Read Online The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries 1-3 by Michele Scott - Free Book Online
Authors: Michele Scott
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brilliant trainer, I take it?"
"No. He was too busy with other things."
"And, you put up with that?"
A wave of shame swept through her. She had put up with it. "I did, but in my defense as I said, love is blind, or in this case plain stupid. I wanted to believe him and I really wanted kids. He did get me a couple of clients, and that kept me hooked into thinking that he was sort of a manager— the good husband doing his part to bring in the business. Stupid, I know."
"We all want to believe the best in people, I don't think that's stupid at all." In spite of himself, he took a cookie from the jar, bit into it, and set it down. It left a crumb on the side of his mouth. "You don't have any kids, then?"
"No." She didn't want to go there. It wasn't necessary. He just needed to know the facts, and why Brad would have the need to see her uncle dead... maybe even her. She couldn't imagine him actually doing it, but one never really knew a person. And, after nine years with Brad, she'd discovered that she hadn't really known him at all. But Uncle Lou had him pegged from the get-go. Why hadn't she listened to him?
"With Brad out promoting me, and me supporting him, my uncle Lou became even more wary of him. He didn't trust him. He never thought he was good enough for me, but he'd kept that to himself after I finally told him to drop it." Michaela took a sip of her tea before going on. Cocoa padded over to her, her tail wagging. She reached down to scratch the dog's head.
"Beautiful dog."
"Thank you. She's an old girl, but like tonight, she's obviously still got it, still alert— sometimes."
"I've got a feeling that your uncle may have stopped talking about your ex, but he did something else to prove his point."
"He did. First, he decided to play by my rules and give Brad the benefit of the doubt. He gave him a job at his ranch, helping out with the artificial insemination program my uncle started a few years ago. But, Brad took advantage of the fact that Uncle Lou was family , and it didn't take long before he came and went as he pleased. He also thought the job was beneath him."
"Why is that?"
Michaela felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Well, even though the program Uncle Lou ran was a breeding program, as I said, it was artificial insemination, and someone needed to collect the..."
Davis held up his palms. "Say no more. Brad was the collector?"
"Yes, but it's not what you're thinking. It's quite technical. They use dummy mares. It's all very clean, but still," she said, not really wanting to continue.
Thankfully, Davis didn't seem to either. "Right."
"Anyway, Brad was blasé about the job. My uncle grew more suspicious of him and had him followed." Michaela stood, walked over to a drawer in the kitchen, and pulled out a large envelope, which contained photos. She handed them to Davis.
"Brad."
"Yes, and Kirsten Redmond."
Davis thumbed through the prints that Michaela had gone over countless times in the past until she'd finally accepted that it was true: Her husband had cheated on her with Miss Rodeo America. She shut her eyes tight for a second as Davis continued scanning the photos. "I'll burn those after we go to court."
"Your uncle Lou had him followed, this is what came of it, and you divorced Brad. I would assume that Brad also lost his job at the ranch?"
"Yes."
"Do you think Brad wanted to get even with Lou for having him followed, thus causing your breakup?"
"Partly. But Brad did plan to divorce me."
"Then what gives?" Davis patted his leg and Cocoa came over to him. "I like dogs. I've got a Lhaso Apso."
She laughed. "That's not a dog."
"Oh, so you're one of those people who believes a dog is only a dog if it's big and loud. He may not be big, but I assure you he's loud." He grinned.
"I'm kidding. I like all dogs."
"Right. So, what happened with you and your ex?"
"Brad and I had been married nine years like I said. We were three months short of our ten-year anniversary when I filed for
"No. He was too busy with other things."
"And, you put up with that?"
A wave of shame swept through her. She had put up with it. "I did, but in my defense as I said, love is blind, or in this case plain stupid. I wanted to believe him and I really wanted kids. He did get me a couple of clients, and that kept me hooked into thinking that he was sort of a manager— the good husband doing his part to bring in the business. Stupid, I know."
"We all want to believe the best in people, I don't think that's stupid at all." In spite of himself, he took a cookie from the jar, bit into it, and set it down. It left a crumb on the side of his mouth. "You don't have any kids, then?"
"No." She didn't want to go there. It wasn't necessary. He just needed to know the facts, and why Brad would have the need to see her uncle dead... maybe even her. She couldn't imagine him actually doing it, but one never really knew a person. And, after nine years with Brad, she'd discovered that she hadn't really known him at all. But Uncle Lou had him pegged from the get-go. Why hadn't she listened to him?
"With Brad out promoting me, and me supporting him, my uncle Lou became even more wary of him. He didn't trust him. He never thought he was good enough for me, but he'd kept that to himself after I finally told him to drop it." Michaela took a sip of her tea before going on. Cocoa padded over to her, her tail wagging. She reached down to scratch the dog's head.
"Beautiful dog."
"Thank you. She's an old girl, but like tonight, she's obviously still got it, still alert— sometimes."
"I've got a feeling that your uncle may have stopped talking about your ex, but he did something else to prove his point."
"He did. First, he decided to play by my rules and give Brad the benefit of the doubt. He gave him a job at his ranch, helping out with the artificial insemination program my uncle started a few years ago. But, Brad took advantage of the fact that Uncle Lou was family , and it didn't take long before he came and went as he pleased. He also thought the job was beneath him."
"Why is that?"
Michaela felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Well, even though the program Uncle Lou ran was a breeding program, as I said, it was artificial insemination, and someone needed to collect the..."
Davis held up his palms. "Say no more. Brad was the collector?"
"Yes, but it's not what you're thinking. It's quite technical. They use dummy mares. It's all very clean, but still," she said, not really wanting to continue.
Thankfully, Davis didn't seem to either. "Right."
"Anyway, Brad was blasé about the job. My uncle grew more suspicious of him and had him followed." Michaela stood, walked over to a drawer in the kitchen, and pulled out a large envelope, which contained photos. She handed them to Davis.
"Brad."
"Yes, and Kirsten Redmond."
Davis thumbed through the prints that Michaela had gone over countless times in the past until she'd finally accepted that it was true: Her husband had cheated on her with Miss Rodeo America. She shut her eyes tight for a second as Davis continued scanning the photos. "I'll burn those after we go to court."
"Your uncle Lou had him followed, this is what came of it, and you divorced Brad. I would assume that Brad also lost his job at the ranch?"
"Yes."
"Do you think Brad wanted to get even with Lou for having him followed, thus causing your breakup?"
"Partly. But Brad did plan to divorce me."
"Then what gives?" Davis patted his leg and Cocoa came over to him. "I like dogs. I've got a Lhaso Apso."
She laughed. "That's not a dog."
"Oh, so you're one of those people who believes a dog is only a dog if it's big and loud. He may not be big, but I assure you he's loud." He grinned.
"I'm kidding. I like all dogs."
"Right. So, what happened with you and your ex?"
"Brad and I had been married nine years like I said. We were three months short of our ten-year anniversary when I filed for
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