Page 57 of Refuge for Flora

“That beautiful wife of yours doing okay?” Martina was one of the sweetest people Barrett had ever met. If you knew Martina, you knew you were loved.

“Yeah. She’s doing a good bit better. She’ll never regain the sight in that eye, but she’s not having much trouble with her balance anymore, and I think her memory’s better than it was.”

“Good therapy will do that for a person.”

“Indeed it will. But that’s not why you called me, although I have to say I’m glad to hear from you!”

“Thanks! And yeah, I need to talk to you about something you might be able to help with. Could we maybe get together over lunch and let me tell you about this?”

“Help you? Does this entail dressing up like a woman and dancing on a stage for charity?” Bud asked, and Barrett snorted. That picture of him from his junior year in high school dressed like a cheerleader and doing cheers with the other football players to raise funds for a classmate’s heart transplant had made the rounds and he knew he’d never live it down, but he didn’t care. They’d raised several hundred dollars and because of them and other members of the community who’d worked hard to help the family financially, Kevin was still alive.

“No. It does not. You don’t have the legs for it.”

“Oh,Idon’t have the legs for it! I’ll remember that the next time you want to borrow my stilettos,” Bud barked back, laughing.

That made Barrett laugh too. “Got my own, man! But seriously, I really do need to talk to you.”

“You tell me your schedule and I’ll make it happen.”

“Tomorrow? Maybe in Princeton? Or Dawson Springs?”

“Mmmm, my granddaughter has a program at the school at ten o’clock that I’m supposed to attend. Let’s do Dawson Springs at noon.”

“Yeah. That’ll be good. Thanks, Bud.”

“You’re welcome. Look, man, I owe you. I can never thank you enough for all the work you put in while we were looking for Renita. Ever hear from Conor?”

“Actually, we’re in touch over the thing I want to talk to you about.”

“Say no more. If Conor’s in, so am I. See you tomorrow, my friend.”

“Looking forward to it. Thanks. Bye.” Barrett ended the call and sat there. If they could pull off the plan, it would mean they’d at least get to the bottom of who was shipping the alligators.

And there was a possibility they could find out a whole lot more.

* * *

“She asleep?”

Flora nodded. “Yep. Out like a light.”

“I don’t want to wake her up.”

“I know what she said about us making noise, but honestly, when she’s out, she’s out. It would take a freight train inside a tornado caught in an earthquake to wake her up, and I’m still not sure she’d rouse.”

Barrett snickered. “Then maybe we can make all the noise we want!”

“Let’s not and play it safe.”

“So you don’t want to?”

Flora laughed. “I didn’t say that!”

“Oh. Okay. Thought you were turning me down.”

“Not turning you down, you hunky stud muffin.” Flora curled in a little closer to him and kissed him. In seconds, he was kissing her back with gusto. His utter maleness was one of the things that turned her on most. Sweet and kind as he was, Barrett was all man, and being that close to him was like nothing she’d ever experienced. The difference between him and Darryl was like cashmere versus polyester. There was no comparison. When he held her, she felt cherished and safe. When he kissed her, she felt desirable and wild. His lips left hers and trailed down her neck. “Oh, god, Barrett…”

“Damn, girl, you turn me on. I’m so fuckin’ hard I ache.” He sucked a stiffened nipple into his lips and Flora gasped as her back arched.

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