A Montana town where no one is who they seem….
Everything about runaway heiress Ainsley McLeon screamed trouble—from her luscious midnight locks to her Louboutin-clad toes. Yet sexy, stoic bar owner Luc couldn’t deny the instant connection he felt to the tempting stranger…or the long-dead feelings she evoked. She could work in his pub until her truck was fixed but after that she had to leave town for good.
Ainsley traveled with her own emotional baggage and there was no way she’d fall for the bear-tempered Luc…no matter how many passionate nights she spent in his bed or how safe she felt in his muscular arms. Can these two opposites find love in the middle of a blizzard, or will Luc’s darker side and Ainsley’s past catch up with them?
Information:
Title: Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears, Oh My!
Author: Candace Havens
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 164 pages
Release Date: July 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62266-807-6
Imprint: Covet
Excerpt:
© 2013 Candace Havens
Chapter One
The icy air outside was too much for the heater of the well-used Ford truck. Ainsley worried her fingers would have to be forcibly removed from the steering wheel they were so cold. The blinding snow didn’t help. Even if there were somewhere for her to stop, visibility was zero. She’d been on the winding Montana road for hours without any sign of life. With her luck, she’d probably freeze to death in the wilderness. It had been that kind of day.
She imagined the headlines her sudden flight from her life in California would cause. “Heiress to McLeon Fortune Disappears Without a Trace.” She sniffed and stomped her Louboutin-clad left foot on the floor of the truck to keep it from getting frostbite. At least out in the wilds of Montana, she didn’t have to worry about her family trying to murder her. Maybe they’d get lucky and a bear would eat her.
Stop it. New life. Remember? We’re leaving all that behind.
But betrayal was a hard thing for her to forget. Especially, when it was done at the hands of those she trusted most.
She glanced down to make sure she’d turned the knob the right way for the heat and frowned. The salesman should have mentioned that the truck didn’t have heat and one of the headlights was broken. The guy hadn’t blinked an eye when she’d handed over five hundred dollars and said she didn’t want to have to worry about paper work. He’d given her the keys and put the money in his pocket.
Shivering uncontrollably, she hunched her shoulders and leaned forward. The wipers didn’t work so well, but she could see something in the road ahead. Pumping the breaks to slow down, the back of the truck shifted and slid sideways across the ice. Trees whizzed past her as she turned into the skid like she’d always been told to do, but to no avail.
“Craaapppp,” she screamed as she let go of the wheel realizing nothing she did would help. Everything happened so fast as the vehicle plowed through a snow bank and into a tree.
The force knocked her face and head against the steering wheel at the same time, the seatbelt cutting into her ribs and waist.
The truck sputtered and the radio made a strange squawking sound. Reaching over she turned it off. Coughing as if it gasped for its last breath, everything quit all at once.
She closed her eyes and she let go of the breath she’d been holding.
Out in the middle of nowhere without a cell phone, heat, or even a coat. Brilliant.
When she’d left Beverly Hills, she’d driven straight to the airport, bought a ticket to a place no one would think to look for her, and boarded the plane ten minutes later.
“Grrrrrrrr.” Something growled outside the door of the truck.
She locked her jaw to keep her chattering teeth quiet.
Twisting carefully, she tried to pop the button on the seatbelt but it didn’t work. Jamming her finger harder, her nail broke but the latch didn’t give.
Wonderful. Instead of freezing to death, I’ll be eaten by a wild animal. Part of her mind wondered which death would be worse, as the other side of her brain tried to find a way out.
Of course, she could have stayed in L.A. and let the guys with guns kill her.
Leaning toward the window, she used her hand to wipe away the frosted fog. There was no light to see anything but she sensed whatever it was that growled moved.
She needed light. Her purse had fallen to the floor during the crash. Using her leg, she hooked it over her toe and brought it to the seat. Inside she found the small diamond encrusted key chain with her initial. On the loop with the keys, there was a small penlight she used to find things in her bucket of a purse. Flashing it out the window, the prowling creature came into view.
“No, way.” She closed her eyes and opened them again. She must have hit her head harder than she thought.
The orange and black stripes were unmistakable.
What in the hell was a tiger doing in the middle of Montana? The huge monster’s eyes burned into hers.
Well, at least it would be somewhat exotic to die by tiger.
