by Terry Spear
Scott ran out to meet her and she opened her mouth to warn him the stones were slippery, but too late. He met her fate and slipped on the rounded stones, falling slightly behind her.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
He reached for her and his fingertips touched her arm, but she pulled away. “Yes, I’m fine. I told you, I wanted to play in the creek.” Her voice sounded on edge and she hadn’t meant for it to be. It just came out that way and then silence followed.
She continued to watch the woods in front of them and he scooted closer. “Nicole.”
She shook her head. “Listen. This has all been very nice, but, well, I’ve made a mistake. I think this whole business with these men has made me lose my mind.”
He spread his legs and pulled her in to sit between them. He kissed her head. “Tell me what this is all about.”
How could he act like nothing was going on? The notion infuriated her. She folded her arms, but her elbows touched his legs and she pulled her arms in to rest them on her lap. “Nicole, kind of a situation has arisen for me and…”
She couldn’t believe him. Kind of a situation? His old girl was back and the new one, well, she had been okay for the time being, but now…
He cleared his throat. “Well, returning to my place isn’t exactly a viable option right now.”
Her back couldn’t get any stiffer. What was the matter with her anyway? She was a career officer. Men didn’t fit into her plans. And this was just the reason. Yet she had been beginning to think someone like Scott could have made a difference in the way she was feeling. She grabbed his knees and tried to push herself up. It was time to get the rental car and get out of here.
“Nicole.”
She slipped twice as she made her way back to the grass. Scott fell once as he scrambled to reach her. When he grabbed her arm to stop her, she glowered at him and yanked her arm away. “Let go of me.”
“Nicole.”
She turned her back on him and hurried to the brick path that led to the mansion.
Scott ran his hands through his hair. Well, at least Nicole couldn’t leave him on her own. She had no car. Unless she got ahold of a rental car.
But now what could he do? One of the biggest problems with Bernadette had been that her army career came first. He’d always run a distant second. She called it quits with him and he was genuinely relieved. She transferred to a post in Oklahoma, which suited him just fine. Then she left the service, just like that? Up and resigned her commission? That wasn’t the worst of it.
He couldn’t believe she’d had the nerve to move into his home while he was away on vacation. Sure, she’d had the key, but she’d had her own place in Killeen when she was living there and only used the key to water his plants while he was away on temporary duty.
What a mess. He told her she couldn’t stay at his place, that there was someone special in his life now, but it didn’t seem to register. What was worse was she told him she’d made a mistake in leaving him and she had left the service for him. He’d never asked her too.
Nicole was who he wanted, not Bernadette. And he wasn’t losing her for any reason. He’d give her some time to cool down though, then they could discuss the situation rationally.
For a good twenty minutes, he sat in the gardens behind the mansion, then he couldn’t wait any longer. He strode to the back door and yanked it open. The manager of the mansion eyed him with suspicion. Yeah, lover’s spat.
He bolted up the stairs and hurried to their bedroom. When he pulled the door open, the sound of the shower running in the bathroom made him relax.
His own shorts were still wet. He unzipped his suitcase and laid it on the bed.
He pulled out a fresh pair of boxer briefs when her phone rang, and he stared at the caller ID. Tom Cromwell. The major. She must have turned it back on. He turned the phone off.
He pulled off his wet clothes and changed into dry ones.
He still didn’t know how to explain the problem with Bernadette, and he was feeling guilty about her leaving the service for him too. What a disaster his life had become. He glanced back at the bathroom. Nicole had been so quick when she took her shower at the hotel. Of course she had been in shock that night. Then again, maybe she was avoiding him.
He walked onto the veranda and watched the water flow along the creek bed on its never-ending course. For some time, he leaned over the wooden railing, listening to the birds singing their varied songs. He’d take her for a walk through town, then they’d get a bite to eat. Somehow, he’d try to explain things.
Walking back into the room, he glanced at the clock. Stores would be closing in another forty-five minutes. He turned his attention to the bathroom. The shower was still running. He walked over to the door and knocked. “Are you okay?”
There was no answer. He rubbed his chin. “Nicole?”
He was sure she wouldn’t appreciate the intrusion if he just walked into the bathroom. But what if something had happened to her?
He tried the doorknob. The doorknob wasn’t locked, and he pushed the door open tentatively. “Nicole?”
The mirror was covered in steam and the room felt like the tropical gardens at Moody. If she didn’t respond now, she was either lying unconscious on the floor, or…
He yanked the curtain open. Her wet clothes were lying in the bottom of the tub, but she was gone.
In her haste, Nicole had forgotten her phone. How was she going to get a rental car? And the time was getting late. Scott would undoubtedly be looking for her soon. She yanked the door open to an antique shop and asked the clerk if she could use the phone.
“Pay phones are at the Community Service Center, ma’am.”
That was on the other side of town…about a two-mile hike, which was no problem, except she’d left her purse at the mansion and didn’t have any money on her. Crap. She needed to return to the mansion.
