After the Climb (River Rain #1) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,56

ride. Has something like that ever led to homicidal tendencies before?”

“There was a limited edition Fendi clutch she decided to pass on, then changed her mind, and went back to get it, but it was gone and there wasn’t another one available anywhere. Things were troubled for a while after that, and I know your acquaintance has been short, but my sense is, you understand that ‘troubled’ for Chloe is akin to ‘apocalyptic’ for everyone else. But she didn’t threaten to kill anybody.”

He was chuckling at the same time saying, “We’ll find out soon enough.”

We would.

He moved to and then came out of the pantry with four different bags of chips.

“I take it we’re having sandwiches and chips,” I noted.

“I can heat up some soup,” he offered.

“This looks delicious, darling.”

Her jerked up his chin and went to the fridge for condiments.

“What can I do?” I asked.

“Give Kills a snuggle, she’s dyin’ and I got my hands full,” he answered.

I went to get his dog and was seated at the island, giving her snuggles while she panted and watched her Daddy arrange slices of meat on a plate when I heard the garage door go up.

“Should I not be puttin’ out meat and instead have been battening down the hatches?” Duncan asked.

Which meant I was laughing when Chloe came in.

She was carrying two large, handled paper bags, both that had a simple design of a river with some rocks through which were the words River Rain.

And she was not feeling in the mood to keep us guessing.

She started this with, “Where’s my martini, Bowie?”

“Honey, I got a rule. Before the liquor comes out, food goes in the stomach. So tell me what sandwich to make you. You eat it, I’ll pull out the vodka,” Bowie replied.

“What’s happening, Chloe?” I asked.

She dumped the bags and stomped to the island.

“I’ll tell you what’s happening, and prepare, Bowie,” she said to Duncan. “You’ll be needing to fire somebody.”

Uh-oh.

I let Killer down (she wanted to greet Chloe anyway) because Duncan had had experience with Chloe. And he was a mature man and father of two sons. So he’d been trained to be aware and assessing of children, their moods and their words, no matter their age.

But Chloe was not yet a mother, nor had she had a long-term boyfriend, though she was an adult, but barely.

So she had not quite taken in all that made Duncan.

And therefore, intimating that she’d been done wrong by one of his employees was not the way to handle whatever bee was buzzing her bonnet.

Before I could intervene, she found out.

“Who?” Duncan barked, and Chloe jumped. “And what did they do?”

“Uh, Judge,” she said uncertainly.

Duncan’s head twitched in confusion.

“Judge was uncool with you?”

Whoever this Judge was, apparently, this was out of character.

“Okay, before this—” I tried.

“He made fun of me,” Chloe shared.

“Judge? Judge Oakley?” Duncan queried.

Definitely out of character.

“I don’t know his last name. I think he’s kind of a higher up.”

“Yeah, Chloe, he doesn’t even work in the store. He’s in charge of our Kids and Trails program.”

“What?” Chloe asked.

“It’s a nationwide thing we do. Along with some fundraising Judge does to build the program, River Rain pays for field trips, mostly for inner city kids in low-income areas. We bus them out to national parks and take them on hikes.”

Oh wow.

I didn’t know he had that program.

How lovely.

My daughter sniffed. “Well, I got the sense it wasn’t his department when he butted into me buying boots.”

“Corporate offices are attached to our Prescott store,” Duncan explained.

“Oh,” Chloe mumbled.

“And he was a dick to you?” Duncan asked.

“He made fun of my booties.”

I sighed.

Duncan stared at her.

“They’re Jennifer Chamandi,” she stated, as if that meant anything to Duncan.

“Are you sure he wasn’t teasing you or maybe flirting with you?” Duncan suggested.

“Well, yes, considering we got into an argument that I’m afraid to say was somewhat heated, on both our parts, and loud, on just my part, about how the cost of my booties would feed an entire village in Africa for a year, which they would not. I’m very aware they’re not exactly inexpensive, but they aren’t covered in diamonds. Though I don’t need some guy making me feel shitty because I’m privileged. I’m not unaware that I am and just because I don’t take inner city school kids on hikes for a living, and instead, make women feel pretty for a living, I shouldn’t be made to feel like crap.”

Duncan was opening the bread, muttering, “I’ll have a word with