Protection

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Bliss woke to the cherubic laugh of Damian Jeremiah carrying through the walls and echoing into her room. She smiled.

Why hadn’t she been notified that Damian was going to visit?

Jumping up to clothe herself and run a brush through her hair, Bliss started to leave the room. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she gasped. What lady would allow herself to be seen in such a state? Walking back to her wash table, she washed her face before carefully braiding her hair and winding it into a loose bun at the nape of her neck.

Satisfied with her slightly fresher appearance, she exited her room and walked down the narrow hallway toward the kitchen, humming softly to herself.

“She lives!” she heard Colt’s voice say.

She cut her eyes at him in the corner, sipping his morning coffee.

“Why, if it isn’t Miss Bliss Cooper. I wouldn’t have recognized you if I hadn’t heard you humming.”

Bliss looked to Damian Jeremiah.

“Mr. Damian, it’s so nice to see you!” She smiled and she gave the man who had been like a father to her a brief hug.

“As it is to see you, my sweet young lady. It’s been far too long since I’ve laid eyes on your family. That’s something your father and I plan to remedy in the coming weeks,” Damian smiled at her father.

“Weeks?” Bliss asked.

“Yes. Damian will be staying with us for a few weeks,” her father said, taking a sip from his steaming cup of coffee.

As much as Bliss loved Damian Jeremiah, the Dottie Belle was getting mighty crowded.

Bliss was late getting around to riding that morning, and it was around midmorning when she finally got around to saddling Butterfly and preparing to ride with Clint.

She wished the man would say more so that she could decide if she liked him or not. After all, it would be harder to get ride of someone if she liked them. While she had no quarrel with Clint, she couldn’t lose her independence until the threats disappeared, which could carry on for months to a year.

It still boggled her mind about those notes. Who sent them and what was their motive? What could she have possibly done to deserve it? She didn’t recall offending anyone or maliciously insulting them in any way.

Maybe this ran deeper than she thought.

The missing newspaper and its contents. Her mother’s mysterious death. The life threatening notes. Seth Ryder.

What if they were all connected? She had no idea how or why they would be, but her imagination ran wild trying to connect all the pieces.

Not one of them seemed to fit with another. It was obvious that there were more pieces to be uncovered, and she knew just where to look.

“I was thinking I would go see my mother’s grave and then look around the mesa. That okay with you?” she asked Clint.

Clint shrugged. “Whatever you want to do.”
Humming softly to herself, Bliss rode on to the gravesite and hopped off her horse. She glanced over at Clint and thought that she might as well put him to good use while he was with her.

“Mind doing me a favor, Mr. Slade?” she asked.

Clint shrugged.

“I want you to circle this mesa with me and let me know if you see any way of getting to the top. I’ve looked before, but a fresh pair of eyes could do some good,” she said.