All That Glitters (Landry 3)

daughter. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to postpone

things."

"Why? Just come in with Pearl," he pleaded. "No. I can't," I said.

"It's more than that, isn't it?" he asked after a

pause.

"Yes," I admitted, and told him about Paul. "Then he knows about us?"

"Yes, Beau."

"Gisselle has been very suspicious lately, too,"

he confessed. "She's even uttered some veiled threats

and some not so veiled threats."

"Then maybe it's best we cool things down," I

suggested. "We must think of all the people we might

hurt, Beau."

"Yes," he said in a cracked voice.

If words had weight, the telephone lines

between New Orleans and Cypress Woods would sag

and tear apart, I thought.

"I'm sorry, Beau."

I heard him sigh deeply. "Well, Gisselle keeps

asking to go to the ranch for a few days. I guess I'll

take her next week. The truth is, I hate living in this

house without you, Ruby. There are too many

memories of us together here. Every time I walk past

your room, I stop and stare at the door and

remember."

"Talk Gisselle into selling the house, Beau.

Start new somewhere else," I suggested.

"She doesn't care. Nothing bothers her. What

have we done to each other, Ruby?" he asked. I swallowed back the throat lumps, but fugitive

tears trickled down my cheeks. For a moment I