe you. Well then, help me to decide please. But the dress and heels are going.” Firmly, she set the lilac-coloured ensemble into a corner of the smaller bag, feeling her sister’s displeasure but avoiding her gaze. Some things were worth fighting for. She straightened and waited expectantly.

Half an hour later, with the much smaller case rolling behind her, Annette locked the door, and tucked the keys into a zippered pocket of her purse. She slung it over her shoulder, and followed her sister out of the sturdy cream-coloured building in the Marais and onto the street below. The apartment had been Gabrielle’s home when she’d attended university in Paris. Once she and Andrew married, it had passed to Annette. However, the small rooms were too perfect and orderly for her taste. She liked clutter and didn’t allow a little dust to rule her life. Art and fashion were far more important.

Annette continued to refer to it as her chambres parmi les étoiles, or her rooms among the stars, as Gabrielle had done, due to its lofty position on the fifth floor. And she had lived happily in the apartment for the past four years as she studied art at the famous Beaux-Arts de Paris in Paris. The two women fell into step as they strode down the street toward the metro.

“You’ll thank me for this when we get there,” Gabrielle said with satisfaction. “And you’ll never wear that purple dress, but if it makes you happy to drag it across two countries and an ocean?—”

“It does,” Annette interrupted resolutely. Just knowing it was tucked in her bag had cheered her immensely.

They continued the trek in silence until seating themselves on the train, at which point Annette’s thoughts brightened a bit more. Gabrielle was right, it would be an adventure. She reached forward taking her sister’s hand.

Squeezing it she said, “I’m sorry to be so much trouble. I should have asked for your advice yesterday. Packing on the morning of the trip was foolish.”

Gabrielle squeezed back and smiled. “We’re going to have a wonderful time. And maybe while we’re there, we can help Andrew’s mother. It’s only been a year since her husband died. Running the ranch alone has been hard on her.”

“Sophie, right? I remember her from your wedding.”

“Yes, she was born in Bordeaux and grew up in the Dordogne. But fell in love with Mason, Andrew’s father, when they were quite young.” Gabrielle’s face took on a faraway look. “They’d been married forty-three years when he died, and were still very much in love. I can’t imagine what it feels like to lose someone like that…” Her voice trailed away. She stared out the window as the train burst from a tunnel into the bright morning sunshine. She twisted the diamonds on her left hand.

“You and Andrew shut the store and stayed with her for close to a month after he passed, yes? Do you think she’d come back to Paris? Perhaps she could sell the ranch now that her husband’s gone, and leave those struggles behind.”

“No.” Gabrielle was emphatic. “The ranch has been her home for all those years. Besides, her youngest son Jayke lives in Canada. He moved to Vancouver two years ago, but he’s home often. Andrew asked her if she wanted to sell and return to France. She refused.”

“Well, I’m sure having us visit will be exciting for her and I’m willing to help in any way I can. Just not sure what an art student, fresh off the streets of Paris, and wearing a lovely mauve dress and heels could do. Maybe, I could try to rope a few steers. Although, it would probably help if I knew what those are.” Annette watched her sister closely as she tried to lighten the mood.

Gabrielle laughed. “I love you, but you’re crazy, you know that?”

In no time at all, they were disembarking at the airport and running through the usual stressful muddle to get through security and find their way to the correct gate. They plunked into two vacant seats, some distance from the loading area. Since the space was filled with throngs of people, most of them looking anxious and drawn. Annette gazed around her.

An older lady sat nearby, primly holding a blue plastic pet carrier on her knee, and staring with a fixed, slightly frazzled expression at the gate as though she was trying to will the airline attendants to allow her on board the plane an hour ahead of schedule. Annette knew why too. A cat yowled from within the confines of the cage, sounding as if it was being slowly strangled to death. It drew the stares of all those around her. Studiously, the woman ignored the din, pushing back in her seat to sit a little straighter.

