Layers Crossed (12 page)

She froze for
a moment, lowering her gaze.

“Did I say
something wrong?”

“No, it’s just
that I don’t have many friends.” Her voice was barely a
whisper.

“Why not? This
town seems quite hospitable. And you seem like a very nice person.
Trust me, I can read people.”

She shrugged,
grabbing a cowgirl hat off a rack. “Here, will this one do?”

I ignored her,
saying, “Well, I need a new friend, and so I’m officially making
you one. Please?”

“All right,
but what do I do?”

Has this
girl never had a friend?
If she was who I thought she was, her
childhood had probably been rougher than I – or anyone – suspected.
I still had to confirm my findings, and it surprised me no one else
had questioned her. It seemed Missy had a way of keeping quiet on
purpose, hiding her identity; or perhaps she simply didn’t want to
draw attention to herself for other reasons. I doubted anyone else
in this town had even noticed that she wore contact lenses that
changed her eye color. I’d seen the lenses enough times when agents
at our company, including my brothers, had gone under cover. They
weren’t the prescription kind – they hid the natural eye color, and
Missy’s definitely wasn’t brown. I wasn’t sure whether running into
Missy was fate or instinct, but from the information I’d already
gathered at the town hall, she could possibly help me find
Huntz.

Her raggedy
clothes were like a collage of long-sleeved shirts on top of
t-shirts on top of tank tops paired with a long layered skirt, all
beige and brown, non-eye-catching colors blending in with the
background. Others might not have been able to see it, but this
girl was in hiding.

“Well, we
definitely should hang out. What’s there to do in this town?”

“Not much. We
have the summer fest the weekend after next. You should come,” she
offered, her eyes nearly sparkling. I doubted she got a chance to
get excited over much, and my visiting here appeared welcome.

“What’s
that?”

“It’s a
celebration before the fall fest.”

Well, that
explains it!
It took all my strength not to roll my eyes. But
Missy was a smart girl. As if she knew what I was thinking, she
added, “Everyone in town gets together at the beginning of every
season to celebrate it.” She picked up a pamphlet off the counter
and handed it to me.

“All right,
I’ll let Eric know. Will I see you there?”

“Yes, I’m
coming. I’m helping out with the pies.”

“And please
add these to the bill,” I picked up a pair of laced panties that
had caught my eye, dangling them on my finger. At that same moment
I noticed Eric, there with another hunk watching us.

“Who’s that
with Eric?” I asked.

“Oh, that’s
Derek Fields.” She blushed. “They’ve been best buddies since the
day they came back. And before then of course too. It’s a small
town.”

“Came back
from where?”

“The
military.”

And how in the
world had I missed that? Eric had never mentioned the military.
Even with the background check I’d done on him, there was nothing.
Why would he not tell me? It seemed that Eric was hiding a bit more
than I realized as well.

“Thank you,
Missy. I’ll see you soon.”

“Take care,
Emma.”

I paid for my
four bags of purchases and left. Eric was waiting for me outside,
leaning against his truck. His arms crossed over his chest and his
lean posture made me pause for a moment. It was then that I noticed
the adorning way he was looking at me and I had to turn around to
make sure there was no one behind me. It made the hair on my nape
stand as something twisted inside me.

“What did you
get?” he asked.

“Stuff.” I
handed him the bags and he made his way to the back of the truck,
carefully stacking them in the trunk.

“Am I gonna
see it?” he cocked his head to the side.

“If you’re
lucky, you will.”

His brows
lifted as he shifted toward me, managing to lock me in between his
body and the car. Resting his hands against the metal, right over
my shoulders, he leaned in with a whisper, “I know I’m lucky,
because you’re here.” His warm breath brushed my ear, lingering
along my neck as he tantalizingly slowly pulled away. The afternoon
stubble on his jaw gently scraped along my cheek as the smell of
him hit me, settling deep in my belly. Nerves fluttered in my
stomach – ones I hadn’t felt in a long time – and for a moment Eric
managed to take me away from my hectic world of spying and breaking
hearts into his. It was just him and me, staring at one another.
His eyes shone with wonder as his body leaned into mine more with
each second. The faint pull of his tongue along his bottom lip
watered my mouth as I inhaled Eric’s overwhelming scent of leather
and country air.

