Hidden Flames (24 page)

“Generous of you,” Owen muttered, not so sure he would have done the same thing. With that said, he had told a select few of the strangers he’d met on his way here about Lost Summit and the diner meeting spot. He could be kind when needed, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be watching every move they made. “I’d still make sure your flanks are well covered. No need to tempt the Calvin Klein fan into modeling for your woman.”

“It’s damn good to have you here, Owen,” Mav laughed, slapping him on the back as he steered them to the front door. He pushed it open to a scene that caught Owen by surprise. A lot of the townsfolk were everywhere—some were sitting around the great room, the entrance to the dining area was full of people coming and going with plates of breakfast, and there was some traffic from the bar entrance. Others were carrying drinks and heading in and out of the four seasons room and the library.

Owen sought out Prue and Rosa, finding them by the coffee bar to the side of the great room with Ernie. Prue met his gaze and gave him a slight nod, letting him know that she was fine, although he didn’t miss the fact that she’d somehow retrieved her utility cap out of her saddlebag. It sat firmly square on her head. “We have a lot to talk to about.”

“Yes, we do,” Owen agreed, shedding his jacket and looking around for a place to set his stuff when he noticed Prue and Rosa’s things to the right of the door near the foot of the stairs to the upper level across from the reception desk. He set his coat and gasmask on top of theirs before rubbing his hands together to produce some heat. He hadn’t realized just how cold he was until he’d stepped into the warmth of the lodge. Hell, his stomach rumbled at the smell of food that had to be coming from the kitchen area at the rear of the lodge and he recognized the fragrance of Mabel’s biscuits and sausage. “Catch me up while we eat, bro. I have a feeling I’m going to need substance to handle what you’re about to say.”

“D
o you mind,
Prue?” Rosa asked, looking for permission to leave the lodge and go on a short tour with Missy Murray. From Prue’s understanding, the woman had run the local bed and breakfast with her mother before the eruption. She seemed nice enough and even though she was at least ten years Rosa’s senior, the two women had bonded. “I won’t be long.”

“Go ahead. Just don’t leave the compound,” Prue cautioned her, wanting her sister to be comfortable here and yet safe at the same time. This was their new home whether they liked it or not. It was good that Rosa was already making friends. “Please make sure to wear your mask, though. I know the ash isn’t that thick up here but there’s no need to take any chances with small particles getting into your lungs.”

The two women walked to the door, Rosa sorting through the small pile by the door for her gasmask. It wasn’t long before the door closed behind them as the girls left to see the area. It was hard to believe that it was still morning considering it felt like she’d been awake for twenty-four hours straight. She did manage to sleep last night; it just didn’t turn out to be the fitful kind. She remained by the coffee bar and observed numerous people still milling about. The younger ones had cleared out, not that they were young in terms of Rosa, but more Prue’s age. The majority were older folks that appeared to have their routines down, whether that included cooking, canning, cleaning, laundry, and more. It appeared that everyone pitched in and she wondered what exactly she would do to contribute.

“Can I get you anything else?”

Prue turned to see Henley Varano standing a foot away with an empty mug. The tall, beautiful brunette reached for the fresh pot of coffee, pouring herself a healthy dose. She wasn’t only beautiful—she was downright stunning and Prue wasn’t surprised in the least when Owen had mentioned that Henley had modeled at one point in her life. Prue wasn’t usually one to be intimated by another woman’s looks, but damn if a little bit of envy didn’t build up inside of her for just a moment. Even in jeans it was easy to see that this woman had legs a mile long and it was highly doubtful there was a hint of cellulite on her either. It was just Prue’s luck to get stuck with a fucking prima donna during the apocalypse. She immediately felt guilty for thinking that, considering Henley had been nothing but nice to her thus far.

“No, thank you,” Prue answered, finishing off her coffee and setting the mug into the gray bucket meant for dirty dishes. There was a system in place and she didn’t want to disrupt it, or else she would have taken her own cup to the kitchen to clean it. “I was just about to go looking for Owen.”

