Wayfaring Stranger

[Emery Peyton]

She perked up and smiled, pointing her thumb over her shoulder.

"Want...I can go whip ya up somethin' to eat, we got burgers, steak, cheese, bread, anything...everything." She laughed lightly. "I would love to do nothin' more than to chat with ya." She raised her eyebrows and slightly turned to wave him towards her door.

"Come on, I can give you a grand tour of the house cause I am sure you haven't been able to look around. I dunno how well you are into books, but I got a library. It's very nice."

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent was certain that this woman could read his mind. Not only did she run a horse farm, but she had a library in her getaway. Horses and books were his first two loves. His horse was the only woman who had never done him wrong, and books made him feel like his life wasn't so crappy when he was feeling sorry for himself.

"Ladies first," he intoned politely, pulling open the door and standing aside to give her room. He followed her into the lodge, thinking more about the books and the horses and what he was going to eat than his job, which he had vowed to start his second day there. But oh well, after, or during dinner perhaps she would be give him more information he could use later.

"You happen to know Edmond Laws?" he intoned from behind her. "He ain't too far away from here...I heard about ya'll from him, said he knew ya."

[Emery Peyton]

Emery felt him behind her, she was smiling at the fact that he had opened the door for her considering most people didn't even do that much anymore. He was bringing home the old cowboy and she liked it.

"Edmond Laws..." She repeated lowly, racking her brain desperately trying to remember, but it was to no avail. "No I don't think I do." She looked over her shoulder. "But I am glad you heard about us, that means I am doing my job!" She laughed again.

"Tell me what you want to eat, hun."

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent watched her for a moment, taking his hat off and shaking out his blonde curls. He laid his hat on the table and waved his hand. He shook his head, checking his boots for mud to make sure he didn't track any inside.

"I ain't picky, ma'am," he said, indicating that whatever she made for herself, he would eat the same. He stuck his hands into his pockets, looking around the kitchen area that they were standing in. He really liked it here. It was a wonder she didn't know the man he had been talking about. Edmond was a loud mouth West Virginian who was not easily forgotten.

[Emery Peyton]

Emery looked over her shoulder at him, why was she smiling so dang much? Why? Really, who smiled this much? Over nothing. Well, it wasn't nothing it was Laurent Eades to be quite honest. She liked him, but it was all superficial, she didn't know him which was why she was trying to invite him for a tour of this house it gave her a moment to learn a little about him and vice versa.

"Well, I was gonna make myself a, uh, I dunno." She laughed. "I was hopin' you'd make it easy for me and pick a meal I'd make. I usually don't have much of a choice when I get guests." She pushed a piece of hair out of her eyes and looked over at him. He was pretty. Not pretty in a way that made him a wussy, but in a way that sorta deceived people. He looked like he could whup a man's behind if he was rubbed the wrong way and that was very appealing.

She grinned, looking back down to the small runner covering the wooden flooring as they walked into the lobby and towards the dining room, then she stopped turning around to look at him.

"Y'know...why don't we eat in the kitchen. It would be really stupid to eat in a big room with just....me." She smiled. He was goign to eat with her right? "You can sit at the island and watch me work. Very rare here at the ranch."

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent gave her a nod, and then a smiled. His first real one in about two weeks. He didn't smiled as a general rule, he didn't like to, he always thought it gave away too much about people. But at that moment, in that occassion, and in the presence of that woman, a smile just came to his face, without him really meaning to.

"Alrighty," he answered, and the smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. He followed her into the kitchen, spotting the island. He put his hat down on it and then slid into one of the chairs. He got comfortable, looking around the kitchen. He had deducted already that this was not a good time of year for this place. At least he assumed that since he was the entirety of the customer count. But he preferred it quiet, and if he wa a ranch owner, he would have preferred it quiet. Which, he was a ranch owner, but he didn't have people come and board there.

"So ya'll have an up season?"

