"I was on my way to Bird Song this afternoon," she explained as he peddled up to her car.
"Great to see you! How's Donald and Donnie?"
"That's why I was coming to see you. To invite you guys to the wedding, all of you, even Martha!" Dean set his bike down and joined Franny in her car as she continued. "And we were wondering if we could take Martha back to Grand Junction with us today? Just for a few days. Donnie would love to see her."
"I know she'd have a ball. I don't see why not."
"Donnie's starting to speak. I know seeing Martha would help. He's not saying sentences or anything like that yet. He's just forming words and sounds but the doctor is very encouraged. I'll bet the first time he really talks, it'll be about Martha! He keeps writing little stories about her. The boy is smitten."
"Come by Bird Song and we'll have to arrange for her to go back with you."
"And guess what else? We're going to have permanent custody! That's the other reason I'm down here. I have to go by a lawyer's office. Shipton the bastard agreed to sign some papers and give Donald and me full custody!"
"Where is Donald?"
"Donald isn't coming to the lawyer's office because he doesn't want to see Shipton if he doesn't have to. He's going to meet me later after he gets in a little ice climbing."
"Then you're meeting with Shipton?"
"Naw. Just exchanging papers with the lawyer. It's temporary custody at first until some court stuff takes place and we're married but the lawyer says Shipton definitely signed."
"Shipton is in Ouray?" Dean asked.
"Yeah. The lawyer said he came by personally with the papers. He has to pick up his wife's belongings, too."
"Their luggage is stored at Bird Song," Dean said. "I'm not that fussy about his coming there to get it."
"I can understand that after you guys tried to kill each other. Maybe he'll have enough sense to send someone else to pick it up."
Dean hadn't received word from the Shipton family since Weller had deposited the baggage on his doorstep. If Shipton was in town, Dean was unaware of it. His first inclination was to stay as far away from Bird Song as possible until Shipton was long gone. He hadn't set eyes on the man since he'd decked him in front of his inn and that was fine in his book. However, he was even less inclined to leave Cynthia, perhaps alone, if Shipton were to come by for the stored belongings.