“He’s in my office with Mav and Ernie,” Henley offered with a kind smile, once again causing Prue to feel awkward that she’d jumped to conclusions. “Mav and I are staying in my cabin, but we thought it best for the entire team to be together once everyone arrived. It’s been set up so that you and Owen can have your own room in one of the barracks inside the mine. We’ll make sure Rosa has her own area in the same building as well.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind of you.” Prue adjusted her head and then crossed her arms, wishing she’d just poured herself another cup of coffee. She wondered what impression she’d given Henley that she would assume that Prue and Owen were together…as a couple. He’d been absconded by Mav relatively quickly after a swift introduction to some of the townsfolk that had still been inside the great room around the fireplace. “Out of curiosity, what makes you think Owen and I are together?”

“Oh, trust me. A man doesn’t look at a woman like Owen does you without there being something more than friendship involved.” Henley laughed with a tilt of her head, causing her long brown hair to hang over her shoulder. It was hard not to stare at someone who was so naturally beautiful and Prue understood how Mav would be head over heels for this woman. Owen had given her the lowdown of the two’s cat and mouse game over the last few years. She’d thought the tomcat had won, but she wasn’t so sure now that she’d met Henley. The woman wasn’t all beauty. “I hear you’re the best mechanic Owen has ever had the privilege of meeting or working with. That’s pretty high praise coming from that man. I imagine you’re going to end up running the machine shop or one of the maintenance crews at the very least.”

“I know a thing or two about bikes and such,” Prue replied modestly, not usually one to talk about her talents. So she knew engines and mechanical systems pretty good…it wasn’t that big of a deal. “I’m not so sure I’d make the most domestic woman, if you know what I mean.”

Prue hadn’t meant to make Henley laugh again with her comment, but she still chuckled as she scanned the room and eventually pointed out who did what. It wasn’t just the women who had some of the domestic chores. It was fairly divided amongst the older generation, making them feel useful. Henley went on to explain that the majority of the townsfolk were older, retired and medically incapable of being outside in the harsh elements or performing heavy physical activities. It was easier to contain them inside and not worry about their health. They weren’t in a position to handle any heavy medical emergencies due to the one nurse who lived in town being in Metaline Falls when everything had gone to hell.

“Milton Owain is the only one here with any measurable medical training, since he was an EMT back in his younger days,” Henley said, gesturing that they should head back toward the front foyer. There was a hallway off the wide entrance room beside the reception desk that led back to where her office was located. Prue had discovered that Henley was Ernie’s right hand when it came to running the lodge’s administration and day-to-day operations. “I did hear that Gage Dorian, our only other resident mechanic, was trying to figure out a way to modify some tractors we were able to bring up from Rob Wick’s farm. The horses and livestock we brought up here need to be able to eat and we were only able to get so many haystacks stored in the barn and a couple of storage areas in the mine before the ash arrived.”

“Have you thought about converting the barn’s floor into an internal grow facility with sod? Planting some grass or clover in the sheltered area using grow lights to accelerate the growth cycle will supplement the animals’ diets as they go through what you’ve managed to salvage. We can rig some halogen lamps and raid a florist shop or nursery in one of the surrounding towns for actual grow facilities. From what Owen has told me, Ernie has a greenhouse inside the bunker that has vegetables and fruits growing already. It shouldn’t be too hard to replicate inside the barn to increase your grow square footage.” Prue didn’t mention that she had experience with 4H when she’d been in college. She’d done a lot of things that weren’t brought up, but she did like feeling useful. “Once the ash eventually stops I could help convert some of the farm machines into sweepers that would be able to stand up to the loading requirement needed to move the ash, much like a snow blower. If Gage Dorian owned a garage, he would have the parts we need or at least the things I need to construct an ash thrower with parts from a thresher, sheet metal, and some bar stock.”

