Organically Yours: Sanctuary, Book Five by Abbie Zanders (classic books for 11 year olds .TXT) 📗

Not a day goes by when I don’t think about her. Everyone should have a friend like Gertie. I hear Kate’s just like her. Not too sure about the other two girls though. The older one hightailed it out to California—not that I blame her—and the younger one went and got herself knocked up by that Renninger boy.”

Tina didn’t know what to say to that, so she kept her mouth closed and drove to the retirement community where Mr. O’Farrell lived. Like the homes around it, Mr. O’Farrell’s place was newer construction, a small rancher with neat flower beds and a front porch where a rocker would surely sit come warmer weather.

He must have been watching for them because she’d no sooner pulled in the driveway than the front door opened.

“Last chance to change your mind. Are you sure about this?” Tina asked.

“Very sure.” Lottie’s blue eyes were bright and sparkling.

“All right. I’ll plan to pick you up around seven, but I can be here sooner if you need me.”

“I won’t need you,” Lottie told her confidently. As she opened her door, she looked back over her shoulder. “By the way, I love what you’ve done with your hair.”

“Thanks, Gram. Have fun.”

“Oh, I will.” Lottie laughed.

Tina waited until Lottie reached the front door. Mr. O’Farrell’s smile was genuine as he welcomed her inside. After returning Mr. O’Farrell’s wave with one of her own, Tina backed out of the driveway to set off on her own adventure.

Chapter Ten

Doc

Doc was in the dining room bright and early Sunday morning, fully aware that Smoke accompanied Sam when she came over to get the coffee on and start breakfast around dawn. Sure enough, Doc found him sitting in one of the booths, scrolling through the morning news with a cup of Sam’s magical brew in front of him.

Doc got a cup of coffee for himself and slid in across from him. When Smoke set down his tablet and raised an eyebrow in silent question, Doc relayed part of his conversation with Mr. O’Farrell.

“Do you think he knows who Sam’s father is?” Smoke asked quietly, shooting a glance toward the kitchen.

“I don’t know. He seemed to know a lot about her grandparents, so maybe. Has Sam ever said anything to you about wanting to find out who her father is?”

Smoke shook his head. From the little Doc knew about Sam’s situation, that wasn’t surprising. Her mother had had issues, and her grandparents weren’t the cuddle-and-coddle type.

“Let’s just keep this between us for the time being,” Smoke said finally. “Sam’s happy, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to bring bad memories to the surface, yeah?”

“You got it.” Doc leaned back and sipped his coffee. “So ... did Sam or Kate say what time Tina Obermacher is coming by today?”

“This afternoon sometime. Why?”

Doc shrugged. “Just curious.”

Smoke’s eyes lasered into him. When Doc said nothing, Smoke grunted. Smoke was a man of few words, but his glares and grunts were a complete language of their own.

Doc interpreted that last combo as, No shit. You and Tina Obermacher? Have you lost your goddamn mind?

That was a loose translation, of course.

Sam emerged from the kitchen with a plate of muffins fresh from the oven, smiling brightly when she saw Doc sitting there. “Oh, hey, Doc! I didn’t know you were here. Want some?”

“Absolutely. They smell fantastic.”

“Thanks! I made extra today with Tina coming and all. Be right back.” Sam beamed and went back toward the kitchen.

Smoke waited until she was out of sight before he said, “Hope you know what you’re doing, man.”

“Me?” Doc asked innocently. “I’m not doing anything.”

Another grunt, this one clearly expressing disbelief.

Sam returned with a second plate of muffins. “Here you go. Oh, and by the way, we’re expecting Tina around one. You know, just in case you were interested.” Her eyes sparkled, leading Doc to believe he wasn’t nearly as good at hiding his interest as he’d thought he was.

* * *

Despite the fact that he’d kept busy doing something he enjoyed, the morning dragged by. None of that mattered once Doc saw Tina’s truck pull into the lot on the security camera.

She looked even prettier than the last time he’d seen her. Her blonde hair was once again pulled back into a practical ponytail, the tip of which extended past her shoulders. Like before, she wore a light, long-sleeved fleece with a down vest, jeans, and combat-style boots. And, also like before, the sight of her set off a series of sparks in his chest. He was about to go out and greet her when he saw Kate open the door and beckon her inside.

Doc tracked their progress through the lobby and into the dining room on the grid of security monitor feeds. The war room was not only for team meetings, but it had also become their command center of sorts. From it, they had eyes and ears on nearly every part of Sanctuary, inside and out.

While some might have considered that overkill, the slew of incidents involving trespassing, vandalism, and threats of physical harm had more than justified the precaution.

Knowing that Tina was just down the hall made it hard for him to keep his ass in the chair and continue with his task of plotting out the labyrinth of mine tunnels beneath the surface even though he found the work fascinating. Ever since they’d discovered that Daryl Freed and his inner circle were using the now-defunct anthracite mines to store weapons, ammunition, and fuel, they’d been creating a map of the underground network. Church’s main concern—beyond the obvious—was that some of those old passageways came dangerously close to Sanctuary property and made them vulnerable, especially since Sanctuary had some underground secrets of its own. One or two well-placed explosions could have catastrophic consequences.

Thanks to the Callaghans in nearby Pine Ridge—a group of former SEALs they’d befriended—they had access to some very sweet hardware and software to aid them in their task. Regular ventures on foot were helpful