“Why are you asking her out for lunch?” Melodia interrupted. “Didn’t you try that on me like three days ago?”
“I owe her an apology. I couldn’t bring peace back to her new home.” Doon turned his intelligent gaze to Melodia. “You’re welcome to join us if you want.”
“Why would I want that?” Melodia snapped. Her arms folded under her chest, but Amorette saw the indecisiveness on her face. “Although... I don’t know you. I can’t let my friend walk away with a stranger.”
“It’s settled then.” Doon breezed past Amorette to retrieve her coat from behind the counter. He held it out, open so she could slip into it. “Let’s go.”
“Hey, what about me?” Melodia’s mouth fell open in astonishment.
Amorette looked up at Doon. Interesting, how quickly he figured Melodia out. The woman was used to being the center of attention. The fact that Doon was using that to his advantage impressed Amorette.
Doon offered his arm and kept his gaze forward, not once looking back at Melodia.
Amorette wrapped her arm through his and patted a palm over his bicep. “Good plan.”
“I thought so.” He shot an indifferent look to the woman struggling to pull her coat over her sweater. “We’ll see you at the car then.” Doon pulled Amorette out the door before she could say anything else.
“You should do something more exciting than lunch for your first date.” Amorette tossed a mischievous grin in Doon’s direction.
“First... what?” Doon spluttered. “N-no... No. That’s not what this is. I rejected her.” He yanked open the passenger side door and released Amorette’s arm. “Don’t get the wrong idea.”
“She rejected you,” Amorette reminded him. “And I don’t think I’m wrong at all.”
“No, of course not. That’s why you suit him.”
“What?”
“Huh?” Doon shook his head, a trickster’s smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Nothing. It’s nothing. What would you like for lunch?”
“I have a better idea than lunch.” Amorette reached for the door handle.
Doon gently tugged her hand away. “A better idea than food? What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”
“No.” Amorette flashed her most innocent smile. She needed a project like this after the morning she went through. “Trust me. Let’s pick up sandwiches and eat them on the way.”
“To where?” Doon shot her a look.
Amorette read it loud and clear. He didn’t trust her farther than he could throw her. He knew she thought of something grand and unexpected.
Amorette shrugged. “A shortcut to Melodia’s heart.”
“What?” Doon released the door for a fraction of a second.
That was all it took for Amorette to pull it shut and lock it. Melodia wasn’t the most perceptive when it came to relationships. Amorette liked Doon. She wasn’t about to let two of her favorite people to pass by each other. Not when she could do something about it.
Doon marched around the front of the car at the same time Melodia appeared. Both crawled in and slammed their doors in unison.
Amorette waited for Doon to start the car, then tapped the GPS button. She entered their final destination into the system. “Let’s go here.”
“That’s a park,” Melodia intoned from the back seat.
Amorette spun to smile brightly. “I know. We’re going to get sandwiches and picnic.”
“It’s freezing outside,” Doon argued.
Amorette shot him a glare. “You said whatever I wanted. Besides, the sun is out. It’ll be okay.”
Doon and Melodia shut up, but the atmosphere in the car remained charged and tense. So tense, in fact, that Amorette had to feed Doon the order when they pulled up at the drive-through. He gritted out the instructions. Thankfully, he didn’t have to talk to pay the tab.
Even if they both thought Amorette was crazy, Doon and Melodia listened well. Doon followed the directions as the girls sorted sandwiches.
Amorette didn’t dare suggest they eat in the car. After thinking through that original plan, it might have been rash. Melodia would never buy the park picnic story if they ate before they arrived.
Doon pulled into a parking spot. “Why are there so many people here?”
“It’s a park.” Amorette shrugged and grabbed the sandwich bags. “Come on! We still have to scope out a good picnic spot.” She was out of the car before anyone could protest.
That lasted all of five seconds. Melodia sprang from the vehicle and clamped a hand around Amorette’s arm. “Not so fast, Tricky McTrickerson. What are we really doing here?” She lowered her voice. “How do you know that guy? Did he do something? Is he a criminal? Was he one of the ones who broke into your house?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Amorette yanked her arm out of Melodia’s hold. “Just enjoy lunch. We didn’t have to buy it and we got out of the shop.”
“I happen to like the shop...” Melodia muttered. Still, she didn’t argue with Amorette. They both knew it was futile.
If she didn’t lead the way, Amorette knew the other two would back out. So she took the lead without another word. Amorette figured Doon had orders to keep her safe, which meant as long as she was in the open he couldn’t go anywhere. Melodia would follow on her false pretenses. It was a perfect plan. The other two just didn’t realize it yet.
Amorette followed the crowds down the pathways, until she spotted what she had been looking for all along.
Amorette grinned in Doon’s direction, then put on her best acting face. “Oh my gosh! Puppies!” She took off jogging toward the animal adoption van, leaving the others no choice but to follow her.
Amorette went to her knees beside the corral of puppies.
Doon was the first to join her. He reached over the metal fencing to retrieve a tiny pup and settled it between his hands in his lap. “Puppies?”
“Wait for it.” Amorette set the sandwiches down to retrieve one of the other puppies. She cradled the tiny brown fur-ball in her arms. “What would Mr. Hawkmore think if we adopted one of these guys?”
