Page 81 of Shattering Dawn
“You don’t look too traumatized, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
“I wasn’t traumatized.”
“Amazing.” Shelton paused. “It’s a tough talent, you know.”
“Believe it or not, I figured that out.”
“Shows up occasionally on the Sweetwater family tree, but not often.”
Amelia arranged slices of cheese on the tray and added some crackers. She set the small repast in front of Shelton and poured a cup of coffee. In her experience people tended to relax and get chatty over food.
He gazed appreciatively at the snacks. “Thanks.”
“Gideon mentioned that the Sweetwaters have a long history of careers in law enforcement,” she said, trying for an encouraging tone.
Shelton picked up a cracker and topped it with a slice of cheddar. “I’m not so sure I’d go as far as calling our line of work ‘law enforcement.’ But there is a long-standing family tradition of hunting bad guys. You could say it’s in the Sweetwater DNA. With our kind of talents it’s either hunt bad guys or—”
“Become one of them?”
“Right.” Shelton munched some cheese and cracker. “Gideon had a hard time accepting his unique ability when he was growing up.He worked in the family business for a few years while he was in college and for a while afterward, but he made it clear he wanted to go his own way.”
“He didn’t want to join Sweetwater Security?”
Shelton’s brows bounced. “He told you about the firm, too, I see. And he’s only known you for what? Four days? Talk about aura resonance. This gets more interesting by the minute.”
“You were explaining his difficulty dealing with his talent.”
“I warned him he was going to have to make peace with the skill set he got stuck with. Hell, we all tried to tell him. Every Sweetwater knows that you have to figure out how to use your talent. If you don’t, it can drive you mad.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. After he left Sweetwater Security he drifted for a time. He tried the financial world, and he was successful, but he didn’t find it satisfying. Did some adventure travel, but that got old. Experimented with a few adrenaline-rush sports. Fast cars, that kind of thing. Then, one day out of the blue, he decided to set up his little private investigation business.”
“It seems to be working for him.”
“Yes, it does. His parents are relieved, I can tell you that much. Of course, now his mother is starting to fret because he doesn’t seem to be interested in getting married.”
“Marriage is important to the Sweetwaters?”
“Oh, yeah,” Shelton said. “Sweetwaters have always been a tight-knit clan because of the talent and the family business. Don’t get the wrong idea—Gideon’s not against marriage. He just hasn’t met the right woman yet.” Shelton gave her a knowing look. “Or maybe he has. In which case he’ll figure it out damn quick. That’s another Sweetwater trait. They know when they find the right one.”
She glanced at the gold ring on his finger. “I assume you did?”
“Yep. Angie and I celebrated our thirty-seventh wedding anniversary last week.”
She decided she did not want to pursue the discussion about Gideon’s interest or lack thereof in marriage, so she propped one hip against the island, drank some coffee, and changed the subject.
“You don’t seem to be worried about Gideon going out alone to check on the house that Falcon rented,” she said.
Shelton shrugged. “He’s my nephew. Naturally, I’m concerned. But he’s a Sweetwater. He can take care of himself. He’s got to do what he was born to do.”
She nodded. “Hunt bad guys.”
“Well, yes, but the thing is, Sweetwaters tend to specialize.”
“In what?”
“Our clients contact us when they need a specialist who can deal with the category five types.”