BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“Adam?” Rune got to her feet, wavered a bit, then moved to Adam’s side. “What’s wrong?”

From inside the store, Adam heard Elle call, “No, I’ve got everything.”

Urgently Rune said, “Before she comes out, I need to tell you—her eyes are different colors, and that condition is called—”

“I know. Heterochromia iridum. Possibly genetic, possibly caused by her injuries. I’ll watch for changes.” Adam turned in time to see Elle take one step through the door, still clutching the newspaper. Then the second foot, the one behind the lead, seemed to catch. She rose on her toes, dropped the paper and fell hard, her hands outstretched.

Adam reached her before she landed.

21

“SOMETHING CAUGHT MY FOOT. I mean it, Adam. It was like I tripped over something.” Although he had said nothing, Elle sounded argumentative.

Adam drove the ATV into the garage between his shop and house and parked it beside his four-wheel-drive pickup. “I looked. There was nothing there.” That worried him. She’d shown no signs of concussion, but her clumsiness had come out of nowhere, and if he hadn’t caught her, she might have seriously injured herself. “If I could take you to the hospital...”

“No! No.”

He heard terror in her voice.

Then with a sigh, she added, “Anyway, I’m too tired.”

“I know.” But after she slept, they would discuss this again.

Although it was only midafternoon, the day felt long and fraught. He needed to use his hands, to distract himself from the swirl of violent emotions and that itch of uneasiness. He helped her out of the ATV, made sure she was steady on her feet, then walked her outside. He locked the garage. “I’ve got to go to work. In my shop.”

“Okay.” Elle looked at him in hope.

“Come on.” He led her into the tall building beside his home. He lifted the oversize RV garage doors and illuminated the interior.

He had had this structure built to his specifications. The walls were a pale golden wood with skylights in the ceiling that bathed his shop in even light. A long pegboard with hooks and tools hung on the wall over the workbench. A small, intense propane kiln stood in the middle of the floor; he could start a hot fire and the flames could not spread to exterior walls, the grasses outside or the fragile countryside. “You can take a nap here.” He pointed to the narrow cot against the wall. “But you have to wear ear protection.”

“Ear protection? Why?”

“I work with metal. I fire it, I pound it, I—”