Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“I don’t know that you should be taking advice from Max Harper.”
He got that a lot. “Yeah, everyone says that but since I started talking to Max, I got a job I love and I’m really into this woman. I talk to people more, and it’s not as terrible as I thought it would be. It can be nice to talk.”
“That is the most words I think I’ve ever heard you say.” Lucy nodded, looking him up and down. “Well, Max for the win, then. Come on inside.”
“Yeah, I was happy you called. I’ve been meaning to ask about that woman who came looking for Van.” He’d been thinking about this for days.
Lucy closed the door behind him and started down the hallway toward the service elevator. “I’m so sorry about that. I’ve already had a talk with Chelle. She’s not allowed to give out any information. She’s new and I would have fired her, but there was crying and I didn’t have the heart. She won’t do it again.”
“I didn’t want you to fire her. I only wanted to get some information. Did the woman who was looking for Van say she was a lawyer?”
Lucy seemed to think. “I don’t recall hearing anything about that. You know Chelle’s talking to the new deputy this afternoon, right?”
Elisa was here? She hadn’t mentioned it this morning, but then she’d had to leave in a hurry. He’d hopped in the shower with her and made her almost late for her brand-new job.
Luckily his was more laid back. “No, I hadn’t heard that.”
“She should be meeting with the deputy very soon.” Her face suddenly lit up as the elevator doors opened and Michael Novack walked out. He was dressed in slacks and a Western shirt, a dark suitcoat covering his broad shoulders and a Stetson on his head. He was a US marshal who worked an area that included Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. He was often sent to help local law enforcement track down the most dangerous of criminals, but he didn’t look like a rough-and-tumble law enforcement guy as he caught sight of his girlfriend.
The man’s whole face lit up, and a wide smile appeared. “Hey, you. I thought you would be in the conference hall making sure everything runs smoothly.” He tipped his hat Hale’s way. “Hale, good to see you.”
This was where Max said he should say something back, even if he wasn’t happy to see a person. He wasn’t happy to see Michael, but he also didn’t mind. “Michael.”
Lucy went on her toes to kiss her boyfriend. “I’ve got plenty of people to cover the conference. What I don’t have is a working water heater on the third floor.”
Michael groaned. “Damn, they need to replace that thing. Hey, did you notice someone dug out circles in the snow last night? I looked out over the east field and it’s the damnedest thing. Pretty, but I can’t figure out why someone would do that. Did you have the grounds crew do it?”
Lucy sighed, a tired sound. “Oh, no. I was warned this could happen. Apparently there’s someone in town who plays pranks on us. It’s been going on for years. Every now and then we get crop circles. Except without the crops. Snow circles. Once every winter and once sometime during the summer. I would love to figure out how they’re doing it. I would bet Mel is on his way as we speak.”
“Why would anyone take the time to make snow circles?” He understood the principle behind it, but the whys eluded him.
“No idea, and the lodge tries to keep it quiet. The last thing we need is a convention of alien hunters. We have enough with the squatchers and covens and that group that swears there are werewolves in town.” Lucy pulled out her cell. “I’m going to let maintenance know we need to plow over it. The last thing I need is the local media to whip up a story about aliens landing here. Be right back.”
“Hey, you doing okay?” Michael watched as Lucy stepped away for a moment. “I heard you had some trouble out at Hiram’s old place.”
“It was an accident. Nothing more. Hunters mistook me for a deer or something. I’m all healed up.”
And not pissed about it since it had led Elisa right back into his bed. If Elisa and Van hadn’t been all stressed about what had happened, they might still be in separate cabins pretending they were nothing more than friends, so it had been worth the shot in the arm. It was only a little sore now.
Of course Van was being an ass, but he supposed one of them had to be. He’d listened to a lot of tales of how Bliss throuples came to be, and usually one of the guys was an ass.