The beast, seemingly curious about the light, eased closer to the door and sniffed. As a child, Ainsley had been on safari with her mother and father and she’d seen what a tiger could do to its prey in a matter of seconds. The vehicle jiggled and a loud thump hit the bed of the truck. This was it.
Only ribbons of Ainsley would be left by the time it was done.
The perfect ending to the worst day of her life.
Well, not the worst. That had been last year when her parents died, but this was close.
Another large thump in the truck bed caused her to jump.
Glancing back, she saw the tiger’s nose pressed against the window, which was only a few inches from her head. Expecting a large paw to crash through the glass at any moment, she held her breath.
Nothing happened. Lovely, it was toying with her.
“Just kill me,” she screamed. “It’s the least you could do. Don’t make me wait.”
The tiger’s head popped back as if it understood what she said.
Then it sat there staring at her.
Tears welled, but she refused to let them fall. She was a McLeon. She never cried. Not even when she put her parents in the ground.
Sniffling, she willed herself to focus. She reached down for the seatbelt and tried unsuccessfully to undo it again.
When she turned back, the tiger continued to stare.
The absurdity of the situation wasn’t lost on her.
“So, hang around these woods often?”
The tiger made a noise that sounded like a snort and its big fangs poked out.
“That’s it. I’m delirious. Now I think you’re laughing at me.”
The tiger nodded. Or at least she thought it did.
Great. I can’t even die sane.
She’d read how hypothermia led to hallucinations. But she couldn’t decide whether it would be better if the tiger were real or not. Hypothermia was serious…but then again, a tiger in her truck bed definitely counted as a bad situation. Before she could say something else, a light blinded her. Shading her eyes with her hand, she could have sworn the tiger nodded at her again before jumping out of the truck bed and disappearing into the night.
“Ma’am,” a male voice called to her.
She started when a fist pounded on the window beside her.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she mumbled. “My seatbelt is stuck.” She looked up and caught the dim outline of some kind of officer, his badge on his chest the only thing she could make out, then turned her attention back to her seatbelt latch.
“Unlock the door, and let me see if I can help,” the voice offered.
She did what he asked but the handle on the door didn’t work. No matter how hard she pulled, the thing didn’t budge.
“Lean back,” the voice ordered.
The sound of metal ripping was followed by a blast of freezing cold air that sucked the breath right out of her. Screaming seemed like a good idea, but the shock of the tiger—or the cold blast from the door being ripped open—caused a brain freeze, and not the fun kind from eating ice cream.
“What the hell?” the man asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“Where is your coat? Why are you dressed like that? Were you on your way to some party? And at the very least you should have some blankets with you.” The man shone the flashlight across the cab and then back at her.
She agreed that her skirt, blouse, and heels were hardly appropriate for the weather but she hadn’t had time to worry about that when she fled for her life.
Without waiting for an answer he brought out a huge knife.
“Hey,” she shouted but he ignored her as he sliced though the belt.
Then he stood there for a moment.
“You can’t walk in those shoes.”
“Who are you?” she asked, lifting her chin.
“Don’t get all hoity toity with me lady. We don’t take kindly to that sort of attitude around here.”
The words on the tip of her tongue were sharp and angry. So she did the only thing she could, she bit back her retort. This was no time to make enemies. This man wanted to help her out of a situation that was almost certain death.
“Please forgive me,” she said as her teeth chattered. “I’m cold, hungry and scared to death. My body feels like someone pummeled me and did I mention I’m cold?” She shivered uncontrollably.
“Ah, hell.” The man scooped her up out of the truck as if her five-foot seven frame weighed nothing. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Her mother used to say Ainsley was big boned, but everyone knew it was her obsession with food that kept her a healthy size twelve-—maybe a ten if she double-Spanxed her curves.
Before she could breathe in the freezing air, she was inside a squad car with warmth blowing at her full blast. She held out her hands to the heat. Maybe she’d survive the frostbite after all.
The man opened the driver door and handed over her purse.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Be right back,” he said. She watched as he strode toward the truck. He shook his head as if he saw something in the bed of it. Maybe the tiger paw prints? Did she have a Life of Pi moment with the tiger? Was it all her imagination?
The officer pulled out a camera phone and took a picture before stuffing it in his pocket. Then he opened his trunk and pulled out some kind of bundle.
