Berni watched Charles at his meeting, watched him eyeing what the businessmen were ordering for lunch. She could see he was dreading the bill. “What he needs is someone to help him spend his money.”
For Charles Berni found a pretty widow in her forties, a woman who believed talk of money was impolite conversation and who had no idea there was any connection between her many expensive dresses and the fact that her husband had died and left her penniless.
“Fall in love, Charles,” Berni said, and she waved her wand.
“That takes care of them. Now let’s see about Nellie.” She waved her wand and saw Nellie just as she was arriving in the old town of Journada. She still had to search the buildings for the kids, so Berni knew she had time.
Berni waved her wand over herself and was suddenly wearing a black velvet walking suit, a saucy little hat perched over her left eye. As she reached the front door of the Grayson house she snapped her fingers and it began to rain and thunder, the wind blowing fiercely.
Berni stepped outside and got a face full of water. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered, then she snapped her fingers and the area over her stopped raining. In perfect dryness she walked to the hotel. Around her people were struggling so hard against the rain and wind that they didn’t notice Berni walking in a dry, calm place. A few people, looking out windows, saw Berni walking in a dry spot, but they rubbed their eyes and didn’t believe what they saw.
Berni arrived at the Chandler House just as Jace was downing his sixth whiskey. “Are you Jocelyn Montgomery?” Berni asked, looking down at him seated at the table. They were the only people in the bar at this hour of the day.
Even two thirds drunk as he was, he winced at the name. “Jace,” he said.
“Your mother told me Jocelyn.”
He looked up at her. “You know my mother?”
“Quite well. When I told her I was coming here to visit relatives she asked me to say hello to you. I meant to yesterday, but I…I…” Berni started crying so she could no longer talk.
Jace was instantly on his feet as he helped her to sit down. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Can I be of any help?”
“I’m just so worried,” Berni said, sobbing into a lovely linen handkerchief. “It’s my niece. She went out into this storm to deliver some food to orphaned children and hasn’t returne
d yet. I’m so worried about her.”
“I’ll get the sheriff for you, and he can send some men out to look for her. Do you know where she went?”
“A place called Journada. She’s lost, and it’s all my fault! There are no children out there. The children are at the Coronado Mine. I got the names mixed up. My Spanish never was too good.”
Jace patted her shoulder, and she could smell the whiskey on his breath. Actually, it wasn’t a bad smell at all. She’d had some interesting times with men who smelled like he did. She looked at him over her handkerchief. Too bad she had only a day and a half left; too bad she was trying to be on her best behavior. Jace Montgomery was a very sexy man.
“The sheriff will find her. I’ll go get him now.” He started out of the room. “Oh,” he said at the doorway, “what’s your niece’s name?”
“Nellie Grayson.”
Jace just stood there blinking for a moment. “Nellie is out there alone in this storm?” His voice was rising. “You sent Nellie out to a broken-down old ghost town?”
“It was an accident. I just got the names mixed up. Spanish was—” She didn’t say anymore because Jace was gone.
Berni leaned back in her chair, took Jace’s glass of whiskey, and drained it. She propped her feet on another chair, then pulled her wand from her little purse (the wand was conveniently collapsible) and waved it. Before her appeared Jace tearing into the stables, throwing a saddle over an enormous black stallion (Berni sighed at the sight of the animal, a proper horse for a hero), and galloping away. Berni split the screen and watched Nellie searching through the shacks in Journada.
It wasn’t long before Jace was there, and Berni sighed in anticipation of the coming romantic scene. But the scene didn’t happen. The two of them stood under a leaky porch.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jace shouted at her.
“I came to give food to hungry children,” Nellie shouted back.
“There aren’t any kids here. Your daffy aunt got the towns mixed up. You have to come back to Chandler with me. Your aunt’s worried about you.”
He turned away as though he expected Nellie to follow, but he looked back and frowned when she remained where she was. “I told you that you have to return.”
“No,” Nellie said. “I’m not going.”
“What?”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”