Meanwhile, two young fathers bounced whimpering babies on opposite sides of the waiting area. One held a squirming toddler on his shoulder as he paced the aisle with the fractious child. While the other, his face red and perspiration glistening on his forehead, tried to offer his wailing baby a bottle of milk, to no avail. The child only batted the comforting drink away and renewed his howls of displeasure. Each person studiously ignored the restless crowd surrounding them and for good reason. Looking at the faces of her fellow passengers, Annette knew they were all thinking the same thing. “Please, oh please don’t let them be sitting next to me.”

She chuckled and turned her attention to Gabrielle who was busy texting. “Sending a few last words of love to Andrew? Or telling him how to run the store in your absence?”

“That would never happen. Besides, I’ve already hidden notes around the house for him to find,” Gabrielle said loftily. “If you must know, I’m sending a text to Sophie to inform her of our arrival time. Of course, it’s only three in the morning over there. So, she won’t get the message until we’re flying over the Atlantic, but at least she’ll be aware that all is well.”

“Will she be picking us up?”

“Yes.” Gabrielle looked dreamily out the massive airport windows, her wide green eyes getting a faraway look in their depths. “It’s beautiful there. Quite unlike anything you’ve seen before. And the people that live and work on the ranch are so nice.” She clasped her hands together. “I have a few favourite spots to show you, too. Hidden places that are only accessible by horseback.”

Annette coughed. Hesitantly, she voiced a concern she’d had since this trip was first proposed. Brushing lint from the black bomber jacket she’d thrown on as they left the apartment, she mentioned casually, “You know I can’t ride a horse, right?”

Gabrielle patted her hand. “Of course. But don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

“But what if I don’t want to be taught?”

“You don’t…” Gabrielle gaped at her, then smiled consolingly. “That’s only your nerves talking. I promise you’ll be fine once I saddle Lassie for you. She’s elderly, doesn’t like to move past a walk, and is quite safe for beginners.”

“Is Lassie a big dog, or a horse?” Annette asked dryly, raising her eyebrow. “And, if you say horse, is she also toothless? I have no desire to be chomped on by those gigantic, horsy teeth.” She shivered just thinking about it and clutched her rose-coloured Prada purse to her chest with fuchsia-tipped fingernails.

Her sister laughed out loud. “No. Not a dog, silly. And ‘horsy teeth,’ really? Do you think horses bite people for the sheer fun of it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe,” Annette answered doubtfully. “I don’t want to take any chances. Is there a possibility I could just sit on the veranda and watch? Uh, I—I’m a little concerned about those coyotes you mentioned, too.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Gabrielle began and then held up her hand as a boarding announcement was made for their flight. Automatically, people began leaping up and hurrying to form a queue. As though stuffing themselves into a cramped seat, before anyone else, was going to get them to their destination faster.

“We’ll discuss it on the plane,” Gabrielle said, standing and stretching. “Though first let’s make one last trip to the toilet before we board.”

Dutifully, Annette nodded. Together, dragging their luggage behind them, they hurried away.

Annette had been peeringout the plane window for the last half hour, straining to see something below, to no avail. Heavy clouds obscured the land, and she wondered if it would be raining when they landed. As if reading her mind, the captain of the plane cleared his throat and interrupted the movie she was only half-watching, to make an announcement.

Well, that’s too bad, she thought as he concluded. Apparently it was raining and only twelve degrees Celsius in Calgary. Although she hated to admit it, her sister had been right. She drew the edges of her faux leather bomber jacket together and zipped it as they descended through the heavy white mist and bumped onto the tarmac.

It was a large plane and their seats had been situated toward the back. So, it felt as if an eternity had passed before they were free of the mob and striding out the other side of passport control.

Gabrielle beamed at her as they turned the last corner and burst through double doors into a milling throng.

“See,” she said with quiet triumph. She gestured toward the heavy-lidded, yawning people who loitered by the conveyer belt that would eventually bring them their checked luggage. “This is what we avoided.” They walked past the crowd, dragging their smaller bags, and made their way toward the exit. “Isn’t it wonderful? We’re free to leave as we please.”

