Page 55 of Scorched Secrets

“Yeah, that makes sense.” He relaxed. “Do you mind if I use the binocs? Might be helpful if more boats head out on the water.”

“Of course.” Aiden grinned. “They are not everyday binocs either. They have night vision lenses too.”

He couldn’t help smiling back. “Soldiers like to be prepared, huh?”

“Something like that.” Aiden shrugged. “I figured I’d bring as much of my gear as possible.”

“Good decision, thanks.” He stood and accepted the small pair of binoculars Aiden held out for him. He took a moment to familiarize himself with how they worked, using the night vision lenses to scan the darkness outside the window. “Wow, these are great.”

“Yep.” Aiden yawned. “Get out, bro. It’s my turn to get some sleep.”

“You bet.” He had stretched out fully clothed in case they needed to make a quick getaway. He quickly put his shoes on, then headed for the door. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

“Sounds good. But I don’t think you will. It’s a nice, quiet community out here.” Aiden grinned then closed the bedroom door behind him.

Colin softly crept down the stairs to the main level. He took a moment to peer through the front and back windows, before ducking in to use the bathroom. In the kitchen, he poured himself a large glass of water, wondering if he should make coffee. He hesitated, not wanting to disturb Faye.

He quietly eased down the hall to the master suite. He listened for several long moments but heard nothing from inside. Reassured she was asleep, he returned to the kitchen to brew the pot of coffee.

Between the caffeine and the four hours of sleep, he was struck by a renewed energy. He silently agreed with his brother that the rest of the night would be quiet, but of course, that didn’t mean he would let his guard down.

Fascinated by the night vision lenses and the odd green hue that enabled him to see clearly, he went from one window to the next, examining the area around the house. While looking at the wooded area to the right, stopping when he saw a large deer moving through the trees. No rack, so he assumed she was a doe. Then he noticed the smaller deer beside her. Doe and her fawn, he guessed.

A wide smile creased his features. Amazing.

Satisfied there was no threat lurking nearby, he sat at the kitchen table in the dark, sipping his coffee. Staying up and alert gave him a new appreciation for the work his cop siblings did. He could sleep or eat during his downtime at the fire station. Not that they didn’t get plenty of paramedic calls, because they did.

That made him think of his youngest sister, Elly. She’d been working as an EMT for a few months now, and so far she seemed to enjoy it. She talked a lot about the transfers they did between nursing homes and the hospital for patients who needed care. He and the rest of the family had been concerned when Elly hadn’t been able to settle on a career.

Not that she hadn’t tried. Elly first wanted to be a cop but hadn’t been able to pass the physical requirements, and then she had ended up quitting nursing school after two years in the program. She’d met with a military recruiter, but then she had decided the same physical requirements required for the academy would hold her back.

Rhy had encouraged her to consider other professions—accounting, marketing, whatever might interest her. But Elly had been determined to carry on the family tradition of being a first responder.

When she’d started the EMT program, they’d secretly wondered how long this career choice would last. Aiden had wanted to run a pool guessing the length of time she’d stick with it, but Rhy had shut that down. Their oldest brother had made a point of reminding them they were all going to support Elly.

No matter what.

So they had. And she’d been doing well. Although he also had sensed a faint trepidation in Elly’s eyes on the few occasions he’d been there when she’d headed off to work.

Nerves probably. One thing about being a paramedic or an EMT, you never knew what you would find when the next call came in. He’d seen some tragic cases up close and personal. And it worried him a bit that Elly’s soft heart would take a beating in this job.

Finishing his first cup of coffee, he poured another, then made rounds again. As he watched through the patio doors overlooking the lake, he frowned when he noticed a small rowboat.

Picking up the binocs, he looked at the occupant for a long time. The person rowing the boat across the lake was a male, who appeared relatively young, maybe in his late teens. He didn’t seem to look at the houses along the shore, though, but simply rowed the boat over the calm surface of the water.

Rather unusual to be out rowing a boat in the middle of the night. But as he looked again through the binocs and night vision lenses, he didn’t see a weapon. There was no sign of an accelerant either. No boat engine meant there wasn’t any gasoline. The kid simply took long deep strokes, gliding across the water. Training maybe for a college rowing team.

Colin let out a long sigh, reminding himself not to overreact. A teenager rowing a boat after midnight was hardly a threat.

Strange, maybe. But not something to be concerned about.

After his third set of rounds, Colin dropped down onto the sofa for a few minutes. He wasn’t tired, but the boredom was killing him.

The sound of a door opening had him shooting to his feet. He moved toward the master suite as Faye came out of the room.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He raked his gaze over her, wondering if something had frightened her.

“I smelled coffee and thought it might be morning.” She grimaced. “I didn’t realize it was one thirty until I was up and out of bed.”

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