Page 32 of Joshua's Mistake
Chapter 6
It was the strangest thing, but Joshua couldn’t remember when he’d had as much fun as he’d had since he met Tessa. They were on the run and probably were going to be killed yet he still enjoyed every moment. He wasn’t even including the sex, which was the best of his life. He couldn’t put his finger on the source of his pleasure, but there was something about being near her. The way their energies melded and meshed gave him chills. No one had ever been this close to perfect.
They’d taken Will’s old blue-and-white Ford pickup and parked it at the edge of town. As she walked beside him he watched her expressions. She looked relaxed yet her trepidation bubbled under the surface. She was a good agent. He’d read her file. Everything by the book from her first assignment, yet she was creative too.
Duval Street was a series of bars, clubs, restaurants and hotels. He could practically see her cataloguing everything. Her eyes held a moment on the strip club to the right.
It took a lot of effort not to prod her mind for the exact emotions she was experiencing. His own apparent addiction to her gave him some pause.
They crossed Duval to Lonely Joe’s and walked out of the bright sun. He mused at Tessa’s “aha” moment when she realized Joe’s was a bar and not a person. He grinned back at her when she gave him an annoyed look.
His vision took a moment to adjust and focus on the long U-shaped bar. A man pounded on the keys of an old piano and sang from the raised stage at one end of the large room. Several tables were filled with people eating lunch and a few were having drinks in spite of the early hour. He scanned the room until his gaze settled on the redheaded woman sitting on a barstool at the far end.
Wanda’s age was a big secret, but he guessed her to be around fifty. She was still in great shape and looked years younger. She’d already seen him by the time he spotted her. Her face did not exactly light up, she was far too practiced for that much emotion. But she gave him a small grin, which was practically jumping for joy in Wanda’s world.
“Long time, Josh.” Wanda’s voice had a slow drawl, rough from too much drink and too many cigarettes.
“Good to see you’re still keeping that seat warm, Wanda.”
She shrugged and sipped the golden liquid in her glass. “I’m easy to find. Who’s your friend?”
He held the barstool out for Tessa. “Tessa, meet Wanda Avery.”
Tessa held out her hand and Wanda gripped it, pulling her close. “You know they’re looking for you. Word on the wire is you’ve switched sides.”
Tessa didn’t flinch or pull her hand away. She looked Wanda in the eye. Joshua could feel her temper simmering. He was sure Wanda, even with her limited psi skills, could feel it too.
“I’m not in the habit of explaining myself to strangers, Wanda. Why don’t you tell me what you think?” Tessa’s voice was perfectly even though slightly higher than her normal warm tone.
Wanda released her grip, leaned back and took another sip of her drink. “I think if you’re with Josh that’s enough of a resume for me.”
Tessa nodded.
“What do you want?” Wanda asked Joshua.
“Tell me what’s in the air about us. Have you heard anything about our being here in Key West?”
A large, rowdy group stumbled inside the bar. Wanda rolled her eyes. “Follow me.”
She downed the remainder of her drink in one swallow, smoothly slid off the barstool and sauntered toward the back door. They followed her down a corridor, up a flight of steps and into a small office over Lonely Joe’s.
Wanda sat down behind the oak desk as if she’d done it hundreds of times and pulled a cigarette out of the top drawer. She lit it, blew a long stream of smoke into the air and leaned back in the wheeled desk chair.
Neither Tessa nor Joshua sat down.
“I got wind over the wire that she was wanted for treason and had escaped FBI custody.” Wanda tipped her head toward Tessa.
“And me?”
She took a long drag and blew out another plume of smoke. “Didn’t know you were together until you walked into the bar.”
Josh shook his head and sat down on a small couch near the door. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Wanda scoffed. “Whoever is after you knows you have as many friends as enemies. They must not want any competition. If it makes you feel any better, they seemed to think she was still in the Delaware Valley.”
“They’ll find us eventually. We can’t just wait on this island for them to figure it out,” Tessa said.
“Honey, this island is the perfect place to make a stand. The Lakelands have more friends here than anywhere else on Earth.”
