Page 9 of Homecoming

“Can you let Owen know I’m ready to head down the mountain?”

He tipped his ball cap to her as he stood. “Cap’n had to handle some emergency. I’ll take you home.”

Well, damn. She’d hoped to have him to herself for a while longer. “Okay, well, let me gather up my things and we’ll go.”

She watched as the second, quiet man rested a hand on Doc’s shoulder and walked away. Had the man even said one word while she’d been there? She didn’t think he had. It seemed weird to think, but his expression seemed a little sad.

Owen’s truck was gone, but there was a forest green jeep parked at the end of the drive. Grace tiptoed her way through the thicker snow to the vehicle and climbed in the passenger side. The car was cold, and she was shivering by the time Doc circled the hood and climbed in. Snow was falling now, and she wondered how they kept the roads clear.

“How do you keep everything maintained?”

Doc cranked the heat as they pulled away from the cabins and turned down the mountain. “We have a garage down by the main building. And four-wheelers and a couple of tractors with buckets and blades. We have a backhoe if something big needs done.”

“I’m amazed at the amount of work you’ve done up here,” she said, shaking her head as she glanced out the window. She was looking out at the other side of the property now, and she gasped. “Is that a freaking tree house?”

She craned her neck, staring, then looked at Doc.

He grinned slightly. “Yes. We have several throughout the property.”

She shook her head. This was going to be the hardest NDA to stick to she’d ever signed.

Doc answered her questions as they raced down the mountain, but she could tell he preferred the silence, so she just watched as the light faded. The warm truck made her a little somnolent, even with the bumpy drive, and she realized how tired she was. It had been a long day. When they entered the town limits only minutes later, she perked up.

“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll make the next trip up tomorrow morning, early,” Grace told Doc. “I have a lot to pack up and think about.”

“That’s fine. What time?”

“Is eight too early? I know they’re arriving tomorrow, so I want to have everything done well before they get there.”

He gave a nod of his head. “Someone will be down to escort you.”

Escort her. Hm. She slid out of the jeep and gave him a wave.

“Hey, Grace,” a voice said from just behind her. “Who’s the hunky guy?”

Grace turned and grinned. “Hey, Jazz! You are just the girl I was thinking about! It’s one of the men from the sanctuary up the mountain.”

Jasper Lee had been her friend since elementary school, and she always managed to be around when Grace needed her. When Grace had remarked upon it once, Jazz had shrugged lightly. ‘I always listen when the spirits tell me to move,’ she’d said, her dark Cherokee eyes shining. Very much like they were now. She grinned. “Oh, really? Do tell!”

Grace slid her arm into Jazz’s and turned to watch the Jeep leave. “You know I can’t. I need holiday decorations.”

Her friend cocked her head, and she looked intrigued. “I think we can dig some stuff up.”

They turned, arm in arm, and headed back down the street to Jazz’s Treasures, the thrift store she’d opened up several years ago. Jazz waved at the young girl at the checkout register and led Grace through the aisles to the holiday section. Grace picked out several items, loading them into a shopping basket.

“This is perfect. I thought I was done decorating for the holidays,” she laughed.

Jazz gave her a knowing look and a slight smile. She’d heard about the NDAs just like everyone else had, so she knew Grace couldn’t tell her anything.

“Maybe we can grab some dinner after we drop this stuff off at your shop.”

Grace nodded. “I’m up for it.”

She also knew why Jazz wanted her with her. Undoubtedly, they would go to Lila’s Bistro, and Jazz would moon over one of the men there. A new cook had taken over after Charlie had burned himself, and Jazz had been making her presence known to the man. Not that he seemed to be listening.

“It’ll have to be an early night, though. I have a lot of stuff to… get ready.”

Jazz nodded, and they headed out.

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