When Greer and Mr. Haskel returned to the Dunbars’ home, Remi was sitting out front with a glass of water. She smiled at him, smiled as if she were truly a newlywed happy to see her husband.
Felt like a fist in his chest, ’cause it was all an act.
Knowing that didn’t keep him from wishing it was real, wishing they had a shot at something. Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket. That basket had a paper bottom. And the eggs were wet.
He disabled his comm unit and shut down transmission from his glasses via his phone app. She lifted her water to him. The water was ice cold. He took a long swallow.
“Want more?” she asked.
He lowered the glass and looked at her. Yes, he did. A whole helluva lot more. He set the glass aside and held out his hand.
“Take a walk?” he asked.
She slipped her hand in his. The hand with her fake wedding band. The dream hadn’t quite worn off, and he liked it that way. When they’d moved out of earshot, he told her about the tour. “It’s like the town that time forgot.”
Remi nodded. “But a little too Stepford Wives for me.”
“Not everyone is a happy citizen. The doctor gave me the hairy eyeball.”
“I haven’t met the new doctor. I understand their old one recently passed away.”
“I want to go talk to him later. He mentioned something about new residents. Might help us understand the community’s population anomalies.”
“Good.”
“Anything from the women?”
“They admitted to doing tithes, but downplayed their importance. They said their community has little to do with the WKB. They looked scared as they said it, though.” They’d stopped walking and now stood face to face. “Anyone know Sally?”
“Mr. Haskel didn’t, but he invited me to look for her at supper.”
“I’ll help you.”
Greer touched her cheek. She leaned toward him. He bent forward and closed the distance between them. Her mouth was soft beneath his. He kissed her slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. In this moment, in her space, he felt at home, felt an acceptance he’d never known from another woman.
The village was situated around a large center square. Trestle tables were being set up for supper. The sound of preparations filtered into Greer’s mind.
“I brought our packs to the cabin. Let’s go wash up for dinner.” Greer wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She put her arm around his waist. God, he liked that simple touch.
The cabin they’d been assigned was no different than many of the others. There was a kitchen area at one end and a sleeping alcove at the other. The windows were open. A soft breeze blew cool alpine air through the house.
Something about the wood scent of the cabin and all the fresh air made Greer feel alive. He wanted to see Remi naked in the cabin’s soft light. He closed the door behind them, then caught her around the waist in the middle of the room. He smiled as he kissed her, but his smile vanished as his kiss deepened.
“We could miss dinner,” he suggested. “Tell them you were working on your notes.”
Her arms went around his neck. Her little tongue slipped between his lips.
“We could, but we’d miss the chance to look for Sally.”
Greer leaned his forehead against hers. His breathing was heavy. His dick was throbbing for her. He remembered he hadn’t cleared the cabin of transmitting devices. He pressed his finger to his lips as he fished his phone from his pocket and swept the cabin with it.
“We’re clear.”
“Of course we are. We’re in the nineteenth century.”
Greer shook his head. “The Friends are in bed with WKB. Don’t trust anyone.”
Remi sighed. She went over to a bowl and pitcher, then poured out a small amount of water to rinse her hands with. She used the small bar of soap and rinsed again. Greer did the same. She handed him the linen towel.
“I wish this place was real,” she said with a sigh. “I wish there really was a place like this where you could come for a break from reality. Get away from electronics. It’s like being on a frozen lake high in the mountains, where time stands utterly still.”
“Until you see just how thin the ice is. And how deep and dark the winter lake is.”
She gave him a frustrated face. “Remember that thing I said about your reading fairytales to kids? Yeah, that. Do you see danger lurking everywhere?”
“Usually. Because it is. Things here aren’t what they seem.”
“Well, on that happy note, let’s go have supper.” She opened the door.
Dinner was a communal event. Families set up their own tables and brought their meal to share. Tablecloths, in varying shades of white, were clipped to the trestle tables. Handmade pottery dishes in earth tones helped pin the linens down in the stiff breeze that had come with the evening.
“You cold?” Greer asked Remi.
She smiled at him, which made him glad he asked. “I’m fine now. I might need my jacket later, though.”
“I’ll get it after dinner.”
Greer took a backseat to Remi in conversations as the meal progressed. She was animated and engaged. He was enjoying watching her interact with the Friends. They sat at the Dunbars’ table. While she chatted, he took a video of the gathering…and scanned some of the glasses of the people sitting around them.
Greer looked at the community’s current mayor. Mr. Dunbar had been working in the fields when they arrived. When his wife introduced him, he looked less than pleased that they were there. Greer had thought he was going to send them packing, but Mrs. Dunbar reminded him of their commitment to Remi’s project. Greer had overheard their conversation. Mr. Dunbar’s main objection wasn’t to Remi but to him. He’d seemed unconvinced about their recent nuptials.
Did Dunbar know who he was? If so, who had told him?