“Wrap these around you,” he said handing her three wool blankets. The scratchy material was rash inducing, but she wasn’t about to complain. She wrapped one around her shoulders, and another around her legs. She put the third one over her head.
“You’re very kind, officer,” she said, her teeth still chattering.
“Sorry about being short with you. Comes with the job, and I was worried you had frostbite. I’m Deputy Conrad Joseph,” he introduced himself as he put the car in gear.
“I’m Ainsley, uh, Carter,” she said trying to think of a name that would hide her identity. He’d caught her off guard with the introduction.
“Well, Ms. Carter, care to explain why you’re trespassing on a protected preserve?”
…
As the full moon neared, a wild vibe hovered around the bar as it always did this time of the month. The edgy energy meant Luc had to keep a sharp eye on the crowd. Tempers flared quickly in Clarksville, Montana; an all-out brawl might explode in a matter of seconds.
Patty picked up a tray laden with empty beer bottles.
Dammit, Luc hopped over the bar and grabbed the tray. More than once she’d strained her lower back. The last thing he needed was for her to collapse in the middle of the bar. Keen would kill him, or at least he’d try.
“What the—” Patty gasped as he lifted the tray out of her hands.
“I told you not to carry the heavy trays. You call for me,” Luc’s voice was gruff with concern. Keen and Patty were two of his best friends and if he hadn’t been so desperate for help in the bar, she’d be at home with her feet up and her pregnant body reclined.
Slapping at his hand, she tried to reach the tray. But with Luc at six feet five inches tall, she didn’t have a chance. “I’m not an invalid,” she grouched.
“No, but I’d rather you not go into labor with half of our bar glasses in your hands.” He pushed through the crowd at the large pine bar and set down the barware.
“Chris, you’re on dish duty tonight,” Luc pointed a finger at the young man on a stool at the end of the bar, who promptly nodded.
No one ever argued with Luc. That’s the way he wanted it. And the only pay Chris needed was a few bottles of beer. He liked being behind the bar and chatting with the customers.
Luc, on the other hand, was tired. His body’s natural need to sleep was a constant fight. Didn’t matter how much he slumbered; he always felt half-zombie, half-grouch in the winter.
“Uh, Luc?” Patty grabbed his arm as she doubled over.
“Keen!” Luc yelled as he scooped her up. “It’s time.”
“Fuck!” Keen ran around the pool tables, taking his wife from Luc’s arms.
“Baby, why didn’t you say something?” Keen brushed the hair out of her eyes. The tenderness between them tore at Luc’s heart. Soon they’d have their perfect family of four. The twins would be healthy—Luc had willed it so. Knowing he could never—would never— again be in Keen’s place, Luc wanted this for his friend. Keen had been there for Luc when things were at their worst and seen him through the sorrow that had broken him.
“Doc,” Luc nodded toward a booth in the corner but the other man was already following Keen, who held his wife tight in his arms, to the door. Luc wanted to go with them but he had to run the bar. The only other people he’d trust with it were on the way to the small hospital about a mile down the road.
Well-wishers hooted and whistled as the three of them passed through the door.
An old version “She’s Having My Baby” played on the jukebox. It was a tradition but Luc hated that song. Reminded him of a time when it was played for his family.
The Cress boys’ argument rose over the din of noise. Those kids never gave it a rest.
Luc lumbered toward the pool tables. The boys, who acted like they didn’t have a brain between them, hit each other on the head with the pool cues. Damn kids would put out an eye if they weren’t careful. And those pool cues weren’t cheap.
The crowd around the boys died down as everyone turned to look at Luc, who stood with his arms crossed. It took a few minutes, but the eighteen-year-old boys stopped fighting when they finally noticed the silence.
They stepped back when they saw Luc towering over them.
The cues found their way down to the table and the boys discovered their hiking boots had become mighty interesting.
“Sorry, Luc,” Joey Cress said softly.
“What’s that?” Luc’s voice held no kindness. It was the only way to keep the rowdy kids in check. He remembered how he had been at that age, which was one of the reasons he was so tough on them.
“Sorry, sir,” Jaime Cress said.
“You boys get behind the counter and help Chris with the dishes and glassware. You’re also responsible for bussing the tables. I have to keep the kitchen going.”
The twins nodded.
“And boys… you break anything in my bar tonight and your heads will be on the wall in the morning.”