The sound of a
glass shattering in the restaurant three doors down startled me,
and Eric pulled away.

“How are you
liking Ogden so far?” he asked.

Ahm, a
lot.
But me liking being here had nothing to do with the job
and everything to do with Eric.

“We’re going
to the summer fest weekend after next.” I handed him the pamphlet
sticking out of my pocket.

“Already in
party mode?” Eric opened my door.

“Investigative
mode. Tell me everything you know about Missy.” I asked as Eric
made his way around the truck and got into the driver’s seat.

“Really? The
salesclerk? You chose the least interesting person in town to ask
about.”

“I ask because
she chooses to be least interesting, which means she has a reason
to be.” I buckled my seat belt.

“As far as I
remember, she was orphaned when young and raised by moving from
house to house. She even stayed at the parish for some time. And
apparently she’s seeing my buddy’s younger brother.” I made a note
to get to know the Fields brothers better. Eric turned on the
ignition and started
maneuvering
out of the parking lot. Orange dust
swirled behind us.

“Yeah, about
your buddy. How long have you known each other?”

“Since
childhood. Our parents are best friends.”

“And you’ve
kept in touch all these years?” I asked, wondering whether Eric
would mention the military.

“Yes, it’s not
difficult to do in a town this size. Emma, if there’s something you
want to ask me, just ask.”

“All right.
How come you never mentioned you were in the military?”

He squeezed
the steering wheel before replying. “Because it’s not something I
like to talk about. It was a darker time in my life.”

“You shouldn’t
be surprised then when I tell you I did a background check on you
and couldn’t find a mention of you there.”

“That’s
because no one, not even my parents, knows I served.”

“Care to
elaborate?”

He laughed out
loud, saying, “You sound like Julian. Yes, I do care. That’s where
Derek lives.” Eric pointed to the third country home we’d passed
after the town’s limits. “His brother Blake has apparently been
seeing Missy.”

“She looks
like someone who could use a few more friends. What happened to
Missy’s parents? How did they die?”

“I… I don’t
know. We don’t ask questions like those.”

“Why not? Mrs.
Gladden from the bakery seems nosy enough, and she didn’t know
either. Neither did Sherriff Lowes when I bumped into him at town
hall. Yet Missy seems to live on the same property John Huntz used
to occupy. Don’t you find that odd?” I asked as Eric made his way
around the truck and got into the driver’s seat.

“I guess I
never thought about it. Wait a minute. That’s wrong. I remember
Huntz’s house being torn down after he vanished because no one in
town wanted anything to remind them of the man that he was.”

“Except at the
town hall, in the registry section, the records say he owned two
properties. But I doubt many people check those files.”

Eric looked at
me from the side as if I’d just solved the crop circle
mysteries.

“Well, then
please accept my apologies, Emma. Here I thought you went on a
shopping spree – not that there’s anything wrong with that – and in
two hours you find more information than I did in months.”

“You just need
to know where to look.” I lowered the window.

Shifting to
the side, Eric just stared at me in that same adoring way he had
earlier, when he was leaning against the car.

“What?” I
asked.

“Your
intelligence turns me on.” His low voice curled through my entire
body, lighting it on fire. How did he do that? I had a sudden urge
to quote Einstein and Tolstoy, but found it difficult to reach for
anything clever in my brain when I was near Eric. And the
E=mc
²
formula was definitely not on top of the
sexy
things to say to a man
list.

“I’m just
doing my job, Eric.”

And why had my
voice quieted? Since when was I shy around men? Never. Except Eric
was a kind of man I’d never met before. He was a perfect mix of
caring, strong, and polite that was difficult to find in New
York.

“You shouldn’t
hide how smart you are. It’s sexy and intriguing.”

“I’m not
trying to hide it.”

“I just never
met anyone like you, Emma. So beautiful and clever. And those legs
of yours are driving me crazy.” His gaze shifted from the road to
my exposed thighs. “Has anyone ever told you that they’re
stunning?”

“Ahm, no.
Thank you. But your flirting is pretty blunt.”

“Just telling
the truth. And that pink shade on your cheeks when you blush is
like a drug.”

