Free Turn of the Pipes (A Redpoint One Romance) by J.A. Marlow Page A

blushed so deep she could see it in the dim light around
them. Poor guy. He'd been around only animals a little too
long.
    "We'll go find Reggy."
    "Ah, the gamekeeper." Ignacio packed up the
basket and reached down to help her up.
    Rachel felt as though she should be careful at
how she walked in case the books on top of her head fell. Only,
this wasn't a posture exercise. Pookie wasn't going to go anywhere
until good and ready, and a good head-shake wasn't about to loosen
his grasp.
    Ignacio flapped the blanket and folded it with
practiced ease. With the blanket over an arm and the basket in
hand, he motioned her to lead the way.
    "I'm getting the feeling you picnic often,"
Rachel said, taking the path following the lake edge.
    "When I get the chance. I prefer being out
here with the animals and scenery instead of cooped up in confining
spaces."
    Rachel couldn't help asking, "By
yourself?"
    "Usually. Sometimes with a few friends." He
took her arm as they started moving up an incline.
"Fishing?"
    "Not really interested. I would prefer to
watch the flitch's fish."
    When he started laughing she realized he'd
meant something else. Goodness, she was as bad as him. She really
needed to get away from the pipes of Redpoint One a bit more
often.
    They found Reggie near the feeding huts for
some of the more shy animals. He took one look at her hair and
joined in the laughter. "Found you again, did he?"
    "On a special night. Can you help get him
out?" Rachel asked.
    "Tonight another charity dinner?" Reggie
rubbed the short gray beard. "I don't recall one happening
tonight."
    "No, a private picnic."
    "A picnic date? Ah, now that makes more sense.
Tonight is a good night for it. Come with me. Let's see if we can
lure him out." Reggie led the way to another hut filled with bins
clearly marked as feed for various animals.
    "What happened the last time?" Ignacio asked
as he settled at a metal table next to Rachel.
    "Charity dinner invaded by snuggly little
flying squirrels. What's to tell?" Rachel said, the thrumming near
her ear as strong as ever.
    "Nice to see you again, Ignacio. Have new
inhabitants for the lake soon?" Reggie asked as he rifled through
several tubs on a shelf.
    "No, not right now. All are slated to head
back to their home worlds," Ignacio said.
    Reggie glanced over at him, frowning. "Can you
take out the basket? I don't want Pookie to get confused over
smells. People food should remain people food."
    Ignacio started. "Right. I should have thought
about that. Be right back."
    He gave her a squeeze on the arm and then
slipped back out the door. Rachel watched him go, sighing as she
propped her head up in her hands. "It's always
something."
    "Pookie was just saying hello." Reggie pulled
a canister off a shelf and started making his way back to the
table.
    "I'm not mad at Pookie. Pookie and I get along
great."
    "Problems with the date?" He set the canister
on the table and grabbed a scoop and small bowl.
    Rachel averted her eyes, knowing what the
canister held. She'd had a great dinner. She didn't want to spoil
it by looking at Pookie's dinner. "The date is going
fine."
    "Uh huh. Right. And Pookie is a solar monkey."
Reggie took the bowl and waved it in the air next to Rachel's
ear.
    A thin furry arm reached out, the flap of skin
it used for gliding waving in the air. Reggie pulled the bowl just
out of his reach, but Pookie wasn't ready to let go to go after it
yet.
    "What's to tell? It's the first date. My first
dates are usually disasters," Rachel said. "Not that this one is.
So far so good, other than talking only about business."
    Reggie shook the bowl again, eliciting another
attempted arm-grab. "You were hoping for something more personal?
Such as details about his wife?"
    "Wife?" Rachel repeated. She hadn't read
anything about him being married in any of his research. Oh no, was
she now 'the other woman?'
    "Dead wife." Reggy said.
    "Dead wife?" Oh no. Did one of the newts off
her?
    ***
    Ignacio left the building and