The Texas Ranger's Reward (Undercover Heroes) Read Online Free

plausible answer for Casey’s
quick turnaround, but his own reaction was far more complicated. Melissa jumped
up from her chair, suddenly putting two and two together. Whether he’d had a
good, mediocre or bad marriage, seeing someone who reminded him so strongly of
his wife must have come as a shock to him.
    She’d known something was wrong. For some reason it made her
feel strange. She didn’t want to look like anyone else, especially his murdered
wife. Apparently he didn’t like it, either.
    “Thank you for telling me all this,” she said. “Considering his
progress, tomorrow should be the last time he needs to come in.” Working with
children had made her careful not to allow attachments to form. “I’ll send you
home with a sheet showing a few exercises he can do. If you make a game of it
and do them with him, he won’t know you’re trying to help strengthen those
muscles. Keep in mind he doesn’t have to do the exercises. Natural play will
eventually work out any kinks, but it’s something you can do together as father
and son to speed things up. Do you have any questions for me?”
    “None.”
    He seemed anxious to get off the phone. “Then I’ll see you in
the morning. We’ll deal with the issue of his not wanting to go to school
then.”
    Melissa hung up. She had no desire to prolong their
conversation either. It would have been agony for Travis Stillman to have to
discuss the tragedy with her. Heaven knows it was hard enough to hear about it.
Any trauma that directly affected a child pained her. But murder… The poor boy.
The poor father. He’d been forced to give up his life’s work and move to a new
state. None of that could have been easy.
    She was glad she had a busy schedule that afternoon. It would
get her mind off what she’d learned.
    At four o’clock she left the clinic for her parents’ home in
Federal Heights, an area in the northeast region of the city near the University
of Utah. Five generations of Robertses, all of whom had run the Wasatch Front
Steel Corporation, had lived there. Melissa had grown up surrounded by tall,
gorgeous old trees and a lush yard. Her town house, where the trees had been
newly planted and there was no heavy foliage, was a big change.
    While she ate dinner with her parents, she told them about the
cabin. Her father rubbed his chin. “That’s the trouble with such remote places,
honey. After every winter, our neighbors up there complain of the same thing.
Somebody’s broken in and things are stolen.”
    She shook her head “Winter is one thing, Dad, but for intruders
to be that brazen in summer is really upsetting. I didn’t see anything missing,
but I know someone has been in there since July 24.”
    “Let’s just be thankful you didn’t surprise them when you
walked in,” her mother said. “I’ve never liked you going up there alone. This
settles it. Please don’t use the cabin again unless you have a friend or family
member with you.”
    “Mom—”
    “I don’t care if you’re a grown woman, Melissa. It’s not
safe.”
    “Your mother’s right, honey. What about Tom?”
    “He’s a man I’ve done some artwork for, but that’s all. I’ve
never been interested in him. When the book’s done, I won’t be doing any more
projects with him. Real-life paintings aren’t the kind of thing I like to
do.”
    Her dad glanced at her with affection. “I know. You love your
world of fantasy.”
    “I always have.” She put down her fork. “Fall is when I like to
be up at the cabin every weekend. The atmosphere inspires me. My week’s vacation
starts next Tuesday. I planned to live up there the whole time, so I can hike
and paint nonstop.”
    “If you’re determined to go alone,” her father said, “then you
need to buy a gun and learn how to shoot it.”
    Her mother gasped. “William!”
    “Well, it’s either that or take a boyfriend along.” Her parents
despaired of her ever settling down again, and brought up the subject at