Page 28 of Stone
“You’re in luck. His setup is big, but it’s organic, sustainable, humane—as much as raising animals for food can be—and only about an hour away. Although a lot of the high-end restaurants in the city and wine country buy his stuff, so he does ship within a wider radius.”
“Then I’m looking forward to trying it,” she said, turning back to the view. Her eyes skated along the line of trees several acres away. Simon had mentioned a good water source, and she scanned the area for a pond or creek—either of which would make the property too perfect.
She was about to ask him about it when movement in the trees caught her attention. Her body stilled as her heart kicked against her chest. Her shoulders tightened, as did her hold on her coffee cup.
“Juliana,” Simon said from right behind her. She hadn’t heard him approach, and she jumped. “What did you see?” he asked, wrapping his hand around her wrist to prevent her coffee from spilling on her. How he’d sensed her wariness, she didn’t know.
“Probably nothing,” she said. His fingers grazed her lower back before resting there, warm and unflinching. “I don’t know, just movement,” she said. “Could be a deer or a bear. I’m just jumpy.”
“And you—we—have a right to be,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket. “There,” he said, leaning forward and showing her the screen. On it, a bright heat signature moved through the woods. The image was better than those she saw depicted on TV, but the details were fuzzy. Even so, it clearly wasn’t human. It was smallish, moved on four legs, and was walking away from them.
“What is it?” she asked.
He studied it, then shook his head. “My guess is it’s a baby deer that’s looking for its mother. This time of year, young bears are bigger.”
They watched the form move through the woods until out of range of the camera. Then Simon dropped a kiss on her cheek and headed back into the kitchen.
Her gaze stayed fixed on the forest, her mind imagining the little deer wandering the forest looking for its mother.
“The mothers are relentless when they’ve lost their babies. I’m sure they’ll find each other,” he said, walking back outside, carrying two plates.
He set them down, the rattle of the stoneware breaking her reverie. “Here, let me set the table,” she said, moving toward him. He acquiesced without a word and headed back inside.
A few minutes later, they were seated with a feast of scrambled eggs, sausages, croissants, and jam. And refills of coffee.
Once her plate was full, she picked at her eggs and took a small bite as she debated how to bring the subject up.
“What?” Simon asked. She looked up. “You have something on your mind and it’s not the baby deer.”
Her mind went blank, an uncomfortable and novel sensation. She’d grown accustomed to masking her thoughts and feelings—a necessary set of armor in her childhood—and yet this wasn’t the first time he’d seen through it. Had she lost her touch, or was he weirdly attuned to her? The latter had the warmth of possibility blooming in her chest. Just as quickly, though, she squashed it down. Simon had been Delta Force. His survival and that of his teams depended on good instincts and the ability to read situations. And people.
“You’re thinking far too much, Juliana,” he said. She narrowed her eyes at him. He grinned. “Not that I’m telling you that you shouldn’t worry your pretty little head,” he added. “But I am suggesting it might be easier to just tell me what’s going on.”
Ah, yes, that honesty thing again. Apparently, candor was a part of it as well.
Finally, she took a deep breath and answered. “I woke up early this morning and did a little research on Anna Palmer. Other than reading a few of her articles—she’s a damn good writer, by the way—I didn’t find much on her. But I did find something.” He paused, his fork hanging in the air. She straightened in her chair. “There’s a protest today over the Bayview development. I saw it on social media. It starts at one. We should go.”
The birds chirped, a branch fell in the woods, a cow lowed somewhere in the distance.
“To what end?” he asked, his voice measured.
“Anna Palmer will be there. And it might be good to hear what people are saying.” It would also keep Simon off the computer, but she knew better than to say that. “Maybe we can even catch a glimpse of Gregor. Or see if any of the others show up.” It was unlikely any of the men would show up, but one never knew.
“What are you doing about work?” he asked. She frowned at the change of subject.
“I have this week off. I’d been thinking of heading to LA to spend time with my best friend Alyce, but…” She had no interest in handing her current problem over to Simon, then waltzing away. Nor did she want to put Alyce in danger by visiting.
“San Francisco isn’t a good idea,” Simon said. She raised an eyebrow. He held steady for about thirty seconds, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if searching for some inner strength. “Okay, it might not be abadidea,” he conceded. “I don’t think we’ll learn much, but meeting Anna Palmer could be helpful.” He hesitated, then added, “And I don’t think those three will think to look for you in the city.”
She hadn’t thought about that angle, but it made sense. They had two men in Mystery Lake looking for her; they likely wouldn’t expect her to head back to their stomping grounds. “Are those men still in town?” she asked.
Simon nodded as he finished a bite of a sausage. “One bugged your house with cameras and listening devices.”
She didn’t bother to hide her shock. Or her annoyance. “Why am I learning about thisnow?”
“He didn’t go in until very early this morning. He’d been surveilling it since yesterday. Ever since we saw him on the way to your place. We think he wanted to be sure you weren’t there, or coming back any time soon, before he went in. Marley, one of my brothers, texted me just before you came downstairs.”
She considered this. She would have preferred to know right away, but at the end of the day, what did twenty minutes matter? Deciding not to pick that specific battle, especially not when Simon might go along with her idea, she speared a sausage with her fork and took a bite. The salty mix of herbs burst across her tongue and she sat back, momentarily distracted as she savored the flavor.