“No. He doesn’t do loss well and the dog will inevitably pass away.” Doon shot her an apologetic look. His attention went back to stroking the pup in his hands.
Melodia sank to the ground, cross-legged between Doon and Amorette. “You picked a good one. Good eye.”
The way Melodia stared at Doon’s hands in awe and respect convinced Amorette that she made the right decision.
Melodia may play hardball on the outside, but give her a puppy and she was a goner. It was how her last two failed relationships started.
Amorette wasn’t usually one to tempt fate, but she doubted Doon would be as callous as the last men. Somewhere between his first visit to the shop and their reunion last night, Amorette developed a trust for him.
A flash of red and purple near the sidewalk caught Amorette’s eye. She did a double-take before a smile broke on her face.
“I’ll be right back.” Amorette shoved her puppy into Melodia’s arms.
Melodia arched a brow but accepted the puppy. “Hurry back. You know I’ll end up with five dogs if you don’t.”
“Five? You’ve improved since last time.” Amorette laughed as she sprang to her feet.
It was the scarves that initially caught her eye. She would know them anywhere. She didn’t think this was close enough to be Nannie’s stomping grounds, but apparently Amorette guessed wrong. She couldn’t pass by without saying hello.
There were too many people between them. Amorette tried to dodge the crowd, but she overestimated her aversion abilities. The crowd around the adoption van swallowed her, blocking her from both returning to her spot beside Melodia and moving toward Nannie. Amorette tried to push her way past people, but they were stronger than she assumed.
Her feet tangled, sending her sprawling sideways.
A firm hand gripped her arm and pulled her upright.
Amorette looked up into a semi-familiar face. Reco
gnition took a second, but it came.
“Professor!”
“Fancy seeing you here.” Imran chuckled and dragged Amorette past the thickest part of the crowd. “You shouldn’t try to be a salmon. It doesn’t work well for mammals.”
“I saw someone I knew. I was trying to say hello.” Amorette bent to look past Imran’s shoulder. Where she had definitely seen Nannie earlier, the sidewalk sat suspiciously empty. Amorette sighed. “Looks like I missed her. What are you doing here?”
Imran released Amorette’s arm. “What is everyone else doing here?”
“Oh.” Amorette looked over her shoulder at the adoption station. “That’s fair.”
“Is this what brings you out today? I should think you would be working.” Imran drew her attention with the question, but Amorette’s brain still scattered a thousand directions.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Lunch break. My boss came with me.” She didn’t know what caused her to exclude Doon from her answer, but it felt right. “She has a soft spot for puppies.”
“Who doesn’t? I’m sure they’ve been a distraction for centuries.” Imran chuckled. “I could probably find enough information to write a thesis on it.”
Amorette laughed, but it was more nervous than sincere. Something about Imran drew her in and yet... he was strange. A part of her that felt thankful to him for standing up for her now felt uncomfortable around him.
“I should... get back.” Amorette jabbed a thumb over her shoulder.
Imran gave a slight bow. “Of course. Forgive me for taking up your time. I sincerely hope we meet again soon.”
“Okay.” Amorette waved. This time, she bypassed the crowd altogether.
Melodia noticed her first when she returned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m okay.” Amorette snatched the sandwich bag.
“You’re pale.” Doon dumped the sleeping puppy back into the corral. His face was too serious when he turned to inspect the area around them. “I’m cold. Let’s eat in the car.” He reached down a hand for Melodia.
The woman set her puppy back in the corral, as well, and actually accepted Doon’s help to stand. “I agree.” She leaned to whisper something in his ear.
Amorette couldn’t hear a word of it.
Doon nodded and wrapped a hand around Amorette’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Amorette didn’t fight him. How could she, when she felt cold and confused? If she could pinpoint the source of the emotions, she could at least make sense of it. Instead, Amorette found herself following like an obedient robot. What was wrong with her?
[Episode 9]
The Flower That's Watered, Blossoms
“MR. HAWKMORE!” THE call rang through the manse with deafening panic.
Eadric sprang from his chair and snatched his tablet. Just in case. He recognized Doon’s voice immediately, of course. It was the tone behind the usually carefree exterior that bothered him.
Eadric hadn’t been able to bring himself to go in to work. Not when he had far too many people to worry about.
After the incident the prior day, he didn’t think it such a good idea to leave Amorette unattended. She was too independent to broach that subject without preparation. He refused to be held responsible for anything that happened to her. Which meant he needed to keep a closer eye on her.
Eadric had just stepped into the hall when Doon appeared beside him.
Without another word, Doon put a hand against Eadric’s chest and pushed him back into the bedroom.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Eadric intoned.
Doon slammed the door behind him. “I think we have a problem. A major problem.”
Every instinct and internal alarm that Eadric learned through the years went into high alert. Doon didn’t say things like that unless he had proof or a pretty solid hunch. “What’s wrong?”
“Codex definitely found her.” Doon leaned back against the door.
Eadric arched a brow. “How do you know about Codex? You and I haven’t had that conversation.”
