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Authors: Penny McCall
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when they met his. He watched, fascinated, as she regained control of herself. Conn did the same, one jangling nerve at a time, but he did it—even though he wanted to take over for her when she lifted one cheek and rubbed.
“I think I sat on a boulder. How do you sleep on this thing?” She poked at the thin pad lying over a waterproof ground sheet, a sleeping bag laid out on top.
“It’s not sleep on my mind at the moment.”
“Right, we’re supposed to be hunting for clues,” she said, deliberately misunderstanding him.
It was close quarters when he was in there alone, so Conn chose not to tempt fate, watching Rae through the front opening. There was just his bedroll, a lantern, and a small chest that held his clothing and personal items, most of which he assumed Annie had packed into his duffel. Rae opened it unapologetically and dug through. She found nothing.
She moved to the bedroll, searching it systematically, although she was careful to put everything back the way it was, just as she’d done with his chest.
“You’re very orderly,” he said. “You would make a good chatelaine.”
“I have a career, thank you very much, and it doesn’t involve cooking or cleaning.”
“Taking care of a home is dignified work.”
That took her off guard. “I’m not saying it isn’t. I just prefer not to be dependent on a man.”
“Any man who thinks his woman is at his mercy, or underestimates her strength, is a fool.”
“That’s a nice little fantasy,” Rae muttered. She sighed heavily and plopped onto his bedroll. “Most men aren’t that evolved. Most women, either,” she added, but absently, her eyes fixed on the ceiling of the tent. She got to her knees again, reaching up to tug at one of the seams. When she ducked back into view, she had a big smile on her face and a map of the faire grounds in her hand.
“Mean anything to you?” she asked.
It looked vaguely familiar, but then, he’d seen hundreds of those just since he’d lost his memory.
Rae unfolded it. Most of the merchant booths were X’ed out, but a couple dozen had circles around them. Jewelry designers and purveyors, metal workers, silk screeners, places that sold prints and posters. “How about now?”
“I don’t recall making the marks.”
“They have nothing in common, so I’ll need to check them out, ask some questions.”
“I?”>
“Me. Alone. You stay put. And make sure my parents don’t see you.”
“They sent us away for a reason.”
“Yes, and that reason is stranded in Pontiac.” And hopefully they were still alive. “This is the best opportunity we’re going to get to find out what’s really going on.”
“How will you do that? You don’t know what questions to ask.”
“I’ll snoop. I have the advantage of being able to see what’s out of place because I know the shtick.”
“Shtick?”
“The con . . .”
He popped up an eyebrow.
“It means confidence game. That’s where someone gets you to trust them but they’re really lying to get something from you.” Yeah, that made her feel better. “The point is, I grew up in places like this.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go by yourself.”
“I’ll avoid the people who know me, and I don’t need to ask questions, so they won’t know I’m looking for something. I’ll be perfectly safe.” As long as she could avoid her parents, too.
chapter 6
ESPIONAGE DEFINITELY WASN’T FOR HER, RAE decided, fighting the almost constant urge to look over her shoulder. She felt like she was being watched, which was ridiculous since the bad guys were carless, her parents were manning their shop, and she was careful to steer clear of any re-enactors who might remember her.
She opened the map, found the closest circled booth, and headed for it, clamping down on the little surge of excitement—and dread—that made her heart pound. She wasn’t in danger, she reminded herself. It was probably just a misunderstanding between
“I think I sat on a boulder. How do you sleep on this thing?” She poked at the thin pad lying over a waterproof ground sheet, a sleeping bag laid out on top.
“It’s not sleep on my mind at the moment.”
“Right, we’re supposed to be hunting for clues,” she said, deliberately misunderstanding him.
It was close quarters when he was in there alone, so Conn chose not to tempt fate, watching Rae through the front opening. There was just his bedroll, a lantern, and a small chest that held his clothing and personal items, most of which he assumed Annie had packed into his duffel. Rae opened it unapologetically and dug through. She found nothing.
She moved to the bedroll, searching it systematically, although she was careful to put everything back the way it was, just as she’d done with his chest.
“You’re very orderly,” he said. “You would make a good chatelaine.”
“I have a career, thank you very much, and it doesn’t involve cooking or cleaning.”
“Taking care of a home is dignified work.”
That took her off guard. “I’m not saying it isn’t. I just prefer not to be dependent on a man.”
“Any man who thinks his woman is at his mercy, or underestimates her strength, is a fool.”
“That’s a nice little fantasy,” Rae muttered. She sighed heavily and plopped onto his bedroll. “Most men aren’t that evolved. Most women, either,” she added, but absently, her eyes fixed on the ceiling of the tent. She got to her knees again, reaching up to tug at one of the seams. When she ducked back into view, she had a big smile on her face and a map of the faire grounds in her hand.
“Mean anything to you?” she asked.
It looked vaguely familiar, but then, he’d seen hundreds of those just since he’d lost his memory.
Rae unfolded it. Most of the merchant booths were X’ed out, but a couple dozen had circles around them. Jewelry designers and purveyors, metal workers, silk screeners, places that sold prints and posters. “How about now?”
“I don’t recall making the marks.”
“They have nothing in common, so I’ll need to check them out, ask some questions.”
“I?”>
“Me. Alone. You stay put. And make sure my parents don’t see you.”
“They sent us away for a reason.”
“Yes, and that reason is stranded in Pontiac.” And hopefully they were still alive. “This is the best opportunity we’re going to get to find out what’s really going on.”
“How will you do that? You don’t know what questions to ask.”
“I’ll snoop. I have the advantage of being able to see what’s out of place because I know the shtick.”
“Shtick?”
“The con . . .”
He popped up an eyebrow.
“It means confidence game. That’s where someone gets you to trust them but they’re really lying to get something from you.” Yeah, that made her feel better. “The point is, I grew up in places like this.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go by yourself.”
“I’ll avoid the people who know me, and I don’t need to ask questions, so they won’t know I’m looking for something. I’ll be perfectly safe.” As long as she could avoid her parents, too.
chapter 6
ESPIONAGE DEFINITELY WASN’T FOR HER, RAE decided, fighting the almost constant urge to look over her shoulder. She felt like she was being watched, which was ridiculous since the bad guys were carless, her parents were manning their shop, and she was careful to steer clear of any re-enactors who might remember her.
She opened the map, found the closest circled booth, and headed for it, clamping down on the little surge of excitement—and dread—that made her heart pound. She wasn’t in danger, she reminded herself. It was probably just a misunderstanding between
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