Looking For You All My Life Part 104

cial "early investor" deal and guaranteeing her that property

values would only increase as the community continued to

be developed.

Surely, that was enough to make anyone sick!

t 5-.

~ortunately Maggie didn't have to see Cohn again

#beforesheflewoutofDesertWindsonMonday

morning. He had called the evening before to check

on her, but while she'd rea.s.sured him that she was somewhat

better, she had declined his dinner invitation. He had a

basket of goodies sent to her room, which she gave to the

maid. The young woman, who didn't speak a single word of

English, and was most likely in the country illegally, seemed

truly grateful.

Maggie restrained herself from falling to her knees and

kissing the ground after the twin-engine airplane finally

landed. Instead she thanked the pilot, gathered her things,

and jogged over to meet her mothet, who was waiting at the

gate.

"It feels like I've been gone for a month," she exclaimed

as she hugged Audrey.

"So how did your little investigation go?"

Maggie told her mother the whole story as they drove

back to Pine Mountain.

"I must admit I felt slightly deceitful, but I told Cohn

from the beginning why I was there," she said as they pulled

163.

164Melody Carlson

into town. "But I just couldn't tell him about June's tour. I

didn't want to get her into trouble."

"Or yourself," agreed Audrey. "Don't worry, he'll hear

about your findings soon enough."

Maggie sighed. "I honestly wish it had gone differently. I

really wanted to be pleasantly surprised. For the sake of

everyone in town, I wish I could write a good report on

Desert Winds."

"Just write the truth-that's good enough."

Maggie treated her mother to lunch at the hotel. As they

ate Audrey told her about the conversation she'd had with

Jed when she called him to change the dinner date with Bar-

bara Harris. "He seemed very concerned about you going

down to Nevada with Cohn Byers on such short notice."

Maggie made a face. "What? Did he think I was eloping

or something?"

Audrey laughed. "Maybe. Although I a.s.sured him it was

strictly business. Just the same, I'm not sure he was con-

vinced."

"Did you talk to him about Leah?"

"I tried to. But he seemed pretty defensive. I think he's

carrying a lot of guilt over abandoning her as a baby, and I

have a feeling he's willing to do whatever it takes to make up