“I’m smarter than I look.” Doon shrugged. “Grandpa told me some things and I figured out the rest by myself. You’re a really interesting guy. Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask, how’d you survive the Great Depression? Didn’t it hit you too?”
“I’m good at restarting.” Eadric folded his arms. “You mean to tell me that you’ve known this whole time? And you’ve still been acting like this?”
“Should I have acted differently?”
Incompetent child. Eadric sneered at the only real friend he had. “You should have let me know. I could have been telling you things. I’ve had my eye on Codex for years. I could have told you the real reason I need the woman close.”
“Because you like her.”
“Because I need my journal back. It’s the only way to protect us. Our only bargaining chip.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
Eadric huffed. Leave it to Doon to pick out something inconsequential and make it into a giant ordeal. Of course, he didn’t like the girl in that manner. He only needed her safe for the sake of his journal.
“What makes you so sure they have eyes on her?”
“Professor Blakely was at the park today.”
“What park?” Eadric frowned. He didn’t hear anything about a park from the driver.
Doon waved a hand. “I took Amorette and Melodia out to lunch. Amorette insisted on the park so we went.”
“Why am I just hearing this now?”
They should have had security measures in place. He couldn’t be everywhere all the time. He couldn’t magically tell if one of those closest to him was in trouble. Security was as much for Doon’s protection as it was for Amorette’s.
For the first time since their conversation started, Doon looked afraid. “It was lunch. I was with them the whole time.”
“The whole time?” It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Doon, but the man had a propensity for half-truths. This wouldn’t be the first time, nor would it be the last.
“Okay, so she walked off to say hi to someone for like two minutes. Nothing happened. She came back.” Doon shrugged.
Eadric couldn’t deny the anger that rolled through him. Two minutes was a lifetime around Codex. Anything could have happened, even if she did come back this time.
“Don’t let it happen again.”
“Why don’t you watch her yourself?” Doon shot back. “I was, for all intents and purposes, on a date. You can’t expect me to ditch my date to run off with another woman.”
“I can when it’s your job to ensure her safety.”
“But it isn’t. Not really.”
If Doon didn’t provide such invaluable help, Eadric would have sliced him in two. Instead, he grabbed the man’s collar and yanked him close. “I don’t care if you have blooming feelings for Amorette’s employer. Deal with them on your own time, not when you’re on my dime.”
Doon snorted, then broke out laughing. A strange reaction, indeed, to being in Eadric’s clutches. “Knew it. I knew it! You do like her. This is priceless. Admit it already.”
“You’re a fool.” Eadric didn’t know why he put up with this idiot, especially when he kept insisting things that weren’t true. He dropped Doon’s shirt as quickly as he snatched it. He wouldn’t admit to anything of the sort. Not now. Amorette wasn’t for him. She couldn’t be for him. He would destroy her like he destroyed everything else. “What of Imran? Did he see you? Her?”
“I don’t think so. But... you do realize he was in their shop a few days ago, don’t you?”
“I am aware.” Eadric rubbed a finger along his lips. He needed a plan, one that hadn’t, as yet, caught up to him. They couldn’t leave the girl in the open, exposed to Imran and Codex. “I’ll think of something. Until then, no one let the girl out of their sight. Where is she now?”
“Her room. She seemed a little shaken.”
Eadric balled a fist at his side. That could only mean one thing. �
��He contacted her.”
Doon opened his mouth to say something else, but a knock on the door interrupted him. It came again. Then again, more frantic.
Eadric frowned and pushed Doon aside. He swung the door open.
Hunter didn’t flinch. Instead, his eyes went wider, his chest heaved like he had run a marathon.
“What’s wrong?”
As if Eadric needed something else to worry about this evening. He had enough on his plate without something else going terribly, irreversibly awry.
Hunter glanced between the two men and sighed like it hurt him to utter the words. “Amorette isn’t in her room.”
“Did she go to the kitchen for a snack? She didn’t eat much today.” Doon took a step in front of Eadric.
Hunter shook his head. “I’ve checked everywhere. She isn’t in the house. I tried calling her, too. Her phone is still in her room.”
Eadric’s internal alarm rang loud and clear. She couldn’t have gone far. “Doon, lock down the front gate. Hunter, check all the rooms again. I’ll sweep the grounds.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No, you won’t.” Eadric left no room for argument. He knew what he was doing. Chances were that Amorette either tried to run home or strayed into some obscure corner of the manse. “Check the rooms again. All of them. If you find a locked door, contact Doon. You have his number. I’ll search the grounds.”
“But—”
“Do as you’re told. It’s more efficient if we all split up.” Eadric nodded at Doon but refused to acknowledge Hunter.
The boy cost too much time and effort already. If EAdric hadn’t offered his home to the wayward snob, he would kick him out immediately. Since he was most likely the only reason Amorette submitted to the security measures in place, Eadric knew he couldn’t do that.
For now, he had a young woman to find.
Eadric didn’t bother to grab a weapon. This turf belonged to him. Besides, he never had anything to worry over when it came to injuries.
The evening breeze was cool and fast. It swirled in indecisive spirals around the yard, blowing this and that through the darkening sky. Of all the times for the girl to disappear, it had to be in the dusk.
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