Lincoln Shaw: a book in the Cotton Creek Saga (Heartbreakers & Heroes 8)

by Ciana Stone

  All at once something on an entirely personal level popped into her mind. Would Lincoln feel jealous at all if she started spending time with Dillon Walker?

  She hated admitting it to herself, but she'd like to think that maybe he'd be jealous. At least a little.

  Which brought a more troubling thought to mind. Why was she even allowing Lincoln Shaw to intrude on her thoughts when she was on assignment? Lordy, girl, you've got it bad. She had to admit it. Which meant it really was time to set aside her self-imposed celibacy and find out if he was just pinging her lust-o-meter or if there was something more happening between them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Two weeks had passed since Lula started her job at the school. So far the people who'd hired her hadn't found a way for her to be closer to Dillon Walker, and she was taking great care to make sure nothing she did would lead him to think she was interested in him for anything other than friendship.

  Not even when he'd ask if she wanted to join him and a couple of the other coaches for a beer. Tonight the team played a game that required them to travel an hour to another school. They won, which made everyone happy, but by the time they returned to the school, she was ready to be away from anything and everything connected with football.

  Including Dillon. He was a genuinely nice guy, and she liked him, but Lula had hit her fill of the way people cozied up to him, tried to curry favor with, or be seen as his friend. She thanked him for the invitation and asked for a raincheck. She'd promised to teach a workout at the gym in town in the morning, and all she wanted was a shower and bed.

  She yawned a jaw-cracker and shook her head. It'd been a long time since she'd attended a high school football game and it did bring back memories. In high school, she was a cheerleader and loved it. Not because it put her in close proximity to the football players, but because it was fun.

  Being an adult, dealing with cheerleaders was a whole new ballgame. She had no trouble recognizing the girls who were there to have fun, hopefully win some cheering competitions and add the experience to college applications.

  She also had no trouble recognizing the girls who were there to land a football player. Or maybe even take it up a notch and land a handsome coach. Those girls bore watching since she was responsible for them while they were away at games.

  Lula wasn't at all crazy about that part of the job. Just as she started to make a right turn, a man ran across the road. She slammed on the brakes and her car skidded to one side. It hit the loose gravel on the side of the road, slid and ended up with the back wheels in the ditch.

  "Well shit." She turned off the car and jerked back from the door as it suddenly opened. The man she'd tried to avoid hitting, looked inside the car. "Are you okay?"

  "Yes. Are you?"

  "I'm fine, and I apologize."

  Lula got out of the car. "It wasn't your fault. I just didn't see you. Damn, I don't think I'm going to be able to drive out of this ditch. Let me get my phone and see if I can get a tow truck."

  She got her phone from the car. There was no signal. That was odd. She usually got a signal in this area. "Well, this is inconvenient," she remarked and looked at the man.

  Shit. If her car in a ditch wasn't enough, the handsome dark-haired man with the troubled expression was now accompanied by not one but two spirits. A male spirit who looked a lot like the living man, and a beautiful woman whose face Lula was intimately familiar with, her great-great-great grandmother Lalia Fanchon.

  For Lalia to have appeared meant the meeting with this man was one of importance. Even though she was eager to find out why Lula couldn't focus on the spirits since the man apparently was unaware of their presence. She hated that because she was quite curious why they'd appeared. "I guess I'll just grab my stuff and hike home. I can call from there. Are you sure you're okay?"

  "Yes. And my house is only half a mile back. We can call from there."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Of course. Oh, sorry. I'm Nick Sanders."

  "Lula Duval." She extended her hand, and when he clasped it, she resisted the urge to pull back.

  She'd never encountered a more tortured person. It was as if he were possessed by a host of demons, all whispering at him in a discordant hiss that would drive a person mad. Lula couldn't help cutting a glance to the male spirit who reached out to put a hand on the man's shoulder.

  Help him.

  Lula's gaze flitted to Lalia. I don't know how to help him.