“Yeah. Great,” Annette mumbled, thinking of all the extra clothes she could have brought—especially an extra sweater. She shivered.

“That’s odd.” Gabrielle drew her phone from her purse and turned it on. “I’m sure Sophie said she’d meet us at door number ten, but I don’t see her anywhere.” They waited while her device flickered to life. Annette noticed an attractive man wearing a battered black cowboy hat standing near door number ten with a small cardboard sign in his hand.

The name Tremblay had been scrawled on the surface with a black marker. Annette elbowed her sister, who was craning her neck to see over the crowd.

“I don’t think your mother-in-law is coming,” she whispered. “That guy over there is holding a card with your name on it.”

“What?” Gabrielle was only half listening. She raised herself onto her tiptoes and alternated between punching her phone and tipping her head one way and then the other in an effort to locate Sophie.

“That man in the big hat is staring at us. Now he’s waving the paper with your name on it,” she hissed again. “Do you recognize him?” Taking Gabrielle by the hand, she turned her sister to face the man. By this time, he was bearing down on them with a determined step and a face like a thundercloud.

“No,” Gabrielle squeaked. But it was too late to say more as the man stopped in front of them and spoke.

“Gabrielle Tremblay?” he asked brusquely.

“Oui.” Gabrielle answered in French, clearly taken aback.

“Sophie asked me to come get you,” he said, touching the front of his hat in some semblance of a polite greeting which wasn’t the slightest bit welcoming. He glowered at them both from beneath dark eyebrows. “Is that all of your luggage, or must we wait for more?” He scowled over the heads of the crowd to where the conveyer belt remained unmoving. “I’d like to get back home to see what’s happening.”

“No. We ‘ave everything with us,” Gabrielle switched back to English, but narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she peered at the man. “Who are you, may I ask? And where is Sophie? Is she alright? What do you mean you want to see what is ‘appening back ‘ome?”

The man turned his velvety brown eyes on Gabrielle and his face relaxed for a moment. “Uh, sorry,” he said. “I should have explained everything immediately. Sophie sends her apologies, but something pretty serious happened on her ranch this morning. She couldn’t get away. She was upset by it, but she’s fine. My name is Jeff Douglas. I own the ranch adjoining your mother-in-law.” He held out his hand and she took it, if dubiously. Their hands shook in greeting.

Annette studied him as he spoke to her sister. He was about six feet tall and slim, but powerfully built. At least, that was what she could tell from the breadth of his shoulders underneath the pale blue jean shirt he wore. The sleeves were rolled up as though he’d been working, and the metal snap buttons undone at the throat, exposing a dusting of hair on his chest. She assumed the hair on his head was the same colour, but she couldn’t tell with it hidden beneath the large hat.

His face was handsome, if one liked that sort of rugged, outdoorsy look, however she didn’t. His chiseled jawline and upper lip were covered in a couple days growth of beard. A leather belt with a large silver buckle sat at his waist holding rumpled jeans tightly to his narrow hips. The jeans looked as though they’d seen hard labour, with a hole ripped across the knee and several dark stains on his thighs. She assumed he’d wiped his hands on his clothes to rid them of some particularly unpleasant substance and shuddered. As if only noticing her for the first time, Jeff turned to look at her.

She was unprepared for the way his dark brown eyes swept over her from head to toe in a cool assessing way, appearing unimpressed. His face hardened once more, but he held out his hand anyway and grasped hers in a crushing grip.

“And you must be the sister,” he noted. “Nice to meet you.” But even as he said the words, he was already turning away. Annette felt oddly indignant at his dismissal. “I’ll explain more once we’re in my truck. Can I take your bags for you?” His eyes flicked from one woman to the other.

“No, thank you, and my name is not ‘Sister.’ It’s Annette,” she ground out the syllables. Really, five seconds after meeting this man she found him insufferable.

