CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

 

 

May 16, 2015

7:30 P.M.

McCall, Idaho

 

Julia couldn’t believe how cold she had gotten in the night air while wet from the icy lake water. She and Lott, walking arm-in-arm had taken only a few minutes to get back to the cars in front of Williams’ house and into Doc’s big Cadillac SUV, but by the time they got there, they were both staggering slightly.

Julia could feel her energy draining away because of the cold. They all would be in serious trouble if they didn’t get warm quickly.

Agent Munn had come along after reassigning agents back to watching the roads and other agents with the fire department that was arriving to put out the fire.

Doc had the car going and the heat up quickly, but even the warm air filling the car didn’t take off the chill. She had to get out of the wet clothes and quickly.

“Let’s get to Shore Lodge,” Doc said. “We’ll get a couple suites there and get you all into warm showers. Ben and Fleet can head toward Cascade to get fresh clothes for everyone.”

“I think Ben needs to stay here for the time being,” Agent Munn said, her teeth chattering slightly.

“I agree,” Ben said. “I need to stick close so I can be questioned and detained for my actions.”

“When the time comes,” Agent Munn said. “Right now we need all hands on deck, but I don’t want to be getting too loose about it.”

“Thank you,” Ben said, nodding. “I’ll help where I can. I’m just glad my family is safe.”

Doc got them suites quickly at Shore Lodge and this time they went to the left past the desk and up a flight of stairs.

She still leaned on Lott and he leaned against her, but both of them were shaking they were so cold. Doc opened one door and indicated Lott and Julia should go in there.

“Clothes and some hot coffee and tea and hot chocolate coming quickly,” Doc said. “Then he opened the door to the next suite and let Annie and Agent Munn in.

“Back shortly,” Doc said, closing the door behind Annie. Then he and Fleet and Ben headed almost at a run down the hall back the way they came.

Julia smiled at Lott and closed the door. “Looks like we’re sharing a suite.”

“Seems people see more about us than we even admit to ourselves,” Lott said, smiling.

Then he pointed to the bathroom. “Toss out two towels and don’t be too long in the shower.”

“You could always join me,” she said, smiling at him as best she could considering how cold she was.

“Oh, trust me, I would love to,” he said. “But going from freezing cold to boiling hot might be too much for my system.”

She laughed and stripped out of her wet coat and tossed it into a pile near the bathroom door. Then she kicked off her soaking wet and muddy tennis shoes and soaking socks and tossed them on her coat.

Then she went into the bathroom, turned on the hot shower, and went back out with two towels for Lott.

He was already mostly undressed, standing there only in his wet pants.

She was stunned how a man his age, who had just gone through an explosion and who was freezing, could look so damned good.

She tossed him the towels. “I’ll be fast.”

“You had better be or I’m going to climb in there with you,” he said.

“That is not an incentive to hurry,” she said, laughing and turning away.