RetroCog (a Power Up! story) Read Online Free PDF Page A

parents live out East, but I got tired of all the traffic and hustle.”
     
    “I’ve always lived in Washington, the state, not DC. I moved out here on a whim not long ago and found the inn.”
     
    I , not we . She had to be single. She didn’t wear a ring. And no way some dumb-ass boyfriend would leave a woman who looked like Lara alone at night to go out with male guests.
     
    He grabbed a chip. “The Lady Fine Inn has a lot of character. Great history to the place.” Whores and cowboys galore.
     
    She nodded. They ordered their food and continued with conversation that, to Noah’s surprise, felt easy. Nothing as mundane as the weather, their talk veered from the difference in the coasts to exercise and books, what they both liked to indulge in during their spare time.
     
    “So why this place, Lara? What brought you to Brownville?”
     
    Lara sipped her water. “History. Ever since Finnegan Fury became a legend, they’ve seen a lot of interest in town. Once I heard the love story between the outlaw and the madam, I had to see where it happened myself. Then I found I couldn’t leave. The main street, I’m told, used to be really run-down. But the past few years have seen a real turnaround. There are art galleries and shops all over the place. The AP did that story, and tourists started pouring in. Now there’s great food, incredible art, a wonderful inn…” She smiled at him, and he smiled back.
     
    “I like it.”
     
    “So why are you here?” She dipped her chip and opened her mouth in expectation of food.
     
    But as she did, he swore he heard a woman’s suggestive comment. Open wider, sugar, he’s a lot bigger than that.
     
    “What’s that?”
     
    Her eyes widened before her gaze dropped like a stone to her plate, along with her chip. “I didn’t say anything.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze.
     
    Weird.
     
    The waitress arrived with their dinners. They ate in silence, intent on the savory dishes before them. Then Lara prodded him again.
     
    “So, Noah, why are you in Brownville? You don’t seem like a typical art collector or tourist.”
     
    “How do I seem?”
     
    “I don’t know.” She lowered her fork and looked at him. “You’re obviously into some kind of physical fitness, but I get a sense of something else. Something academic, maybe.”
     
    “Why do you say that?”
     
    “You’re intense, quiet. And you listen.”
     
    The woman was perceptive. He weighed the consequences of showing his hand too quickly. What the hell, he had nothing to lose but time. “I’m actually a personal trainer. That and a part-time investigator.”
     
    Her eyes widened. “Really?”
     
    “Yeah.” He reached into his wallet and dug out the picture of the portrait he’d looked at way too often for his peace of mind. “Don’t freak when I show you this.”
     
    “Why would I?”
     
    He opened the paper and pushed it across the table to her. Watching her reaction, he learned a good bit. She hadn’t seen the painting before. And she couldn’t stop looking at it. Like him, she was captivated by Vala’s work.
     
    “Who is this?” Her eyes darkened with suspicion. “Is this a joke?”
     
    “It’s a painting by Emilio Vala called The Lady . You can look him up.”
     
    “I will.” She quieted as she studied it.
     
    “So you have no idea who she might be?”
     
    “Not a clue.”
     
    “Well, if she’s not your twin, who do you think it could be?” The research Jack had done had turned up surprisingly nothing on the identity of the woman in the picture.
     
    “I have no idea. Heck, she could be Lady Fine. I’ve never seen a picture of her, but now that I think about it, this picture matches a few descriptions of her I’ve read.”
     
    “It matches you too.” He took a few bites of food, slowing down the conversation. To his surprise, his hunger for dinner had been replaced by his hunger for Lara. “When I saw you earlier, I couldn’t believe the similarities. You