Page 17 of Blue Norther
Mae smiled and nodded. “You’re the tattoo.”
“Sorry?” I replied. I didn’t have any tattoos.
Before she could respond, a man walked out from a separate hallway, smiling at Mae before nodding at Jessie and finally turning towards me.
“Hi, you must be Violet. I’m Stone Lawson, one of the founding members of Montgomery Defense. Mae mentioned you’re looking for home security?”
“Vi?” Jessie squeezed my hand.
“I’m staying at my old house. My parents never sold it after they moved to Arizona, and my dad couldn’t part with it after my mom died.”
“I imagine it could use some added security.”
“You could say that.” I tried to laugh, but it sounded forced to my ears. I’m sure everyone else noticed as well.
“Okay, well I don’t want to keep you from Stone, but please tell me you don’t have plans later on?”
“The only plans I have these days involve soaking in the tub and going to bed early.”
“So, you’re free around, say…six tonight?”
“Free for what exactly?” I laughed.
“Dinner with me! I want you to meet Hawk and Beckett! Oh my God, our kiddos will grow up playing together! Please say you’ll come to dinner!”
“I’d love to.”
“Good. Six. The ranch.”
“Did you and Hawk build?”
“No,” Jessie smiled, “we’re in the old homestead. Hawk fixed it up for me while I was pregnant, and it’s just so perfect! I’ll have you over sometime to see it.”
“Won’t I see it tonight?” I asked, suddenly confused.
“No. Once a week Hawk and I take Beckett over to Colt’s house for dinner. You can meet us there!”
My mouth popped open, and she just laughed.
“Jessica Ford. No.”
“It’s Jessica Morgan now, and you already promised! I’ll see you there at six, Vi.”
“Can I get you some water?” Stone’s eyes dropped to my belly, but only for a second. I was still wrapping my mind around how I’d fallen for Jessie’s trick, and trying to think of every way possible I could somehow alert Colt that I was, in fact, going to show up on his doorstep after I’d made such a big deal about not doing that exact thing an hour ago.
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”
“Okay, well, why don’t we start with your address and maybe what you’re looking for in your security system.”
I rattled off my parents’ address, Stone smiling as I said the road I lived off.
“Are you familiar with that area?” I asked.
“A little. We drive out to see Hawk and Jessie a lot. The Silver Ridge Ranch almost feels like a second home at this point. Or, well, a third. Maybe a fourth.”
“How many homes do you have?” I laughed.
Stone smiled. “It’s complicated. We have an apartment here in this building. But we also have a house out past Silver Springs proper. And then we spend a lot of time on the ranch here, but also a lot of time in Montana with one of the guys who we founded the company with.”
