He laughed louder. “I’m glad to hear you still have your sense of humor. I take it things are going well.”
If he only fucking knew. “As well as can be expected,” I answered. “We got an anonymous note last night. Chloe thinks it’s someone’s way of warning us to be careful.” I went on to tell him exactly what the note said.
“A threat?” Calder asked.
“No, more like an attempt to help us.”
“And you agree?”
I grunted as I used the spatula to scoop out the cooked French toast. “Yeah, I do.” I put two more pieces of soaked bread into the sizzling pan. “But I’d still like to talk to whoever wrote it. We need more than vague warnings. We need proof or witnesses.”
Calder was quiet for a moment. “How’s Chloe doing with this? I mean, this has to be stirring up all kinds of shit for her about the death of her parents.”
My body went still at his words and my lungs stopped working. God, I was such a dick. I’d been so consumed with my own pain I’d never stopped for a moment to think about what Chloe might be thinking and feeling. Her parents had died only a few months before Belinda.
I hadn’t known them well, but I’d heard enough to know that they doted on their only daughter. The family was close and loving.
“Lach? What’s wrong, man?”
I shook my head and cleared my throat. “She seems fine, Calder. She hasn’t said anything.”
“Yeah, well, keep an eye on her. Grief is a tricky thing. You never know what might set her off.”
“I will,” I murmured.
There was a loud crash in the background and I heard Ricki yell. “Shit, the pups just took down the TV. I better get in there before Ricki decides to follow through on her threat to neuter me in my sleep. I’ll call you in a couple of days.”
He disconnected before I could reply.
Slowly, I lowered the phone from my ear and tucked it back into my pocket. The scent of scorching French toast tickled my nose and I swore, flipping the bread. It wasn’t quite black, but it would probably taste like shit.
I flicked the burnt mess into the trashcan and started again. I’d already made six slices of French toast and cooked half a pound of bacon, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough. Our metabolism burned so hot and fast that it would take more to keep us going until lunch.
By the time Chloe re-entered the cabin, I’d finished making four more slices of toast and had everything warming in the oven as I washed dishes.
I’d also taken the opportunity to get my shit together. It was time for me to focus. I’d let myself wallow in loss for so long that I’d forgotten to think about the people around me. That had to stop now. At least until Chloe found what she needed. There would be enough time for me to retreat back into my head when this was all said and done.
“That smells great,” Chloe said.
“Thanks,” I said, shutting off the water and drying my hands. I moved to the oven and pulled out two large plates, each holding four slices of French toast and a heaping pile of bacon. “Have a seat.” I motioned toward the table, setting a plate in front of her when she settled into a chair.
I’d already put out glasses and silverware, along with syrup, butter, and orange juice.
Chloe grinned as she took in the table. “Damn, I could get used to this. Want a job?”
I smiled back at her. “No, thanks. I can make the basics, but I think you’d get sick of my limited repertoire pretty quickly.”
She shrugged, grabbing the syrup and pouring thick ribbons of it over the bread. “Maybe, but you’d be useful until then.”
As we dug into the meal, I asked, “How’d your talk with Sophia go?”
“Okay,” she mumbled. “She wasn’t happy about the note. Unfortunately, she shares your suspicious mind and she wants us to be very careful.”
“Did y’all discuss our next move?”
“Yeah. We’re going to start with Miss Emma.” She forked a huge bite of French toast into her mouth, her eyes rolling up as she let out a little moan. “This is amazing, Lach,” she murmured after she swallowed, her tongue coming out to sweep across her bottom lip.
I shifted in my chair, suddenly very aware of the state of my crotch. The abrupt return of my sex drive was already proving to be painful. Literally.