The threat quieted the crowd even more. The edginess ebbed as he followed the Cress brothers and handed them each an apron to protect their clothing. He’d never had to put a hand on a single patron in all the years he’d owned The Cub Club. His presence was enough to scare them into submission, and he was good with that.
As he passed through the back of the bar, a strange smell assailed his senses. Sweet honey and some kind of flower reminded him of springtime.
The crowd parted and the only noise was from the song on the jukebox.
Luc lifted his head to meet the most beautiful pair of green eyes he’d ever seen.
Trouble stared him down. Luc was the first one to break eye contact. He wasn’t sure that had ever happened before.
She teetered on a pair of ridiculous heels, her tight black skirt leaving nothing to the imagination. Her full breasts were pushed up in some kind of white lacy material that showed through the few buttons of her shirt she’d left open. Her ebony hair was pinned in one of those loose ballerina things on top of her head. Luc liked long hair and hated to see a woman try to tame it.
The fantasy of many a man walked toward him on two of the longest legs he’d seen in some time.
He saw a slight shiver pass through her as she drew closer. But she held her head high.
“Are you Luc?” she asked as she tossed her purse on the bar.
Not trusting his voice, he nodded.
“I’m here to apply for the job.”
Chapter Two
Ainsley held her chin up as the dark black eyes of the bar owner stared at her with amusement. A towering force of a man, he had shaggy black hair that framed a rugged face. Damn he was gorgeous, but she couldn’t let that distract her from her mission. Those sexy eyes of his narrowed again. It was obvious she was out of her element but he would not intimidate her. No one would ever do that again. She wanted this job. She needed it if she wanted to ever leave town. The tow truck driver had informed Deputy Conrad that the truck’s engine had been damaged. He estimated at least two thousand dollars was needed in repairs. About fifteen hundred dollars more than she’d paid for it.
So she was stuck in this two-bit town until she could raise enough to buy a new car or get the repairs made. Pulling money from her sizable bank accounts wasn’t an option. It would be too easy for someone to track her. Still in shock over what had happened the last week, she wanted to crawl in a hole and weep, but she had to survive. The first step was acquiring a job.
The deputy had mentioned one of the waitresses was about to have a baby and that the bar owner needed some help. But he didn’t look like a man who needed anything.
“Do you have any experience?” The giant bear of a man hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she entered the bar except very briefly when she’d first refused to look away.
“Yes,” she said. He didn’t ask specifically about waitressing experience so she hadn’t lied. She did have experience working with the public and particularly difficult clients. While the patrons at the bar might not have the money involved with her business, they couldn’t be any more difficult to handle.
His eyebrow shot up and she knew he didn’t believe her.
“I’ve never worked in a place like this,” she put a hand on the bar to steady herself. What was it about this guy? He had to be well over six feet and had some of the widest shoulders she’d ever seen. She wanted to run her hands through his hair, and to trail her fingers down that rugged face.
Great, after two years of celibacy my libido finally decides to kick in.
Focus.
Swallowing hard, she waited.
The trick was one her father taught her long ago on the art of the deal. Keep your mouth shut and let the other person make the play—then you counteroffer with a better number. More than once she’d used the game to do deals with stuffy art patrons at her gallery. Her clientele might have been some of the wealthiest Los Angeles had to offer, but they still wanted a bargain.
“No,” the giant man said.
She leaned forward. “What?”
“No,” he said simply and then turned to walk through a pair of saloon doors that were right out of an old John Wayne movie.
Her jaw tightened. Rude jerk. No one treated Ainsley like that. Not if they wanted to live to see another day. Unlike what the rest of the world thought of her, she was a hard worker. She had an MBA from Wharton School of Business, a successful career as a gallery owner, and she ran one of the best auction houses on the West coast.
Or she used to.
No way could she return to that life unless she found a way to solve her problem. The trouble was she couldn’t think of a way out of the situation where she didn’t wind up dead.
Sighing, she sat down on the nearest open stool. The people at the bar ignored her. She was okay with that. Disappearing into a crowd was what she needed until she could decide what to do next.
The deputy had mentioned there weren’t a lot of jobs in town. Most of the area was ranches and farms, which were definitely out of her league. Ainsley didn’t do the outside. She had the porcelain skin to prove it. The hate was mutual. Nature seemed to despise her as much as she did it.
Tonight was a perfect example. Snow, tigers and trees.
