Page 46 of Crash Course
"I need my phone. I’m waiting for a client to call."
"No problem."
Outside, a light breeze wrapped around him and he inhaled, taking in the fresh mountain air. He should have grabbed a jacket himself, but wasn’t about to go inside to get one. With his luck, he’d run into Phin or Rohan, who’d pepper him with questions.
Besides, he kept a jacket in the garage just in case.
"How far of a walk is it?"
He peered down at her high heels that conjured all sorts of naughty thoughts his mother would smack him for. "About a quarter mile. Not far, but those might not be the right shoes. We can drive."
"Nah. I have sneakers in my trunk."
"I love a woman who’s prepared."
She arched an eyebrow. "Cruz Blackwell, I’m always prepared."
And, oh my goodness, she might be the love of his life. "Then, honey, we’ll get along just fine."
After retrieving her jacket and sneakers, they marched down the drive as the sun dipped lower in the sky giving the mountain an eerie, yet spectacular orange glow.
"Wow," she breathed. "That’s gorgeous."
"It is. I’ve tried a thousand times to capture it with a camera. Never does it justice."
He led her toward the garage that had formerly been an old barn. After they’d bought this property almost three years earlier, he’d called dibs on the barn and made it his dream workspace. Hell, he didn’t pay rent, so might as well break the bank on a restoration his pops would have drooled over. He’d spent a fortune adding every tool and toy he could think of that Dad could never afford.
"My father," Cilla said as they walked. "He’s told me they’re EPA compliant."
Clearly, she wanted to talk about this. Right? Already cursing himself for his lack of skill interpreting cues, his mind spun. He tended to just say shit when it entered his mind. A habit that got him into trouble, but seriously? No one should be afraid of the truth.
Still, he enjoyed Cilla and based on their discussion at dinner the night before, she definitely had some sort of twisted push-pull relationship with her father. Nuances he couldn’t yet grasp, given they were still getting to know each other.
He halted, doing a half turn to face her when she did the same.
"I’ve mentioned," he said, "I have a filter issue. As in, barely having one. I prefer to be open with people. Not constantly stress over what might fly out of my mouth. Can we talk openly? Are you okay with that?"
"We’re alone and you’ve promised me confidentiality. So, yes, I’m okay with that."
"Good. Thank you. Here’s my question. If your father’s company was polluting the environment and he knew it, would he tell you?"
"Honestly? I’m not sure. Nothing is adding up. I want to believe he’s being duped by Paul, his number two at the company. Dad is incredibly—almost stubbornly—loyal to people he believes are loyal to him, and that definitely includes Paul. If Paul is misleading him about the farm for some reason, it's possible that Dad wouldn't see it. However, not a lot goes on there that Dad doesn’t know about."
"Does he play fast and loose with what he tells you?"
"Typically, he comes to me when something has potential legal issues. The EPA falls under that purview. I’m bothered by that toxicology report and his belief that it’s wrong. Can it be that far off?"
"I’m no scientist, but it happens. Phin just worked with Kayla on a project for an environmental group trying to sue a town over contaminated water and . . ."
Whoa.Wait a second.
"And what?"
He let out a half laugh. "I’m an idiot. Cilla, the plant is only ninety miles from here. If you want to know what’s up with this farm, let’s test the soil."
"We can do that?"
"Sure. On that case Phin worked, Kayla didn’t believe the town’s reports and paid for their own testing. Phin can tell us how she did it."
