Page 57 of Running Home


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He stalked to the window and peaked outthrough the gap in the curtains, watching for signs of activity.The sun was starting to rise, but the dark clouds and heavy rainkept visibility to a minimum. Perfect timing if someone wanted tomake their move. What were they waiting for?

Payson finally spoke, no longer giving himthe silent treatment. But she still followed him with distrustfuleyes, her body stiff and unforgiving. “What happened that you hadto leave Seaview?”

Feeling hopeful she might forgive him oneday, Ronan was eager to fill her in on everything. Explain why he’dleft and somehow make her see that he would do everything in hispower to never leave her again. Hopefully, she would understand whyhe’d had to run.

27

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.Payson glanced to Ronan, shrugged as if to say he was on his ownwith explaining his sudden appearance to Alain. She walked to thedoor and opened it wide.

Alain waited politely a few feet from thedoor. “Are you alright? I came to see if you were joining us forbreakfast, when I heard someone talking?”

Ronan leaped up to introduce himself. Not thebest way to meet one’s host, sneaking in during the night to climbin bed with their guest. He’d planned to have Payson out of therebefore dawn. Well, that had been the formal plan he’d told himself,but he knew better. He couldn’t help but take advantage of theperfect opportunity get the answers he needed.

Payson introduced him as he reached thedoorway. “Alain, this is Ronan. He arrived late last night.”

Putting on his full agent charm, Ronan heldout his hand and spoke fluently in his host’s native tongue,“Bon matin. You must be Alain. I am very sorry to intrude.My business brought me to the area, and I have missed Payson somuch that I had to surprise her.”

If he was taken aback, he didn’t show it.Alain graciously welcomed Ronan to his home and invited themdownstairs for breakfast. Alain exuded strength, intelligence. Hewas more than an antiques dealer, but he also wasn’t the slimysmooth-talker Ronan had imagined. His body moved gracefully butfiercely, his gaze penetrating.

Walking down a creaky wooden stairwell, hefollowed their host into a small breakfast room connected to alarge chef’s kitchen. As directed, he sat at a small squarebreakfast table. Each of the four chairs were different, two woodenchairs that looked as old as the house itself, and two brightlycolored metal chairs that had likely been there since the middle ofthe last century. A glass door and collection of large windows madehim a bit nervous, fearing they were being watched. Staying onalert, he monitored for any signs of movement from outside.

A collection of pastries, breads, jams,cheese, and fresh fruit were set out in the middle of the table.Alain immediately poured them each a cup of espresso with a dollopof heavy cream. Within moments, a taller, dark-haired man with apanther-like edge entered the room.

If he was surprised to see Ronan, he didn’tshow it. The man took a seat at the head of the table and leanedback in his chair. Alain made the introductions, and the newcomer,Nicolas, was not quite as friendly as his spouse and greeted Ronanwith a sharp, but dubious nod.

Where Alain was warm and welcoming, Nicolaswas skeptical. He leaned back in his chair, sipping his espressowith a wicked poker face, watching Ronan like a hawk. Ronan triedto ignore the silent interrogation. The guy was intimidating ashell. Ronan could swear he saw Alain subtly kick him under thetable more than once.

A few bites into breakfast, Alain broke theice. Between Payson, who had not yet forgiven him, and Nicolas, wholooked like he could wipe him off the face of the planet with theblink of an eye, he was grateful for Alain’s friendly demeanor.

“We are so pleased you could join us. How didyou come to be in town so fortuitously to join my good friend,Payson?” The clear show of support for Payson was not missed, norwas the suspicion, but the question, like Alain himself, waspresented kindly.

After years of lies, Ronan nearly began witha story about the computer virus emergency, as Payson would havetold them he was a computer programmer if they had asked.Regardless of the secrets he kept, he knew these were good people,and he knew they were more than the ordinary vintners they seemedto be. He couldn’t put these good people at risk. Well, more thanhe already had by his very presence here.

Ronan tried to find the right words toexplain his arrival… the honest words. “As I mentioned earlier, Iwas in the area for work.” He inhaled deeply, forcing the truthfrom his lips. “I want to be completely honest with you, for yoursafety and for Payson’s.”

Nicolas slightly let up on the evil eye thatrivaled Payson’s spiciest death-glare. At the mention of honesty,he began to relax, the corner of his mouth turning up in a cleversmirk. “Please, explain. We will welcome any friend of Payson’s,but something doesn’t add up for me. Thank you for bringing it upbefore I was forced to.”

Ronan raised his mouth in a half smile tomatch his host’s, finding his candor reassuring. Lifting an eyebrowto punctuate his curious smile, he inquired of his hosts, “What didPayson tell you about me?”

“Not much.” Arms still crossed, but hisexpression almost playful now, Nicolas continued, “I know youdidn’t come in through the front door, or any other downstairsentrance, as we have excellent security. It’s not easy to get toour second floor, except with some extraordinary acrobatics, soyou’re more capable than I would expect for someone who works incomputers.”

Curiosity peaked, Ronan nodded his head inagreement, “And you are a bit more astute than I would expect for avintner.”

Alain shook his head, getting to the pointmore quickly than his spouse. “My goodness, Nicolas, let up on theboy. Ronan, I am sorry for my husband’s poor manners. He and I areretiredCommandement des Operations Speciales, so you arecorrect, we are not what you would typically expect for our currentlines of work. What is your story?”

That made more sense. And was a huge relief.These two would be perfectly capable of defending themselves… andprotecting Payson. “Until a few months ago, I was CIA. Naturally,that isn’t something I normally share, but this is an unusualsituation.”

Nicolas nodded, full smile now, “Not what Iwould have guessed, but I think I understand now. Please, whatbrings you so suddenly to our home? Your unexpected arrival isdisconcerting.”

Leaning forward and resting his elbows on thetable, enjoying the quick, easy camaraderie, Ronan divulged thewhole story. Payson sat back and watched quietly, absorbingeverything. “As I am sure you can understand, this informationcannot leave this room. A few weeks before I met Payson, I was shotwithin hours of capturing a mercenary that I had been tracking forsome time. Due to the extent of my injuries, I was medicallydischarged. My final mission was not resolved, at least, not to mysatisfaction, so my abrupt retirement was…unsettling.”

Alain nodded and offered another round ofcoffee for the table. “I understand. I was similarly discharged,and if it had not been for Nicolas, I would never have recovered.Physically, yes, but not emotionally.”

Ronan smiled, reflecting on his own returnhome. His family was so supportive that he would have been ok. WithPayson there to ease his panic attacks and nightmares - before sheknew she was helping with the nightmares. He bit his cheek andthought about telling her that little tidbit down the road,obviously, not today. Just by being her honest self, she broughtback his sense of normal again… and, quite frankly, called him onhis abhorrent behavior. Thanks to her, he became more than he hadever been. “Without Payson, I would probably still be drowning innightmares.”

He gave her a wink. Miraculously, she didn’tglare at him this time. Rather than the scowl she’d been wearingall morning, she was easing into an almost neutral expression. “Isthat why you left so suddenly? Or did something happen?”

Ronan went out on a limb and reached for herhand, desperate for her to understand. Amazingly, she didn’t shakeher hand out of his grip, but instead softened at his touch. “Idiscovered that I had been found, likely by the man that shot me,and that I was under investigation for serious criminal charges. Instaying, I would have risked your safety and the safety of myfamily.” Whether it was conscious or not, she gently squeezed hishand in reassurance.