Chapter 8 #3
The rest of the house was just as inviting.
When they reached the bedrooms, Taylor was thankful to see there wasn’t much difference between the two.
Each had a queen bed, with storage for clothes.
Taylor took the one with the mint-green and white color scheme, but what really drew her to it was the view of the yard to the rear of the property.
“Good choice. The other one faces the street. While the chances of an attack are very low, you can never assume they’re zero.
If anyone were to mount an attack, they’d be more likely to approach from the front, so they’d look like regular visitors.
With the neighbors being so close, they’d be risking attracting too much attention if they tried to come through the gardens. ”
For a moment, her reaction to Rhys’ approval surprised her, until the impact of his other words wiped away that glow.
The thought of an attack was depressing, but Taylor decided not to let it get to her.
After all, hadn’t he just said the chances were very low?
“Talking of yards, why don’t we check out ours, and see how big that pool really is? ”
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With Taylor safely occupied out by the pool—a haven that was tempting enough for him almost to regret not packing swimwear—Rhys took the opportunity to complete a perimeter check of the property.
Given the limitations of this kind of location, Wolf had chosen well.
And since a text message had informed him the man himself was on his way to the house—saving Rhys a call—Rhys would soon have the chance to thank him in person and iron out any details that needed… ironing.
While he was waiting, Rhys contemplated the next two weeks and how they might pan out. His thoughts were supposed to be professional, but they wouldn’t stop taking a personal turn. Something had been set in motion over the last couple of days, and he didn’t know how to stop it.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to.
The sound of a vehicle pulling up alerted him to activity at the front of the house. On the way to the window that would give him the best view, he tucked his gun into the waistband of his jeans as a precaution.
A precaution he didn’t need. Their visitor was a well-built male, tall, dark-haired, and clearly military. Assumptions were dangerous, but Rhys reckoned he was on fairly solid ground with the one that said this was Wolf.
Even so, when the doorbell chimed, he opened the door with a degree of caution. “Can I help you?”
The man removed his mirrored sunglasses, revealing eyes as dark as his hair. “Rhys Dalton? Matthew Steel.” He held out his hand. “Wolf to my friends. Just thought I’d drop by to introduce myself properly and welcome you to San Diego.”
Rhys took the offered hand for a firm handshake. “Good to meet you. Come in.”
“Thanks.” Wolf stepped over the threshold. “Like I said, just thought I’d check in with you.” He glanced around, as if assessing the room and extrapolating out to the entire property. “I know you’ve only just arrived, but you think this place’ll be suitable for your stay here?”
Rhys nodded. “Good choice. Thanks for organizing it.”
“All we did was check it out. I gave Caroline the brief—she’s the one responsible for choosing this place, so you can thank her.”
That went a way to answering one question. “As well as for being responsible for the groceries we found?”
Wolf gave a wry smile and raised an eyebrow. “That’s Ice for you.”
“Ice?”
“My wife’s nickname—it’s a long story.”
And an interesting one, no doubt. “Taylor’s by the pool. If you have time, I’ll introduce you.”
“Sure.”
Rhys led the way through the house to the rear. Taylor was still there, and was busy rearranging the furniture. He performed the introductions.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Wolf said as they shook hands.
“It will be if you call me Taylor,” she responded. “You found the house for us, right?”
“My wife has to take the credit for that, Taylor.”
“Ah. She has excellent taste.”
Wolf laughed. “I like to think so. Say, we’re having barbecue at our place tomorrow—how’d you like to come by and meet the team?”
Rhys was happy to accept the invitation, but it wasn’t his decision to make. “Taylor? You feel up to it?”
“You wouldn’t be the only woman there, if that would bother you,” Wolf volunteered. “We’re all married or in serious long-term relationships. I’ll introduce you to everyone, including Caroline.”
Taylor glanced toward Rhys. “If you think it’d be okay?”
A barbecue hosted by a SEAL, where all the guests were the members of his team and their significant others? It was difficult to imagine how a social occasion could be any safer. “I don’t see any problem.”
She smiled, and Rhys felt something inside him lift. “In that case, I’d love to,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Great. We live out at Riverton. I’ll message you the details, including directions. And don’t worry about bringing anything with you—there’ll be plenty of food and drink to go around. See you tomorrow. Welcome to San Diego.”