“Okay, Annette,” he shrugged. “Whatever you say. Now, if you and Gabrielle could walk this way I’ll take you to my truck and we can get out of here.”

A comic sketch of the phrase, walk this way, in which the people walking behind the speaker adopted the mannerisms of the person they followed, caused her to giggle. She could imagine herself striding similar to him with her chest puffed out, taking giant steps, and exuding an overbearing air of command. He glared at her over his shoulder. Sighing, she realized he must have heard her laugh and taken umbrage.

Jetlag, she thought, shaking her head with surprise. It was causing her to become giddy and getting her in trouble.

Crossing a busy road in front of the airport, they entered a huge concrete parking garage, and she began to wish she’d taken him up on his offer. He was walking so fast that she struggled to keep pace. She glanced at her sister and knew Gabrielle was puffing too. Her blue jacket had been removed and slung over one arm. At least she’d worn sensible white trainers and wide-leg jeans which allowed her to move easier.

Perhaps her stylish chunky boots hadn’t been such a great idea. Her left heel was already starting to throb. Ahead, Jeff used his key fob remote to unlock the doors of an enormous, four-door, black truck. Looking around them, Annette realized that almost every vehicle in the parking area was a similar looking truck. How strange. She’d never seen so many of them in one place before.

“I got a text from Sophie,” Gabrielle whispered, falling into step with Annette as she caught up. “She’s very sorry she couldn’t be here, but assures us we’re in safe hands with Jeff. I was a little concerned until I heard from her.”

Gabrielle flicked her long black braid over her shoulder, a trademark move, and hurried ahead when Jeff opened the back door of the vehicle and beckoned to them. He grabbed her bag and set it on the seat, pushing it to the far side. After thanking him, she straightened her purse on its long strap, stepped back, and smiled encouragingly at Annette.

Annette withheld comment on this latest revelation. She didn’t get a good feeling about the man at all, and wasn’t convinced his hands were all that safe. Nonetheless, she waited while he tossed her bag to join Gabrielle’s on the seat and added her own thanks.

“Please make yourself comfortable,” he said stiffly, as he held open the door for her to scramble inside the monstrous vehicle. She felt his hand on her elbow and felt like shaking it off. Instead, she allowed him to steady her since her rather clumsy boots caught on the chrome step.

“Thank you,” she said with reluctance, and noticed him lift an eyebrow as he closed the door behind her.

She settled herself and searched for the seatbelt amongst the rubble of a hammer, a length of coiled rope, an old black and red checkered blanket that looked and smelled like it had been used to bed down a cow, and an odd-looking leather contraption that must be used to lead animals. Her mind was reeling with questions. What did this visit hold in store for her? Why was their hostess not meeting them? And who was this strange brooding man that had taken charge of their immediate destiny?

“Like I said earlier, Sophie asked me to pick you up,” he explained, rattling a set of keys as he started the engine. A throaty roar echoed in the concrete parking garage. “Since she couldn’t leave the ranch after what happened this morning.” He reversed smoothly and they were on their way.

“I appreciate you coming to get us,” Gabrielle said gravely. “And I’m so sorry Sophie is ‘aving trouble. If we ‘ad known…” She broke off with a concerned shake of her head. “Well, we most certainly would not ‘ave come. Can you tell us what’s ‘appened?”

“It’s been difficult for her,” he said, gripping the wheel until his knuckles showed white. “But she’s determined to run the ranch alone. Jayke could come home and help, but she won’t hear of it. I don’t think she’s told him half of what’s gone wrong. She doesn’t want him to feel obligated.” Clearly, he didn’t agree with this reasoning.

“You mean there’s more than what ‘appened today?” Gabrielle turned to look at him, and then at Annette, her face registering shock.

He nodded, but said nothing.

It was only after he’d paid for parking and entered the stream of traffic on the busy highway, that he tilted his hat backward on his head, ran the back of his hand across his brow, and started to explain.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what’s going on,” he began. “And I’ll try to keep it simple since, according to Sophie, Annette has never been to Canada, or to a ranch before.” He caught her gaze in the rear-view mirror, and she looked swiftly away.

