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“I see,” said Whistler. “I am only here as a friend and a client of Delaney’s. I do not grant interviews.”
The guy seemed rattled. “And I am not here looking for one. My only concern is Delaney.”
“You two seem awfully close for people who haven’t known each other a week,” said Whistler.
“You don’t believe in love at first sight?” Tevryn challenged.
Delaney laughed nervously. “Be fair, Tevryn; neither did you or I until it happened to us.”
Whistler looked shocked. “I’m surprised at your capriciousness, Delaney.”
“It isn’t capricious to know that your heart and soul can recognize their mate and have the faith to act on it. Where I come from,” said Tevryn, “we call that courage.”
“Where do you come from?” asked Whistler.
“Not far from here. I’ve been hiking and exploring the Winds for years.”
“I didn’t know Delaney had brought a guest. I expected her to be working alone on this project.”
“As I told her, I’m happy to sign an NDA or confidentiality agreement. I’m not here as a writer, only as someone who loves and cares for Delaney. The Winds can be treacherous. I didn’t want her hiking alone.”
“And it’s a good thing he didn’t,” interrupted Delaney. “Who knows what might have happened if Tevryn hadn’t been with me.”
“Yes, indeed. Well, I can see Tevryn brought you something better than hospital food to eat, which I was going to do. So, I will leave you in his capable hands. I’ll leave the plane and pilot here with you. Take whatever time you need.”
Whistler didn’t wait for a response, but merely turned and left the room.
Tevryn looked down on her. “What the hell was that about?”
Delaney shrugged. “I have no idea. I woke up when they were moving me. They explained I was being moved at Whistler’s request and at his expense. He’d just come in when you got here. Whatever you brought smells delicious. I have no dietary restrictions. What are my choices?”
He grinned at her. “A really lovely salad with salmon as well as an order of chicken and dumplings—whichever you’d like.”
“How about if we split them like we did at the restaurant the other night.”
“Sounds good. While I’m getting this set up,” he said, handing her his cell phone, “why don’t you call Lucy. I think she’d feel better if she could hear your voice.”
He moved a bed tray into position and got two bottles of water while Delaney spoke briefly to Lucy—reassuring her she was fine, he was taking care of her, and they were about to eat. Ending the call, she handed the phone back to him.
He sat on the edge of her bed, and they began to eat. “So, what happened? One minute you were just going to take care of business and the next I heard you scream.”
“It’s really kind of all in a fog. I remember peeing and then seeing a set of what looked like buried standing stones. Then I heard a screech from up above and something flying at me from out of the sun.”
“Something?” he asked.
“Well, it had to be a bird of some kind. I just couldn’t see it clearly.”
Tevryn wondered if she really believed it was a bird, hadn’t seen it clearly enough, couldn’t believe she’d seen a dragon, or didn’t want to admit it to him.
“Do you think you got too close to its nest?
She shook her head. “I don’t know. One minute it was hurtling out of the sun right at me, and the next, everything went dark. Did you see anything?”
“No,” he lied, not liking the sinking feeling in his gut for having done so.
They finished up dinner, and Tevryn headed back to the bed and breakfast. The plan was he’d check them out in the morning and then remain at the hospital until she was discharged. Then they’d take Whistler’s plane back to Issaquah.
As he left the hospital Tevryn wondered again about what Delaney had told him. What had really happened before he showed up, and what the hell was going on?
