"I'm going to finish, Mr. Wickham. She turned him down. If you knew her at all you're not surprised by that. She left here because he'd lied to her, cheated on her, used her. And when she learned he was going to marry someone else, she got out of the way. But that's not enough for some."

"What was, or is, between your employee and my son is their business."

"There's no is, and you know it." Ryder could see it. "He, and his crazy wife, made it my business. Today, this morning, your son's wife made the trip to Boonsboro, to our inn. She drives a red BMW Roadster, this year's model. She had on mile-high shoes with red soles and one of those sleeveless jobs that looked like someone painted a garden on it. You could probably check on her wardrobe choice this morning if you need to verify. She caused a scene on our property. I witnessed this myself, as did a number of others. She yelled accusations, threats. She thinks Hope's sleeping with your son again, which I can guarantee she's not-but he's sure as h.e.l.l sleeping with somebody not his wife. Women know. She topped it off by physically a.s.saulting Hope, and wouldn't stop or leave until we threatened to call the cops."

A visible heaviness settled over Wickham, and sounded in his voice when he spoke. "Sit down, Mr. Montgomery."

"No thanks."

"Jerald." Wickham waved to the security guard, who slipped quietly out of the room.

Wickham himself rose, turned to the window overlooking the back garden and patio of his hotel. "I'm not comfortable discussing my family with you. I'll only say I have no reason not to believe you."

"That saves time, too."

"Were the police called? Have charges been filed?"

"Not yet."

"What do you want?"

"I want five minutes alone with your son, and for your daughter-in-law to spend thirty days in a cell. But I'll settle for neither of them coming near Hope or our place, neither one of them contacting her in any way, for any reason. And if I hear they're spreading lies that damage her reputation, I'll do a lot worse to theirs, and by proxy yours and your hotel. Make that happen, and we're square."

"You have my word." He turned back, face grim, and Ryder saw the kindling of disgust in his eyes. "Neither my son nor his wife will trouble Hope again, in any way. I regret, deeply, they've already done so."

"All right. I'll trust your word; you'll trust mine. But I'm going to warn you, Mr. Wickham, if they don't keep your word, I'm going to cause them a whole s.h.i.tload of trouble."

"I understand." He picked up a card from the desk, wrote something on the back. "If you would contact me-this is my private line-should either of them break the word I'm giving you. Trust me, Mr. Montgomery, I can and will cause them both more trouble than you. And I will."

"Fair enough." Ryder pocketed the card.

"I'll have Jerald show you out."

"I know the way. Let's hope we don't speak again."

RYDER FOUGHT THE miserable traffic toward home, and felt some of the tension dissolve when he caught his first sight of the mountains as he traveled north.

He'd done what seemed right-not as personally satisfying as kicking in Jonathan Wickham's b.a.l.l.s-but it wasn't about personal satisfaction.

He trusted Wickham would make good on his word. G.o.d knew what kind of wrath and pressure he'd bring to bear, but Ryder imagined it would be fierce and plentiful.

It hadn't just been anger and embarra.s.sment he'd seen on Wickham's face at the end. There'd been regret, too.

He turned off the highway, took the winding, blissfully familiar road that wound through those mountains, into and out of Middletown, and straight into Boonsboro.

He turned at The Square, spotted Beckett's truck-but not his dog as he pulled in beside it.

He did catch a glimpse of Hope in one of her floaty dresses, serving drinks to some guests in The Courtyard.

He needed to check on what had been done at Fit in his absence, and at MacT's, needed to find his dog and an ice-cold beer.

But even as he climbed out of the truck, Hope stepped around The Courtyard wall.

He didn't see any signs of tears-thank Christ-and didn't think she'd let guests see any.

"How're you doing?"

"I'm fine. I'd like to speak with you. Privately."

"Okay."

"In there." She pointed to the fitness center. "Carolee's here."

Without waiting for an answer, she started across the lot.

Okay, he thought, she was a little p.i.s.sed that he hadn't patted her hand while she cried. Maybe the flowers hadn't come through yet.

He unlocked the door, took a quick scan. Progress on the rough electric and plumbing on this level, and signs the HVAC was moving. He needed to get upstairs, check it out up there. Maybe they'd-

"Ryder, I'd appreciate it if you'd pay attention."

"Okay. What?"

"You had no business confronting Jonathan behind my back. You had no right to take this situation out of my hands, or to do anything at all without so much as a discussion with me. It's my business. Did you think I wouldn't hear what you were doing, where you went?"

"Didn't give that much thought. And I didn't bother with your ex-a.s.shole. I went to the power source, it's usually the best way. I talked to his father."

"You-" She went pale first, then righteous fury bloomed in her cheeks. "How could you do that? Why would you do that? This is my mess, it's my business."

He'd just spent over three hours on the road into and out of what he considered a man-made h.e.l.l. And she was ragging on him?

"You're my G.o.dd.a.m.n business. Do you really think I'd let some b.i.t.c.h of a blonde come around here and slap you around and do d.i.c.k about it?"

"I got slapped. She's stuck with Jonathan. I'd say she's got the worst of the deal."

"You got that right. She doesn't get away with it. She doesn't get to walk away after hitting you, after making you cry. That's it."

"I wasn't crying because she hurt me. I was humiliated. Beyond humiliated. I don't even have the word. That your mother would have to see that, hear that."

"She can handle it."

"And your crew, all those men who saw it. Everybody in town knows what happened by now, or some variation of it."

"So the f.u.c.k what?" Jesus, he was tired, and getting a d.a.m.n headache, and she stood there b.i.t.c.hing at him for doing what needed doing. "It's how it goes, and she's the one who comes off the idiot, not you. And don't, don't, for G.o.d's sake, don't start crying again."