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“What do you think they’re talking about?” I ask Blake as we watch Cody and Vi through the window. She’s turned away from him, but it’s too far to see what’s happening.
“I’m not sure. She looks sad.”
I grunt and turn my attention back to my laptop. Or try to anyway. We need to decide who’s going to stay here with her while one of us goes with Blake to Anchorage. I don’t want to leave her. Part of me is afraid she’ll take the opportunity to run from us again.
I look back out the window and see them kissing. It floors me how I feel not one ounce of jealousy watching her with Cody and Blake, but if any-fucking-one else breathes in her direction I go caveman.
“Are you going to go with me or should I take Cody?” Blake says as he watches them through the window.
“I don’t want to let her out of our sight.”
“And why is that?” her boss asks, sneaking up on us.
“We just missed her, is all.” Blake gives her his best customer service smile.
“She filled me in a bit on you guys.” Her eyes sweep us suspiciously. “But she’s leaving something out of what she told me.”
“We didn’t always get along,” I answer honestly, going with a guy feeling that absolute candor is the only way to win her trust. “She and I grew up together from babies, but when her parents died our friendship faltered.”
Emerie looks down at me, seemingly impressed with my honesty.
“She tried to run away from her uncle, but I thwarted her attempt. Anger and resentment seeped into the cracks of our friendship, mostly on my end. She finally ran from us after high school.”
“But we don’t plan on letting her run again,” Blake says. “And we’re not going to hurt her, we want to keep her safe.”
“Is she not safe?”
I share a look with Blake before answering. He nods subtly. “We think someone is coming for her.”
“So you didn’t slash her tires?”
“No ma’am,” Blake answers. “Our rental’s tires were slashed, too.”
It took a lot of money to get a new rental over here so quickly, too. But Vi’s truck won’t be fixed for a couple weeks because he had to order the tires from some place down in Alberta.
“Actually, does Vi have any vacation time accrued?” I ask as an idea takes root in my mind.
“She hasn’t taken a day off in four years of working here.”
“We’d like to surprise her with a trip into Anchorage, probably three days away.”
“That would do her some good. I’ll even watch the dogs.”
“Perfect.” Blake smiles at me. “Thank you, Emerie.”
“But listen to me,” she leans down and levels us both with a stern look, “if you hurt her, I will kill you, and Mitch will feed your bodies to the crabs at the bottom of the Bering Sea.”
My lips curl into a sneer at the mention of Captain Crabs but I let it go. She’s only being protective of Vi and for that I hold appreciation.
After Emerie walks back into the kitchen I look at Blake. “When should we tell her?”
* * *
“What do you mean, we’re going to Anchorage tomorrow?” Vi asks incredulously from the backseat. “I know it’s probably hard for you privileged assholes to understand, but I have a job. I can’t just up and leave on a whim.”
“Actually, you can. We cleared it with Emerie.”
“What the fuck?” She smacks me in the back of the head. “You guys have zero sense and way too much audacity. I can’t just let the dogs fend for themselves.”