  You will when the time comes. Lalia smiled, raised her hand as if in blessing and then was gone. That didn't surprise Lula. Her ancestress made few appearances, had little to say when she did, but in the end, it led to something that was life-changing. For someone.

  Would that someone be Nick Sanders?

  Help my son, please. The male spirit begged.

  I promise I will try. It was the best she could do, but she meant it. When the time came, as Lalia said it would, Lula would do what she could to help Nick Sanders. Until then, perhaps simply being a friend would be of comfort.

  "So, what do you do, Nick?" She asked as they walked.

  "I'm a photographer."

  "How interesting. Portraits, wildlife, landscapes?"

  "Everything."

  "How wonderful it must be to spend your life capturing beauty."

  "Or tragedy, sadness, loss." Nick looked at her. "Life presents moments that aren't always beautiful, but are always meaningful."

  "That's very wise. And very true."

  "What about you?"

  "Oh, I teach PE at the high school and coach gymnastics and the cheering team."

  "Now that sounds hard."

  "It has its moments. But like life, kids have a way of presenting moments that aren't always beautiful but are certainly opportunities to learn. And practice patience."

  "Practice?"

  "Yes, religiously." She chuckled, and so did he. She noticed that the whispering diminished ever so slightly.

  By the time they reached his driveway, she felt they were already on the way to being friends. He'd relaxed a good bit, but that changed the moment they stepped onto the driveway.

  "How do you like it here?" She asked. He'd told her that he had not always lived here.

  "It's okay. The house isn't what I'd hoped."

  "How so?"

  "It's just doesn't have that peaceful vibe if you know what I mean."

  "Oh, I do indeed. And I'm sorry. Maybe you should try smudging."

  "Seriously?" He laughed. "Burn sage and all that?"

  "Why not? What could it hurt?"

  He shrugged. "Nothing I guess. Do you have a signal yet?"

  She checked her phone. "Yes. Now, I wonder if there's an all-night tow service?"

  "How about this? I can take you home, and you can call them in the morning."

  Lula considered it. Since it was the weekend, she didn't have to worry that much about being without a car. Aside from the class at the gym, she was supposed to teach. But she could probably get Reese or Charli to come pick her up.

  "That'd be great. And very kind. Thank you."

  "My pleasure. Just let me grab my keys. Want to come in?"

  "No, that's fine. I'll wait."

  "Okay, it'll just be a minute."

  The male spirit watched Nick go into the house then turned his gaze on Lula. She smiled at him. "What do you need to depart?"

  His happiness. He has been like this for too long.

  "She said the time would come when I could help, and I've promised you that I will. I'm asking you to trust me. Can you do that?"

  If you are her seed then how could I not?

  "Thank you."

  Nick returned, unlocked the car and opened the door for her. "Thank you," she said as she got into the car. Once they were on the road, she opened a conversation. "Do you ever have shows of your work?"

  "Yes, about every year or so."

  "And are there books or websites where I could see your photographs?"

  He smiled
at her. "Yeah. Google me."

  "You know I will."

  "You're very beautiful, you know. Exotic. I can't even guess at your ethnicity."

  She chuckled. "Most people can't. I'm Cajun, Caucasian, African American, and French, with Polynesian and a dose of the Irish to top it off."

  "Wow, that's some mixture."

  "Isn't it?"

  "Well, it blended perfectly. Any chance you'd let me shoot you some time?"

  "I hope you mean with a camera?"

  This time he laughed, and she was heartened by the sound. It made him seem younger and displayed just how handsome he was. "Yeah, with a camera."

  "Sure. Just let me know when."

  "Can I get your number?"

  "Yeah, want me to text it to you?"

  "Sure." He recited his number, and she typed in a text to him.

  "Done. Oh, right here is the turn."

  It wasn't until he turned into the driveway that she realized how tired she was. Now she was eager for a shower and her bed. And those things were only yards away.

