Read Online Skye Cree 03: The Bones Will Tell by Vickie McKeehan - Free Book Online Page B

house.
    Behind the wheel of his Ford Fusion, Josh angled his way in and out of traffic on the I-5 under foggy conditions. So far the heavy pea soup prevented any real buildup of speed. That’s why they sat back and made the most of their morning together and the prospect of going on the hunt for the perfect house.
    “I’m not sure I want o ut of the city. I like the loft,” Skye admitted. When she noted the beginnings of a smile form at the corner of his mouth, she added, “Believe it or not, it’s grown on me, although I do draw the line at liking that French provincial crap in the lobby.”
    He picked up her hand, turned it over to kiss the palm. “I knew it would if I gave you enough time. Think of it this way, if we find a new place we both like, I guarantee you won’t have to put up with that French provincial crap at all.”
    “Hmm, not having to look at t hose marble-topped tables with the ornate gold legs might be worth it.”
    “So no furniture with cabriole legs? Got it.”
    “I don’t mind the look of country French but all that gold crap is just ugly.”
    “ Somewhere I’m sure Louis the Fourteenth is heartbroken to hear that.”
    Skye put her hand over her mouth to muffle the snicker.
    Josh cut his eyes to hers in an amused look while watching the Dodge truck in front of him. “A place in a nice wooded area similar to what Travis owns would be great, something with an acre or two of land to go with it. That way you’d get to putter in a real garden of your own.”
    “ The idea of replanting my little garden balcony into a real plot of ground is…tempting. But I don’t really spend that much time ‘puttering’ as you so aptly put it. In case you haven’t noticed I usually stay busy with Foundation stuff. Your fault,” she reminded. “And now with this butcher roaming around our little enclave snatching women at will, I’ll be hard pressed to find any time to putter.”
    “ Protest all you want, but going on the hunt for a child creates tremendous tension. You do it every single night. Even cops are sometimes forced to take downtime. Face it. You need a place to unwind when things get stressful. Tending to your herbs and flowers is a big part of what you do to relax.”
    When he said it like that, it did make sense. “Josh, what I do isn’t a formal job but more like a—”
    “Don’t you dare compare what you do to a hobby. It’s much more than that. As it is, you don’t get paid for Foundation stuff because you refuse to take any of the money. But that doesn’t make it a hobby. The very least you should do is get to putter and dig in the dirt whenever you want.”
    “ Taking money doesn’t feel right to me, Josh. Besides, it leaves more in the bank to go for more important things like essential state-of-the-art equipment I can use to track predators better. Cracking databases make it a tad easier if I have the right software, the right hardware, and the right access. That all takes major bucks.”
    “Does Harry know you have military-grade, night-vision goggles?”
    “No. And Harry doesn’t need to know my complete inventory list. In fact, no one needs to.” She looked east toward the Cascade Mountains in the distance. “Where are we going? Any particular reason we’re headed south instead of north?”
    “I thought we’d use today to do some exploring, take a little time to see some different neighborhoods from those we already know about.”
    “ Ah, so we’re researching our options? Great idea.”
    T hey came out of the Rainier Valley, passed Sea-Tac Airport to the right and watched for the first time since they’d left the loft as the marine layer began to burn off. Streams of sunlight burst through the low-hanging clouds, enough that she could almost see across the choppy waters of Puget Sound to the tips of Quartermaster Harbor. The scenery changed from inlets and islands to the distinct area around Commencement Bay and the Port of Tacoma.
    Josh drove past