When it came time for Gwen to try, Eliza stood behind her. “Brace yourself with one foot behind the other. The force of the bullet leaving the chamber will feel like someone is pushing you back. Don’t let go.”

Gwen nodded and followed Eliza’s example of aiming at her target. As she concentrated, the tip of her tongue snuck out between her lips much like a child. A brief perplexed expression passed over Gwen’s eyes before the squeezed the trigger and the bullet flew. She didn’t drop the gun, thank God, but her arms did fly up. Eliza gazed down the room, but didn’t see a hole in the target. When she looked over to her friend, Gwen was smiling ear to ear.

“That wasn’t bad at all,” Eliza said.

“I didn’t hit the target.”

Eliza pushed a button and summoned the target to move closer. “Try again.”

Gwen did, this time blasting a hole through the paper, but not the outline of the person on it. Still, she was thrilled. All apprehension and nerves dissipated. After a case of forty rounds, they moved on to the smaller weapon.

Gwen was a natural. By the time they left the range, she was talking about when they could return.

“Many men would argue with me, but I believe women have better aim than men.”

They were driving home and stopped at a light. Eliza scanned the cars behind them and waited for her turn through the intersection.

“Have you always owned a gun?”

“Yes.”

Gwen settled into her seat. “Our security has guns at home, but we’ve not ever been allowed to touch them. I suppose if I had insisted someone might have shown me, but I never saw a need.”

“And probably never will.”

“It’s quite empowering to hold something so dangerous,” Gwen said with a lift in her voice.

Traffic stared moving as they talked. Eliza scanned the cars behind her.

“Always remember that when you shoot, you shoot to kill.” Eliza had shown Gwen every tip Dean and Jim had given her.

“I don’t think I could hurt anyone.”

“You could if they were bent on harming you.”

“I don’t know.”

A car swerved out of the turn lane and tucked behind them as they drove. All the talk about guns and protection was making her paranoid. The newer model Mercedes was popular in L.A. and probably not the same one she’d seen outside the range when they left.

“I’m sure if faced with death we can do all kinds of things.”

Gwen waved a hand in the air. “It won’t come to that.”

“Let’s hope not.”

Gwen made a noise before changing the subject. “When will you see Carter again?”

Hearing his name brought a smile to her lips. “He’s in Sacramento until tomorrow.”

“The flowers he sent were lovely.”

They were. Instead of falling back on a dozen roses, Carter decided on orchids and white lilies. As much as Eliza hated being so damn girlie about his attention, she couldn’t help but sigh every time she walked into the living room and saw them. There was nothing casual about her feelings. Carter had effectively wiggled his way into her thoughts a dozen times a day. She didn’t even want to consider her inappropriate thoughts at night.

Eliza caught Gwen staring at her from the corner of her eye. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Yeah right. The word nothing from a woman always meant something.

She turned off the busy street and checked her mirror for the Mercedes. Sure enough, it turned down a different street and didn’t follow them home.

Paranoid.

Zod barked from behind the door and darted out as they walked in. Eliza watched him sniff around the yard before reliving himself. She slipped out of her shoes at the door but instead of tucking them off to the side, she tucked them inside the coat closet. There was no use tempting the dog into misbehaving.

Gwen played the messages while Eliza set the guns on kitchen counter so she could clean them.

There was one hang up, a message from Sam inviting them for lunch on Saturday, and a message from Karen asking for a call back.

Gwen decided to shower and remove the gunpowder from her skin, and Eliza called Karen back.

“Stanly was more nervous than a teenage boy on his first date.”

“He’s sweet.”

“I understand why you’d want him to find the right woman and not the woman for now.”

“So you agree he needs to have a real wife and not a temporary one?”

“I do. If he were twenty years younger I’d take him for me,” Karen said.

“Twenty?”

“Okay, thirty. Aunt Edie might be too much for him, but it’s worth a shot.”

Eliza couldn’t be happier. “Did you meet the kids?”

“No. We met at a coffee shop. I think his driver was on the phone with someone while he waited, so my guess is the kids know he met with a younger woman.”

She hoped Stanly’s kids were sweating. “Should I ask Stanly if he wants to meet your aunt, or are you going to do that?”

“I asked if he would have dinner with Aunt Edie and I on Thursday.”

“Does he know it’s a set up?”

“I don’t think so. But I noticed the relief in his eyes when I told him I couldn’t see him romantically and suggested we have a nice dinner with my aunt.”

“Which is for the best. His Viagra prescription is probably expired.”

“Ewehh,” Karen said laughing. “He’s so focused on teaching his kids a lesson that we agreed to get together Thursday to keep them guessing. When I told him about Aunt Edie’s Risotto, he couldn’t resist.”

“What will you tell your aunt?”

“Only that I’m bringing a friend for dinner. She’s used to that.”

“I want a report first thing Friday morning.”

“Sure thing.”

Chapter Fifteen

“This is becoming a habit, detectives,” Carter leaned against the doorframe of Dean and Jim’s office and crossed his arms over his chest. “And I’m not taking another shoe-chewing dog home to Eliza.”

Jim stood and thrust out a hand for Carter to shake. Dean followed.

“Thank you for coming.”

Like before, they ducked into a conference room for privacy.

“How’s Zod working out?”

“Other than the shoe thing, he’s fine. Eliza won’t make him go places with her, but he is at the house.”

Dean and Jim exchanged a look.

“What is it?”