Page 23 of Dangerous Affair (The Phoenix Three #2)

Q uinn wished she didn’t have to ruin a perfect morning with her new friends by talking about anything to do with Jasper.

Temporary friends that was. When this was over, they’d go their way, and she’d go hers.

She would miss them when that time came, especially Liam.

If she was a different person, one who could be happy staying put and taking wedding photos or whatever, she’d open her mind to a possible future with him. But that wasn’t who she was.

“I stopped by the office and left the water samples on your desk,” Cooper said.

She pushed her musings aside and glanced up to see that Cooper was talking to Grayson. Getting the water samples was a big step forward. “How soon do you think it will take to find out if the water is contaminated, and if so, what’s in those barrels?”

“Normally one to two weeks,” Grayson said. “But I pulled in a favor, and we’ll get the results back in a few days.”

“I hate the waiting part,” she said. “I really want to know what they’re dumping in that lake. If it’s something that’s making children in that area sick, we need to notify the Environmental Protection Agency as soon as possible. They’ll be able to find any sick kids.”

“While we wait, we need to find out if there’s a connection between the men who showed up at Quinn’s and Senator Hanson,” Liam said.

“I want to go back to Hope Corner and get some more pictures. We have the photos from Jasper, but what if we can get photos with those kinds of drums located at the mill? It would be another link to who the drums belonged to.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Liam said.

She beamed at him. She’d expected him and the others to tell her that it was in fact a bad idea. He kept surprising her in the best kind of way.

“You do plan to go with her?” Grayson said, his gaze on Liam.

Liam scowled as if the question was ridiculous. “Do you really have to ask?”

Wow, no pushback from any of them on her returning to Hope Corner. Who were these guys?

“I really did,” Grayson said with a smile as he looked at her. “I was just checking that I was reading the room right.”

“Huh?” What did he mean?

“You’re reading the room perfectly,” Liam said.

Both men exchanged a smile she didn’t understand, but they weren’t fighting her on going back, and that was all she cared about.

Harlow returned, taking her seat next to Grayson. “What’d I miss?”

“An interesting development.” Grayson leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll fill you in later.”

She still didn’t know what they were talking about, but her mind was on the things she wanted to do when she returned to Hope Corner. Along with the photos she wanted of the drums and their locations, she’d like to get pictures of children playing in the lake.

“Ruby and I are off to the vet,” Cooper said as he stood. Ruby moved with him as he stepped away from the table.

“Oh, Einstein got out,” Harlow said, jumping up. “No, Einstein, no!”

The cat swerved to stay out of Harlow’s reach as she tried to grab him. He ran straight to Ruby. Quinn held her breath, fearing they were about to witness a fight in which poor Ruby had no chance of winning.

Seeing the cat coming at her, Ruby dropped her belly and chin to the deck, closed her eyes, and made a sound of distress.

Before anyone could get to Einstein, he stopped right in front of Ruby and sat.

Then he started chattering to the dog. As he talked, he gently lowered a paw to the top of Ruby’s nose and patted it.

Ruby opened one eye, then the other, and Quinn could swear she saw relief on Ruby’s face that she wasn’t being clawed to death.

“I’ll be damned,” Cooper said when Ruby lifted her head and stretched her leg out until she was touching Einstein’s fur. She tentatively sniffed Einstein’s outstretched paw as her tail made a slow sweep over the deck.

“Someone has a new friend.” Quinn wished she’d brought her camera.

Einstein was still talking to Ruby, and Ruby appeared to be raptly listening as her tail continued to swish across the deck.

Didn’t dogs wag their tails when they were happy?

She’d never had a pet, so she didn’t really know anything about them.

“Why don’t you bring her back here after you finish at the vet’s,” Harlow said. “I think time with Einstein might be just what she needs.”

“I’ll do that.” Cooper took a few steps back. “The question right now is, who will she choose? Me or Einstein?”

“I’d pick the cat,” Liam said, making everyone laugh.

Cooper slapped his hand over his heart. “Harsh, brother.”

Ruby’s gaze swiveled from Einstein to Cooper, and then after one last look at the cat, she rose and hurried to Cooper’s side.

“That’s my girl,” Cooper said. “Although, she might regret her choice when she finds out where she’s going.”

Einstein tried to follow them as they walked down the steps, and Harlow grabbed him. “You really don’t want to go to the vet.”

Two hours later, after a stop at The Phoenix Three for Liam to get some weapons and equipment he wanted and then back to his condo to pack, they were on the road to Hope Corner.

* * *

“This is nice,” Quinn said when they arrived at the cabin Liam had rented. They hadn’t wanted to stay at the same motel she had when she’d been here before or any motel, preferring to keep a low profile while in Hope Corner.

“I would never bring you to a not nice place.” Liam set their bags down. “I’ll get the groceries if you’ll put everything away.”

“Deal.” They’d made a stop at the grocery store one town over so they wouldn’t have to go out to eat. He brought in the cold food first, and she put everything in the refrigerator.

“That’s the last of it,” he said as he set three bags on the counter.

He unloaded the bags, and she put everything away in the pantry.

For a cabin in the middle of nowhere, the kitchen was really nice with new stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.

The first floor was an open concept with a view of the mountains out the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The stone fireplace that went all the way up to the vaulted ceilings was stunning.

“Is that a creek?” She walked to the French doors. “It is. And a small waterfall.”

Liam came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. “There’s a grill and a table on the deck. Let’s have our dinner out there.”

“I’d love that.”

He nuzzled her neck. “Are you in a hurry for dinner?”

“Depends on what you have in mind.” She tilted her head, loving the feel of his mouth on her.

“I have in mind having you for a predinner treat.”

“Hmm, I could be on board with that.”

“Good answer.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs without a single gasp for air. “Do you want me to throw you?” he said when he stopped at the bed.

“Yes, please.” They’d need an air mattress on their deserted island so that after she finished making their coconut pies, he could toss her on it like a barbarian setting about the business of claiming his spoils, her being the spoils, of course.

“Commence throwing.” He tossed her into the air.

She laughed as she bounced on the mattress. Liam O’Rourke might be the coolest guy on the planet to humor her in her secret fantasy of being dominated by a really hot guy. Maybe she’d eventually get up the nerve to tell him the rest of her fantasy.

Also, dinner was very late, but she wasn’t complaining.