“Every day is a good day for eggs.” He brought his mug to his lips and drank.
“So, house hunting, huh?” Holly tipped her head and stared at Simon. “Do you have an idea of what you’d like to find?”
“None,” he said.
Holly’s lips twitched on the corners. “You’ll know it when you see it?”
“I hope.” He shrugged.
She studied him over the top of her coffee cup. “You don’t sound very enthusiastic about it.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why are you looking?”
His lips pressed together. “I’ve been living in the old boarding house since my team was established here. It’s a great temporary place to live. Remy wanted a place where new recruits to our team could stay until they could find more permanent lodging.”
“And you’ve overstayed the temporary part.” Her brow dipped. “Is Remy kicking you out?”
Simon chuckled. “Not at all.”
“So, why now?”
“After years in the Army, I never bothered buying a home. If I had, I would’ve had to sell it when I moved to my next duty station. It was easier renting—and easier still to rent furnished apartments. That way, all I had to pack was clothes and a few personal items, all of which fit in my truck. I could punch out and be on the road in under two hours.”
“No roots?”
He shook his head.
“What about settling close to your folks?”
Simon chuckled. “After they left the military, they moved back to their hometown in Michigan.”
“Why didn’t you find a place close to them?”
“They didn’t last long in Michigan. After twenty-plus years of moving around in the military, staying in one place almost drove them nuts. They’ve taken the concept of no roots to the next level.”
“How so?”
“They sold their house, bought a motorhome and travel the continent. They’re somewhere in British Columbia now, making their way slowly to Alaska on the ALCAN Highway.”
“Do you aspire to the motorhome, nomad’s life?” Holly asked. “Is that why you’re hesitant to purchase a house?”
“Good lord, no.” He shrugged and stared out at the bayou. “I guess in all the places I’ve been, no one place made me feel like it was home.”
Holly nodded. “I didn’t get that concept until I left the only home I’d ever known and moved to Atlanta. I might not have moved as many times as you, but I learned a lot about myself in that one move.”
His gaze met hers. “And what did you learn?”
“It’s not the place that makes it home.” Holly smiled. “It’s the people you connect with. Your friends and family.” Her brow wrinkled. “I lost my parents to a boating accident. I lost my home by leaving my friends and extended family and moving to Atlanta.”
“And now that you’re back?”
Her lips spread in a wistful smile. “This is home.” Holly’s jaw hardened. “I just hope I haven’t endangered my friends and family by coming back. I’m tired of being alone in a city that doesn’t know me or give a rat’s ass whether I live or die. I’m home and mean to stay. Which makes it all the more imperative that I find and neutralize whatever or whoever is threatening me.”
“I’m here to help. We can tap into my team’s resources as well. We have a couple of computer gurus who are experts at mining data to find even the most obscure sources of information to help us solve cases—Swede in Eagle Rock, Montana, and Kyla in West Yellowstone. I’d like to get Swede searching for information about your parents. I can forward their names to him and get him started.”
“Don’t judge me if I don’t get all excited. I hopped on that rollercoaster every time the sheriff’s department came up with any new data concerning their whereabouts. Each time, it led nowhere. I can’t imagine your Swede finding anything different from what the sheriff chased. All his leads went nowhere. My parents are still missing and presumed dead.”