He shivered as
if shaking off the after-effects of cocaine before adjusting his
crotch. That’s when I noticed that Eric in fact was turned on.
Knowing how he felt around me forced me to tense my thighs and that
funny and welcome feeling returned to my belly. I couldn’t sit
still. The swelling between my legs was becoming unbearable too,
dampening my panties, and I was beginning to wonder how I would
make it through the night, all alone in Eric’s bed.

“I better
concentrate on the drive. Wouldn’t want to get us in an
accident.”

Ten minutes
later we pulled up the driveway at the ranch. Eric unpacked
groceries while I got started on a late supper, and soon we were
sitting in his back yard, enjoying our meal.

“So, tell me.
Why didn’t I find anything about you in the military?” I asked. He
had to give me a little more than what he had earlier.

“My lips are
sealed.” He pulled his hand across his mouth and stabbed a roasted
pepper onto his fork

I cut through
my steak with more force. “Well, then, now you really need to tell
me. Come on.”

“OK. But know
that if you try to verify this anywhere, you won’t find anything to
confirm it. And you may have an angry bunch of people after you if
they find you were snooping.”

“I promise not
to say a word.” I crossed my heart and opened my eyes wide, leaning
in closer.

“Derek and I
were recruited at the same time. A guy showed up at one of the
fests, telling us about making a change and supporting your
country, and the next thing I knew I was lying to my parents that I
was going to Haiti to help build houses. I just wanted to feel like
I could accomplish something and make a change.

“The training
started as soon as we arrived at the Seals’ headquarters. It was
the most grueling two weeks of my life, but I doubted months or
years would have prepared us for what we’d experienced.”

Eric looked
out into the distance, remaining quiet for several minutes. I
didn’t dare interrupt. As the sun lowered, its orange glow
highlighted Eric’s protruding cheeks and defined jaw, where I saw a
hint of tension.

“The thing is,
Emma, that we promised ourselves not to speak about it to anyone –
ever. Because witnessing humanity capable of gruesome tortures
tends to fuck with your brain, ya’ know? So as much as I
can’t
tell you, I honestly don’t
want
to tell you. I
won’t be responsible for stealing your innocence and hope.” He
cracked his fingers and neck, once to each side. “Bottom line is
that we accomplished our mission but didn’t come out unscathed.
Some physically, all emotionally. Derek slipped up, thinking we
were in the clear. It was time to celebrate and we did, without
knowing that we were being hunted by those we’d crossed a day
earlier. Derek was leading our group and blames himself until this
day. All I remember was Reeve carrying my motionless body to a
chopper.”

Eric lowered
his head and pulled his hair apart at the back with his fingers,
revealing his scalp. There was a scar running across the back of
his head and another perpendicular one that drew up. “Let’s just
say that I’m not looking forward to the day I lose my hair and am
forced to go bald and to explain myself to my family and friends.
Ain’t gonna happen.”

The agony in
his voice ripped through me. His beautiful eyes had darkened and
his face grew older in mere seconds. This was not a time of his
life Eric wanted to live with. He wanted to forget and move on. And
as much as the investigator in me wanted to know all the details,
Eric was my priority now. I wouldn’t let him hurt any longer.

“You don’t
have to say anymore,” I said. “But you’re a brave man, Eric Waters.
And for what it’s worth, you’re one hell of a hero.”

“I’m no
hero...”

“Shut up. This
will not change my mind. Did you risk your life for others?”

“Yes,
but...”

“Then you’re a
hero.” I regarded the horizon before pointing forward. “Look, it’s
about to touch the trees.”

We watched the
sun go down in silence. Once the night took over, I felt the
tiredness set in. After a quick shower I lay down in Eric’s bed,
thinking about the thousands of things he could have witnessed. I’d
seen a lot in my life – my brothers had told me a few stories as
well. Yet I was sure that each thought and each story would never
compare to what Eric had experienced. I tossed and turned in bed
that night partly because I feared to fall asleep. I was afraid
that the man whom I’d been hunting, John Huntz, would eventually
turn tables on me. That was my fear. Once it passed, I couldn’t
stop thinking about Eric and how much I wished I could curl up to
his body and sleep in the comfort of his warmth, where we could
both forget our woes.