[Emery Peyton]

Emery looked around and grabbed a menu that had been printed up for customers. Perhaps he'd find something that he'd fancy. She turned and slid it over to him as she walked around the island to face him head on, his hair wild and tightly curled. She so badly wanted to run her fingers through it to see if it was as silky as it looked, but she refrained knowing it would just have to stay a fantasy.

"Up season?" She repeated as she looked down at the small bag of trail mix she had left open on the counter, sticking her hand inside to grab a pretzel and chex, slowly chewing on it while thinking. "We start getting more people in here by late July, towards August." She nodded as she looked around the room, thinking, then nodding.

"We do good here, I love this time of the year though, all the madness surrounding the Kentucky Derby in May...it makes you so excited to be in peace and quite." She slit her eyes and looked back down at the man, leaning her palms on the corners of the island. "Right now, this is busy." She laughed and nodded at the paper in front of him.

"Check out what we got. I can make anything."

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent looked down at the menu she slid over to him, and he observed it for a moment, looking at all the things they had. Which was basically anything. He wasn't much of a fancy food type person, which was good, because in a place like this, fancy food wasn't really available.

They had down home stuff; steak, potatoes, grits, beans and cornbread, fried chicken, cheesburgers, fries, the works. He read for a long moment before giving a shrug and sliding it across the table.

"Make it easy on ya. I'm up for grits," he said, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head and looking up at her.

[Emery Peyton]

Emery looked at him with a grin, staring for what seemed like forever and after a small laugh and pulled the menu to herself and looked down.

"You are kiddin?" She said looking up at him, "That it? All you want is grits? That ain't gonna fill anyone up! Come on, give me something hard to work for!" She laughed lightly and shook her head. He was an easy pleaser, if Poppy was around he'd tell her to run for her life cause that meant he was a complicated man.

"How about some chicken with it? Bread? Cornbread? Anything?"

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent couldn't help a laugh. He leaned foreward, leaning his elbows on the table. He looked up at her and shook his head.

"Naw, if you got too much, you can't taste the grits anymore," he responded, looking up at her through curls that kept falling into his face. He knew what his partner would tell him about this woman. She was sweet, funny, kind, easy to get along with. Which probably meant that she was intelligent, and not to get too close to her or she would figure you out before you could figure her.

Then again, he didn't really trust anything his new partner said. He was young, hotheaded. Everything Laurent wasn't. The boy hadn't yet been through half the things Laurent had, and he couldn't judge people like Laurent could. Although, in this case, he figured his partner might not have been wrong. Laurent was guarded anyway, but around this woman, he would have to be extra careful with what he said because she was smart and would be able to put two and two together. Which he didn't want her to do until he had this case solved.

[Emery Peyton]

Emery looked at him again for a long moment before raising her eyebrows and shaking her head, a roll of her shoulder as well. "All right." She said with a sigh.

"You're boss." She turned and quickly grabbed a pan and began to heat the water, pouring some salt so she could prepare everything for him. Grits were her specialty, her mom and pop used to make them all the time from scratch, it normally didn't take long to make them and even if it did, she would have them done in half the time. If there was something she was known for, it was for her cooking. Although her inn was pretty popular too, in the full swing of season that was.

"So, you say you got a ranch?" She felt she could begin to know this man, it had been enough time to relax and get out all those driving kinks. She was hospitable and being friends was one of her favorite things about running this business, especially knowing that they wouldn't be around for very long. Single serving friend, they'd have their week together and that was it, after that...if they came back they'd be friends again, but never did it go beyond that and she enjoyed it. Made her feel less like the extrovert who loved to stay indoors. A very odd concept since that should have been an introvert. Then again, she was a very odd girl.

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent gave a nod, watching her back for a long moment. It took him a moment to realize that she wasn't looking at him and couldn't see his nod.

"Yup," he answered. "Nearer to Clarksville than Nashville...but nobody knows where Clarksville is," he expounded. His ranch was a family thing. His grandparents had run it since they had been young, and when he moved out to Colorado with his Aunt and Uncle, he had gotten much closer with his grandparents. They had left it to him in their will. "My pop passed away couple years ago, left it to me in his will. It's nice out there..." he paused, glancing around. "Ain't nothin' like this, but it's home."

