Page 66 of For the Birds

Chapter14

After I got dressed,I found him downstairs in the kitchen, standing in front of his open laptop with a coffee cup in his hand. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a dark gray T-shirt that clung to every muscle, reminding me of what I was givingup.

I, on the other hand, was dressed like a hobo. He’d left me a pair of his shorts that had a drawstring, and the T-shirt I’d picked out practically came to my knees. I looked like I was playing dress-up, but I sure wasn’t putting my old clothes back on. I couldn’t help thinking that he’d strategically planned for me to look as unsexy as possible.

He cast a sad glance at me. “I have coffee. I can make us some eggs and bacon.”

“Only if you want it.” We were delaying the inevitable, and it was hurting even more than I’d expected.

He reached for his phone and tapped on the screen, then set it down again and looked at me. “Now that we’re dressed, it’s time for the sensible conversation.”

He gestured to one of the bar stools at his counter, and I sat down while he grabbed a coffee cup and filled it up, adding cream and sugar. A hint of a grin lit up his eyes. “Sensible conversations this early require coffee.”

I accepted it and gave him a tiny smile back even though my heart was breaking.

“I need to know what Reynolds asked you todo.”

I groaned. “Not that again.”

He leaned forward, resting his hands on the counter. “You asked me where I saw myself in the future, but your dream of a nuclear family aside, where do you see yourself? How does the Lady in Black play intoit?”

I sat up straighter. “I don’tknow.”

He stood. “Do you want to do errands for men like Buck Reynolds?” His tone was strained, and I could see he was trying to understand my motivations instead of just barking orders at me . . . which he knew from experience never worked.

I set the mug on the counter. “No . . . I don’t know.” I looked into his eyes. “I returned that necklace to Buck to help the county. You know that. What he’s asked me to do could help the county evenmore.”

“What if I told you that I’m certain he took Scooter? And that the kidnapping was his elaborate ploy to get you to do his dirty work?” His tone was more emphatic, but he was still restraining himself.

“I had a vision, James. Buck Reynolds isn’t behind either ofthem.”

“Forced or spontaneous vision?”

“Forced. But I was careful.” Mostly.

“What did you blurtout?”

I grimaced. “It doesn’t matter. He had no idea what I wasdoin’.”

“You’re certain he doesn’t know you have visions?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure what he thinks I did for you, but he knows that I like investigatin’.”

“So he wants you to investigate something?”

I groaned. “James. . .”

He took a step closer. “Rose, if you do this, others will ask. You have to know that. Especially if you distance yourself fromme.”

“I would never do anything to hurt you. Never.”

“I know!” he said, getting more frustrated. “It’s not me that I’m worried about gettinghurt!”

“Jed taught me some self-defense. And I’ll start carrying my gun. Not in my purse,” I said, thinking on the fly. “I’ll use the thigh holster he gaveme.”

“Do you want to work for the others?” He sounded incredulous.

I ran a hand through my damp hair. “It depends.”

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