A while later she climbed back out with a heavy bounty stowed in her upturned blouse. She set the treasures on the picnic table one at a time. Hood examined a piece of petrified wood that would clean up nicely with some water and a brush. Beth looked skeptically at the other rocks, nothing truly wonderful, then moved her gaze to Hood.
“It’s funny that you’re calling this add-on a wine cellar.”
Hood nodded. “It says so, right on the drawings.”
“An underground wine cellar with three rooms, big enough for ten thousand bottles.”
“That’s right.”
“Plumbing and electric, bath and kitchen.”
“By all means.”
“And heating and air-conditioning with back-up generators, and six-foot concrete walls and double reinforcement bar.”
“The walls are only three feet thick, Beth.”
“But there are two of them smack up against each other and iron plates in between. And the seismic stuff. And the catwalk over it. And the grates, so you can see into every room without having to even leave your house. Do you plan to watch the wine age?”
“It will be secure.”
She sighed and smiled slightly, letting him off her hook. “Well, I am surprised and happy that you bought a home in Buenavista. I wish the reasons were somewhat simpler. But we’ve been over it and that’s the last I’ll say.”
“It’s best.”
She took his chin and turned his head slightly so she could look at the cut. “Well, you might be half crazy but you’re healing up good and clean.”
“I don’t believe I’m half crazy.”
“I really don’t either. But I think you could become that way.”
He nodded. They sat and watched Dwayne carve away the earth. Hood felt the sun on his legs and it was good.
He had almost nodded off when Beth put both her hands on his face. He opened his eyes to see her up close, studying him. Her fingers were cool.
“I worry about you, Charlie. Don’t let Mike take you over. He isn’t your superior. My training won’t let me believe he’s what you think he is, but I’ve been wrong before. Maybe what we call him doesn’t matter. Don’t let what he did to you and your friends determine your whole life, just part of it. Charlie Hood is the biggest and most important part of you. So take care of you. I’ll help within reason. But I have my limits, and I’ve got me to consider too. I listen to my heart, not the other way around.”
“I know. That’s good and true and as it should be. I love and treasure you, Beth.”
Her fingers trailed off his face as Hood looked out to the east where the dirt road climbed from the flat desert into the hills. A vehicle came forward dragging a cloud of dust behind it and there was no leisure as it barreled toward them.
A moment later Erin climbed from the SUV and Hood and Beth walked into the shade of the carport to greet her.