She slipped out of the shop but before she could cross the street, a horse-drawn buggy carrying tourists pulled down the main road. When he passed her, she darted across the road, but stopped dead in her tracks.
Scott stared back at her from across the street.
A car honked at her and she realized she was still standing in the middle of the road as Scott’s dark eyes remained fixed on her. She headed back to the mansion. She’d get her purse, her phone, her bag, and call for a taxi or something to take her to Killeen. Then she’d have to get a rental car.
Footsteps behind her announced Scott was gaining on her. She’d never be able to outdistance a six-foot tall man who was in as good a shape as he was.
“Nicole!” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”
“Let go of me,” Nicole growled. She wasn’t used to a man accosting her and she wasn’t about to let it happen now.
“Nicole,” he wrapped his arm around her in a firm hold and walked with her back to the mansion. “You’re not going anywhere without me,” he repeated. “It’s not safe.”
“You seem to have other issues you need to deal with that don’t have anything to do with me.”
“I’ll deal with them.” He shook his head. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
When they walked into the mansion, she saw the manager look at them with raised brows. Scott kissed Nicole on the cheek and hurried her up the stairs. “You’re staying with me. We stick this out together until we see it through.”
As irritated as she was with Scott, deep down, she knew he still only wanted to protect her.
He opened the door to their room and walked her inside, then released her. “That was clever of you, leaving the shower on like that. Probably nobody staying here will have any hot water for the night.”
She ignored him as she sat on one of the overstuffed chairs.
Scott sat on the bed and watched Nicole, relieved he had her safe and under his wing again. “I’m sorry about the call. I told you how I’d broken up with Bernadette and she had moved. We
ll, all this was true, except she had a key to my place and—”
He wasn’t getting through to Nicole. She just stared out the window as her hands gripped the wide arms of the floral chair tighter. He pulled her from the chair and sat her down on the queen-size bed next to him. He held her hand with a firm grip. “Okay, listen, she had a key to my place to water plants when I had temporary duty. For a while, I had to go TDY quite a bit. Anyway, she took care of my plants, that’s all. She had her own place in Killeen. We didn’t live together. We only dated. When she left, I forgot she even had a key to my house. Besides, I sure as hell didn’t think she’d ever return. And move into my house without my permission? No way.”
Nicole took a deep breath and stared at the floor.
He ran his fingers over hers. “She was a careerist. Over and over she told me how she didn’t want to settle down, have a family, and get married. I wanted more. We called it quits. She was transferred. End of story.”
Nicole shook her head.
“I told her it was over between us, and I was seeing someone else…someone special that I care very much about. That she had no right moving into my house. I don’t think she believed me. The worst of it is she said she left the service for me. I never told her I wanted that. I never even told her I wanted to marry her…just that I’d like to find someone who I could settle down with. Someone like you. Someone who’s warm and sweet and caring. I’ve never enjoyed being with a woman every second of the day like I have you.”
“This was a mistake. I’m sorry.”
Totally exasperated, he held his tongue. He hadn’t made a mistake where Nicole was concerned. She was afraid. Of what, he wasn’t certain. Commitment? Or lack thereof?
“Nicole.”
“I’m sorry. This whole thing is wrong.”
“It’s all right. I’ll sleep in the little bed, though my heels will probably drop off the end of the mattress, while you sleep in the big one. I’m not leaving you alone to your fate.”
He needed to earn her trust in him that it was over between him and Bernadette. He wasn’t letting Nicole out of his sight until the problem with the killers was resolved. He wasn’t letting her go afterward either. He knew they shared something extra special between them.
She glanced at the twin bed and cast him a slight smile.
He kissed the top of her head, not wishing to get into any further trouble. Her smile cheered him to the core. “Would you like some dinner, Mrs. Weekum?”
“Do you think Eagle Eye believes we’re married now?”
“Hell, yeah. I think we did a good job convincing her.”
Nicole let out her breath. “All right. But this business with Bernadette must be resolved. In the meantime, I’m hungry. What should I wear?”
“How about that skirt and blouse you wore to the steakhouse in Galveston?”
“Good choice. It’s the only dressy outfit I brought with me. I didn’t think I’d have a chance to wear it on my vacation at all.”
He sighed deeply. He needed her in his life. “Okay, you change, and then I’ll get into something other than these shorts.”
She left the bed, pulled her clothes from the bag, and crossed the floor to the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind her. He suspected she was still miffed with him over Bernadette.
What if he married Nicole? He could be with her every second of the day when he wasn’t working. He could have her as much as he hoped she wanted him. With her, he longed to settle down. Run as cougars, share their secret shifter world with each other, and their premonitions. Would she consider the possibility? He couldn’t deny his pheromones got worked up every time he was near her. Just thinking about getting off work and being with her at night, or on any of his days off, of spending time with her just anywhere, like here even, sitting in a creek, hell, he was game.
The water from the shower began to flow again and she said, “Hot water still!”
