I didn't see Blake again for the rest of the day, or the next, which suited me fine. I had enough on my plate fending off the media and seeing the garden set to rights again. One entire bed of annuals had been trampled and the bottom porch step was in danger of coming off if anyone heavier than me stepped on it.
Luckily I was pretty handy with a hammer. I had to be. My brother, Lyle, had been useless so it was no loss when he up and left after inheriting the house. It hadn't been Gran's idea to leave the house to her only surviving male relative. She'd tried several times to get my late grandfather's will overturned, but to no avail. Lyle had got it all after Gran died, although he had promised her that I could stay. Unfortunately his debts had mounted so high that he could no longer clim
