Free Love on Loch Ness by Aubrie Dionne Page B

as well and his mother had been interested in what they'd said. He'd never know. She'd never admit that to his father. Besides, cookies sounded good, and whatever had been there was now gone. "Okay."
    She kissed his cheek. "We can come back to the water later."
    ****
    Later, his mom had said, as if timing didn't matter — when in fact, timing was the most important factor in the equation.
    1991. The year L-PIB had done the sonar scan. About twenty years ago.
    This was Flynn's second chance. If the drops in fish population were due to Nessie, he'd be almost fifty before he had another chance to see her. He had work to do.
    Flynn stood and brushed the sand off his pants. The sun would be rising soon, and he didn't want Gail to wake without him there and start to worry.
    Twilight had breached the inky darkness of night, and the shapes of the rocks on the ground were more visible. Flynn carefully stepped over the jagged edge that had caught his shin. He lifted his foot to step on a patch of flat sand and froze.
    An imprint as long as his leg lay in the sand. Had he made that when he'd fallen earlier?
    The span was too long for his leg, and the ridge that cut into the ground was too narrow and deep for the sole of his loafer. Flynn touched the sand with his finger. The grains were sticky and wet. A pattern of webbing stretched between the top point and the ridge.
    His heart kicked into high gear, and he stepped around the impression and bolted toward the cabin. This hadn't happened long ago, and the more time that passed the less of a chance to decipher what might have crossed the beach that night just before three o'clock.

Chapter Eleven
    Rings

    Gail stared at her reflection in the mirror, trying to keep a straight face. "Good morning, Flynn. I trust you slept well."
    There could be no sign of over- eagerness in her features. She kept her mouth turned down and her eyes cold and calculated. She was an expert at pulling off professional ambivalence.
    I will not mention the date. I refuse for this to make things weird.
    She threw her pair of hip-hugging flare jeans to the back of the closet and chose her khaki work pants and a plain sweatshirt instead. No sense in dressing sexy for the research team.
    I keep telling myself that.
    She gazed in the mirror and pinned her hair up into a severe bun. Boy, she looked more like an old nanny than a twenty-something.
    Well, maybe I'll go for the flowery button-down. It's more feminine but still professional.
    Slipping off the sweatshirt, she pulled her arms through the three-quarter-length sleeved dress shirt. She'd have to pair the thin fabric with a light sweater.
    A knock sounded at the door while she played around with buttoning and unbuttoning the top two buttons. "Gail, wake up! I have to talk to you!"
    Gail froze, then fastened one more button. She checked the clock. Six o'clock.What was Flynn doing? Checking her reflection one more time, she moved to the door and swung it open. So much for her practiced greeting.
    Flynn stood panting, wearing a T-shirt and flannel pajama pants. His feet had tracked leaves and dirt all the way down the hall. The first thing she thought was something had happened to Tom or about Tom.
    Why was she thinking about Tom, of all things? "What's wrong?"
    "I found something on the beach." Flynn's eyes lit up. "Tracks."
    "Tracks? Like deer tracks?"
    He shook his head. "No. Like fin tracks."
    "Impossible. You're kidding, right?" Since when did a fish climb out of water?
    He held out his hand. "Come with me and see. I'm going to bring my plaster and make some molds."
    He wasn't kidding. Gail froze. Did she want to follow Flynn on one of his lunatic adventures? It was too much like her father hunting Bigfoot.
    Flynn turned around toward his room. "The longer we wait, the older the tracks will be. Come on."
    Gail could stay at the cabin with Tom. Alone. "Okay, okay." She shoved her feet into her sneakers. No high heels for the woods. She grabbed a short-waisted