  "I really appreciate the ride, Nick. And making a new friend."

  "Same here. And you'll be hearing from me."

  "I hope so. See you soon."

  She climbed out of the car, watched him back up and waved as he drove off. When she turned toward the house, she snapped in frustration at the ghostly form that materialized in her path. "For crying out loud, can't you give me a break? I want to help you, and I swear I'm trying, but right now I'm tired and just want to relax and wash away the week I've had."

  "Maybe I can help with that?"

  Lincoln's voice, coming from the front porch, had her jumping. "Good grief." She looked around. The ghost had vanished. Saying a silent thank you, she headed for the porch."What are you doing sitting there in the dark?"

  "Waiting for you." He met her at the steps.

  "Yeah? Why?"

  "I had to do this."

  Lula let go of her shoulder bag and the bag with her gym clothes when he reeled her in with one hand behind her head and kissed her. Her arms wound up around his neck, and she returned the kiss with enthusiasm.

  "Who was that?" Lincoln asked when the kiss ended.

  "Nick Sanders. He was running and crossed in front of me, and I ran off the road. There wasn't a cell signal, so we walked to his house, and he brought me home. I'll call and have the car towed in the morning."

  "You just got in the car with a complete stranger?"

  "I probably wouldn't have if my great great great—I think that's the right amount of greats—grandmother hadn't shown up with another spirit. I think the other spirit is Nick's father. He asked me to help him and Lalia—my... let's call her my ancestress, said there would come a time when I could.

  "Anyway, I knew then I would be fine with him, and sure enough, he's a nice person. And a photographer. He asked if he could shoot me. Imagine someone wanting to do that."

  "Oh, I can imagine, and he probably was using that as a way to hit on you."

  Lula's mouth opened in surprise. "Lincoln Thor Shaw, are you jealous?"

  Several seconds passed before he answered and when he did, she could have sworn he sounded surprised. "What if I am?"

  There it was. She almost heard it. A key turning in a lock and what was unlocked was her heart. She didn't just hear it, she felt it.

  "Then I'm yours."

  "You're...Lula, don't tease on this."

  "I'm not."

  "Are you sure?"

  She offered him her hand. "Come inside with me, Lincoln and I'll show you."

  When he took her hand, she fully intended to do just that, but once they were inside and their clothes lay scattered on the floor, he took control.

  And she surrendered. For the first time in her life, Lula surrendered.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lula lay on her side, watching Lincoln sleep. To say she'd been surprised by their lovemaking was an understatement. She'd expected him to be demanding, accustomed to women being attentive to his needs and desires first and foremost. Most men who were as sexually active and who'd had as many sexual partners as he fell into that category.

  As it turned out, he was the most attentive lover she'd ever had. He seemed to take great pleasure in not just rousing her desire, but orchestrating it so that it rose, fell, swelled and abated, flowed and rushed, all according to his hands and mouth on her body. And finally in the way they joined and moved as one.

  Even now she could feel the sensitivity in her nipples where calluses on his fingers had scraped; or that low-grade ache in her groin from being filled by him, taken slow and gentle, then fast and hard.

  She'd be sore for a day, of that there was no doubt, but dear God was it worth it. Now, as she watched him sleep, Lula thought that despite having come to him as a woman experienced in the art of love, she felt like a novice because until now she'd never truly made love.

  More importantly, until now she'd never felt as if she'd been made love to. It was the most remarkable night of her life. She felt tears gathering in her eyes. How long had she wished to know what it felt like to have sex with someone she loved?

  She was falling in love. That honestly scared as much as it thrilled her. She was falling in love with Lincoln. She'd tried not to be, but tonight had sealed it. She was mad about the man and terrified that when he woke, she'd look into his eyes and see that he didn't feel the same.

  Uncertainty and fear propelled her from the bed. She walked out back and stood on the deck with her arms wrapped around herself, staring out at the moonlit water of the lake. This was a mistake. She shouldn't have made love with him. Shouldn't have let herself take that freefall.

