me too,” Karri said, and then the whole table heard her belly rumble.
“I’ll order some barbeque from The Pink Pig too,” Harper said with a wink to Karri.
“Don’t you have food here?” Karri asked as she handed her phone over to Agent Castle. “Here, go through these and see if anything looks interesting.”
Karri walked off with Harper, who was talking about how she wanted to serve bar food but only has part-time help on the weekends so that’s when she does it. Skye didn’t need to see her friend to know Karri’s mind was already on food she could make here without the dietary restrictions Skye was supposed to be following.
“They’re all writing back demanding to know where I am,” Skye said with a tired sigh. This had been her life because they had been her life. Now she didn’t even want to talk to them. The other night at her house had pissed her off beyond belief. She’d been threatened over a movie role and now she’d begun to see past manipulations. She was trying to take control over her own life now and someone was trying to stop her from doing that. As far as she was concerned, all of Hollywood could shove it at this point.
“Don’t respond,” Castle told her and then leaned forward. “So, I didn’t see anything about a boyfriend when I ran Karri’s background.”
Skye put down her phone and turned her attention to Agent Castle. “That’s because Karri doesn’t have one. So, you’re Oneida? Do you visit the area around Seneca Falls in New York much?”
“According to my grandma, not as much as I should. My mother isn’t a member, and I grew up away from my grandma. We’re close, but not as close as if I’d been able to live nearer. Then, being with the FBI, I’ve traveled around too.” Skye really looked at Agent Castle. He was attractive. He was strong. He was smart. He was calm under pressure or he wouldn’t be the head of the Charleston office. Skye glanced at the bar and saw Karri peeking over to catch glimpses of him. Interesting indeed.
“What about you? Girlfriend?”
“I broke up with my last girlfriend about eight months ago.”
Skye leaned forward as the table talked around them. “So, what do you want to know about Karri?”
Two hours later Skye was stuffed with the best barbeque she’d ever tasted in her whole life and more than a few drinks. She’d hugged Karri goodnight before Tinsley drove her home.
Trent followed behind Tinsley’s car, but pulled off into his driveway. Skye took a deep breath of air filled with the scents of fresh moss, flowers, and a hint of salt. She had put away her phone and gotten lost in the night with her new friends as all the tension melted away.
Ryker told her he’d be back tomorrow with what he needed to get her set up. Until then, she was determined not to fall into a pointless cycle of what-ifs and simply enjoy the night. Tomorrow was soon enough to let reality back in.
“I’m going to call my parents,” Skye told Trent as she crawled onto the large porch swing.
“I’ll grab us some fresh apple cider and meet you back out here.”
“Thanks. That sounds great.” Skye waited until Trent went inside and then called her mother’s cell phone.
It rang and rang and Skye was worried her mom wouldn’t pick up when she finally heard a hesitant, “Hello?”
“Hi, Mom!”
“Baby! Oh my gosh, what is going on? Why are you calling from an unknown number? There are men here, baby. They said they were reporters but reporters don’t have guns on under their suit jackets.”
Skye’s heart fell and reality crashed into her like a ton of bricks. “Karri talked to her mom and she said the same, minus the guns. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“I’m fine. Karri’s mom gave me the heads up right as they pulled up to the house so I pretended you were still in L.A. Are you in L.A.?”
Skye hated not answering her mother, but now, more than ever she had a reason to do exactly what Agent Castle had told her to do. “I can’t say. Just know I’m safe. Did you get a picture of the men who talked to you?”
She heard her mother sigh and heard her father tell her to put it on speaker. “Baby, are you okay?”
“I’m safe and unharmed, Dad. That’s all I can say right now. Did either of you get a photo