“We all know he hasn’t been neutered yet. J.R. Simmons’s reach hasn’t been eliminated just because he has a sheriff’s deputy watching him.”

Was Mason worried about me, too? He hadn’t said, and Joe sure didn’t seem concerned. But I’d been the one to take down J.R. It made sense he’d seek some kind of retribution.

“Don’t you be worryin’, Lady,” Carter said in a patronizing tone. “You’re under a watchful eye.”

“What? Who?” But I instantly knew. “Why didn’t Jed tell me he was watching over me?”

“They didn’t say. I suspect Deveraux wouldn’t appreciate the interference, but Skeeter and Jed have refused to let you go unprotected. Jed and Merv have been taking turns watching you 24/7.” He winked. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”

I hadn’t even suspected, but I hadn’t been looking, either. After everything I’d been through, that was pretty stupid of me.

“But back to Glenn Stout . . .” Carter drawled. “It’s in Skeeter’s best interest to draw him out. You can bet he won’t let this drop until he’s unmasked him.”

“And the courier? Sam Teagen? What about him?”

Carter held his hands out at his sides. “Disappeared into thin air.”

I bit my lip, deciding to share something I’d previously dismissed. “Last Friday—the day after J.R.’s arrest—I thought I saw someone suspicious across the street from my office, around the courthouse. I’m pretty sure he was watching me. I went to confront him, but I lost sight of him somewhere around the antique store.”

Carter sat up in his chair, releasing a grunt. “Why are you only telling me about this now? What did Deveraux say? Did he look into it?”

I shrugged, trying to play it off. “I didn’t tell Mason.”

“Why the Sam Hill not?” he asked. Then he glared at me. “Because he left you?”

I gaped at him. He looked annoyed.

“What? It wasn’t that hard to figure out. Skeeter’s known since Friday night. Neely Kate confirmed it when she came to see me on Monday.”

I lifted my eyebrows, getting irritated. Did everyone know my private business? “I had no idea that Skeeter was a gossipmonger.”

Carter laughed. “He always has his ear to the ground. You should know that by now.”

I could have argued that Skeeter kept his finger on the pulse of the county’s underworld, not the Henryetta Gazette’s gossip column. But we both knew that for me, he would make an exception.

“Skeeter knows you’ve been on your own, and like I said, he’s made sure you’re protected.”

I hated to admit it, but it did make me feel better to know Jed and Merv were looking out for me. “I don’t understand why you’re still my attorney.” I paused, deciding now was as good a time as any to swing our discussion back around to Neely Kate. “And I had no idea that you were now an expert on divorce law.”

A slow grin spread across his face as he sat back in his seat. “And there it is.”

“What?” I asked defensively.

“I knew you were here about Neely Kate.”

“I came to see my attorney for an update on my ongoing troubles.” I lifted my chin. “But yes, Neely Kate’s my best friend, and it’s my duty to make sure you have her best interests in mind.”

“Ms. Gardner,” he drawled, “Ms. Colson came to me seeking representation. I’m providing a service.”

“Cut the crap, Carter. Anyone can see you like her.”

He smirked. “You know, I actually used to like you until you became a thorn in my ass.”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

He pushed out a huge sigh. “Rose, I assure you that I’m not up to something devious or underhanded. I encouraged Neely Kate not to act rashly, but she insisted on drawing up the papers. My only other option was to tell her no and have her go to someone else.” He cocked his head. “Now, I shouldn’t have told you that much, but I want you to understand I’m doing the best I can for her.”

I studied him to determine his sincerity. Call me a fool, but I was buying it. “She’s been through so much these last few weeks.”

“I know. Which is why I strongly suggested she wait, but she wants it done. She says they both misrepresented who they were when they got married.”

That didn’t surprise me. Neely Kate hadn’t known about Ronnie’s strong criminal ties, and she’d hinted that she’d hidden parts of herself from her husband. Despite everything, I liked Ronnie. I couldn’t help but think they could work it out.

“Cheer up,” Carter said, getting to his feet. “Neely Kate has the three-month waiting period to change her mind, and her husband still hasn’t been served, so the clock hasn’t started ticking.”

I stood and placed my hand on my hip. “Is your guy looking very hard?”

“My usual guy is tied up, so I’ve hired someone else to help out. Floyd’s like an old mule—slow and steady, sure, but he wouldn’t speed up even if his ass was on fire.”

Turned out I’d underestimated my attorney.

“But if you tell Neely Kate I’ve confided any of this to you, I’ll destroy you myself, Skeeter be damned,” he teased with a grin, although I could see a glint of truth in his eyes.

“No worries. She’d kill me if she knew I was asking. Since I now know we both have her best interests in mind, I’ll back off.”

“Yeah, right,” he choked out.

“Okay, I’ll try to back off,” I conceded. “Thanks for looking out for Neely Kate.”

“Always.” But the warmth in the single word had me questioning his motives all over again.

Chapter 4

I stepped through Carter’s office door onto the sidewalk and couldn’t help but turn toward the courthouse, which loomed to my left. The knowledge that Mason was so close—that I only had to go in there to see him—tortured me. I’d promised to give him space to work things out, but I had legitimate questions that Carter really hadn’t answered. Wasn’t that reason enough to see him?

I dropped into Merilee’s and ordered pork chops, a salad, and a slice of apple pie to go. The waitress behind the counter gave me a smile as she handed me the bag. “We haven’t seen you and Mr. Deveraux in lately.”