Page 59 of Five Alarm Love
“Steve,” Melinda nearly growled.
Tuli lifted his hand.“I am doing well as a firefighter and as a productive member of society.I pay my bills, and I help people.How that work evolves in the future is to be determined.”
“By taking videos?”
“You’d be surprised how lucrative that can be.”
“So—” Steve began.“No way to provide, then.”
“Hello, I’m sitting right here,” Lou said.“I’m an adult who is involved in this conversation topic.I have a full-time job, and I’m working on my paramedic license now.I have a place of my own to stay and this isn’t the eighteen hundreds.We’re just letting you know that we’re a low-key item.”
“We had to make a dinner for all of this?”Steve asked.
Tuli’s head swam.This was not how he had anticipated the evening going.But he could salvage a conversation.Change the subject.Do party tricks.Anything.“Yep, and now that the heads-up is done, can you tell me what your over-under is on the Seahawks game?Hopefully, we can catch the end of the fourth quarter after dinner.”
Gordy laughed again and pointed toward the TV before touching the tablet around his neck.“Give me.”
Steve muttered something about winning by one touchdown.The conversation settled into this year’s playoff prospects and which rookies would make the biggest impact on the field.Everyone ate quietly.
After a few more minutes, Tuli asked, “Any new updates on the community resource management for the gold and minerals in the Ray Mountains?”
Steve frowned.“That’s what Hunter was here about.”
Lou, silent next to Tuli, gave a slight shake of her head.
Melinda steepled her fingers and rested her chin on them.“Your grandma is part of the elders as well.She can update you.”
“Sure, but I haven’t talked much with her since the last meeting.Last time I saw Grandma was literally a few minutes before I walked to your house.”Tuli laughed.“She’s probably calling up her friends to let them know that I’m over here.At some point, I will get an earful about why I didn’t have dinner with her.”
“She does make excellent blackberry pie,” Melinda said.
“Speaking of which.Is it time?”Steve patted his slightly thickened midsection.
Gordy nodded vigorously and moved his hands on the communication device.“Give me,” it intoned.
“Looks like someone thinks it’s time,” Tuli said.
Melinda dished up the fresh dessert and passed plates around.
Steve turned in Tuli’s direction.“Hunter said that he has some connections in mining that might be useful for our community goals.”
“What kind of connections?”Tuli said.
“He worked with people who do ore extraction.He’s happy to lead the community task force regarding how we access and use that resource.That guy’s a real go-getter.”
Tuli sat forward.Besides the inferiority complex setting up shop, something did not fit with what Steve was saying and what Tuli knew about Hunter.“Seems odd, Hunter coming back after all these years and then jumping right into the mining.”
“We’re lucky it’s such good timing.I was telling my brother—his dad—the other day how lucky we are to have Hunter home now.”
“Good timing.Very lucky.”Tuli rested his fingertips on the table.“That guy has a lot of interesting timing,” he muttered.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” Steve said.
Lou glanced over out of the corner of her eye.
Tuli took a bite of steaming blackberry pie.“Nothing.Melinda, this is delicious.”
Chapter Nineteen
