Page 9 of Snow Good to Lose
“Thank you, baby.” I leaned over and kissed the top of her head. My eyes remained on our intruder. “This is . . .”
“Skip.” He waved. “I’m staying at the resort.”
“Skip.” I emphasize the S in his name. “He’s wandering the forest looking for some weed.”
“And you are …” Skip leaned forward.
“This is Chet and I’m Tiffany,” Amari answered.
“Tiffany.” Skip put his hand over his heart. “Your accent is beautiful. Where are you from?”
“Haiti.” Amari nodded and flashed Skip her brilliant smile. “Faites attention, you better be careful.” Amari looked up and then back at the man across the way. “You might end up stumbling upon a cartel’s crops.”
“I thought the stuff grew wild down here.” Skip stepped back with one foot. His calf muscle spasmed. He wasn’t in good shape. He scanned the forest to his right.
I followed his gaze.
Is he alone?
He looked defeated, but if he made a move, I was ready. My palm flexed around the hard steel. The safety was on, but I could draw and get one off before he knew what hit him.
It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility for him to be a random guy wandering the forest looking for weed, but I’d bet my tomatoes he was bad news. I trusted my instincts.
He turned his attention back to Amari. I peeked down at her. She didn’t look much different than she did two years ago. They say everybody has a doppelgänger, right?It was the story we agreed upon if anyone recognized her.
I shifted my stance.
Amari’s nails dug into my side.
“You might try talking to Jacob at the resort.” Amari shuffled the bowl of blueberries and looked to the sky. As if she was trying to think of what else to say. “He’s the unofficial dealer at the resort.”
“Great.” Skip clapped his hands.
I flinched. It was undetectable to anybody but Amari. She flattened her hand on my side.
“Now if you could just point me in the direction of the resort, I’ll be out of your way.” He held his hands and grinned.
“That trail over there will take you back to the main road.” I gestured toward his right. “When you hit the main road, take a left, and about half a mile, you’ll hit the entrance to the resort.”
Skip walked backwards in the direction of the trail before I stopped talking.
“Thank you so much, you’ve been most helpful. Both of you.” He saluted, shuffled, and tripped before stepping onto the trail.
I checked for a bulge under his blue T-shirt. I spotted nothing.
Just before the trail turned out of sight, he turned back once more. Amari and I had not moved an inch. We waved.
He waved back. And continued on.
Amari released a sigh. I made no such gesture.
“We have to go,” I said.
“Go where?”
My jaw clenched.
“You don’t mean . . .” Her voice trailed off. “He’s just some random guy wandering the forest looking for weed.”
