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Four men stood next to a corral fence, staring at the person taking the picture. “The guy on the right end is Dillon. Brown hair, brown eyes and same height as my father.”
“Send the photo to us,” Hank said.
Kyla waved a hand. “Will do.”
“I’m going to tuck my kids in for their afternoon nap,” Hank said. “Out here.”
“Out here,” Stone echoed.
The big screen went dark.
Stone turned to the others in the room. “Kyla will text Dillon’s photo to our guys and Hank’s team in Eagle Rock. Be vigilant.”
“Headed back to the lodge?” Breely asked Stone.
He shook his head. “I’ll stay here and work with Kyla to find out more about Dillon, where he bought his Corvette and how he paid for it.
Moe and Breely left the war room and returned to the lodge porch.
Moe lifted his glass of lemonade. “I could use a fresh glass. The ice is melted, and there’s a bug in this one. You too?”
Breely nodded. “Yes. Then I want to call my father and catch up with them.”
“Do we need to go back to our room to get your phone?” he asked.
Breely patted her back pocket. “No. Got it right here. We just need fresh drinks.” She collected her glass and followed Moe through the lodge into the kitchen.
Cookie stood at the eight-burner gas stove, stirring something in a big stock pot.
Onion, garlic and chili pepper permeated the air.
Moe inhaled deeply. “Smells good, Cookie.”
“Damn right it does. It’s my prize-winning chili. It’s what’s for supper, along with jalapeño cornbread.” He tipped his head toward the commercial refrigerator. “Lemonade is in the fridge.”
“Thanks, Cookie.” Breely took Moe’s glass out of his hand, rinsed it and placed it in the dishwasher. She took another glass from the cupboard, put a couple of cubes of ice in it and added a cube to her glass.
Moe brought the pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator and poured the liquid into the two glasses. When they were full, he returned the pitcher to the refrigerator. “Porch?”
Breely nodded.
Together, they walked out of the kitchen, through the open lobby toward the back porch.
Moe liked spending time with Breely. Sitting on the back porch, drinking lemonade might be boring to some, but he cherished the quiet times as much as the passionate ones.
In one week, he found himself falling hard for the pretty redhead. And he’d stopped fighting it. Yes, she was the client, but she was much more than that. She was a part of him, fully entrenched in his heart. He hadn’t thought it would be possible to love again. Not after his first wife had left him.
Breely filled all the empty places in his soul. After only a week with the headstrong woman, who was as passionate about life as she was in bed, he couldn’t imagine life without her.
* * *
“Do you mind taking my glass?” Breely held out her cup to Moe. “I need to use the facilities.”
She turned and hurried to a short hallway where the restrooms were located, eager to return to the porch and Moe. As she passed the pretty alcove with the huge pot containing a massive, majestic palm, something moved between the thick layer of palm fronds.
Breely slowed and stared into the shadows created by the broad leaves. Whatever she’d thought had moved didn’t move again.
She shrugged and moved on, pushing through the restroom’s swinging door.