“As you know, losing Malcom was really hard on her.” He darted a glance at Gabrielle. “But she’s a determined woman and was doing well, until about a month ago. It just seemed like everything went wrong. Machinery broke down, cattle unaccountably disappeared, and two of her most valued employees quit. She confided in me yesterday that she hadn’t said anything about it for fear of worrying you and Andrew, or causing you to cancel your plans to come for a visit...” He paused to navigate a lane change.

“I’m so sorry to ‘ear this,” Gabrielle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “It’s true we did not know. Of course, we are aware it ‘asn’t been easy for her since Andrew’s father died. But she’s insisted she is okay. We ‘ad no idea she was struggling.”

Annette wondered if this was why Jeff appeared so unfriendly. Perhaps he thought their presence would add more stress on Sophie. It might be true, she thought ruefully, but how could they have possibly known what was happening on another continent. She stared out the window at the traffic, thinking how life could change in an instant, and wondering if she and Gabrielle could be of any help to their host. It might be best if they left as soon as possible, so as not to become a burden.

“Anyway…” he cleared his throat. “I’ll leave it to Sophie to fill you in on the particulars, but the worst thing to happen, so far, occurred this morning. One of the ranch hands came to work early. He found a heifer dead and three others very sick. They had been brought in from pasture yesterday, very healthy, and put in a corral ready to be transported to a buyer in northern Alberta today. Those four animals were some of her best breeding stock and worth a lot of money, making their deaths a serious loss. No one could understand what had gone wrong, so the veterinarian was called. He came immediately and said it looked as though the cows had consumed some sort of toxic substance.”

Gabrielle gasped. “Oh no…poor Sophie.”

“I assume a heifer is some sort of cow?” Annette remarked, but no one appeared to have heard her. She raised her voice. “Will the others live?”

Jeff shrugged. “We couldn’t figure out how it happened, because the animals were fine the day before. They hadn’t been given anything to eat, but some good hay. It wasn’t until someone started the pump to fill a trough for the horses, that a strange odor was detected.” He sighed heavily. “The water was turned off immediately. Fortunately, all other animals are out in pastures anyway, except of course, those four. Sophie’s worried the well is somehow contaminated. She hauled the dead cow to the veterinary clinic for an autopsy and is having the water tested.”

“If that is true, then it could easily ‘ave killed a person?” Gabrielle gasped.

“Yes,” he answered simply. “But it didn’t, so that’s some good news. But until the water has been cleared, no one can touch it.” Jeff shrugged. “It could have been worse. Sophie called Public Health and they’re sending someone out to test the water quality right away.” He stopped for a traffic light and turned to look at Gabrielle. “She’s a good lady. I just don’t know why everything’s been going wrong for her.”

“There is no way we can ‘elp I suppose?” Gabrielle asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Jeff’s voice softened. “No, there’s nothing you can do, but it’s nice of you to offer. She’s had quite a day so far. She’ll also have to call the buyer to explain that their deal she was counting on is off. She can’t even be sure the other three cattle will live.”

“Is Sophie in trouble financially?” Gabrielle asked quietly.

“That’s for her to tell you,” he said. “She confided a little in me, because our families have been close for years. But I certainly don’t claim to know every detail. Nor have I asked.”

A nasty suspicion was forming in Annette’s mind. Leaning forward to strain against the seatbelt, she rested an anxious hand on the console. Without pausing to phrase it in gentler words she blurted what she was thinking.

“We’re not going to be staying with you, are we?”

She watched his reflection in the mirror and saw his lips tighten before he answered.

“Sorry for your luck,” he said with a hard edge to his voice. “I know Sophie feels bad about the situation, but nothing else can be done.” His narrowed eyes flicked up to hold her appalled stare.

“Yes. Until this gets sorted out, you’ll be staying with me.”