Page 16 of Jagger

“You headed to the resort?” he asked. My younger brother had adapted more than Shep or I had done, enjoying his work handling the restaurant and winery.

“After I run an errand. I wouldn’t expect the produce delivery any time soon. Fuckin’ Bronco and his shitty staff.”

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Does it have anything to do with that unexpected guest dropping in last night?”

How many times had I wanted to punch the smug look off the man’s face? He chided me about everything. Sure, I’d done that to him when I was younger, but that was two plus freaking decades before. “I have shit to do. Are you here for a reason?”

His damn smile remained. “Shep mentioned the park rangers are real concerned about the storm with the wind speed and amount of snow we’re expecting.”

“And that matters to us why?”

“We need to keep the weather alert systems on. That’s your baby. Plus, the resort is considered a safe haven in storms.”

“Why the hell is that?” Yeah, it had been my idea to install a sophisticated weather system instead of the shit I’d found when we’d arrived. I hoped I wouldn’t regret it.

“Because we have fully operational generators and the power goes out to half the town way too often.”

I glanced toward the sky, the light pelting I felt indicating the snow was laced with ice crystals. “I’ll be there in an hour or so.”

“Good deal. I’ll let Shep know.”

Shephard wasn’t our boss. We were equal partners, but he’d acted like papa dog since we’d arrived. Fuck him. I didn’t need anyone looking over my shoulder telling me how to do my job. Hunter continued studying me, searching for answers I didn’t have. He’d wanted to talk about our respective pasts and I’d shot him down every time. If he needed a shrink, he should hire one.

He knew I wasn’t the comforting type. Plus, our secret missions were required to be kept private. Forever.

“Well,” he said. “I’ll get out of your hair.”

“You do that.” I didn’t wait for him before hopping into my vehicle, starting and revving the engine. I followed closely behind his truck as he headed down the driveway, only turning the opposite way toward town. It was an exercise I didn’t take very often. I went into town once a month to get supplies and no more.

I handled repairs at the cabin myself, spending my days off chopping wood or hiding in the mountains. I preferred being very much alone, only putting on a fake plastic smile when required. Being the controller allowed me to work in an office instead of walking the resort, but I still had been forced to deal with the staff.

They’d learned quickly that I wasn’t a people person, choosing to stay out of my way whenever possible.

The ride into town would be treacherous for anyone without a four-wheel drive. The roads were slick and it wouldn’t be longuntil they became impassible. As I made the last turn, heading into town, I realized just how important the Christmas holidays were to the townies. They went all out with decorations, a damn parade and Santa being a huge deal for the kiddies.

The resort was bad enough with huge Christmas trees and wreaths on every door. Seeing the huge fake Santas and reindeer everywhere, the main square lit up with thousands of twinkling lights was enough to make me sick. Danger Falls looked like a Hallmark movie on steroids.

I passed by the bakery, the old fountain store still serving ice cream cones in the winter, a quaint bookstore that was always busy, the farmer’s market, which was still open even on a day like today, and the fish and bait tackle store run by two old-timer brothers. There was a smattering of small clothing stores, a decent hardware place, and plenty of delicious eateries where I’d never eaten a single bite.

Hell, other than going to Rutherford’s General Store for groceries, I could count on one hand the number of times I’d been in any of the other locations.

I knew where I was going, the grocery store the only one I shopped at. The manager usually gave me a quick wave before turning away. My gruff reputation preceded me, but the locals had become insistent on making me a part of the community. You couldn’t walk anywhere without a few of them waving. Even if they didn’t know who you were, they nodded in recognition, most offering a small-town smile.

Still, they liked to gossip about the dangerous Fox brothers, a notion stuck into their head after the local sheriff had called us enemies of the state in front of one too many people. The angry dude had been watching too many movies.

This was the kind of place where manners still applied, kids taught to respect their elders. Hell, I’d learned it was disrespectful not to open a door for a lady, schooled by the owner of the popular diner. Poppy Danfield had been around since the beginning of time, friendly to a fault to everyone, myself included. But her sharp wit and sassy mouth had issued a clear warning that if I wanted to be liked in this town, I needed to relearn my manners.

I tossed items into the grocery basket, already gritting my teeth from accepting the job myself. I had no clue what Bella or Cally liked. What the hell did a kid eat for breakfast or for a snack? I was standing in the cereal aisle when Denise Parker came over. She was the love of Shep’s life, a park ranger with an attitude. She was damn good at her job, not only because she loved what she did. She’d also been a former detective in a big city.

I still had no clue what the hell she was doing here and what she saw in my brother.

“Stocking up for the big storm?” she asked.

I happened to notice her cart was filled with bottled water and dehydrated beef products. “I guess you’re preparing for the apocalypse.”

“Something like that. It’s supposed to be a bad one.” She was studying me carefully. “What are you looking for?”

I’d picked up eight boxes of kids’ type cereal, grimacing at the sugar content. “Something a damn kid would eat.”

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