“But does Nancy know?It doesn’t look like she got the memo.”Gracie’s whispered question was followed quickly by Jen’s giggling addition.
“The bigger question is…will she care?”Jen’s eyes moved to the pool area’s entrance sparkling with amusement, making Fallon wonder who’d shown up.Spending time with the Prairie Winds women was turning out to be a lot like being strapped to a tilt-a-whirl on steroids.Fallon felt the rise and fall of the ride while being spun in circles as she tried to track conversations and keep up with the growing list of details about other members.Having always lived in large cities, Fallon often wondered about small-town living.She read about communities where everyone knew one another, but the concept was so foreign to her it seemed impossible.Austin wasn’t a small town, but the club appeared to be a community all on its own.Damn, I’m going to have to take notes at this rate.
“Are you Fallon?”Before she could respond, the gorgeous woman with dancing dark eyes, who seemed to have materialized from thin air, extended her hand.“I’m CeCe Barnes, and Brooks tells me you’re a pharmacist.I wanted to introduce myself.I’ve been trying to find the right person to operate the pharmacy I’m building in the area between the clinic and surgical center.He tells me you might be interested.If that’s right, I’d like to set up a meet and greet.We don’t have to do it today… tomorrow morning is fine.”
“Take a breath, Pet.”A man Fallon suspected everyone viewed as tall, dark, and dangerous stepped up behind the whirlwind who’d introduced herself as CeCe.Smiling at Fallon, the man pulled CeCe back against his chest.“We only landed an hour ago, and you’re already networking.I’d be impressed if I hadn’t seen the shell-shocked look on Fallon’s face.”The man extended his hand, grasping hers in a hold that was surprisingly gentle.“It’s nice to finally meet you, Fallon.I’m Cameron Barnes.I was a friend of your father’s before he and your mother married.While we were in the same line of work, we didn’t work together.”Fallon wasn’t sure exactly how to interpret his remark.There was an air of authority surrounding the man that made her hesitant to ask questions.She’d seen him earlier with the drone controller and wondered what happened to the toy that seemed to cause such a stir.
When a second man moved to CeCe’s other side, Fallon wondered if the blue-eyed blonde was the famous surgeon’s second Dom.His warm smile immediately put Fallon at ease.“Hi, Fallon, I’m Carl Phillips.I hope our little steamroller didn’t scare you off.She was excited to hear you might be interested in joining her team.”
“I’ve run into a snag transferring my license—I hope to get the issue resolved soon.”
“I think you’ll find the issue is resolved very soon.Prairie Winds members help one another, and we’ve got a fair amount of influence.”Carl Phillips’s blue eyes shone with knowledge, and she felt as though she’d been given a quick glimpse into how tight the Prairie Winds group was and how much they looked out for one another.“I know there are a lot of people clamoring for your time,” Carl gave CeCe a panty-melting smile before returning his attention to Fallon, “but I’m going to push my way to the front of the line.I’d like to speak with you later this evening about the puzzle your father gave you.Getting some background information about your relationship will help me solve it.The code is usually something personal… a favorite childhood story, grandmother’s name, nickname, or something similar.The more insight I have into your relationship, the faster I can work out the solution.”
Fallon nodded her understanding.It was humbling to admit how little time she’s spent trying to figure out to open the puzzle.Her world had imploded so quickly after her dad gave it to her there was an underlying negative connection for her.Fallon hadn’t bothered taking the gift out of her suitcase—she’d stuffed the battered bag in the top of her closet and forgotten about it until she’d moved to Texas.If Hagen hadn’t been able to find the puzzle, it was probably because the bag looked worse for wear.Hagen Brody was a snob of the first order.He’d have overlooked the bag, not giving it any consideration because of its condition and lack of a designer label.
“What Carl is tactfully trying to convey without saying it outright is, don’t get wasted this afternoon.While a few drinks might be helpful, relaxing you enough to let slip pieces of information he’d find useful, too much a good thing would be counterproductive.Depending on your tolerance, I’d advise you to err on the side of the angels.Tobi’s margaritas will kick your ass from here to next Tuesday if you don’t watch yourself.The second one will make you spill all your secrets.After that, your thoughts will be too chaotic to prioritize.”CeCe was grinning from ear to ear as Cameron Barnes stood beside her shaking his head.
“Pet, I swear to everything holy your filter is teetering between flawed and nonexistent.”Cameron might think he was fooling Fallon with his stern demeanor, but she heard the underlying amusement in his voice.
“Geez, Cam, you’re pretty cranky for a man who just returned from vacation.”Tobi set a tray of margaritas on a nearby table and laughed.
“When I find out who gave Lilly the code to my sat-phone, there’s going to be hell to pay.She’s been calling me ever since Fallon hit town.”Fallon wasn’t sure why she was surprised.Lilly West was a mother to the depth of her soul.She would protect anyone she believed was one of hers.Tobi laughed out loud as several other women winced.
“If Lilly has your number, she got it from my son.Damn, that kid is amazing.I got a look at his contact list one day—it reads like a Spies-R-Us Who’s Who in the Zoo list.”Taking a gulp of the frozen concoction in front of her.Everyone around her laughed when her eyes widened in surprise as a shudder appeared to start in her core before quaking its way to the surface.Fallon understood… she’d only taken a sip of hers and swore her vision dimmed for a few seconds.As a bartender, she respected the woman’s ability to blend the killer mix her friends were drinking at an alarming rate.Tobi seemed to shake off the effects, refocusing on Cameron Barnes.
“It won’t do you any good to change it.He’ll have it again before sunset.If it was his sister, I’d say it might be a problem.She’d be selling the contacts on e-Bay.”Fallon knew the Wests had twins, but she hadn’t met them yet.Recognizing Lilly’s and Tobi’s strength made Fallon curious about what the next generation was bringing to the table.