Page 12 of Anders
Security?she asked, trying to sound merely professionally interested.Is crime a big issue out here?
Not crime exactly,Sarah said carefully.But occasional cattle rustlers, for sure.And the desert can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re dealing with.Anders makes sure everyone stays safe.
And keeps their secrets, Etta thought, though she wasn’t sure where the idea came from.She made herself focus on the menu instead of the strange undercurrents she was picking up.
I’d be happy to help set up some interviews,Sarah offered.Malcolm and Larissa are usually pretty busy, but they make time for important things.And Anders…She paused.Well, Anders takes some tracking down, but I’m sure he’d be interested in meeting you.
The way she said it made Etta think there was more to that statement than simple interview arrangements.But before she could probe further, her attention was caught by movement outside.
The twins from earlier were passing by again, this time accompanied by a tall, lean man whose mere presence made every nerve in Etta’s body light up like a Christmas tree.
She watched through the window as he moved with fluid grace, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings.Even from this distance, something about him called to her, made her want to lean closer, to catch his scent…
His scent?What is wrong with me?
That’s Anders,Nick said quietly, and Etta jumped.She hadn’t realized she’d been staring.Should I ask him to come in?
No!The word came out sharper than she’d intended.She modulated her tone.No, thank you.I’d rather get the office set up first, be more prepared before I start interviews.
Sarah nodded, but Etta caught the look that passed between her and Nick.
Take your time,Sarah said.But don’t take too long.News waits for no one, right?
Right,Etta agreed, though she was already making mental notes about Anders’s patrol pattern—because that was what it had looked like, a patrol—and calculating when he might pass by again.
Stop it, she told herself firmly.You’re here to run a newspaper, not track the movements of the local security consultant.
But as she ordered her lunch, she couldn’t help noticing how her awareness seemed to expand, mapping the positions of everyone in the diner, noting the way conversations shifted when certain people entered or left, cataloging the complex social dynamics playing out around her.
It would make her a better reporter, she decided.That was all it was.Just her honed professional observation skills kicking into high gear.
The fact that she could still track Anders’s position by scent alone, even though he was now a block away, was something she chose not to examine too closely.
THE AFTERNOON SUN SLANTEDthrough the newspaper office’s dusty windows as Etta settled at the old editor’s desk with a stack of newspapers from eighteen months ago.
The previous editor, James Martinez, had run theSunburst Heraldfor forty-five years before his death.His last issue sat on top of the pile, featuring his own obituary on the front page.
She flipped through the yellowed pages, making notes about typical story patterns.School board meetings.Town council updates.The occasional human interest piece about someone’s prize-winning tomatoes.Her pen moved steadily across her notepad as she documented the rhythm of small-town life.
Good foundation, she thought.Start with the basics, then expand coverage.
The scent of old paper and ink filled her nose, oddly comforting.But underneath it was that other smell again, the wild one that seemed to permeate everything in Sunburst.
She rubbed her temples, trying to concentrate on the task at hand.
A noise at the door made her head snap up, nostrils flaring.Her whole body tensed, every nerve ending suddenly alert.
Anders Hamilton stood in the doorway, his lean frame filling the space with a presence that made her skin tingle.That wild scent she’d been noticing intensified, and something deep inside her responded to it.
Sarah and Nick suggested I stop by,he said, his voice deep and controlled.Said you might want to talk about the community.
Etta had to swallow twice before she could speak.Yes, I—they mentioned you handle security for local properties?
He nodded, moving into the room with that fluid grace she’d already noticed.She tracked his movement, noting how he positioned himself to maintain clear sight lines to both door and windows.
Was that typical behavior for a security consultant?
Would you mind if I interviewed you?The words tumbled out before she could second-guess them.For the paper?