He tapped the edge of his cowboy hat as he listened to her cooking. He didn't want to share to awful much with her, considering if she was vindictive, he didn't want her hunting him down. But considering he had to live in the city during the week, and his cousin ran the ranch when he couldn't be there, he didn't think telling her where the ranch was would cause too many problems.

[Emery Peyton]

Emery nodded and began to make the grits after the water began to boil. She quickly added everything in and it was soon prepared. She looked over at him and smiled.

"Clarksville, huh?" She stirred the grits for a moment then looked back over at him. "I know exactly where it is. Poppy goes down there all the time, there is a country club he and some of his old friends go to during the summer. Nice farms down there, some good vineyards, too." She grabbed a small bowl from the cupboard and was quick to slop it in, the steam rising.

"I've only been on two occassions, one was to sell a horse, the other was to breed a horse for a friend of mine. I didn't do much, but it seemed like a nice place." She handed the bowl to him and smiled. "What would you like to drink?" This was going genuinely well, she figured, she didn't think she ever got to sit and talk with a guest in such a smaller setting. It was all on a whim whenever the place was packed. But, she didn't want to be too much of a bother so more intimate questions were being held off until she felt safe enough to.

"Tell me," She turned to put some grits in her own bowl, she licked her finger and sat it on the island and looked up at him. "I didn't mean to pry or anything, but Greta, my maid, said she was cleaning your room and she put them on your dresser, but...do you own a gun? She said she thought she saw one." She hadn't wanted guns in the way of her maids, but it was slighty comforting to Emery to know that he had one. Especially after some odd occurrences and some odd notes she had been getting.

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent looked down at the bowel, not bothering to tell her what he wanted to drink, he had spotted bottled water earlier in the day and was quick to get up and pull one out.

He listened to her as he snapped open the bottle and took a long drink. He took his time, walking back over to the island and sitting down. He leaned his elbows on the table and looked over at her, nodding a little.

"Yup," he answered. "Ain't loaded though. I keep the bullets in a box I put in the closet. I can leave it in my truck if ya want," he said, putting a little butter and pepper in his grits before taking a bite. He hadn't had any since he had been back to his Aunt and Uncles house, and to tell the truth, they were really good. He chewed slowly and then swallowed.

[Emery Peyton]

Emery stirred hers to cool it down after adding a little salt and butter...staring at him as if she were contemplating his every move. Which, to be honest, she was. Now that he admitted owning a gun and not looking at her made her slightly worry. Why on earth would he carry a gun with him? Afraid someone will try to steal his horse or something? She was wanting to ask, but figured best to leave it where it laid. She didn't want to go making enemies with him so soon, even more so now that he had a gun.

"Oh," She said after a long pause had suddenly turned into a very incomfortable silence, at least for her. She could feel her body temperature rising and a small drop of sweat wanting to bead on her forehead. Why was she still chicken? It had been quite some time ago. She shivered on reflex.

"No. Don't worry about it. I might have been a little uppity about the idea had kids been stayin', but by all means, keep it in your room." She slightly hoped he would, kinda made him more sexier.

"My maid is just a tattle tale, to be quite honest. Never knows when not to pry and when to." She smiled, grabbing her own bottle of water from the fridge. "Don't mean to do that, now. Pry in your personal business I mean." She was getting nervous now, she felt she had asked too many questions, but she knew she just needed to relax but she was still unsure whether to trust him or not.

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent leaned back a little, taking a drink of water, and watching her. He swallowed, putting the bottle down on the table. He shoot his head a little.

"Don't worry about it, ma'am," he said quietly. He meant about prying, because she hadn't really. She had simply asked him if he owned a gun. Honestly, when he had walked in with it, he hadn't thought about it making people uncomfortable. Generally because most of the people who knew him, already knew he was a police officer, and the face that he had a gun would not have crossed their minds.

