Page 61 of Hidden Nature

“Both of them spent some summers working with Habitat, and that’s a solid few steps up the ladder for me.” Dean took a swing of his beer as he opened the fridge for the chops. “Got a nice vibe betweenthem, and reasonable rates. We looked at the plans for the house. And yeah, they’ve got some work cut out, but it’s a damn good plan.”

“Nash had a friend, an architect in New York, work on them with him. Solid,” Jonah declared. “We’re going to have them start on the tile work and paint in Water’s Edge next week, see how they do.”

“They may have work for Moose and Maisie,” Drea told her father.

“They let us know. Putting in some interior doors for the Havers tomorrow. I’ll be checking with them, with Moose and Maisie, and we’ll see how it goes.”

“The younger one hit on Drea.”

“He did not.” Drea rolled her eyes at her sister. “He told me I was beautiful.”

“That’s a fact,” her father said. “I’d think less of him if he didn’t notice.”

“They’ve got a Christmas tree in the corner of the living room,” Jonah added. “Got to decorate it yet, but I give them credit for it.”

“We’ll be doing ours after dinner.” Dean slapped a hand on Jonah’s shoulder. “You’re drafted.”

“And I need to take my scheduled walk.”

“Want company?” Drea asked Sloan.

“I’ve got Mop for that. Drink your wine. Trust me, I won’t go far.”

“It’s getting dark,” Elsie said.

“Flashlight in my pocket, and I really can’t go far.”

Jonah sipped his beer when Sloan went into the mudroom for her coat, and Mop wagged his way to follow. He waited until the door closed behind her.

“She needs to walk, be outside. What happened on Thanksgiving wasn’t her fault. She’s careful.”

“You’re right.” Elsie let out a breath. “You’re absolutely right. I’m going to make some quick biscuits to go with the pork and noodles.”

“And keep your hands busy.”

Elsie glanced at her husband. “And keep my hands busy.”

Sloan made it to her afternoon mark, rested thirty seconds, then took ten more steps.

Stopping there, she watched dusk settle over the lake and turn its water deep and dark.

This was here for her, she thought, if she looked out the window, if she stepped outside. As were the mountains, the woods, the trails.

She’d grown used to living in the city, in an apartment. Now—maybe it was the strange Big Change—but she realized she’d grown used to this again.

She just needed to get back to work, back to routine, back to her plans.

She stood another moment, as her mind wandered toward the brothers in the old Parker house. Obviously, they had plans, but what were they, exactly? None of her business, she told herself, except… They might be doing work for her family, and didn’t that make it her business?

She could run a background check, but admitted since she was on leave and they weren’t doing anything to warrant it, she’d walk into a gray area.

Her father was a good judge, and she needed to leave it at that.

She just missed being a cop.

What about Janet Anderson? she wondered. No harm, really, in looking into that. Maybe asking Travis what he knew, if anything.

Maybe just looking at media reports, making some notes, thinking it over would help her feel less useless.

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