“Such an awful thing to happen.”
“The fire chief said it was arson. Honestly, it scared me half to death, and they still haven’t caught who did it. Plus there have been several other worrying incidents lately, so we decided to tighten things up a bit—additional patrols, electronic surveillance, the new boundary fence…”
Ah, the fence. The contractors had started the groundwork this week, a little later than we’d hoped, but we’d wanted to consult with wildlife experts to ensure the design would allow animals to pass through while keeping out humans, horses, and those pesky ATVs.
“Surely you’re not going to fence the entire property?” Antonella asked, and was that a hint of panic I detected?
“Don’t worry; it’s a smart fence. We’ve been sure to consider the animal trails, so the deer can run around as usual. Even the bears can get through—there are gates big enough for them to fit, and each gate is monitored by a camera, so if a human shows up, the gate closes, and the system emails a photo to the security team. Clever, huh?”
Her ears were scarlet now.
“But what about the horses?”
Nolan’s nails dug into my skin, but he stayed outwardly cool.
“I’m afraid it just won’t be possible to give you access to our trails anymore, Antonella. Now that Alexa’s moving in, we can’t take any more risks with our security. I’m sure you understand.”
Everett didn’t look too happy with the situation either.
“A fence like that must be very expensive,” he said, because of course money was always the first thing on his mind.
“A million and a half,” I replied, smiling sweetly and feigning nonchalance with a wave of my hand. “Such a small price to pay for peace of mind, don’t you think?”
“I’m surprised your new investors are willing to pay for a project like that. Must take a chunk out of the bottom line.”
“The fence has nothing to do with the investors. I’m paying for it personally.”
“Oh,” was all he managed, and he and Antonella glanced at each other. “I didn’t realise you had that kind of money.”
“Well, I try to avoid talking about my bank balance. Financial dick-measuring is so vulgar, don’t you think? Hey, there’s Janus Monroe—I should go and say ‘hi’ before I get too tipsy.”
I walked off, one very careful step at a time, with Chase at my elbow both playing the part of bodyguard and also ready to catch me if I turned an ankle in these stupid shoes.
Another milestone in Operation: Fuck Them Right Back was complete.
An hour later in the kitchen, Jez and I high-fived as the Cranstons beat it down the driveway. Nolan picked me up and hugged me tight, then sat me on a stool, unstrapped my shoes, and tossed them over his shoulder. Juno caught one and decided it was a new chew toy.
“Have at it, dog,” I told her.
“Do you think they got the message?” Erin asked.
“Loud and clear, my darling.” Jay poured himself another glass of wine. He only drank on special occasions, and this sure counted. “Loud and fucking clear.”
Rusty shook his head at the offer of a refill and found a beer in the fridge. “Should’ve invested in a brewery.”
“We could start one,” Zach said.
“Don’t we need to know something more about beer than how to drink it?”
Jay gave a nonchalant shrug. “Alexa and I started a billion-dollar company fuelled only by caffeine, determination, and a burning need to spite our parents. How hard can brewing beer be?”
“I tried it,” Nolan told him. “The actual process is more complex than winemaking, but as long as you get all the steps right, it’s easier to craft a good beer than a good wine.”
“I’ll chip in a few bucks to start the Dionysus Brewing Co.”
Nolan started shaking his head, but then he stopped to consider. “If I used dried hops rather than fresh, I could make a batch over winter while the tanks are empty.”
“That’s the spirit.”
