It was a part of the casino he hadn’t explored. Cordell demanded reports on security, not general employee habits. Wyatt figured the FBI had eyes on every casino entrance, so he kept his focus limited to his role.
On the other side of the doors, the world was coated with white. “Maybe you should stay over,” he said. “It’s already piling up.”
“You sound like a tourist,” she joked.
“I feel like one after all this time.”
“Well then I recommend a winter walk led by Cottonwood Adventures to get familiar with the area again. Once the storm passes.”
He’d love to spend more time with Evie if she’d allow it. “Seriously?”
“I wish.” There was a razor-sharp edge on each word. “Believe me, I’d rather be guiding tours.”
“Even in this weather?” he asked.
“Yes.” She paused a few paces from the automatic door and the guard standing by. Zipping up her coat, she adjusted her scarf and pulled on gloves. “You’re familiar with snow-mania.This storm can’t possibly be as bad as they’re saying,” she grumbled. “It’ll blow itself out before it gets to us.”
He hoped she was right, if only so he could be done with Cordell and his crew. “You’ll take precautions though?” he asked, buttoning his coat.
“I’m not an idiot.” She tugged her hood up over her hair. “Are you staying or getting out ahead of it?”
He couldn’t tell her he was planning to be part of a different problem for the casino.
“I’ll be here a few days.” He tugged his gloves over his hands.
Her eyebrows arched. “Why?”
“Business.” It wasn’t a lie, though even the truth left a bitter taste on his tongue. “Let’s go.”
A burst of cold air lashed them as the doors parted and, experts at bad weather, they leaned into it. Most women would fuss or squeal. Despite the scarf, he knew Evie’s lips curved into a smile. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks rose a fraction. She was meant for the outdoors. When they were much younger, he’d had fanciful thoughts about her being some sort of woodland fairy. He’d never been dumb enough to voice the bizarre thought, but it hit him again right now.
This was Evie at her best and in her element, regardless of weather conditions. She had a faultless sense of direction and unparalleled courage. They used to joke you could send her up a creek without a paddle and she’d smile the whole way.
Naturally, her car was parked at the end of a row, well away from the building. She pressed the button on the key fob and the lights flashed as the doors unlocked. Neither of them moved.
“You didn’t have to walk me all the way out.”
“Of course I did.” The air had enough bite to make it uncomfortable to talk and he needed to convince her to go home and stay there. “You’ll need some help clearing the windows.”He owed her more than a few kind gestures. He owed her explanations.
She seemed to sense it. Maybe eleven years didn’t amount to a permanent divide after all. “Get in and talk while the car warms up.”
He didn’t need an engraved invitation. Hustling around the car, he slid into the passenger seat. She drove a crossover that hadn’t been new in some time. He imagined it handled the terrain and demands of the outdoor business well.
She started the engine and turned on the defrosters for the front and rear. The fan labored and whined and he wondered if it was up to the task. When she picked up a snow brush from behind her seat, he took it from her. “Let me.”
“It’s not just winters,” she blurted.
He pulled the door closed, watching her.
She tugged the scarf away from her face. “We’re about one season away from losing everything. Dealing poker is the only way to keep us going until spring. I’ve worked up some private tours and ala carte contracts, but the salary and tips are the bread and butter right now.”
His stomach dropped at her mention of private tours. Did the FBI misinterpret Cordell and Evie working out fees for a private tour? It made sense. Evie wasn’t a thief, no matter how dire things were with Cottonwood. If that was the case, Cordell wasn’t looking for a snowy landscape for the perfect picture. More likely that snake was hoping to prevent Wyatt’s double-cross.
“Ala carte? What about your plans for year-round events?”
She let her head fall back against the seat. “A kid’s plan,” she said.
“That’s your father talking.” Wyatt remembered brainstorming with Evie about all sorts of improvements andinnovations that would appeal to the next generation of adventuring customers.
