Although I’d gotten permission to bring Lucas with me to the house on Saturday, I thought it would be pushing things to have him stay anywhere in Jerome. Cottonwood was still technically McAllister territory, but having him put up for a night or two there wasn’t quite the same thing as impinging on Jerome’s hallowed ground, so I suggested he see if he could find a place down the hill where he could stay. If not, I’d have him crash in the guest bedroom, and we’d all just have to deal with the consequences.
But, being Lucas, of course he found a last-minute cancellation at a highly rated local B&B, and reserved two nights. “Just in case,” he said cheerfully. “If nothing else, I’ll hit a couple of the wine-tasting rooms down on Main Street before I head back to Flagstaff.”
I had no doubt he
