walk, he didn’t seem to want it today.
“Getting up there, boy?” he asked the horse as he passed the corral. Dusty blinked one eye at him. He was joking, of course. Dusty was nowhere near retirement.
Craig swung out again, piercing the wall of surrounding trees. He ventured into the nearly night-dark depths of the rainy woods, scanning the ground for disturbance of any kind.
He couldn’t say he was surprised when he saw it: a depression, then another. Scanning quickly he saw enough of them to suggest someone had walked up to this point, stood a bit, then walked away.
Probably still out there, too, he thought. Not watching right now, but getting ready to watch again. The comings and goings today, starting with a sheriff’s vehicle, probably had garnered some interest.
The watching was too intense, too coordinated. Pointless unless these guys were planning some kind of action. The question was what kind? Their secrets were well enough protected on Buddy’s private land, so the only reason to fan out this way was because they felt there was a threat, and if they felt threatened, they’d act. With Cap there, Craig had absolutely no doubt. The only question was who they considered a threat and how far they were willing to go.
Hell. Buddy, what are you thinking? Although he was beginning to wonder if Buddy was thinking at all. Or if Buddy was the one doing the thinking.
He emerged from the woods again and stood looking at the cabin. To shutter or not to shutter. He was definitely of two minds about that. On the one hand, shuttering would give them more privacy and probably make Sky feel more comfortable. On the other it might be read as an indication they knew they were being watched and were preparing for attack. That might send an even more dangerous message to a paranoid bunch of armed men.
Damn.
He walked over to the corral and Dusty came out from under the overhang to nuzzle him. The rain still fell drearily and steadily, and the desire to get back indoors with Sky was filling him. It was a new feeling to him, at least for many years now, to actually want to be indoors with someone. Sky was making him feel a lot of things he’d almost forgotten.
He gave Dusty a few pats and scratches. “Think I’m getting confused, boy?” he asked the horse. “We know she’s going to leave soon, right? The thing is, I can’t seem to get worked up about avoiding the trouble that might bring. I just want to enjoy now with her. Guess I pay for that later.”
Dusty nickered quietly as if he understood. Not likely, but it occurred to Craig that holding conversations with Dusty might be an indication that he needed more human interaction.
The crack of a laugh escaped him. Dusty seemed to like it, tossing his head and then nudging Craig playfully on the shoulder.
“Okay, okay. I’m just sorry I can’t bring you inside, too.”
Dusty made that oddly delicate little snort, one that barely ruffled his nostrils. It always struck Craig as gentle. In return, he gave Dusty a big, smacking kiss on the nose.
Dusty turned his head, eyeing him as if he wasn’t sure he appreciated that, then trotted back over to his dry shelter under the overhang.
Which left Craig to look at the wood shutters. They were heavy, basically planks with crossbars, nothing fancy. But sturdy enough to stand up to the worst the weather could bring, which was the whole point.
Better, he decided, for Sky to feel unobserved. Only three windows needed to be covered, so he closed and barred the shutters quickly. One last stop to make sure they had enough water in the gravity tank, then he picked up an empty bucket and headed inside.
“What’s that for?” Sky asked as she saw the bucket.
“Chamber pot.”
She stood up from the bench. “Someone was out there.”
“Someone definitely was out there. Who and why and what they were doing is anybody’s guess. Regardless, nobody uses the outdoor facilities after dark. I’m going out to my truck to get some plastic bags for liners, and a few rolls of paper. We have just gone totally basic.”
She surprised him with humor. “If I don’t have to dig a hole, it’s not totally basic. Especially if we have liners.”
God, that woman could both surprise him and make him smile. A great combination indeed.
Chapter 11
Don radioed that he wouldn’t be coming back out that day. The two of them sat