Dawn in Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz Page A

woman with a Madison male. Would wonders never cease?
    â€œMaybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” she whispered to Gabe.
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous.” He came to a halt at the counter and studied the artfully arranged breakfast pastries behind the glass. “The only other place open at this hour is the Total Eclipse. You don’t want to eat breakfast there, trust me.”
    â€œGood point. Any restaurant that uses the motto ‘Where the sun don’t shine’ probably isn’t a terrific breakfast spot.”
    â€œRight. Besides, those corn bread muffins look incredible. I’m going to have two. What do you want?”
    â€œPeople are staring at us.”
    â€œYeah?” He glanced around curiously, nodded civilly at the people he recognized and then turned back to the croissant display. “So what? You’re a Harte. I’m a Madison. Put the two together in this town and you’re bound to get a few stares.”
    â€œIt doesn’t bother you?”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œOf course, a few stares don’t bother you,” she muttered. “You’re a Madison.”
    â€œYou got that right.”
    He approached the middle-aged woman dressed in a long, pale robe standing behind the counter. She wore a white scarf over her graying hair and a pristine white apron. A crescent-shaped amulet hung from a chain around her neck.
    â€œMay the light of future history be with you,” she said politely.
    â€œThanks,” Gabe said. “Same to you. I’ll have a couple of those corn bread muffins and a cup of coffee, please.” He looked over his shoulder. “Decided what you want, Lillian?”
    She hurried forward. “A croissant, please. And green tea.”
    â€œFor here or to go?” the woman asked.
    â€œFor here,” Gabe said.
    â€œSay, I recognize those voices,” boomed a whiskey-and-cigar voice from the other side of a curtained doorway.
    Lillian suppressed a small groan and summoned up a smile for the husky, robust woman dressed in military fatigues and boots who appeared in the opening. Arizona Snow had long since passed the age that officially placed her in the senior citizen category but she had enough energy for a far younger person. She also had a cause.
    â€œWell, now, I call this perfect timing,” Arizona Snow said with evident satisfaction.
    â€œMorning, A.Z.” Gabe said. “How’s the conspiracy business these days?”
    â€œThose bastards up at the institute laid low for a while after your brother and Hannah managed to put a spoke in their wheel, but things are heating up again.” Arizona beamed at Lillian. “Good to see you back in town.”
    â€œNice to see you, too,” Lillian said. She waved a hand to indicate the bakery. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œRegular weekly briefing with the Heralds.” Arizona lowered her voice to what she no doubt thought was a confidential level. “Instituted the routine a couple of months ago after I got to know ’em better and discovered that they’re not naïve dupes of the agency like most everyone else around these parts. They understand what’s happenin’.”
    â€œGlad someone does,” Gabe said.
    Arizona leaned a little farther out the doorway, swept the outer room with a quick glance and then motioned to Lillian and Gabe. “Come on back. I’ll bring you up to date, too.”
    â€œUh, that’s okay, Arizona,” Lillian said hastily. “We’re a little busy this morning. Aren’t we, Gabe?”
    â€œDon’t know about you.” Gabe put some money down on the counter. “But I’m in no rush.”
    â€œYou’re not ?” In her wildest flights of imagination she would never have envisioned him willingly going down the rabbit hole into the alternate universe that was Arizona Snow’s world.
    He glanced at her, brows raised. “What?”