“What’s up?”
“I’m on my way,” Patrick said. “Morgan’s with me.”
A brief pause. “So I should put pants on then?”
“Definitely.”
A sigh. “All right.”
“See you in ten.”
He disconnected the call and glanced at her. “My dad,” Patrick said. “For the record, he usuallydoeswear pants.”
Morgan didn’t want to smile, but her lips quirked anyway. “So that was just for my benefit?”
“No doubt.”
Her mother liked to embarrass her too, but it typically took a different course and was far less playful.
“How is he going to help us? Does he have a lab or something?”
“Technically, my uncle Mick does. But my dad does have some toys that will be useful.”
“What kind of toys?”
“High tech ones.”
She wasn't sure what to do with that. “Okay.”
“I just—I want you to be prepared.”
“Okay,” she said again, wondering why Patrick felt the need to forewarn her.
The stone cottageat the end of the drive was not what she'd expected. Modest exterior, stone darkened with age and weather, nestled into the mountain. You could drive past theentrance twice without noticing it, which she suspected was intentional.
The door opened before they reached it.
The man in the doorway had Patrick's dark hair and Patrick's blue eyes, and was, indeed, wearing pants. He had the same crooked half-grin too, and Morgan wondered vaguely if Patrick’s mother had been as involuntarily captivated by it as she was with Patrick’s.
“Morgan, this is my dad, Ian Callaghan,” Patrick said by way of introduction.
“Morgan,” Ian said, warmly, standing aside to let them in.
“Mr. Callaghan,” she greeted.
“Come in,” Ian said, “and tell me what you need.”
“An ID,” Patrick said bluntly.
“Okay. What do you have?”
“Pictures, fingerprints, and a hair sample.”
“Picture and fingerprints, no problem. I can drop the hair off at Mick’s for DNA analysis later.”
Before Morgan could think too much about how Patrick’s dad was going to process the samples, the gentle touch of Patrick’s hand on her lower back momentarily cleared her mental board. When he removed it a few seconds later, they were already halfway through the living area.
The original stone was still visible in places, as were the exposed beams, but the additions were significant. The overall aestheticwas cozy and warm, a mix of stone and earthy colors, a massive fireplace, and floor to ceiling windows with a fantastic view.