Page 58 of Shadow of Deceit
“I really don’t sleep with them. They’re close by, but…” Micha grinned, his serious expression flooding away and revealing a very good-looking man with his dark hair and square jaw.
She shook hands with him. “I can respect the job you do. I know how to shoot. My Uncle Wally taught me.”
“We’re all real sorry to lose him,” Micha said. “He was a special guy.”
“Everyone loved him,” Russ added, surprising Mia. “Maybe we could have a night at the campfire and share our favorite memories of Wally.”
Wow, Russ wanting to share in public. This was the guy she’d once known, and he’d lightened up some, but she knew he took his job very seriously. As David’s best friend, Russ had often hung at their house, and she hoped to see more of that fun-loving side of him once this was all over.
“We’ll be doing a grid search of the property,” Ryan said. “See what we can find.”
Mia nodded her understanding. “And I’ll be anxiously awaiting any news and probably stuffing my face with the cookies someone left the other day.”
“I wish I could stay here,” Jessie said.
Reid looked at his daughter “Sorry, Bug. Not today.”
Jessie eyed her father. “You ruin all the fun, Dad.”
Reid held up his hands. “Don’t want to ruin your fun. You can have a good time with Poppy.”
Jessie looked up at Mia. “Poppy usually takes care of me when Daddy works, and she cooks for us too. She’s really old like Grammy, but I like her.”
“Best cook I know,” Russ said. “And if anyone tells Mom I said that, my handcuffs will come out.” Russ ran a serious gaze around the group then chuckled.
The guys laughed.
“She cooks for the business too,” Reid said. “We’ll have you over for dinner so you can see she hasn’t lost her touch.”
Jessie looked at Russ. “Grammy would be sad if she knew you didn’t like her cooking.”
Russ knelt by Jessie. “Grammy is a good cook. Poppy’s just better.”
Jessie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like some of the things either of them makes. The stuff they call healthy and say is good for me.”
They all laughed, and Jessie cast a bewildered look around the group.
A UTV pulled down the driveway. Mia came to attention.
“Relax,” Ryan said. “It’s just Poppy here to get Jessie.”
“Aw, I don’t want to go home.” Jessie’s lower lip came out. “I want to stay with Mia and Bandit.”
Mia smiled at the child. No way she would tell her it just wouldn’t be safe to stay here alone with her when she had a target on her back.
Reid took his daughter’s hand and helped her get up. “You can come back another time.”
She gazed up at her father. “Promise?”
He gave her a fond smile. “Promise.”
Mia hated to end the conversation as she enjoyed the lighthearted turn at the end. Enjoyed being part of a group of people in Shadow Lake who accepted her for who she was. But they had a job to do.
Reid escorted Jessie down the steps to the older woman with braids driving the UTV.
Ryan looked at Mia. “Would you please go inside now and make sure you lock up?”
“Of course,” she said, knowing she was doing her part so Ryan didn’t have to worry about her.
