Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 114820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
She paused.
And then she said, “What I didn’t do was get pissed when he said he got a job offer in Oregon where he’d be getting paid a lot more, and he wanted all three of us to go. And I refused, because, you know, seven generations of Bon Amie, I’m not walking away from that. I’ve been waiting to get my hands on it since I could form coherent thought. When he dug in, I didn’t get angry and find some guy and arrange for him to discover us fucking. One, because Jaeger would have torn his head off, and I’m not a big fan of blood on my sheets. And two, because that’s just nasty.”
“Gotta say, you’re pretty funny when you’re off on one,” he ribbed.
“The point is, Rus,” she huffed out in exasperation. “She made you feel guilty for being you, then she did something really awful, and for some reason, you think you deserve it. When you don’t. Ezra deserves someone being really awful to him. As far as I know, you don’t. Though, maybe your ex does.”
There was a warmth in his stomach that had something to do with the bourbon.
But mostly it was her.
“Did I mention I like you?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“So, in case you didn’t put this together, me landing all of this on you is to lay it out because I like you.”
“Yes, Rus, I put that together.”
“Not scared?”
“Honey, I’m Cher with less makeup and no plastic surgery and a lot better head for business. And you’re asking me if I’m scared?”
“What?”
“Have you seen Burlesque?”
“Your show? Yeah, I caught it last night.”
“No, the movie. With Cher and Christina Aguilera.”
“No, I haven’t seen that.”
“Of course. On second thought, it doesn’t strike me as something you’d rush out to see,” she murmured.
“Is it good?”
“Have you heard Christina Aguilera sing?”
“I think so.”
“It’s good. Even Jaeger liked it, and I thought his eyeballs would melt if he watched it.”
Rus started chuckling. “Let me guess, he chopped wood for recreation and took baths in creeks.”
“I still have wood he chopped, and he’s been gone for two years, and I have three fireplaces in my house.”
At that, Rus burst out laughing.
“Can you chop wood?” she asked.
“There’s an art to it. I found that out when we were in Colorado for a vacation and we rented a house. But I got the hang of it. It’s not neurosurgery.”
“Or catching a killer.”
That felt warm in his gut too.
“That either, baby,” he said quietly.
“Let me be clear, I’m not scared.”
That felt the warmest of all of it.
His voice was rough when he said, “Good.”
“You can make your move at any time, but apparently, I’m coming to Cade and Delphine’s for dinner tomorrow. My guess, either Cade or Harry said something, and Delphine is match making. So, you know, I probably wouldn’t say no to after-dinner drinks in your room.”
He was smiling, but uncertain, when he replied, “I’ll bear that in mind.”
“Or wait until you’re ready,” she said gently.
“I got a killer to catch, honey.”
“I know.”
“How’s Madden?”
“Sleeping now. We got word Brittanie is finally at the funeral home. We’re thinking Tuesday or Wednesday for her services. Probably Wednesday. Maybe, after that, Madden will have some closure and a sense of peace for Brittanie, and she’ll have fewer dark times. We lost Gram about a month after Jaeger moved away. This isn’t her first loss. But you never get used to them.”
“No, you don’t.”
After that, they talked a little while longer, they didn’t get into anything heavy, and by the end of it, she sounded sleepy. He knew he was, so they signed off.
He finished his drink, turned off the fire, went to the safe and got one of his guns, ambled into the bedroom and set it on the nightstand.
He had just enough energy to strip to his shorts and brush his teeth.
Then he got under the fluffy duvet, arranged the pillows so they were perfect for his head, and fell into a dead sleep.
SEVENTEEN
Hawkins
Rus slept until he woke naturally.
Which meant he was out of bed at nine seventeen, feeling refreshed.
He put on clean running clothes and managed the trail five times before he headed in.
He was stopped by an employee who asked, “Would you like breakfast sent up now, Agent Lazarus? Maybe pancakes today?”
This being how they knew yesterday when to send up breakfast. Lucinda had them on the lookout for him.
He suppressed a smile, popped his earbuds out and requested, “Could you give it half an hour? And you pick, but something healthy.”
Lucinda had been correct. He was a meat and potatoes man, and if he could eat that with the addition of peanut M&Ms and a variety of pies and cookies, that’d be awesome.
But his body needed additional nutrition.
He went to his room, did his sit ups, added some exercises for his obliques, then planks, mountain climbers, a few burpees and ended on his pushups.