“What’s funny?”

“I was remembering a party Mrs. Simpson gave for me, back home. One of my readers is a deer hunter. He takes my books into the woods to read while he’s waiting for game to show up.”

“You know, Sandra is one of your biggest fans,” he mused. “Would you mind if I used you as a sort of bribe?”

She burst out laughing. “No. I wouldn’t mind at all. Feel free.”

“Then I’ll do that, as soon as we get home!”

SHE PHONED BART to see how things were going back home, while Vic went upstairs to his room to text his wife in Vermont.

“Hi,” she said. “How are things going?”

“Great! I checked with Fender. Your ranch is secure, no problems there. How’s it going at Latigo?”

“It’s nice. I’ve just been to an obstetrician with Cort’s dad. He’s very nice.”

“Nice? Vic?” Bart exclaimed.

“Well, he’s been nice to me,” she returned. “He’s sad because his wife left him.”

“He was cheating on her!”

“He told me about that. He told me why, too. He’s not a bad man. He has insecurity issues.”

“Boy, there’s a lot of that going around,” Bart chuckled. “Well, as long as he’s nice to you, that’s the main thing. How’s Cort?”

“I don’t know. He had to sort out a labor strike at some company, then he’s got to go a lot of places on other business. From what I understand, he’s almost never home. I miss him. But I’m working on the new book.”

“Told him yet?” he asked gently.

“Not really. His father read SPECTRE. He recognized me from the back cover.”

“Mina, you really need to tell Cort before he finds it out the hard way.”

“I know. I should have told him long ago. I just didn’t know how. He’s not going to be happy about my commando group, I just know it. So I’ve been putting it off.”

“Listen, that book is in every major bookstore in America, and it’s climbing the charts. How long do you think it’s going to be before he sees your photo on the book jacket and makes the connection?”

“The photo doesn’t look that much like me,” she said.

“In the circles Cort travels in, your book will be read a lot. It’s an expensive hardcover.”

“I guess so. I’ll tell him as soon as he comes home,” she promised.

“You do that,” he said. “And take care of yourself. I miss you.”

She laughed. “I miss you, too, my friend. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay.”

She started to put down the cell phone when it rang again. “Hello?” she answered.

“Hi!” It was Ry, the leader of her commando group. “I wanted to see how you were doing on the new book and if you needed some help.”

She laughed. “I do, I do!”

“We can come up to Wyoming…”

“I’m not in Wyoming, though,” she said. “I’m married and pregnant and I’m living on a big ranch in West Texas.”