Field Trip Day

No chores today, and I'll have to make up for it tomorrow and/or Tuesday while I'm off, but it was worth it for the annual August visit to the gem show with one of my besties. We oohed and aahed over lots of pretty jewelry and stones, though I must admit, it felt like there were a lot less tumbled stones this year than usual, so I actually came home with just six new rocks. Probably my personal low, compared to the last umpteen years that I've been going to this show, but several of the vendors I usually buy from weren't there this year. Oh well, maybe next summer. Still a good day: lots of girl-talk, pretty stones and even some wine, a good lunch, and then home to Chinese take-out for dinner. A good Sunday, made better because I am in the middle of a four-day weekend, so I can make up for today's undone chores.

Before I go back to the tasty wine I brought home (strawberry lemon! Perfect for a warm summer evening.) and some writing, I have a snippet for you this week from Freeing Medusa.

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            Hunter was putting some chips in a bowl when she stepped into the room, and he smiled as he turned toward her. “Sit.” He gestured to the table, where he’d already set plates with sandwiches, as well as small deli containers of cole slaw and potato salad.

            Swallowing, Katharine dropped onto the chair, her stomach fluttering nervously.

            “Don’t wait for me.” He set the chips on the table.

            She picked up her sandwich and found tuna salad, starving in spite of her anxiety. By the time he set a plate of fruit on the table and sat, she’d eaten half her sandwich.

            Hunter smiled at her.

            She swallowed the bite of tuna salad in her mouth. “Thank you.”

            He shook his head and picked up half of his sandwich.

            “I mean it. I really do appreciate what you’ve done for me.” She set the sandwich down. “I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful. I know the Harvester would’ve killed me if you hadn’t gotten there at just the right time.” She tried to remember all the points she needed to argue, everything that had occurred to her during her shower.

            “Katharine.”

            She lifted her gaze to his.      

            “Eat your lunch. We’ll figure out our next step afterward.” He smiled.

            Her heart pounded harder in reaction to his smile, and she frowned. Leftover hormones, she thought.

            Rather than argue with him, she forced her gaze back to her plate and picked up the rest of her sandwich.

            Finally, Hunter sat back in his chair when he’d polished off his lunch. “Okay. Hit me.”

            She blinked at him. “What?”

            “Give me your best argument.”

            That wasn’t what she’d expected. She frowned again, pushing her empty plate aside and resting her forearms on the edge of the table. “I shouldn’t need to convince you,” she said after a moment. “You saw him. You heard how determined he is. And there are more like him. Lots more. All on the hunt, and because he found me, more of them will be looking specifically for me.” She brushed her fingers absently over the smooth surface of the table. “My best bet right now is to hook up with one of my cousins or their husbands who’ve dealt with the Harvesters before. Then you’ll be safe.”

            “You can’t muster up anything better?”

            Katharine glared at him, more annoyed when he just continued to smile at her. Only half a day ago, that look would’ve killed him. Now it didn’t even make her feel better to know that. “I shouldn’t have to convince you you’re unsafe as long as you’re with me.”

            He shrugged. “I’m not the Medusa. They’re not interested in me.”

            True. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. My cousin Philomena, who was the Medusa before me, had Harvesters target her family to try to reach her.”

            His shoulder jerked. “I’m not family. They have no way to connect me to you.”

            “Except for the one who saw you Monday.”

            “But he doesn’t know who I am. I didn’t introduce myself while I had him at gunpoint.”

            Her pulse quickened. “That doesn’t mean he didn’t wait around to see you leave so he could follow you or try to track you down.”

            Hunter shook his head. “Didn’t follow. And he definitely didn’t stick around after I made him ditch his knife.”

            Her frustration level jumped up. He wasn’t understanding. Why wasn’t he understanding?

            Why did it matter? She was an adult and could do what she wanted.

            “Don’t even think it.” His tone was mild, but something in his eyes made her hesitate.

            “I’m not going to stay here and put you in danger,” she said finally, working to keep the edge out of her voice. “I’ll call my cousin and get some advice from her husband, then get out of your hair.”

            Hunter’s smile disappeared. “No.”

            She covered her face with her hands.

            “I’ll talk to your cousin’s husband, get his take, but you’re not going off on your own.”

            She dropped her hands. “I can defend myself just fine, at least for the next four weeks,” she pointed out.

            “I’m sure you can. I’d rather keep you where I can see you.”

            “Why?”

            His expression softened a little. “I know how to deal with guys like this. And I’ve already gotten you to safety. Oh, I have the new code to your alarm system, but you can’t go back.” He dug a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it across the table.

            Katharine sighed. “You’re going to be difficult about this, aren’t you?” She took the paper and unfolded it, staring blankly for a few seconds at the numbers. She swallowed, wishing her brain was functioning more quickly. The residual effects of three days of painkillers hadn’t yet dissipated.

            “You’d better believe it.” He set one hand over hers on the table, his fingers warm. “I’m in this thing now, Kat.”

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Did any of you get a fun day this weekend, with no chores included? Maybe some reading time? I'd love to hear about it!

Until next week, happy reading!