Yet, what if she said no? He’d keep trying. She could be stubborn and so could he. The whole thing was a perfect setup, he thought. He only hoped she would think so too.
She just had to agree to his plan.
“I have an idea.”
Chapter 13
Nicole shut off the shower, then dried herself. Scott made her heart pound with desire every time he got within range of her, whether it was his words spoken in concern, or his gentle touch. Her pheromones skyrocketed whenever they were together, close. It had to mean they were meant to be together, didn’t it? She’d never felt like that toward anyone else.
But what about her career? Hell, she had the same problem with wanting her career above all else just like his old girlfriend, Bernadette. How could she give up her career to marry anyone? With army transfers, she couldn’t be assured she could get joint assignments with a husband. When the kids came, then what? Who took care of them when they were sick? How many women had she known whose careers were hurt because they were always taking off from work to be with their children? Or what if he had to leave for temporary duty somewhere and she had to take care of the kids on her own and juggle her work commitments too? Of course, the same thing could happen to him.
The worst? What if she left the service to be with the man she’d committed to, loved with all her heart, and he dumped her. Then what? She would have no retirement check to fall back on. And she would have given up her career for nothing.
Scott had been talking while the shower was running, but she couldn’t make out his conversation. Was he speaking to the ex, again?
Even if Nicole couldn’t accept the notion of marrying him, she had to curb the jealousy that turned her red blood green when he spoke to Bernadette. She’d never felt that way when Tom flirted with women. It just annoyed her was all. But she hadn’t been envious. She knew there was something terribly wrong with their relationship because of it. Well that, and that he wasn’t a cougar.
When she opened the door to the bathroom, she was startled to see Scott leaning against the doorframe.
His mouth curved up.
“Sorry I took so long. The bathroom’s clear for you to change in now.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. His lips lingered on hers longer than she expected, and she had the distinct impression he was waiting for her to encourage him further. Not on her life. She’d gone way too far with him already.
“Be out in a jiffy, honey.”
Her brows raised in surprise. He really enjoyed playing the husband role to the hilt.
He slipped into the bathroom to dress for dinner. That was something else she liked about him. He was the dress-up kind of guy. Not just a slob after hours like so many of the men she knew in the military. They’d wear their baggy battle dress uniform all day long, then throw on an old T-shirt and worn denims, ready for any occasion after hours. Which was okay for some things, but she liked a guy who could dress up for special occasions.
She zipped her suitcase. Her thoughts drifted to the Gulf. How much more fun it would have been had she been floating in the rough surf with him. Even better, going to beaches with him where the sand was sugar white and the water aqua and crystal clear.
His cell phone rang, and she stared at it for a moment. He was still busy in the bathroom, and she walked over to the phone and picked it up. The caller ID indicated it was Scott Weekum. Bernadette was calling from his house again, Nicole presumed. She wasn’t sure what came over her, but if Scott was sincere about wanting to get rid of the ex-girlfriend, and Nicole felt he was, and she really wanted to date him herself, she decided she’d give him a little help.
“Hello?” she said, using as much saccharine as she could muster.
There was silence.
“If this is Bernadette, Scott wanted me to tell you we’re married. You need to pack your gear and leave before we get back from our honeymoon.”
There was more silence, then the phone clicked dead in her ear. Maybe this time, the woman would get a clue. Totally satisfied with herself, Nicole set the phone back on t
he dresser.
Turning, she found Scott staring at her from the bathroom. She’d been so intent on the phone conversation, she hadn’t even heard the squeak of the bathroom door when he opened it.
Not being able to tell how he was feeling from the expressionless look on his face, she assumed she’d overstepped her bounds. Had she erroneously believed him when he said he wanted Bernadette out of his life?
Then his face brightened into a sunshiny day. He crossed the floor and hugged her with genuine warmth as if she’d made him the happiest man in the world. Well, she guessed he’d needed her help after all. She assumed he was having a hard time telling Bernadette to take a hike after all!
He hugged Nicole in a loving embrace, full of strength and determination. “I knew you were the one for me.”
“Sorry, I thought you’d be perturbed with me after I had done it. But I figured maybe a woman’s touch might help to convince her you were serious.”
“Damn right I’m serious.”
The phone rang again, and he smiled when he saw the caller ID. He handed it to Nicole. “Go ahead. You’re really good at this.”
“She didn’t have a tongue before. She probably will this time.”
“I haven’t had two women fighting over me before.”
“Cat fights between two she-cats can get ugly.” She took the phone from him. “Hello?”
“Let me speak to Scott.”
“Listen, you weren’t willing to make a commitment to him and I was. End of story.”
Scott’s hands were rubbing her shoulders and she hadn’t realized how much tension had built up in them as she talked to his ex. He was making her lose her concentration again as her whole body desired his touch.
“Give Scott to me!”
“My husband is in the middle of his shower. I don’t think the phone is waterproof. I’ll let him know we’ve had this little discussion, and you’re moving out pronto though.”
“I’m not going anywhere. And for your information, there’s a little problem with his support for our child.”