Morning, he said by way of a greeting.
She glanced up, and they stared at each other, trapped in remnants of the awkward stuff. He cursed the caveman feeling that being near her gave him. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and carry her back to his bed, ugly robe and all.
Finally, she gestured to the food on the counter. Shed diced onions and tomatoes to go along with the eggs. Shed grated cheddar cheese, too. I hope you dont mind that I raided your fridge.
No, its fine. Help yourself. Youre a far better cook than I am. But who wasnt?
Do you want an omelet?
Id love one. Could you put ham in mine, though? He wasnt up for another meatless meal. The awful sandwich from yesterday hadnt stuck to his ribs. He needed something with substance.
She opened the refrigerator to get the ham, and Daniel walked past her to pour himself some coffee. He took a closer look at her slippers and noticed that they were cat faces, with pointed ears, plastic eyeballs, tiny pom-pom noses and long white whiskers.
He couldnt help but smile. They were even more ridiculous than hed first assumed. He pointed to the fur balls in question. Does Sam like those?
She loves them. Allie wiggled her feet. So do I.
It must be a girl thing.
I suppose you think theyre atrocious.
Yeah, but its okay. You can wear whatever you want. Except pretty nightgowns while she was in his room. He made a show of looking around. By the way, where is Sam?
She was up earlier, but she went back to sleep.
In Allies soft, warm bed, no doubt. I guess shes not an insomniac.
No. Shes a cozy sleeper. But cats are supposed to take catnaps.
Daniels omelet was done first. Somewhere in the midst of their conversation, Allie managed to fix hash browns, too. She handed him his food, and he stood near the sink and wolfed it down. He didnt sit at the table because he didnt want to make a domestic ritual out of sharing meals with her. It was bad enough that hed brought her to his house for an extended stay.
But what choice did he have? The vandal, the potential stalker, was all too real, and he intended to do whatever it took to keep Allie safe.
Would he take another bullet for her? Yeah, he thought, he would. He would do just about anything for Allie Whirlwind. He wasnt sure why; he just knew that he would.
Youre going to get heartburn. She scolded him for eating so fast.
Im fine. To prove his point, he took a second helping of hashed browns.
She shook her head and sat at the table, spreading a napkin on her lap. She would have looked quite proper if it werent for the horrendous robe and slippers.
I already called Rex, he said. Hell be here in a few hours.
I wonder where hell start.
With my background, I suppose.
Are you nervous about it?
Why? He scooped the last of his food onto his fork. Do you think I have something to hide?
No. I just cant imagine being in your position.
I cant imagine being in yours, either.
Getting my loft trashed or having the kind of ancestors that I do?
Both. He thought Allie was too sweet to hail from a lineage of evil witches, but that was her background, her burden to bear. He had no idea what his was going to be.
Hed lied about not being nervous.
By the time Rex arrived, Daniels anxiety was at an all-time high. But he hid his feelings, greeting the other man with a sturdy handshake and inviting him into the living room.
Rex Sixkiller was a half-blood from the Cherokee Nation. At thirty-six, he was the same age as Daniel, and although they werent from the same unit, they were both Desert Storm veterans who had served in the army. But like most people from Daniels past, he had no recollection of Rex. Of course since regaining consciousness,
Daniel had made a point of spending time with the Warrior Society, and that included Rex.
Wheres Allie? the P.I. asked.
In her room. Ill go get her.
Daniel went down the hall and knocked on her door. She appeared in a colorful Santa Fe style dress and a pair of western boots. Her hair was plaited in a single braid that hung down her back, leaving the angles of her beautifully sculpted face unframed. Her earrings were big silver hoops decorated with turquoise nuggets.
Rex is here, he said.
Oh, okay. Im ready.
She walked beside him, and upon entering the living room, Daniel made the introduction. Rex rose to meet her. He also checked her out a bit too closely, putting Daniel on edge. From what he knew, Rex was single and somewhat of a player.
Daniel gave his comrade a territorial stare, and Rex looked back at him with a curious expression. Apparently the other man had wanted to gauge Daniels reaction, to see what he and Allie were truly about. And now he knew.
Daniel had the hots for his female friend.
Lets get started, Rex said, settling back onto the sofa and elbowing a leopard-print pillow.
Daniel sat next to him, leaving a leather recliner for Allie.
For a moment, they were all silent, then Rex turned to Daniel and said, Tell me what you recall from your past.
I recall bits and pieces about my parents. My dad lives close by, and my mom died when I was a boy. Im from the Lakota and Haida Nations.