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We stood staring at the wall of dirt blocking the end of the last pipe. Naomi’s phone winked out and a moment later the light returned.
“I guess Michael was serious when he said they didn’t do the underground tunnels,” Naomi said.
I bit my lip, contemplating, mentally calculating the distance. If memory served me correctly, we were very close to where my original tunnel system dropped us under the garage. I turned and looked into the darkness behind me, rubbing my forehead where I had clocked a jut in the ceiling. Naomi had found that hysterical, her lovely five-foot-five form just waltzed right under the outcrop without touching the ceiling, the seven inch difference in height benefitting her for a change.
My guess was that outcrop was the foundation for the fence. If so, this was where my original doorway was that led to the inside of the garage. I spun back toward the dirt and started digging with my hands.
“What are you doing?”
“This is the remains of the original tunnel to the garage. I’m betting he didn’t know what to do when he hit the steel door. Especially with the angel hex.”
After three handfuls of dirt, my fingers hit the solid barrier and I grinned. “I’m surprised this door didn’t blow inward from the blast,” I mumbled as I uncovered more of the solid steel. The top half of the door was intact, but as I made my way lower, the metal became more deformed, like a boulder hit the center and bent it inward.
It took close to a half hour to uncover the doorway and I stepped back, aiming Naomi’s phone at the door. The outer edges seemed to be fine, but the center was bent inward and I exchanged a glance with Naomi before I stepped forward and felt along the edges.
The latch was stuck and I sighed. I’d need a wheel barrow to clean up the mess and I’d need a crowbar to pry open the door. I had time. Naomi’s stomach rumbled in the dark and I chuckled. I had forgotten Valerie’s instructions.
“I’ll get the rest of this later, we need to get you back so you can eat,” I said, wiping my dirty hands on my thighs.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’ll have the rest of the night and all day tomorrow to clean this up and get this section reinforced before I open that door.”
“Reinforced?”
I met her gaze. “This could collapse and I’d venture to guess, we’re at least eight feet below the grass. That’s a lot of dirt and we don’t want that falling on our heads.”
I pressed my lips together to stop the smile that wanted to form at Naomi’s worried glance and her hasty retreat. I followed, trying to study the construction of the tunnel, but the lack of light made any close inspection impossible. I’d have to bring a more illuminating light down when I returned. I knew the concrete cylinders were normally used for water channels and these looked dry enough, so it was obvious nothing was getting through the seams. I just wanted to make sure if I opened the steel door, it wouldn’t do anything to disrupt the landscaping.
We stepped into the kitchen a few minutes later and Valerie’s eyes narrowed in my direction.
“What in god’s name happened to you?”
“We went exploring,” Naomi said and glanced at me. “And he decided to dig at the end of the tunnel.”
“I see.” A dimple appeared in her cheek as she slowly appraised me. “He’s something all dirty like that,” she said in a tone I never heard from her before.
One that left me speechless and I traded a glance with Naomi. Hunger reflected in her eyes and I had to blink because Naomi’s expression mirrored Valerie’s and just the thought of Valerie finding me hot gave me an awful chill. It was as bad as having my own child wanting to bed me and I shifted my stance, meeting Naomi’s gaze.
“Does it make you uncomfortable that I notice you?” Valerie said and put two plates piled with pasta on the table.
Naomi answered for me. “I’m pretty sure it does,” she said and slid in the seat next to Valerie. “You do know that I’ll kick your ass if you ever make a move, though,” she added with a smile and picked up her fork.
Valerie grinned. “I assumed, but it’s still fun to make him all uncomfortable like that.”
She pointed at me and both women nodded, grins playing on each of their lips.
“What did I ever do to you?” I muttered and headed to the garage without waiting for an answer. The wheelbarrow and a shovel sat in the corner and I picked up both, hauling them through the living area without a word but both their gazes burned into my back. After depositing them at the entry of the tunnel, I climbed back to the kitchen and took a seat across from Valerie and waited for a break in the conversation.
“So you lived in the mountains for the last five years?” Valerie directed the question to me instead of Naomi.
“Yes,” I answered. “Do you have some flashlights?”
“Michael put some down in the walk in storage area across from the bedroom downstairs. He said most everything you’d ever need is in there.”
“I haven’t finished looking around down there.” I shrugged and went to stand.
“Stay and visit,” Naomi said and it was presented in such a way that I couldn’t refuse without offending them.
“What? So the two of you can gang up on me?” I allowed a smile to form despite the discomfort grating on my nerves. I didn’t want to think of Valerie as anything but a little girl and her less than subtle stare was driving me nuts.
“No, so we can talk and be good guests before Valerie has to run out and pick up Michael and her Uncle Ted.”
“When we finish dinner, maybe we can play a game of chess before I have to leave,” Valerie said. “It will give me a break from studying.”
“What specialty are you studying?” Naomi asked and finished the last bite of spaghetti.
“Pediatrics. I love kids,” Valerie said as she stood to take Naomi’s plate, but I stopped both of them.
“Let me get the dishes, while you two talk,” I said and reached across the table, pulling the plates from Valerie.
“Is he for real?” Valerie asked while I went into the kitchen.
“Yes,” Naomi said and I could tell she wore that proud possessive grin without even turning. “He doesn’t mind cleaning up. Which is all the better for me because I hate to clean.”
I snorted a laugh from the sink. That was an understatement. Naomi would rather do anything else, and had resorted to some really creative bribes to get out of cleaning. Not that I minded at all, especially since her bribes were usually worth every ounce of sweat I shed.
“Are you laughing at me?” she called and I sent a grin her way before focusing on cleaning up the pots and pans in the sink.
Silence filtered over the room and I shifted, looking out the window in front of me at the woods and then at the reflection in the window pane.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, stop looking at me like that,” I said to the reflections of both Naomi and Valerie staring at me. At my ass in particular.
“You sure you’re not willing to share?” Valerie posed the question to Naomi and I almost dropped the plate in my hands.
Naomi’s head tilted as she studied me and the breathless sigh that came sent a heated tingle through me. “Yes. I’m quite territorial. Besides, hawks mate for life. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
I met her gaze in the reflection and offered a single nod. Even if she had been willing to share, I couldn’t conceive of it.