Page 13 of Call of A Eagle
Even so, a part of me worried coming clean would ruin my chances of getting any information about Maribel.
Telling Lyra the truth would have to wait.
Digging in, I worked my ass off the rest of the day. When it was time to head out, I wiped the sweat from my brow and gathered the tools I’d been using. As I walked them back to the shed, I spotted Lyra standing near the edge of the first garden bed. She watched me with an unreadable expression, her arms folded over her chest. My eagle stirred, and a smirk twisted my lips while I held her gaze.
“Are we going to keep playing these staring games, or are you going to let me take you out sometime?” I asked, not realizing what I’d said until after the words had left my mouth.
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
I’d been as surprised as she was by my question, but I was also relieved. If she agreed to let me take her out, we’d have a chance to get to know one another better. Maybe then I’d be able to figure out what the hell this pull I felt toward her was.
“We’ve been having staring contests all day,” I said, my smirk stretching wider. “Personally, I think I’ve won more than half of them, but that’s beside the point. The point is, I’d like to take you out sometime.”
I waited for her to reply, my smirk faltering slightly, but she didn’t say a word. Instead, she continued to stare at me with that unreadable expression on her face, making me sweat.
Had I crossed a line? Misread things between us somehow?
Shit. Shit. Shit.
How was I going to backtrack out of this?
I smoothed a hand along the back of my neck and flashed her a crooked grin. “So? Is that a no, then?”
“Yes. I mean, no,” she said, and then gave her head a little shake. “What I’m trying to say is, yes, I’ll go out with you sometime.”
It was a struggle, but I resisted the urge to fist pump the air. However, I couldn’t dim my smile.
“Great. I know I’m supposed to be off tomorrow, but can I come by and pick you up for lunch?” I asked.
She nodded. “I’d like that.” A faint twitch of a smile tugged at her lips. “Okay, so, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be here at noon to pick you up.”
The cabin door swung open and Alma made her way out to sit in one of the chairs on the porch. She skimmed her watchful eyes over the two of us.
“What’s going on out here?” she asked, her intense gaze lingering on us.
“Nothing,” Lyra said without hesitation. She started toward the cabin but tossed a look back at me from over her shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good rest of your day.”
Once she’d disappeared inside, Alma stood and then made her way down the porch steps toward me. I stayed where I was, wondering if she was about to reveal information about Maribel and then send me on my way.
She didn’t say a word when she reached me. Instead, she continued past me, heading to the nearest garden bed. I followed.
“Any chance you’ll tell me something about Maribel now?” I asked in a low tone.
Alma chuckled and shook her head. “Not yet, boy. You’re doing good work, but I’m not quite ready to spill the beans.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but time really isn’t on my side with this. I need to find her.”
“Sounds like you better hurry tending these garden beds, then,” she said before making her way back to the porch. She paused before climbing the first step and glanced over her shoulder with a knowing smile. “And don’t think I didn’t hear about you asking Lyra out. Good luck with that, too.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised. This woman probably knew what I was going to do before I did it. But it still threw me off. A sudden need to prove myself pulsed through me, like I needed to let her know that asking Lyra out wasn’t just a whim but something that actually mattered.
Before I could say anything though, she’d climbed the porch steps and disappeared inside.
I ran a hand through my hair as I turned to head to my truck. It was time to head to my real job. Cranking the engine to life, I backed out of the driveway while my thoughts bounced between Alma, Maribel, and Lyra. I’d planned to dig into Maribel’s whereabouts today, but I was still coming up empty. The fact that Alma hadn’t given me anything useful wore on me.
I needed to find her.