Page 95 of For the Birds

He looked onedge.

“Now, this is something else you can’t tell anyone, Witt,” I said. Up until a year ago, my gift had been a carefully hidden secret. My momma had convinced me that only an evil soul could see visions. I’d slowly let people in—Joe and Neely Kate and Mason and James and Jed—and they’d convinced me that my visions were nothing to be ashamed of. That they were useful, sometimes even lifesaving. Even so, I’d still kept them a secret. Now I couldn’t help thinking they should stay that way. If I was straddling two worlds, the fewer people who knew about my ability to suss out the truth, the better.

Witt gave me an impatient look, but he nodded his agreement.

“I have visions of the future. Sometimes they’re spontaneous. But sometimes I can force them. That’s what I did for Skeeter Malcolm last winter—I interviewed people he suspected of bein’ turncoats and looked for the truth.”

His eyes lit up. “You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.”

Neely Kate sat down and grabbed a pancake off the plate.

“I got information for him, and in return, he helped me protect Mason from whoever was trying to kill him,” I said, hoping to stave off his questions.

“Damn . . .” He shook his head, then stabbed two pancakes and transferred them to his plate. “And with everything goin’ on last winter . . .”

“I saved his hide a few times,” Isaid.

“No wonder he thinks you’re valuable.” If he’d dropped the theory that we were personally involved, all the better.

“I hadn’t done anything for him since last February, but he got involved in the whole mess around Reynolds’ necklace.” I paused, then added, “I forced a vision of Buck Reynolds, which is how I know he’s not the one who took Scooter.”

He gave a short nod and picked up the syrup bottle. “How much does this bodyguard gigpay?”

“Not much, but more than nothing. A hundred dollars a day. I’ll probably need you twenty-four seven until this is resolved. You’ll stay here with us. Is thatokay?”

“And you can work on my car,” Neely Kate tossed in. “It’s makin’ that weird noise again.”

Witt shot her a mock grimace before he turned his attention to me. “I can’t legally carry a gun, youknow.”

“Iknow.”

“So what good amI?”

“I have no doubt that if Neely Kate gets into trouble, you’d do anything to help her. I’d like to think you’ll do the same for me.” I stabbed a pancake and put it on my plate. “And maybe you can teach me more about defending myself.”

He was silent for a moment. “You’re neutral? You’re really not tied to Malcolm?”

I cast a glance to Neely Kate, then said, “It’s complicated.”

“Oh boy . . .” Witt groaned. “Here wego.”

“We’ve had ties to Skeeter in the past,” Neely Kate said in a steady voice. “But we’re free of themnow.”

“And how does Malcolm feel about that?” Witt asked, cutting off a small wedge of the pancakes.

Witt deserved honesty. At least as much as I could give him. “He agrees with the principle of distancing himself, and he tried it after the parley over the necklace.” I hesitated. “He finds it difficult in practice. While I didn’t tell him what Buck hired me to do, he guessed it involves his brother. He’s smart enough to know he can’t stop me, but he asked that I use Jed as a bodyguard. I refused.”

“So we don’t have to worry about Skeeter Malcolm getting mixed up in the middle ofthis?”

I made a face. “I think they’ll leave me and Neely Kate to our own devices as long as they know we’re well-protected. But seein’ how Scooter’s wrapped up in this, I suspect he’ll be part of it any way you slice it. Do I plan on keeping him updated on what we find? No. I plan on having absolutely no contact with him atall.”

Witt looked only half convinced.

“If you’re worried about lookin’ like you’ve aligned yourself with Skeeter Malcolm,” I said, catching his gaze, “then I will do my utmost to make sure that doesn’t happen. Can I guarantee it? Not any more than I can guarantee you won’t look like you’ve aligned yourself with Buck Reynolds. I hope to look like an impartial party, which is why I need you and notJed.”

He still looked unsure, so I reached across the table. “Give me yourhand.”

A grin spread across his face. “I knew you couldn’t resist the Rivers-boy charms.”

---