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“Katherine, I’ve already apologized.What else can I do?”Her father’s grating voice attacked her last nerve.

“Nothing.I told you, Randall.I’m done.”Again she hit the end button.Would they ever get the message?Eventually, she hoped.

Her father was only looking after himself and Walter… The man didn’t have a trustworthy or honest bone in his body.Neither man had much integrity, and that was something Katie couldn’t live without.

After double checking the paperwork, she emailed it to Larry and then called him.By the time she was finished, it was almost eleven.She stood and stretched.

“Oh good, you’re off the phone,” Gran said, standing in the office doorway.

“For the moment.What’s up?”Her cell rang again.She glanced down at the screen and let out a sigh.

“You can answer that.I’ll wait,” Gran said.

“It’s just my father again.”Katie hit the reject call button on her phone.Time to block their calls.Probably past time to do that.

“Has he been calling you a lot?”Gran waved her hands at Katie’s cell phone.

“Enough.He’ll eventually get the message.I’m not going back.”

“Have you told Ry or Jed about the calls?”Gran was frowning at her.

“No.”And she wasn’t planning to, at least not right now.She scooted out from her desk.

The frown grew deeper.

“It’s okay, Gran.”She walked over and kissed her weathered cheek.

Her grandmother stared at her for a moment.“I’m going outside and do some weeding.”

“Okay.Don’t stay out too long.It’s pretty warm today.”Was that all her Gran wanted to talk about?A little odd, but maybe Gran just wanted her to know where she’d gone.

Her grandmother just waved a hand at her as she walked away.Katie grinned.Maybe she’d fix something special for lunch.

“Katie,” her grandmother called barely a minute later.

“Yeah, Gran.”

“You better get out here.”

Katie’s eyes narrowed as she strode to the front door to see Gran standing in the yard by their cars.Her hands were on her hips, and Katie noticed the slight trembling of her hands.

“Gran, what is it?”

“Your car.”Gran pointed.

Katie’s heart sank.

* * * *

Ry hopped out of his SUV on Monday, slipping his sunglasses on in the mid-morning sun.He jogged into the Red Dog, the local bar.

Burt, one of the town’s old-timers, sat in the corner, nursing a beer, and he waved at Ry.

Linda, Roc’s daytime waitress, wiped her hand on her apron and came rushing over.

“Where is he?”Ry asked.

“In back, the darn fool.”