“I like the way you think,” Henley praised, but then quickly caught the attention of a young man walking across the room. He looked to be a little older than Rosa, but his eyes lit up when Henley called his name. “Would you do me a favor and see where the mayor has gone? Let me know if you find him talking with Rat.”

“Will do,” Dylan replied, immediately setting out to do what Henley asked. That boy wasn’t lovesick or anything yet. Prue shook her head at the apparent infatuation. “I’ll be right back.”

“You don’t—” Henley sighed when Dylan had already left before she could finish her sentence. She slowly shook her head before explaining to Prue what her request had been about. “I’m sure Owen has told you about Stanley Ratliff and the trouble he’s caused. Well, Missy was the one to notice that the mayor and Rat have been a little too close for comfort lately. Ernie and Mav are aware of it, but I’d like to avoid any more drama. Running this operation is tough enough without internal gunplay between the growing number of factions we seem to have collected.”

“I heard what happened to you,” Prue said, coming to stand in front of the office door. She slipped her hands into her front pockets, deciding not to hide who she truly was. She was abrasive, blunt, and happened to cuss a lot. “You kicked ass from what Owen said and I’m sure you can do it again if needed. If you need help dealing with that bastard, just let me know. I have some effective skills with a knife.”

“You’re going to fit right in, Prue,” Henley said with a big smile, knocking briefly on the door before opening it without waiting for the men to call out. Prue was starting to like Henley and her robust attitude. She didn’t appear fazed in the least by Prue’s language. It was a good start. “Hey guys. I just sent Dylan to check up on Mayor Ramsey.”

Mav groaned and rubbed his eyes, sitting back in what must be Henley’s desk chair. She walked over and handed him her coffee while sitting on the edge of the desk. He smiled appreciatively as he leaned forward to grab the mug and Prue felt awkward that she hadn’t thought to do the same for Owen. He didn’t appear to mind though when he held out a hand from where he was leaning up against one of the office windows looking out over the lodge’s outlying cabins. She hesitantly walked over and was surprised he turned her around so that her back was to his chest. He casually set his hands on her waist.

“Another problem I need to be aware of?” Owen asked, switching his gaze between Ernie and Mav. Prue figured that their meeting must have covered just about everything and it wasn’t sounding good. “Let me get this straight—Rat’s son tries to kill Henley and you believe that Rat knew nothing about it?”

“He didn’t,” Henley replied confidently, looking at Ernie when she’d answered. “And you know that, Tank. Owen, you’ve been coming here for years. You know these people just like I do. Rat might not be the most honest or decent person, but he’s not a killer. It wouldn’t serve his interest to kidnap me and you know he doesn’t do a damn thing that doesn’t serve his own best interest.”

“That’s a matter of opinion,” Mav said, expressing his view when he leaned back against the chair with an audible sigh. Prue’s first impression of the man was that he was dependable. It was clear to see that he cared about Owen, just as he did Ernie. Plus, Mav’s eyes lit up whenever he set his gaze on Henley. He’d do anything for her and she wondered how Owen would have felt if Deacon were still alive, milling about with the other people. She couldn’t imagine he would stand for that for one minute, but then again Deacon didn’t hide the fact that he would have taken their lives for his own gain. “The mayor handled things well, but we all know he’s a little gullible. We’re not sure why Rat has been buddying up to him lately, so they both need to be monitored carefully. There won’t be an insurrection amongst these good people. Most of them are a lot smarter than Rat ever was on his best day.”

“Kellen Truman as well.” Owen stiffened behind her; his reaction to the name he’d just spelled out in perfect English was exactly how he felt about the man. Prue didn’t get the hostility and neither man had spoken to each other as far as she was aware. She’d be the first to admit she had a bad habit of judging a person rather quickly, but this took the cake. “He shows up here the day of the eruption, two of his people arrive a week or so later, and you believe it’s a coincidence they landed their asses in the one spot inside the United States that stands a chance of survival?”