Page 32 of Westin
Clint nodded. “I don’t think there’s a man alive who can resist that kind of attention.”
“I don’t think it’s just a man thing.”
Clint made a small grunting sound, reminding Lea of his trouble with his wife. She placed her hand on his arm, suddenly angry with herself for touching a tender spot. “Sorry,” she muttered, but he just brushed it off.
“I wanted to talk to you about that box you and Westin found out in the pasture.”
Lea stiffened slightly. This wasn’t a conversation she really wanted to have.
“He says you told him it would be best to just leave it, but he says you refused to tell him how you knew what it was.”
“I was hoping he’d just take my word for it.”
“He didn’t want to, but I convinced him not to go back until tomorrow. I’m hoping it’ll be gone by then.”
“Me too.”
Clint studied her face, his kind eyes searching for something she wasn’t sure he’d find. She brushed at a loose hair that kept insisting on blowing across her forehead in the cold breeze. The snow had stopped falling, but the air was still crisp with it, even with the large fire burning just a few yards away.
“I’m responsible for a lot on this property, Lea,” Clint told her. “For the people and the animals and the wellbeing of the entire operation. And I take that responsibility seriously.”
“I’m sure you do.”
“Westin told me he let you use his phone, and he showed me the number you called. The Internet has amazing resources when it comes to reverse phone number lookup.” His eyes were still searching, still looking for something, but now she had a better idea what. “I need to know which side of this you’re on, Lea. And I need to know if you’re going to bring trouble to Golden Sphinx.”
“The less you know the better,” Lea told him. “I honestly don’t want to bring trouble to you and your friends, but I was desperate in those first minutes after what happened at the diner. I never would have come here if he hadn’t taken off with the car and everything important inside of it. Surely you understand that.”
“Of course I do. That’s why we brought you here in the first place. But I also can’t put your safety above the safety of people I care about. We’re just not equipped for that.”
“I know. Like I said, if I can get a ride into town on Monday, I’ll be out of your hair as quickly as possible.”
He hesitated a moment, but then he nodded. “I think it would be best if you remain in your room tomorrow. I’ll have someone hang around outside, but… I’m sure you understand.”
“I do.” Lea touched his leg lightly. “And for the record, I think you guys would run a fantastic security firm. Maybe you should think about it.”
Clint grunted. “It’s been suggested.”
“It wouldn’t take much to get a business like that off the ground. Most states don’t require more than a high school diploma should you want to get a concealed carry license. Other than that, a few courses on personal security, maybe some criminology courses might be helpful. But, heck, you guys could probably hang a shingle tomorrow and start offering services to anyone who needs your help.”
Clint took off his baseball cap and rubbed the top of his head. “It’s a thought. It’d probably be better than running the tourists around the property.”
“You wouldn’t have to involve Miss Dulcie, you know. This is something you guys could do on the side, something that might help you develop a few funds to help pay a good lawyer.”
Clint shook his head. “We couldn’t do it without involving Miss Dulcie. She’s more than just our employer, Lea. She’s… We’d just have to involve her.”
“Well, in that case, maybe you could call yourselves Sphinx Security Firm. Sounds almost regal.”
He laughed. “Yeah, it does sound kind of professional, doesn’t it?” He patted Lea’s shoulder as he got up. “Westin’s going to walk you back to your room, then Remington will be on night watch. I’ll probably be on first watch in the morning, so if you need anything, just stick your head out the door, okay?”
“Thank you, Clint.”
He nodded as he walked away from the fire, disappearing in the late-evening gloom. Lea turned her attention back to the show, almost disappointed to see that it appeared to have ended. She’d lost sight of Westin, but it looked like it was dessert time. Bowie and the others were moving among the crowd, handing out cups of coffee and small plates with something dark on them. Lea bit into her chicken, suddenly realizing she was ravenous. A day on the back of the horse had left her with more than incredibly sore thighs!
She was shoving a big piece of roasted chicken into her mouth when Bowie came to sit beside her, balancing a plate of something dark on her other thigh.
“What is it?”
“Reconstituted dried fruit. He soaks it in water, sugar, and a couple of spices.”