Page 41 of On the Chase
Yanking open the top drawer, Grace stared at the stacks of underwear for a second before jamming it shut again. The second drawer was more helpful. She pulled out some athletic shorts and a T-shirt before closing the drawer and escaping to the bathroom.
The shower felt amazing. Tipping her head back into the hot, needling spray, she closed her eyes, only to snap them open a second later when she started to tip sideways. Although she’d heard of the saying “falling asleep on your feet,” she’d never actually done it before. She seriously needed some rest. After briskly finishing washing and rinsing, she turned off the shower.
His clothes were huge on her. The T-shirt was fine, except for wanting to slip off one shoulder or the other, but the shorts were a challenge. Grace finally tied a knot in the waistband, which kept the shorts from falling around her ankles. A glance in the mirror made her groan quietly. She looked like a kid playing dress up. Tugging the T-shirt away from her sides, she decided that at least two normal-sized humans could fit into Hugh’s clothes with her. He was just that massive.
“Grace?” His voice coming from behind the closed door made her jump. “You okay?”
She sighed, allowing the fabric to drape around her body again. “Fine. I’ll be out in a second.” She paused. “Don’t pick the lock.”
She heard a huff, but she wasn’t sure if the sound was amusement or offense. Shrugging off Hugh’s reaction, she turned back to the sad figure in the mirror. Her drooping shoulders made Grace give herself a mental slap. Considering how the past couple of weeks had gone, too-large clothes were such a minor problem that they shouldn’t bother her. It was just annoying that Hugh had seen her in so many unflattering situations—the coveralls, her Walmart jeans, her post-roof-climbing outfit.
Abruptly, Grace cut off the mournful thought. She didn’t—couldn’t—care what Hugh thought of her.
Gathering her discarded clothes, she opened the bathroom door, and Hugh stumbled in, apparently having been leaning on the door. Once he recovered his balance, he took in her tentlike apparel and opened his mouth.
“Don’t say a word if you want to live,” she growled, pushing past him into the hall.
With a choked cough that sounded suspiciously close to a laugh, Hugh raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. “I was just going to tell you that the food’s ready.”
“Uh-huh.” It was getting harder and harder to hold her irritation at him. Instead, as she headed down the stairs, she was struck again by how beautiful his house was. Although it was vastly different from her own decorating style, the interesting mix of elegant and cozy made her feel immediately at home. When she reached the bottom, Lexi trotted over to greet her, shoving her furry head under Grace’s hand.
“Go on out to the deck,” Hugh said from right behind her. “I’ll bring out the food.”
Walking toward the sliding glass door, through which she could already see a breathtaking view of the mountains, she felt a flicker of regret for her snarkiness. “You didn’t need to cook for me.”
He laughed. “I didn’t. During your five-thousand-year shower, Otto stopped by to see for himself that I hadn’t been dismembered by bikers. Knowing that all I have in my fridge are aging condiments, he took pity on us and brought food from the diner… Well, the VFW posing as a diner, I guess.”
Stopping, she turned so she could give him her best glare. “You shouldn’t joke about that. You could’ve died. It’s serious.” Even though she wanted to keep her stern tone, she couldn’t keep from adding, “And we’ve been calling it the viner.”
“Viner. I like it. And I know it’s not a joking matter.” Despite his words, a residue of amusement still lingered in his expression. “Otto said that, too. He was slightly annoyed that I’d been at the traffic stop today, and more than slightly annoyed that I’d dragged you along.”
It seemed that, along with the bald biker, everyone on the police department had spotted them on the roof. Apparently, the camouflaging trees had been pretty much useless. “He saw us, too?”
“Nope.” Although Hugh made a face, he didn’t look too irritated. “Theo, the huge blabbermouth, told him. I knew he’d tell Otto. At least I got food with my lecture.”
At the reminder, Grace crossed the last few feet to the door. She slid it open, marveling at how the deck jutted into space. The cliff fell away beneath them, plunging to a river that had worn a deep groove in the mountain. It was beautiful and, despite the severe, vertigo-inducing drop, calming. As she stepped onto the deck, Lexi brushed by her. The railing slats weren’t very far apart, definitely not wide enough for a good-sized dog to squeeze through, but Grace figured she’d check, just in case. “Is it okay if Lexi’s on the deck?”
“Sure,” Hugh called back from the kitchen. “Just leave the door open so she can come back in if she wants.”
Leaving the door open as instructed, Grace moved to look over the railing. Her head spun. The cliff face plummeted to the river so far below that it looked as if someone had drawn the water using a dark-blue Sharpie. The dramatic plunge made her stomach lurch, and Grace took a hasty step back. Even though she didn’t usually have a fear of heights, this was different. It felt as if she were suspended above nothingness, and looking straight down at the drop made her feel as if the deck was shifting under her feet.
Moving back another step toward the door, Grace focused on the view straight ahead of her. It didn’t matter that she was no longer looking down, though. It still felt as if the deck was swaying beneath her. Frowning, she turned toward the door. Eating in the security of Hugh’s kitchen suddenly seemed like a good idea.
There was acrack, and then another, and Lexi let out an uneasy whine. Grace froze, trying to identify the sound. Her first thought was that someone was shooting at them again, but the noise was different. Besides, there was nowhere to shoot from, unless the wannabe assassin was a rock climber, as well. Despite the improbability of a cliff-scaling killer, Grace looked around, but saw nothing but silent mountains and the setting sun.
Her instincts screamed at her, telling her that something was terribly wrong, and she took a step toward the door. “Lexi.” The dog looked at her, tail tucked and her body slightly crouched. Her posture confirmed to Grace that, shooter or no shooter, they were in danger. “Let’s go inside.”
With a final squealing groan, the deck collapsed beneath her feet.
Too shocked to even shriek, Grace grabbed for the edge of the open door, catching it with one hand just before she began to slide across the almost vertical surface. Her arm wrenched painfully as her entire weight pulled against her hold, but she managed to keep her grip.
Lexi yelped, making Grace twist her head to see the dog sliding toward the far railing. The dog’s nails futilely fought for purchase as she skidded across the now-slanted deck.
“Grace!” Hugh shouted, sprinting toward the door. She opened her mouth to answer, but all she could do was suck in rapid, panicked breaths. Another yip caught her attention, and she watched in horror as Lexi collided with the tipped railing. One hind leg slid off the edge, and the dog scrabbled to pull herself back on the deck. Her second rear paw slipped over the top board, so that her entire back end hung over the railing, dangling over a terrifying, deadly drop.
The dog’s muscles bulged as she strained to pull herself to safety, her eyes wide in terror, the whites showing clearly. If Grace didn’t help her, didn’t dosomething, Lexi was going to fall. As Hugh reached to seize her hand and pull her to safety, Grace knew she couldn’t let that brave dog die. She released her grip on the door.
“No! Grace!” Hugh shouted. She slid, faster and faster, grabbing at the smooth deck flooring, but it didn’t provide any handholds. All her efforts at stopping her free fall didn’t even slow her down, and she crashed hard into the railing next to Lexi. The wood bowed at the impact, and every one of Grace’s muscles braced in anticipation of the slats breaking, sending her plunging into the chasm below.