Of course the deputy had laughed when she mentioned the tiger.
“Ma’am,” a handsome man behind the counter pulled her from her reverie. His shaggy, dirty blond hair was in need of a good cut, but he was handsome with his blue eyes and Marlboro man looks.
The guy could be a model for Ralph Lauren for God’s sake.
“Yes,” she said expecting him to tell her to leave.
“Can I get you something? You’re kind of pale.”
She chuckled. “This is my natural shade,” she said nonchalantly. “The sun and I don’t get along.”
His white-teethed grin settled her. At least someone understood her jokes.
“Well, how about a drink?”
Pursing her lips, she thought for a moment.
“I’ll take some coffee and one of those aprons hanging next to the doors.” She pointed to the hooks where several bar aprons hung.
The man frowned. “But the boss—”
“Is for me to worry about,” she gave him her sweetest smile. The one she’d used to charm her clients out of their money. “What’s your name?”
He eyed her a bit more warily now. “Chris,” he said finally.
“Chris, I promise I’ll never tell him who gave me the apron but it looks like you need some help around here. I don’t have any money so I’m going to have to work for that coffee,” she said honestly.
Well, she had fifty bucks but she refused to spend it on luxuries like coffee and food. She’d wanted to lose some weight for as long as she could remember. This was the perfect opportunity.
He handed her a cup and she wrapped her frozen hands around it. The delicious aroma floated through her senses—a dark roast with a hint of cinnamon, a strange blend for a dumpy bar in the middle of nowheresville. This was imported, likely French. Someone had a decent palate.
The first heavenly sip revived her. The caffeine shot through her body like an electric shock. The fuzziness lifted from her brain and she almost felt human again.
Almost.
She was still disoriented by her surroundings, like she’d been dropped into the middle of a bad “Twilight Zone,” episode. That had been one of her favorite old shows to watch with her brother.
Don’t think about family, you’ll never make it through the night.
Tying the apron around her waist, she took a deep breath, stood, and reached behind the bar to grab one of the empty trays.
She needed the job and she’d show that grumpy asshat she could waitress with the best of them. Her choices were limited and she was desperate. The place deserved a thorough cleaning at the very least. If he didn’t like her skills as a waitress, perhaps he’d hire her as a janitor—and maybe decorator. The tables and bar were made from ash and intricately carved. But the dull gray walls and tile floors, at least she thought they were tile, needed updating.
Plastering a friendly smile on her face and ignoring the soreness from the wreck that set in now that the initial adrenaline rush subsided, she placed the tray on her arm and hit the booths first.
…
What the hell is she doing?
Luc’s eyes followed the honey-scented woman as she charmed his customers one-by-one. If she messed up on who got what drink, she just smiled and shrugged. She’d spilled four, so far. Make that five. No one seemed to mind.
Except for him.
She steadfastly ignored Luc when she returned to put in the orders. “Two pints and a,” she closed her eyes for a second, “black and tan, please.”
“Comin’ up,” Chris said from behind the bar. A minute later the drinks were on the tray.
“Thanks, Chris. You’re the best.”
He’d never seen Chris smile like that. “You’re welcome.”
There has never been so many pleases and thank yous in his bar.
And he didn’t like the way some of the men’s eyes followed her as she sashayed back and forth from the bar to the tables. A bar brawl just waiting to happen, that one. Even the Cress boys were mesmerized by her. When she spoke to them, they actually blushed and immediately did whatever she asked.
She had to be some kind of witch. There hadn’t been any mention of witches in the past century after most of them didn’t survive the last war between supernaturals. But maybe they’d been hiding.
Luc nearly fell over when the twins said, “Yes, ma’am” in unison. He wasn’t sure anyone had ever garnered that much respect from the boys. They weren’t bad kids. After their dad was killed in a mining accident, they’d been out of control. Everyone thought when their mother remarried the boys would settle down, but it hadn’t happened.
Luc had become kind of a substitute uncle and kept an eye on them. Like he didn’t have enough to do around this town. Still, he knew that a strong male influence could change a life. Someone had done it for him, now he’d return the favor.
His attention was diverted by a loud yelp and a crash of glass.
Harry Janks had his hand on the rear of the honey-scented girl.
Luc was through the doors and half way around the bar before he heard a loud crash and a groan. If Harry hurt her, Luc would have to kill him.
He growled and the gathered crowd took a collective step back.
