Looking For You All My Life Part 13

She forced a stiff smile to her lips as she set the broken

cup and saucer onto the tray and stood. "I really do hope

you're right, Mr. Westerly. I certainly don't want this to be

true. You've created a perfectly beautiful farm here, and the

best thing I can imagine is for it to continue for many, many

years to come."

He smiled and patted her rea.s.suringly on the arm. "And

so it will, my dear. So it will."

"But if I find out anything different, say, than what

you've been led to believe~o you mind if I include it in my

article?"

"You l.u.s.t print the truth, Mrs. Carpenter. That's all

anyone expects."

26Melody Carlson

"But what if the truth doesn't match what you've been

told?"

"Then let the chips fall where they may." He frowned.

"But don't you worry about that, because Rick is an honor-

able man. I trust him like my own flesh and blood, and he

knows that."

She reached out and shook his hand. "It's been a real

pleasure to meet you, Mr. Westerly. Like I said, I'll have Scott

schedule another interview with you for our historical

column."

"Then I'll get busy and dig up some things. You know, I

love to read and I used to be a bit of a writer myself. I wrote

in journals and such-'course they wouldn't be of much

interest to anyone now except to an old fool like me."

"You never know. I'd like to see them."

"I'll find them for you, Mrs. Carpenter. And I'll look for-

ward to seeing this story in the paper next week. Just write

the truth, that's all I ask."

"You have my word, Mr. Westerly."

re you sure you don't need any help in the kitchen?"

called Maggie from the library as she struck a

match to the crumpled newspaper beneath the

neatly arranged pile of kindling in the fireplace. She guessed

it to be Spencer's work, although he was nowhere in sight

just now, but judging by Daniel's orange Volkswagen Bug

parked right next to the barn, she suspected they were out

there practicing music.

"No, everything's under control in here," replied Audrey.

"You just put your feet up and relax a little before Jed gets

here."

Maggie sighed contentedly and looked on with satisfac-

tion as the wood began to ignite and crackle into bright

orange flames. Then she carefully placed several small aspen

logs on top and closed the metal grate. Sitting down on the

old leather couch, she leaned her head back and admired

how much this room had changed in the last couple of

months. No doubt it was her favorite room in the house