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The scorch marks still showed, but we’d fixed the rest of the damage — all relatively minor, thank goodness. But, yikes. The shutters would still be askew and the barn door jammed if we hadn’t had an extra hand — Nash — to tackle the repairs with us.
Like I said, I’m happy for a little mindless work,Nash joked into my mind, reading my thoughts from a distance.
I stifled a laugh. That was the plus side to the damage — an opportunity for Nash to prove himself to my sisters. Even Abby had warmed to him a little.
Okay, I have to hand it to him,she’d admitted.He’s pulled his weight around here, and then some.
Very true, though I found myself sighing. Maybe someday Abby would finally find a good man. She deserved one.
My mind wandered to Ingo. He seemed like a good guy. Too bad he wasn’t Abby’s type.
But Ingo and Pippa, on the other hand…
One problem, though — they’d broken up years ago for reasons Pippa had never gotten into. She claimed to be over him, but I saw the longing in her eyes when she looked at him.
“So, how are you enjoying Sedona?” I asked Ingo, speaking loud enough for Pippa to eavesdrop.
Would you cut that out?Nash admonished.He’s not interested in getting back together.
No, Ingopretendednot to be interested. But I’d definitely caught him peeking.
He’s not her type,Nash added, clearly out to protect his friend.
True — Ingo and Pippa were total opposites. Ingo was a wolf shifteranda super-serious agent. But he would be a great influence on my impulsive, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants sister. And she sure could help loosen him up a bit. Another win-win, in my humble opinion.
“Sedona really is beautiful.” Ingo nodded in answer to my question.
Still, I caught him watching Pippa more than the landscape. And who could blame him? Pippa was the peppiest and prettiest of us three sisters. The wind toyed with the wisps of blond hair that stuck out under her baseball cap, and her ready smile was impossible to resist.
Of course, that didn’t mean there was a happy reunion in the cards. But a girl could hope for a nice brother-in-law, right?
“Three-oh-five degrees at three point nine.” Henry’s voice came over the radio.
He’d taken his balloon higher than mine, but we were nearly on the same course.
“Three-ten at four point zero,” I reported.
The wind toyed with my hair, hinting,We could go even faster.
God, no. But thank you,I nearly murmured.
I opened the right vent to slowly rotate the balloon, treating every guest to three-sixty views. Below us, a couple of javelinas darted across the scrubby ground, and the sun glinted off Oak Creek as it meandered through the arid landscape.
“Oh! I see Robber’s Roost!” Pippa exclaimed.
As she regaled the guests with bootlegging legends, I chuckled into Nash’s mind. A place we knew well.
He laughed back.Thanks — or no thanks — to Harlon.
A good thing the agency had hauled Harlon in and put him through the wringer. His businesses were being scrutinized, and though he’d been released — after submitting to a restraining spell cast by the agency’s panel of class-one warlocks — he remained on their “red” watch list. Hopefully, his days causing trouble for folks like us were over.
The sun climbed higher, coloring the rocky landscape in ever brighter hues. I marveled as much as the guests did. So much beauty packed into one area. So many memories. So much to look forward to in the future.
Sometime later, Henry announced our landing spot — Angel Valley — where the vans were already waiting.
“That Nash is almost as good at predicting our landing spots as you are, Erin,” Henry marveled.
I couldn’t see Nash, but I sensed his smile. If only Henry knew the extent of our talents.