The sight before him caused Luc to smile for the first time in years.
A variety of glass lay shattered around them. But in the center, the waitress he didn’t hire had Harry face down on the floor and his arms pinned behind his back, her knee on his rear so he couldn’t move. She had his right hand twisted in hers, which was the main source of Harry’s pain.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Harry cried. “I promise, I’ll never do it again. I’m drunk, and swear I wasn’t thinking.”
“There’s no excuse for that kind of behavior,” the waitress chastised. “Would you do that to your mother?”
Harry blanched. “No ma’am.”
“That’s right. You’d do well to remember that the next time you have an urge to pinch a woman on the ass. What are you, some kind of animal?”
Luc chuckled. “That’s enough.” He made his voice gruff.
Trouble’s head popped up and her startled green eyes blinked as if she just remembered where she was
“Sorry,” she said. “I may have over-reacted slightly.” She straightened her shirt and skirt, which had twisted around her long legs.
“She kicked me in the nuts and did some Judo thing on me,” Harry complained as he pulled himself in a fetal position.
“Chris!” Luc bellowed.
“Yes, boss.” The man was beside him before he’d finished saying his name. Sometimes he forgot how good his friend was at anticipating almost any situation. It was part of his nature.
“Get this mess cleaned up, and somebody get Harry home before I beat the crap out of him.”
He turned his attention back to the waitress. “You,” he thumbed, “in the kitchen now!”
She didn’t flinch even a little and Luc respected her for it. Lifting her chin, she stepped gingerly around the broken glass and headed to the back of the bar.
“It wasn’t her fault,” said the man who’d been sitting at Harry’s booth. “He didn’t just pinch her. He grabbed her…chest.”
A murderous rage stormed over Luc and the anger he’d tamped down for years boiled inside of him. Those around him must have sensed the shift because they backed away. Harry, who was still on the floor, crawled under the table.
Luc pointed a finger at him. “I see you in here again and I’ll make you into a stew.” He threatened. The stench of urine coming from Harry disgusted him. “Get. Him. Out. Of. Here.” He growled.
The Cress boys moved in front of Luc and grabbed Harry, pulling him out from under the table. “We got it. Ms. Ainsley is waiting for you in the kitchen.”
Ainsley? The unusual name fit her.
Luc wasn’t sure if he should kill her or applaud her. He abhorred violence. Even though everyone in town thought he’d killed men by the dozens. But that wasn’t the case by far.
This mysterious woman was tough, but she was human. Even though his instincts screamed to touch her, he would never do it. Humans were much too fragile for his kind.
No. He had to send her away. That one was nothing but trouble and he didn’t need complications like heavenly green eyes, and a body that made grown men weep, prancing around his bar like a lost princess.
No. He didn’t need that at all.
Chapter Three
Ainsley’s stomach growled. It had been almost a day since she’d eaten. At the airport she’d been too concerned about being followed. And since airlines required credit cards to purchase meal boxes in coach, she wouldn’t take the chance of buying something on the plane, lest the transaction be tracked.
Where was the bar owner? She’d been sitting at the steel counter for at least five minutes waiting for the big, burly Luc to fire her. Tough to do since he’d never hired her.
Was he some kind of sadist who got off on dragging out the torture? She’d been doing so well. It was back breaking work but she’d picked it up quickly, despite the pain from her accident seeping in. Her excellent memory helped.
If only she could forget the conversation she’d heard between her uncle and brother. Fiery words about embezzlement and that she’d seen the numbers. That she’d have to be dealt with in some way. Her brother had been furious with their uncle. But was he just as guilty? Were they the ones who had tried to kill her?
She closed her eyes and pushed the memory away. There would be time later on to figure out a plan. Right now she was safe. No way in hell anyone would track her here. They all thought of her as too much of a princess.
But she had a steely will to overcome adversity. She’d proven that when she’d driven like a maniac to lose the guys who’d shot at her.
Hands trembling, she opened her eyes again. Focus on the now. She remembered her dad always saying, “Be where you are.” That advice definitely applied to her current situation. Until she could figure out who she could trust at home in California, she had to make the best of her life here. Unfortunately, her wicked fast reflexes may have lost her the only job possibility she had.
Glancing around the kitchen, she was surprised to find it sterile and clean. The complete opposite of the bar on the other side of the swinging doors. But it was the smell that killed her. A hearty stew simmered on the gleaming silver stove. She was about to pass out from the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread.
