Earthshaker

Chapter 18

Chapter 18Next morning, I woke up way too damned soon after a shitty so-called night's sleep. Between worrying about finding Aggie's killer and obsessing about my secret past, I don't think I put together more than fifteen minutes of sleep at a time. So much for going into the big day well-rested.

Did I mention Laurel's snoring? She sounded like a wart hog snorting up turnips in a mud bog, all night long—a room and a door away, and she might as well have been lying right next to me. So much for the grace and tranquility of the Allegheny Mountains. At least she got her beauty sleep.

I thought about going for a run to snap myself out of it, but the boys showed up before I got my sneakers on. Briar and Owen rang the doorbell at precisely 5:55 A.M. They looked so annoyingly refreshed, I wanted to kick their asses...but I forgave them because they brought coffee. And doughnuts.

"Breakfast!" Laurel bounced off the couch the second the food hit the apartment. Even in my borrowed blue flannel pajamas, she looked totally pulled together—eyes twinkling, complexion smooth and creamy, flowing brown hair barely mussed. It was like she'd just finished fixing her hair and makeup instead of sleeping on a couch for nine hours. Which kind of made me hate her. Made me think maybe I didn't want to be her long-lost best friend after all.

But I showed her. Just as she was grabbing for the box of doughnuts in Briar's hands, I snatched it away. "Wait." I grabbed a coffee from the tray Owen was carrying and marched toward the kitchen like a monster. She would not get first pick of the doughnuts after keeping me up all f*****g night.

I heard Laurel talking behind me. "Is she always like this in the morning?"

"Actually," said Briar, "she's usually a morning person."

"Usually," I said from the kitchen as I tore open the box of doughnuts and inhaled a chocolate honey-glazed like it was a breath of air.

We drove my Highlander to Clearfield County. It made sense to take something roomier than Briar's cruiser. After all, there were four of us.

On the drive up, I was in a bad mood and didn't say much. I wished everyone else would keep it down, too, but Briar kept asking questions about Landkind.

"You have some kind of society, right?" He turned his head to one side and spoke over his shoulder to the Landkind in the back seat. "I mean, you all knew each other pretty well back at Doc Yough's."

"The other fellas and I are all part of Laurel's range," said Owen. "It's not like that with everybody."

"But we do have a society," said Laurel. "We have rules and customs and traditions. We have culture and history."

"In fact," said Owen, "we have the oldest surviving society in the world. We've outlasted every human civilization that's come along."

"Amazing," said Briar. He had such a crush on Landkind, I could tell. It figured, the ol' rockhound. "What's the secret of your staying power?"

"Might be because we're steadier," said Owen. "More patient than humanity. We see the big picture more clearly." He chuckled. "After all, we're tied to the land. We're part of the world. We might look like human beings, but deep down, we're very different."

"So why do you have human sides at all?" said Briar. "What's the purpose?"

"We think it's to help strike a balance," said Owen. "Between humanity and geology."

"Though we don't really know for sure why we're here," said Laurel. "In that, we're much like you."

"But we do try to strike that balance," said Owen. "We try to keep humanity from destroying itself and us along with it."

Briar thought for a moment. "Have you ever thought of coming out of the closet?"

"What do you mean?" said Laurel.

"Maybe you could work directly with humans," said Briar, "using your special abilities and insight out in the open."

Owen laughed. "Didn't we try that already, a long time ago?"

"It didn't work out," said Laurel. "This is 'out in the open' enough for us. Working with a handful of humans like you when we need to."

"Separation of church and state is the way to go," said Owen. "Or should I say church and slate?"

"Well, if you ever change your mind, I could set you up with a liaison," said Briar. "Someone who knows a lot about geology and is sympathetic to your cause."

I couldn't help shooting him a look at that one. "Geez, Briar." I said it under my breath. "Why don't you just marry them if you love them so much?"

Briar snorted. "You should talk."

"We appreciate the offer." Laurel reached up and touched Briar's shoulder. "We'll keep it in mind."

Suddenly, my mood was fifty times worse. I definitely detected a flirty tone, and I did not appreciate it. Steam was coming out of my ears.

And then I caught myself and wondered what the hell was that all about? Since when was I jealous of someone coming on to Dale Briar? Great guy, no doubt about it, and we'd been friends for what? Three years? Five? But I had zero romantic interest in him.

He was a friend and confidant, of course. And a partner in the field for the past two years or so. Come to think of it, we did have some fun together. Maybe we had a moment here and there. But did I want to date him? Hell no! I didn't date anyone.

And no, it wasn't on my mind more than usual since those visions of having s*x with that blond guy.

I couldn't help noticing, however, when Briar reached up and patted Laurel's hand on his shoulder.

Which was when I suddenly gave the steering wheel a jerk, jolting the Highlander to one side. Off went the hand from Briar's shoulder.

I swung the Highlander back on course and blew out my breath. "Sorry about that, folks! Major pothole back there."

I didn't bother to think any more about why I'd done it...but I did check my rear view mirror. Spotted Laurel's eyes looking back at me, calm and knowing and thoughtful. I felt like she could see right through me.