  Love was terrifying.

  "And blinds us to everything but the one who holds our heart."

  She whirled around at the sound of his voice to see him standing behind her. "That one," he continued, "who can annihilate us by holding back from us. Yes, it is terrifying, and I didn't truly understand it until now."

  "No?"

  "No."

  "What do we do?"

  "See what happens? If this – whatever we call it that has us, is something fueled only by desire or something more."

  "How will we know?"

  "We'll know because if it's more, we'll endure. This—" he indicated her and then himself. "This will be it for us. There will never be others."

  "I want it to be that. Do you?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you think we can make it, Lincoln?"

  "I think I want to try. Do you?"

  "More than anything."

  "Then come to bed and sleep with me." He extended his hand.

  "You mean sleep sleep? 'Cause, I don't think I can go another round."

  "I mean sleep."

  "Then lead the way." She took his hand.

  It wasn't until they were in bed, her head on his shoulder with one leg over his and their hands clasped on his chest, that she spoke. "You gave yourself away."

  "Meaning?"

  "You heard me, read me, knew what I was thinking."

  "I pick up things now and then."

  "Because you try?"

  "No, because your thoughts were shouting."

  Lula smiled. "I guess my thoughts are loud when I'm freaking out."

  He chuckled and hitched her a bit tighter against him. "It's okay, I think I'm a little freaked out, too."

  "At least we're freaking out together."

  "Indeed. Goodnight, Tallulah Christmas."

  "Goodnight Thor."

  Lula closed her eyes and lay there, listening to Lincoln breathe and wondering if they really did have a chance of a real relationship, one that would last. That was something she'd never experienced, and she did want it.

  But she wasn't at all confident life was going to let it be that easy. In her experience, nothing ever was. Which brought her to the million dollar question. Just what was she willing to do to make this thing with Lincoln work?

  *****

  Li
ncoln nodded, smiled and spoke to women he knew as they departed the gym after Lula's class. He and Mathias had observed, and he'd not want to admit it, but what Lula could do was beyond amazing. He knew she was lithe, flexible and strong but watching her on those streamers of silk was probably one of the biggest turn-ons he could imagine.

  Even Mathias had uttered a "holy shit" while watching.

  Lula, Reese, and Charli were the last to leave, and as they walked toward Lincoln and Mathias, Charli split off, waved and called out "have a great weekend" to everyone.

  Lincoln returned the wave, as did Mathias, then turned his attention back to Lula. When she reached him, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him lightly. "I didn't know you were going to watch."

  "I was interested to see what kind of workout it is."

  "So, what did you think?"

  "I think you need some of that silk at home."

  "It really is amazing," Mathias added. "Takes great muscle control. You make it look effortless, but I'm betting it's not."

  "There's a knack to it." She agreed and looked at Reese. "You picked up so fast. Pretty soon you'll be able to teach the class."

  "Are you kidding? I'll be lucky if I can get out of the bed in the morning."

  Lula chuckled. "Then don't."

  "I like the way you think."

  Lula winked at Reese. "Hope you have a great weekend. You too, Mathias."

  "Back at'cha. See ya Linc."

  "Later bro."

  Lincoln looked at Lula. "Wiley and Molly asked if we'd stop by. They want to talk to you about Kaylee."

  "Is something wrong?"

  "No, but none of them have any experience in interaction with spirits so I think they're hoping you can give them some pointers on how to deal with Kaylee's ability."

  "Oh, okay, sure."

  "Are you ready?"

  "Yep." She looked around and waved at the owner of the gym. "See ya next week, Dan. Have a great weekend."

  "You too, Lula. Thanks again."

  "My pleasure." She took Lincoln's hand. "Let's do it."

  When they walked outside, she looked up at the sky and smiled. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

  "Yeah, I guess. You've been pretty exuberant all morning. What's up?"