‘Oh, right.’To stop making more of a fool of herself, she took another mouthful of the salad, practically salivating at the flavours that danced across her tongue.
Stone cut up some crusty bread, then pulled the butter from the fridge.‘I’ve got a fridge full of food.You could have had a food fest with Finley while I was gone.I wouldn’t have minded.’He pushed over the wooden cutting board, holding the bread and butter, towards her.
‘Thank you.’She eagerly buttered a slice.‘By the time I’d showered, and started downloading today’s footage, time flew.’
‘I bet it did.’He slapped some thick steaks onto a tray, rubbed in some salt and pepper, then a drizzle of oil, rewashed his hands, then carried it out the door like a waiter in a fancy restaurant.
In a few moments, the aroma of sizzling steak had her stomach dancing with hunger.‘It smells so good.’
‘Who, me?Or the meat.’Stone chuckled, returning inside.‘It’s okay, kiddies, she wasn’t talking about fish, today.’He sprinkled some fish flakes over his humongous fish tank that ran along the entire wall, causing a feeding frenzy.
‘How many fish are in there?’The chaotic clash of colours, sizes, and shapes was astonishing.And not one of them was a goldfish.
‘They move around too much to count, and they breed and feed in their own little ecosystem.’
‘Do you clean the tank?’
‘Only when necessary.‘If it’s not broken, why mess with it, I say.’
‘That sounds just like my mantra for work:to observe only and never get involved.’
Stone paused, to narrow his eyes at her, his voice dropping, almost seductively.‘But I do get involved, shortcake.It’s part of my nature.’
She tried to swallow, and brush it off as just small talk, running her palm up and down her arms to get rid of the prickly sensation.‘Like how you read over people’s shoulders?’
‘The rest of my team did it too, and I didn’t see you complaining.’
‘How is the investigation going?’
‘Not as good as I’d hoped.’At the fridge, Stone pulled out a bottle of wine and poured two glasses.He slid a glass across the bench towards Romy, only to pause.‘You’re not doing any high-flying tonight, are you?’
‘Shouldn’t I be asking you that?’
‘Not tonight, shortcake.It’s been a big day.And an even bigger one for you, I bet.’
‘I think once I’ve finished eating, I’ll fall into a food coma and sleep like a log.’
‘I’ll be doing the same.So, eat up.I’ve got plenty of other fresh food for you to forage on as well.’
‘Where?Do you have some secret veggie garden or something?’
‘That entire pond area is Finley’s food forest.All the lower greenery is edible.And there’s some fruit trees, bananas, and other goodies growing in that jungle area.Finley doesn’t mind sharing his stash now and again.’
‘Did you plant all that for the turtle?’This wasn’t some neat orchard or veggie patch.It was a full-blown jungle—wild, tangled, and thriving.
On closer inspection, she spotted certain leafy greens that reminded her of a spinach.There were coconuts, pawpaw, and a big bunch of tiny green bananas hidden behind some other bushes.All packed into an area that was bigger than she’d realised.
‘One of the backpackers was a horticulturist from the Caribbean Islands, he told me they commonly keep food forests over there, it suits the environment or something.So him and his partner planted out a food forest, while they kept Finley company.’
Now it was her turn to keep the turtle happy.Not that she did much, except sit at a dining room table and stare at her laptop’s screen all afternoon.Romy took another mouthful, polishing off her salad bowl in a few mouthfuls.
‘Will you have room for those steaks?’
‘Bring it on.’She pulled a face.‘Not exactly the most flattering thing for a female to say, huh?’
‘I like it.Makes you real.’He winked at her so casually, she tried not to read anything into it.‘I’ll go flip the steaks.Dig in for seconds while I’m gone.’
Oh, she wanted too, but Stone hadn’t even served up his plate yet.