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Eeek.” She jumped and would have tumbled to the floor if strong arms hadn’t reached out to steady her.
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” she complained, and then remembered that she had to be nice to the big bear of a man if she wanted the job. “Sorry. I’m a little jumpy after what happened.”
He let go of her and she missed the heat from his hands on her arm. He strode to the other side of the counter and stirred the pot on the stove.
“Answer my question.”
She searched her mind. “Oh, uh. I had three peanut butter cookies for breakfast yesterday,” she said honestly. That with a huge cup of coffee was her breakfast of choice.
Luc spooned a large serving of stew into a bowl and sat it before her on a plate with a slice of the bread.
Her stomach chose that moment to do an odd groan with a watery swishing sound at the end.
Embarrassed, she sipped the stew off the spoon and closed her eyes as the warmth slipped across her tongue. The beef broth had been perfectly seasoned with garlic, a dash of cayenne and something she couldn’t quite place.
“Is that ginger?” She opened her eyes to find him watching her.
“Yes.” The surprise on his face made her smile.
There were a great many attributes she didn’t have, but Ainsley knew food. In all things edible, she was an expert.
“Adds the unexpected, and at the same time blends the flavors in a way that is addictive. I could eat the entire pot.”
“You’re welcome to whatever you want,” he said gruffly. “But then I need you to leave.”
Even though she’d known it was coming, it hurt.
Placing the spoon beside the bowl, she ducked her head and absently rubbed her sore side. Nothing went her way lately, why did she think this Podunk town would give her a break?
She cleared her throat and lifted her head. Forcing the tears that burned her eyes back, she blinked several times.
“I understand what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have laid him out like that. It was instinct from years of self-defense training. My dad was kind of a stickler about it. I have a black belt in Judo and I just wasn’t thinking,” she said honestly. Given how badly her body was starting to hurt, she was surprised that she had been able to even execute the moves—especially against grown men. Then again, she’s been running on pure adrenaline for hours.
His face was a mask. “I don’t blame you for what you did. He deserved it. But I don’t like violence in the bar. If you have trouble, you come to me and I take care of it.”
“Does that mean I can stay?” she said hopefully.
His eyebrow went up. “No. Eat and then you need to get as far away from this town as you can.” Placing the dishtowel he’d been holding on the counter he turned away to put the lid on the pot.
“I can’t,” her voice trembled. If he turned her out, she’d have to go the deputy and ask him to put her in jail. And she was worried the more time she spent there, the better the chance he might figure out who she really was. “I don’t have anywhere to go.”
“Lady, those are eight hundred dollar designer shoes you have on. That blouse is worth a couple hundred and the skirt is probably twice that.”
Who was this guy? The fashion police? “I’m not sure how you know all that, but these are the only clothes I own. If I sell them I’m going to be very cold,” she said. “I have this outfit and about fifty bucks. I crashed my truck and it’s going to cost more than two thousand dollars to fix. And I can’t go back to where I used to live because it isn’t safe for me there.” She hadn’t meant to say so much but the words tumbled out.
His head whipped around.
“Someone tried to hurt you?” The threat in his voice sent a slight tremor through her.
“There’s a situation at home and, well, if you don’t mind I’d rather not talk about it. But everything I’m telling you is true. And I promise, if that damn tiger hadn’t made me crash, I’d be out of here even though the stupid piece of crap truck I bought doesn’t have a heater.”
His fist hit the steel countertop and every dish on it rattled.
Her body jerked in surprise. Maybe she should go to the deputy. He could take her to a bus station and she could see how far her last fifty bucks would take her.
“Did you say tiger?” He grumbled as he pulled a cell phone out of front jean pocket.
She shrugged. “You think I’m crazy but I swear that’s what it was. The Deputy didn’t believe me. It sat in the back of my truck for a good ten minutes and stared at me, inches from my head.” She shivered at the memory. “You don’t forget something like that. I kept waiting for it to eat me but it just sat there. I swear it laughed at me.”
Luc headed to the back door and stepped outside into the blizzard wearing only a t-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. Idiot man.
“Hey,” she said, but the door shut behind him.
Who am I to tell him to put on a coat?
It might be awhile before she could afford another meal so she dug into the stew and sopped up the juice with the bread.
