ing day making the grasslands and rolling hills glow like emerald.
Damon ignored it. He’d seen it too many times. What he was
looking for was una donna splendida.
But his mind kept drifting. Mutt and his stake…Damon still didn’t
see why Elena wanted to take a fugitive from justice along with them.
Elena…Damon tried to conjure up the same irritated feelings for her as
he had for Mutt, but just couldn’t manage it.
He circled down toward the town below, keeping to the residential
district, searching for auras. He wanted a strong aura as much as a
beautiful one. And he’d been in America long enough to know that this
early in the morning you could find three sorts of people up and
outdoors. Students were the first, but this was summer, so there were
fewer to pick from. Despite Mutt’s assumptions, Damon seldom sank to
high school girls. Joggers were the second. And the third, thinking
beautiful thoughts, just like…that one down there…were home
gardeners.
The young woman with the pruning shears looked up as Damon
turned the corner and approached her house, deliberately hurrying and
then slowing his stride. His very footsteps made it clear that he was
delighted to take in the floral extravaganza in front of the charming
Victorian house. For a moment the girl looked startled, almost afraid.