along a high-ceilinged hall. If Boyd hadn’t already seen it for himself, he probably would have stopped to gaze in amazement at the width of the planking on the floor, not to mention the wide, ornate baseboards and crown molding. The house had to be hundreds of years old. You couldn’t get wood like that anymore.
“Your home is very lovely, Dr. Stratton.”
“Isn’t it?”
She stopped before a tall door framed in wide trim that matched the baseboards, but with extra hand-carved details at the top corners. If he added up the running feet of trim in this old house, the cost of reproducing it would probably exceed the value of his tiny condo back in Toronto. Hell, his condo and his car.
“This is it.” Pushing the door inward, she waved them into the room.
He felt his chest tighten to be standing again in the room where Josh had lived for the past five-plus months of his life.
“So, have you just landed in town, Mr. McBride, or are you already established somewhere?”
“I hit town earlier today,” he confirmed. “But I haven’t had a chance to check into my motel.”
“If you have your bags with you, you’re welcome to take up residence tonight.”
“That’d be great,” he said. “My stuff is still in the car.”
“Then, please, make yourself comfortable.” She crossed the room to the bedside and pulled open the drawer of the night table. Turning, she held out a plain key ring with a pair of keys on it. “This one will get you in the rear entrance you just used, and the other is for the room. When you’re ready, you can go fetch your things and let yourself back in without disturbing my staff.”
He took the key from her. “Thank you.”
She stepped back. “Well, if that’s all, I’ll go back to reading to my husband.” She glanced at Hayden. “I trust you can see yourself out later?”
“Of course, Dr. Stratton.”
With a regal inclination of her head, Sylvia Stratton turned and left. Boyd could hear the tapping of her heels as she retreated down the hall; then he heard them on the stairs.
He turned to Hayden. “I see what you mean. Seems like she’d have been more at home during this house’s heyday, commanding a fleet of servants with an iron hand.”
“Yeah, that whole lady-of-the-manor routine.” Hayden gave a delicate shudder. “The scary part is that she’s on the medical advisory board at the hospital. I try to minimize my contact with her, because I always come away from any encounter feeling as though I’ve been found lacking. I tell myself not to take it personally, since pretty much everyone comes away from her feeling like that, but it’s a challenge some days.”
“I don’t know . . . Something tells me you can hold your own.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Oh, yeah, he could definitely see why this woman had captivated his brother. She was pretty damned stunning.
He realized silence had fallen, so he said the first thing that came to mind. “So, have you ever met the Senator?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t think he ever gets out of his sickroom.”
“That’s a damned shame to see a guy like Lewis Stratton laid low.”
She was watching him curiously. “You know him?”
His lips twitched at the idea. “Just by reputation. He took an interest in law and order.”
“I guess that stands to reason. Josh said he was some kind of big deal lawyer before he went into politics.”
Boyd snorted. “Isn’t every politician a former lawyer?”
Her lips curved in a smile that was quick to come and go. “Seems like it, doesn’t it?”
Her face sobered again, but Boyd found himself looking at her world-class lips, wondering what it would take to make that smile flash again. Or even better, to make her laugh. Would her laughter be throaty and sexy? Or clear and delighted as a child’s? And what would it feel like if he were to catch that laugh on her lips, take it into himself?
He realized she’d caught him looking at her
“Your home is very lovely, Dr. Stratton.”
“Isn’t it?”
She stopped before a tall door framed in wide trim that matched the baseboards, but with extra hand-carved details at the top corners. If he added up the running feet of trim in this old house, the cost of reproducing it would probably exceed the value of his tiny condo back in Toronto. Hell, his condo and his car.
“This is it.” Pushing the door inward, she waved them into the room.
He felt his chest tighten to be standing again in the room where Josh had lived for the past five-plus months of his life.
“So, have you just landed in town, Mr. McBride, or are you already established somewhere?”
“I hit town earlier today,” he confirmed. “But I haven’t had a chance to check into my motel.”
“If you have your bags with you, you’re welcome to take up residence tonight.”
“That’d be great,” he said. “My stuff is still in the car.”
“Then, please, make yourself comfortable.” She crossed the room to the bedside and pulled open the drawer of the night table. Turning, she held out a plain key ring with a pair of keys on it. “This one will get you in the rear entrance you just used, and the other is for the room. When you’re ready, you can go fetch your things and let yourself back in without disturbing my staff.”
He took the key from her. “Thank you.”
She stepped back. “Well, if that’s all, I’ll go back to reading to my husband.” She glanced at Hayden. “I trust you can see yourself out later?”
“Of course, Dr. Stratton.”
With a regal inclination of her head, Sylvia Stratton turned and left. Boyd could hear the tapping of her heels as she retreated down the hall; then he heard them on the stairs.
He turned to Hayden. “I see what you mean. Seems like she’d have been more at home during this house’s heyday, commanding a fleet of servants with an iron hand.”
“Yeah, that whole lady-of-the-manor routine.” Hayden gave a delicate shudder. “The scary part is that she’s on the medical advisory board at the hospital. I try to minimize my contact with her, because I always come away from any encounter feeling as though I’ve been found lacking. I tell myself not to take it personally, since pretty much everyone comes away from her feeling like that, but it’s a challenge some days.”
“I don’t know . . . Something tells me you can hold your own.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Oh, yeah, he could definitely see why this woman had captivated his brother. She was pretty damned stunning.
He realized silence had fallen, so he said the first thing that came to mind. “So, have you ever met the Senator?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t think he ever gets out of his sickroom.”
“That’s a damned shame to see a guy like Lewis Stratton laid low.”
She was watching him curiously. “You know him?”
His lips twitched at the idea. “Just by reputation. He took an interest in law and order.”
“I guess that stands to reason. Josh said he was some kind of big deal lawyer before he went into politics.”
Boyd snorted. “Isn’t every politician a former lawyer?”
Her lips curved in a smile that was quick to come and go. “Seems like it, doesn’t it?”
Her face sobered again, but Boyd found himself looking at her world-class lips, wondering what it would take to make that smile flash again. Or even better, to make her laugh. Would her laughter be throaty and sexy? Or clear and delighted as a child’s? And what would it feel like if he were to catch that laugh on her lips, take it into himself?
He realized she’d caught him looking at her
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