Page 24 of Shadow Games

Rowan gave him a thumbs up. “That would be awesome.”

They kept cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. Grabbing a broom and a dust pan, she went to the bathroom and swept up all the loose acorn shells. It had to be a squirrel that was inside. Or maybe he'dbeeninside before and was out now. She didn't want to run into him in the middle of the night, so she hoped he was gone. She swept the floors and wiped down the counters. When they left in the summertime, they tossed dust covers over the mattresses. She tugged those off and took them to the washer and dryer, turning on the main water. It would take a while for the hot water heater to warm up, but she could make do with a cold wash for now.

Grabbing the groceries from the Suburban, she hauled them inside and put them in the fridge. Then she set the temperature on the fridge. It was going on noon. She left the lunch meat and bread out, so they could make a sandwich. Everything else she put away.

Wyatt came in through the front door, looking big and handsome. There was a grin on his face. “I blocked it up. It was just a vent screen that was down. He can't get in again.”

Setting the bag of dog food on the counter, he cut it open with a pair of scissors from a hook on the wall. Then he poured Echo a bowl and set it in front of her. The dog nosed the pieces and then looked up at him questioningly.

“It's food girl. You eat it.”

She looked at it again, then raised her nose and walked away.

“I think she told you,” Rowan said, laughing.

“I can't blame her,” Wyatt said. “She's used to fresh scraps and hunting down her own prey.”

Rowan looked at him curiously. “Where were you living?”

“I live on a mountain in North Carolina. Very rural. I hunt for my own food and do woodwork.”

Rowan’s brows disappeared into her hairline. “Damn! That’s impressive. And not what I was expecting.”

He made a face, shaking his head. “It’s not really impressive. It's hard work and unforgiving. When I left the SEALs, I wasn't sure what to do.”

Her heart ached for him. “When I heard Ken talk about getting you out of the Navy, it made me sick. As soon as I had that recording, I went to the Navy. They wanted no part of getting rid of him, though. Someone high up either owes him money or really, really likes him.”

Wyatt smiled grimly. “Ken had a hell of a service record. And his family did as well. I know the men in his family served, all the way back to World War One.”

Rowan nodded. “Oh yeah, I heard all about it, believe me. I think you scared him.”

Wyatt looked at her incredulously. “Why would you think that?”

“Just because of the way he talked. You must have gone to him with suggestions or something, because he came home one day steaming. Saying you were no better than anyone else on the team, and that you needed to find your place, or you'd be booted out. I thought he was just overreacting to the new guy.” She shrugged.

Moving to the opposite counter, she started assembling sandwiches. “Do you care what's on yours?”

Wyatt shook his head, his brow furrowed. “Whatever you put on it will be fine.”

Rowan took him at his word and layered the sandwich with everything she bought. Two kinds of meat, two kinds of cheese. Lettuce. Mustard. She hated tomatoes, so she hadn't bought any. Hopefully he wouldn't notice the lack. She put the sandwich on a paper plate and handed him a bag of chips. “There you go.”

Wyatt grinned and moved to the little dinette table. “Are you going to join me?”

Rowan made her sandwich with what she wanted on it, plated it and set it on the table. Then she grabbed two cans of pop. “Until the fridge starts producing ice, we're stuck with warm pop.”

Wyatt shrugged. “No biggie.”

Echo emerged out of the shadows and sat down next to him, pointedly looking at his sandwich.

Rowan laughed. “Maybe you need to eat a plate of dog food in front of her.”

Wyatt winced. “Yeah, that's not going to happen.”

“Well, if you don’t feed her anything, eventually she’ll have to try it, right?”

Wyatt looked down at his dog. “I don’t know. She’s pretty stubborn.”

Knowing she was being talked about, Echo batted out a paw and tilted her head, looking cute. Rowan laughed, knowing Wyatt was going to give in to her. Seconds later he tore off a corner of the sandwich and gave it to her.