Luc stomped back inside and brushed the snow from his hair and arms. “The snow will cover the tracks, yes. First thing in the morning.” When he passed by, the heat rolled off of him as if he hadn’t spent the last five minutes standing in a blizzard.
Obviously, I’m more tired than I think.
It had been the day from hell.
“Yep, I’ll call her. If he’s back, he’ll end up there eventually. Nah, Jake’s out there. He can handle it. Well, wouldn’t hurt. I’d go, but with Keen and—yeah. What? Hell, that’s all right then. I’ll go see them before I come by your office. Yeah, I’ll keep an eye out,” he stared at her. “He has her scent. He wouldn’t do it on purpose, but if he can’t tap into uh,” he glanced down at her, “his humanity, you know, I’m not sure what will happen.”
Wow. The conversation had gone deep. Someone had lost his humanity. She shivered. After seeing one too many serial killer movies, she just hoped this person wasn’t out to murder her.
He hung up and she started to ask him if she could stay at least the night. But he held up a hand.
Opening the swinging doors, he whistled loudly. Everyone on the other side of the doors went silent. “Babies and mom are healthy, and it was a boy and a girl just like she thought. Goes to show you the doc’s not always right even with his high tech gear.”
There was a loud cheer and then the noise returned to normal.
“Congratulations,” she said. “Are they your family?”
His eyebrows drew together and his fists clenched.
“My family is dead.”
…
There was a long pause as Luc tried to get himself under control. For years he’d kept his temper, yet this woman had brought it out twice in the space of an hour.
“Leave it to me to stick my entire leg in my mouth,” she said hurriedly, attempting to cover her shocked silence after his abrupt statement. “I lost my family, too. Well, my parents anyway.” No need to mention what was going on with her brother and uncle. She took a deep breath. “The pain never seems to go away. It sits on your chest like a heavy anchor until sometimes you feel like everything would be easier if you just stopped breathing.”
She blinked several times and then glanced down at her hands. She and her parents hadn’t been super-close when she was growing up but they’d all become much closer in the last few years before the car accident. “I think the loneliness is the worst. You have all those memories and no one to share them with or even to call when things aren’t going quite your way.” She sniffled.
Luc’s anger dissipated immediately. She described every waking day since he lost his wife and son. He’d lost his parents in the same flood that had taken his child and his bride. All of them swept out into the roaring river created when a dam broke. Luc had been working a case in Cleveland. He didn’t even remember how he made it home that night.
Never again did he want to experience the heart-shredding grief he’d gone through after that night. His shattered heart couldn’t bear it.
Losing his parents had been horrible. But his wife. And his son…
He’d always heard that losing a child changed a person.
And he’d learned firsthand that was true.
He cleared his throat. “You can stay the night but you have to leave in the morning,” he said. “This place isn’t safe for someone like you. It’s a rough town, and like I said before, you need to get as far away as you can.”
As he said the words, an ache burned in his chest. He didn’t want her to go. He’d never get to smell her soft scent or delve into those beautiful green eyes. And when he’d touched her, her skin had been soft as a down feather. But she represented a threat to the vow he had made to himself when he lost his wife and child. Never again would he put himself in a position where he could become so vulnerable to another person.
He went on the occasional date, but never with the same woman twice. And nothing serious.
No exceptions.
Ainsley was a woman who might make him think twice about that vow. Even now, he ached to reach out and take her in his arms. To soothe her pain. She’d been frightened and had fled with the clothes on her back.
Was she running from a man? Had she been physically abused?
She didn’t lift her head and it tore at him to see her in such emotional pain. Opening the fridge, he pulled out the last piece of the chocolate pie he’d been saving. It was the ultimate sacrifice, but he was at a loss.
“When I’m having a bad day, pie seems to help,” he said softly as he put the plate next to her bowl. “Chocolate has healing powers. You’ll be better before you know it.”
What the hell was he talking about? Now he’d become a blithering idiot.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
He saw a drop of water fall from her cheek to her skirt where she sat on the stool.
Damn if he didn’t want to scoop her up and hold her until he soaked up all her pain.
Backing out of the kitchen, he watched her, forcing himself to go in the opposite direction his heart insisted on.
She was already under his skin.
Good thing she was leaving the next day.
But the idea of watching her go didn’t set well with Luc.
Yep, she was trouble.