Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) Read Online Free PDF

hundred and eighty. Some are part of multi-unit buildings, and others are stand-alones, like the haciendas.”
    “Can I ask a delicate question?” Dalton interceded. “Do you still have a mortgage on the place?”
    Raymond’s face reddened. “No, sirree. We are completely debt-free. However, it’s not always easy to make ends meet, especially during the summer months. That’s why I was hoping to get the ghost town running as a tourist attraction. It would bring more people into the area, and some of them would need a place to stay.”
    “What about Craggy Peak? That must occupy a big piece of land.”
    “The town was happy to get a buyer after foreclosing on the previous owner, who’d neglected to pay his taxes. I made an outright purchase.”
    “Is that so?” Dalton looked as though he wanted to ask more, but he clamped his lips shut and reached for a slice of corn-bread.
    An awkward silence fell, while Marla wondered where Raymond had obtained the funds to buy Craggy Peak if he was barely making ends meet at the dude ranch. Not only did he have to purchase the land and deserted buildings, but then there was the construction crew to pay and permits to acquire. He might even have had to pay those back taxes.
    Financing wasn’t the only subject Raymond avoided. He hadn’t once asked about his sister, Kate. Had Dalton noticed his uncle’s reticence to speak about his mother?
    “Can you explain to me how your families are related?” she said in a bright tone to get the conversation rolling again. She lifted her fork and stabbed into a stalk of asparagus.
    “My mother is Uncle Ray’s sister,” Dalton said in a subdued tone. Clearly familial relations weren’t a topic he was eager to pursue. “You knew that.”
    “Yes, but tell me again about your ancestry.”
    “Our heritage dates back to Ireland.” Wayne shared a hooded glance with Dalton. “My great-grandfather, Paddy O’Hara, immigrated to New York. He married a woman named Rose Sherman and they had one daughter, Hannah.”
    Rose Sherman?
Marla sipped her Arizona-made red wine. That sounded like a Jewish name. Could an Irish Catholic have married a Jewish bride back in 1800’s New York? From Raymond’s high cheekbones, she might have guessed he had Indian blood. Huh. This family might have a more interesting background than she’d surmised.
    “Go on.” She gave Wayne an encouraging nod.
    “Hannah married Sean Campbell, and they had two children—Kate and my dad.”
    Raymond cleared his throat. “Let’s not dredge up the past, folks. What matters now is that you’re here, Dalton, with your lovely bride. Sorry I couldn’t make the wedding, but at least Wayne and Carol represented the family.”
    “We were sorry Annie couldn’t come, either.” Marla offered her female cousin by marriage a friendly smile. Did Annie sense the undercurrents of tension here, too?
    “You came to us, so I got to meet you after all.” Annie grinned back at her.
    “It’s impressive that you run your own diet clinic. How come you’re not working on the ranch? It appears to be the family business.”
    “It isn’t my thing. I had weight issues when I was young, despite the exercise I got riding. I wanted to counsel teens about good nutrition, especially when obesity is such an epidemic in America. Good eating habits have to start early.” She aimed a meaningful glance at her sister-in-law. “It’s hard to watch your diet around here when every other meal is a steak.”
    “Hey, the men need hearty food,” Carol said. “They work it off during the day.”
    “Carol, we’ve discussed this before. You don’t want them to drop from a heart attack. There are healthier choices that can be just as tasty.”
    “You’re right. That’s why I made this lemon chicken. You gave me the recipe.”
    “The last time I ate here, you served ribs. You know I don’t eat red meat.”
    “You liked the corn and barley dish, though. When you cook for a family, you’ll