“It won’t happen again.”
“But if it did happen again, I’d be there for you, okay? There are few guarantees in life, but there’s one of them.”
“I’d do the same for you. I hope you know that.”
“That’s why we’re partners, right? So any little hiccups that come along, we’ll deal with them. Okay? Together.”
“Okay.”
He slid a binder across to her. “Now let’s get back to work.”
Before she opened the binder she leaned across and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“And that was for what?” he asked.
“For dealing with the hiccups so damn well. And for not taking advantage of a lady when you could have.”
CHAPTER 69
CAN I SEE the daylight?”
Quarry had flown his plane up to the mines and was now watching Willa as they sat in her room.
“Why do you want to see the daylight?”
“Because I haven’t seen it in a while, that’s why. I m
iss it. I’m a sun person.”
“You can’t get away. There’s no one to yell to for help.”
“So there’s no reason not to let me see it, then,” she answered reasonably.
“What’d you and the lady talk about the other day?”
“Just things. I like her.”
“You’ve never seen her before, have you?”
“Why would I have?” Willa asked, her large eyes squarely on Quarry.
“I guess seeing the daylight will be okay. Come on.”
“Now?”
“Why not now?”
She followed him out. As they walked down the long passage she said, “Can Diane come too?”
“I guess so.”
They retrieved Diane and the two ladies followed the tall Quarry toward the exit. Willa’s eyes darted left and right, taking in all details, while Diane simply trudged along, her gaze only on Quarry’s back. Behind them Daryl walked along, his face still bruised from his fight with his father. His mood seemed to match his injuries.
One thing Willa picked up on was the cables running along some of the passageways that she did not remember seeing before. She didn’t know what they were for, but intuitively concluded that their presence did not portend anything good.
Quarry unlocked the door and they all stepped outside, blinking to adjust to the light.
“Right nice day,” said Quarry as he led the little group outside.