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Curt pulled eggs and sausage out and started cooking the sausage first, then he made pancakes and scrambled eggs, then he cut up some fruit, then he got all kinds of condiments and drinks out, then he had no idea what to do. He was used to cooking for guests, but usually they were anxious to eat and get moving, make it to the beautiful village of Greenville and see his family’s castle. He was always anxious to get out the door and be moving and going.
Was Aliya ever going to wake up? It was seven now, not crazy early, but she was exhausted and healing from a concussion. They’d gone to bed early, but maybe her midnight worries and their hugging session had made it hard for her to sleep, so she was sleeping in.
Maybe she was in danger and had been kidnapped during the night and he should go check on her right now.
He started toward the stairs, but the front door beeped and then swung open. He turned to face two of Ray’s guards. Jacob and … what had he called his buddy? Curt met so many travelers, it seemed names got jumbled in his head.
“Good morning, sir.” Jacob bowed slightly. “We’re heading out, but William and Ned will be here throughout the day. The trackers found the men who they thought were dragging a body. It was a red deer stag.”
Curt shrugged, but felt almost … disappointed. That was wrong. He didn’t want them to find Aliya’s friend dead, but he would like some answers.
“Out of hunting season for the Austrian side of the mountains, so the Austrian authorities are dealing with them. The General is still sending out trackers, but he felt we could downgrade to two guards and stay mostly outside of your cabin. The General will add remote monitoring of your cabin to the castle guard’s system. Do you feel all right about that, sir?”
“Sure. Whatever Ray thinks. Thank you. Would you like breakfast?” He gestured toward the kitchen. He had everything except the fruit in the warming oven, but he was sure they could smell the sausage and pancakes. The other guard leaned slightly forward.
“No thank you, sir, but we appreciate the offer.” Jacob did offer a slight smile as the other guard deflated. Poor kid was hungry, and Curt liked to feed the hungry, but he wouldn’t upset the military hierarchy.
It was interesting that all manner of people stopped by his cabin and accepted his generosity and, besides a few besotted women, they didn’t treat him like royalty. Yet these men from his own country were stiff and couldn’t relax. He knew Ray and Chad had trained them intensely and Ray upped all of his regimens and intensity after Mum had died.
They both bowed stiffly to him and turned to go.
“Do you think I should check on Aliya and see why she’s not awake yet?” he burst out with before Jacob could open the door.
“Sir?” The young man looked back at him, his brow squiggled.
“How do I know if she’s in danger? You haven’t seen any danger. Nobody could’ve kidnapped her in the night? It is almost seven-fifteen.”
“I am certain she’s safe, sir. We saw no unusual activity. Some people think seven-fifteen is early. Maybe she’s a late sleeper and you won’t see her for a few hours, or maybe she needed her rest with the head injury.” Jacob’s dark eyes revealed a bit of humor, but he kept his face serious.
Curt felt awkward and overanxious. That wasn’t him. He was the relaxed wanderer, mountain climber, invite everybody into his home kind of guy.
“You’re right. Thank you.”
“Sir.” Jacob dipped his head deferentially, then he and the other guard pushed out the front door, closing it and apparently arming the security system, as it beeped again.
Curt realized Ray hadn’t ever told him the passcode when they’d talked last night. Shoot. Should he call Ray? He could ask for the code and ask him if he should check on Aliya. Would he feel even dumber than he’d felt with the guards? He could call Steffan and see if she should be sleeping this long with a head injury. She sure hadn’t acted injured last night while he held her.
He paced the kitchen. Then he forced himself to eat, reading a Clive Cussler book as he did to distract his mind. Then he hurried upstairs, listened outside Aliya’s door, heard nothing, and went and brushed his teeth. He liked clean teeth. It had nothing to do with hoping he’d get another hug and maybe this time she wouldn’t jolt and he wouldn’t pull away.
Walking back past her suite, he paused again. Nothing. So he went back to the kitchen and scrubbed the pans he’d cooked in. Then he scrubbed the countertops and swept and mopped. He did a hundred pushups, then wished he could go outside and use the pullup bar he’d built off the back porch. He worried if he was sweaty and should take another shower. It was eight-ten.
His phone rang, and he jumped. Steffan. Oh, good. A distraction and the answer to his medical question about waking Aliya up.
“Hey,” he answered.
“How’s our beautiful patient?”
Curt didn’t really appreciate his brother noticing how beautiful Aliya was. Steffan was an accomplished doctor, more smoothly handsome than Curt, had refined manners, and had a gorgeous home in Traverse’s most exclusive neighborhood. Women loved him almost as much as they loved Tristan and Malik. Did Aliya think Curt was odd, living up here, not having some lofty career? He could tell her he was a firefighter, mountain climber, and woodworker. But he wasn’t any longer.
“She’s still asleep.” He paced as he talked. “Is that bad? Should I wake her up?”
“I think rest is exactly what she needs. How did she act last night?”
“Incredible,” he said before he could bite his tongue as his mind darted to their middle of the night hugging session.
“Oh … I see.”
Curt didn’t ask what his brother ‘saw.’
