saying something.”
“Excellent. When can you be here?”
“Give me ten minutes.” She snapped the phone shut without
saying more and dropped it on the counter.
She’d been hoping to get here, set up her equipment and
start downloading the files waiting for her. She was ready to block out the
rest of the world as she worked and tried to sort things out. Studying data
charts and weather patterns always took her mind off things because of the
intense concentration and complex calculations it required, and now seemed as
good a time as any.
The presence of Snyder and Tripp on the island, not to
mention in the same house, would definitely throw off her groove. It wasn’t
usual for them to half-ass their plans for storms. This profession didn’t allot
for a lot of planning, so the factors you could control—such as housing—needed
to be taken very seriously.
But Snyder’s right, go where the storm takes you.
It would help to have an additional set of eyes and ears in
the house with her. Their knowledge of hurricanes and violent storms would be
an asset to anyone they worked with. That’s what made them all the perfect team
when it came to chasing.
But she couldn’t ignore the fact the timing couldn’t be
worse.
Scowling, Kate picked her keys off the nail in the wall and
tapped her finger against her lips as she absently opened the front door. She
came to an abrupt halt after slamming hard into a solid surface, the force
knocking the breath out of her.
Strong, and familiar, hands came around her shoulders to
steady her and she found herself staring up into two smiling faces that
immediately weakened her knees.
Chapter Four
It only took a few hours for the men to settle in and for
Kate to finally set up her equipment. The information she needed would take
another few hours to download and compile, so she’d wandered out to the back
porch to wait. She’d needed to get out of the house in order to put some
distance between her and her new occupants.
No one had said anything, but she suspected they wanted to
know why she’d left. But she couldn’t tell them. Or rather, she could, she just
didn’t want to. She hadn’t come to terms with it completely herself, and until
she did, it was something she had to work through on her own.
As long as they didn’t ask her, everything would be all
right. They could stick to that vow she’d made long before she’d ever made the
choice to sleep with them in Kansas.
Strictly professional.
Some of that professionalism had wavered as she’d watched
the two men interact with each other as they brought in extra supplies. She’d seen
the heated glance that passed between them on the stairs. And she hadn’t missed
the covert pat on the ass Tripp had given Snyder, nor the accompanying sweet
kiss Snyder had brushed across Tripp’s cheek in thanks. Each time she thought
about the men together, tension built inside her and, unable to stand it
anymore, she’d escaped out onto the back porch. Her hope had been neither man
would follow, but luck wasn’t on her side.
She swallowed nervously, adjusting the way she sat on the
wide bannister of the porch as she turned to see who had joined her. Tripp
carried two cans of diet soda and handed one to her as he slid next to her on
the railing.
“Nice place you have here.”
“Thanks.”
She popped the soda open and swallowed, grateful to have
something to wet her throat. No reason to keep the truth about this place from
them, since they were here now. She’d never made it a secret there was
dissension within her family, but out chasing, she’d never had to face it
head-on with them in tow.
“The beauty is all superficial. There are a lot of painful
memories here. We used to come during the summer. Without fail, just after
Memorial Day, we’d pack up the car and drive down here. Then pack up again just
before Labor Day and go home.”
The setting sun to the west highlighted the subtle shades of
gold in his brown
“Excellent. When can you be here?”
“Give me ten minutes.” She snapped the phone shut without
saying more and dropped it on the counter.
She’d been hoping to get here, set up her equipment and
start downloading the files waiting for her. She was ready to block out the
rest of the world as she worked and tried to sort things out. Studying data
charts and weather patterns always took her mind off things because of the
intense concentration and complex calculations it required, and now seemed as
good a time as any.
The presence of Snyder and Tripp on the island, not to
mention in the same house, would definitely throw off her groove. It wasn’t
usual for them to half-ass their plans for storms. This profession didn’t allot
for a lot of planning, so the factors you could control—such as housing—needed
to be taken very seriously.
But Snyder’s right, go where the storm takes you.
It would help to have an additional set of eyes and ears in
the house with her. Their knowledge of hurricanes and violent storms would be
an asset to anyone they worked with. That’s what made them all the perfect team
when it came to chasing.
But she couldn’t ignore the fact the timing couldn’t be
worse.
Scowling, Kate picked her keys off the nail in the wall and
tapped her finger against her lips as she absently opened the front door. She
came to an abrupt halt after slamming hard into a solid surface, the force
knocking the breath out of her.
Strong, and familiar, hands came around her shoulders to
steady her and she found herself staring up into two smiling faces that
immediately weakened her knees.
Chapter Four
It only took a few hours for the men to settle in and for
Kate to finally set up her equipment. The information she needed would take
another few hours to download and compile, so she’d wandered out to the back
porch to wait. She’d needed to get out of the house in order to put some
distance between her and her new occupants.
No one had said anything, but she suspected they wanted to
know why she’d left. But she couldn’t tell them. Or rather, she could, she just
didn’t want to. She hadn’t come to terms with it completely herself, and until
she did, it was something she had to work through on her own.
As long as they didn’t ask her, everything would be all
right. They could stick to that vow she’d made long before she’d ever made the
choice to sleep with them in Kansas.
Strictly professional.
Some of that professionalism had wavered as she’d watched
the two men interact with each other as they brought in extra supplies. She’d seen
the heated glance that passed between them on the stairs. And she hadn’t missed
the covert pat on the ass Tripp had given Snyder, nor the accompanying sweet
kiss Snyder had brushed across Tripp’s cheek in thanks. Each time she thought
about the men together, tension built inside her and, unable to stand it
anymore, she’d escaped out onto the back porch. Her hope had been neither man
would follow, but luck wasn’t on her side.
She swallowed nervously, adjusting the way she sat on the
wide bannister of the porch as she turned to see who had joined her. Tripp
carried two cans of diet soda and handed one to her as he slid next to her on
the railing.
“Nice place you have here.”
“Thanks.”
She popped the soda open and swallowed, grateful to have
something to wet her throat. No reason to keep the truth about this place from
them, since they were here now. She’d never made it a secret there was
dissension within her family, but out chasing, she’d never had to face it
head-on with them in tow.
“The beauty is all superficial. There are a lot of painful
memories here. We used to come during the summer. Without fail, just after
Memorial Day, we’d pack up the car and drive down here. Then pack up again just
before Labor Day and go home.”
The setting sun to the west highlighted the subtle shades of
gold in his brown
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