But this woman and her employees certainly didn't know he was a police officer, and even though it wasn't uncommon for cowboys to have guns, handguns generally weren't the weapon expected of a Colorado raised cowboy. Shot gun maybe, but not handgun. He'd have to put it away and not get it out unless he needed it...which he didn't think he'd need to.

He continued to eat in silence. He could tell that she felt it was an uncomfortable silence, but honestly, Laurent didn't relate well to people, and he had already said more in one sitting than he had said in a week, so he figured if he went without saying much else, he'd be fine...

"These are good," he muttered, glancing at her, indicating the grits.

[Emery Peyton]

"You like 'em?" She smiled. This made her perk up and forget everything. She always trying to keep her resolution in mind. She didn't know why the problems she had with guys stuck with her for so long. She had been raised well by Poppy, she had been around boys her entire life through school and especially when it came to horse riding. But she never got over the initial underlying problem, the fear of being hurt in some way. She sighed out, wishing there was just an easy button to push to make her more bold and more outgoing with the other sex, but she always felt that wall was too big to climb.

It had literally been almost twenty years since her father's death, thirteen since her mother's. She shouldn't feel that men were such a heavy burden, then again, she had other reasons to fear men as well. Her truck still wasn't acting right.

"Thanks. My Dad..." She stopped. "I mean, uh, Poppy used to make them for me all the time. Mom did, too. I just watched them and learned I suppose."

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent nodded in acknowledgment, but he didn't answer with words. He slowly continued to eat, still looking around. He wasn't used to the place yet. He knew that once he finished eating, he'd need to go back to his room and call his partner. He figured the other man would still be awake at this time of night, considering it was just a little past eight.

He didn't particularly want to talk with him, he would rather just call his boss directly. Not that he didn't like his partner, the boy was easy to get along with, a little bullheaded, but generally a good person. But ever since his partner of five years had been killed in the line of duty...Laurent didn't like anyone they paired him with.

But Laurent didn't want to think about that, it was a moment in his past he hated recalling. It made him angry and sad, two emotions he hated feeling.

[Emery Peyton]

Emery looked up at him and figured he was done talking, which seemed normal. Most men stopped talking to her because they felt there were better things to look at or talk to. She had never really been well with men anyhow, unless they were her Godfather or co-workers. She knew it wasn't a surprise, but it still sucked to not be looked at in a way that was other than visitor-worker.

"I think we'll do the tour some other time. I am kind of tired tonight. Thanks for eating with me and talking. It was fun." She smiled and turned to put her bowl into the sink. "When you are done you can just...stick it in there." She nodded and looked at him before slowly walking out of the room, her stomach turning so many times at the fact that she recognized that the odd feeling had been a little crush on him.

[Laurent Eades]

Laurent watched her walk away and disappear up the stairs. She was headed to her room. He sighed, standing up and putting his bowl into the sink. He paused, listening for her door to shut.

When he heard it, he picked his hat up off the table and put it back on his head, moving from the kitchen area to the library, off which was an office. He didn't know if it was locked or not, but he figured any normal person would have locked their office. He ignored it.

Instead he looked through the bookshelves. Any lodge with half a brain had guestbooks, and most lodges kept them out for other visitors to come through and see who had visited. He spotted them in the far shelf from him. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure he was alone, he walked over, sitting down in one of the couches. He read the sides, searching for one in 2004.

After a long moment, he found it and pulled it off the shelf. It was a little dusty and made him cough a little. He opened it on his lap, searching for the dates he knew right off the top of his head. He kept turning pages, unable to find what he was looking for until...

Ashley Flanagan.

Aha. There was the name he was looking for. The very man who had been hit and killed had stayed in this lodge. Everything seemed to be leading back to this place. He observed the name for a long moment before shutting the book and replacing it. So now he knew that the man had stayed here...he had been on his way to see his brother when he had been killed.

Laurent rubbed his eyes and walked through to the hall, hopping up the stairs and making his way down to his room. He unlocked the door and went inside, fishing his cell phone out of the things on his bedside table. He flopped back on his bed, holding the cell up to see he had a missed call from his partner. He would have to call him back. But he figured it could wait until morning.