by Anya Nowlan
Devlin
The ride was generally uneventful, giving Devlin plenty of time to mull things over. With Carlie sleeping soundly behind him on the backseat along with Ava, he felt himself being entirely relaxed in body, though his mind kept running a mile a minute.
He still wasn’t entirely sure what Carlie’s deal was. The adoption story seemed believable enough at first, but then why was she travelling so light? She didn’t even have a car seat for Ava and the bag she’d packed was too small to carry more than some clothes and essential toiletries.
What about bottles, diapers and toys? Why would she leave all those behind?
What’s actually going on here? he wondered for just about the umpteenth time since picking Carlie and the baby up.
Then there was her reluctance to answer questions. He didn’t expect her to get into the details of her messed up personal life, but the way she immediately steered the conversation away from her still struck him as suspicious.
Maybe she was in such a hurry she had to leave everything behind? I don’t really know enough about what went down to make a decision on whether she’s lying or not.
And he couldn’t deny there was a part of him that didn’t care in the slightest if Carlie was telling the truth or not, as long as he got to spend time with her. Her scent alone was enough to drive him crazy, sweet and warm with hints of amber. At times it seemed like her skin was almost glowing, asking to be touched.
Maybe I really have lost my mind. I’ve never been this drawn to a woman before.
With the rest stop already in sight up ahead, Devlin glanced back at Carlie and Ava. It seemed Carlie was still fast asleep, but Ava was starting to scrunch her face and squirm around.
“Hey,” he said softly, reaching back and rousing Carlie.
He didn’t want her to wake up with a start if the baby started crying.
“Hmm,” she mumbled, stretching her legs as she slowly started to wake.
Carlie was stretching out in the back, sitting up and craning her neck to see the road.
“Are we there already? How long was I asleep for?”
There was a slight scratchiness to her voice that he found irresistible. Like she should be singing sad love songs in a smoky bar somewhere, breaking hearts left and right.
“A couple of hours. Feeling better?”
“Much,” she said, smiling down at Ava as she ran a hand down the baby’s cheek.
Ava smiled back at her, kicking at her blankets. They certainly looked like a parent and child, differences in appearance aside. The fact that some scumbag had threatened them to the point they had to leave their home behind made Devlin’s blood boil.
No one will lay a hand on them as long as I’m around, that’s for sure.
He didn’t even know where all that protectiveness was coming from, but he was entirely ready to roll with it. It felt good to be needed for a change.
“I’m going to go fill up the tank. There’s a small convenience store attached to the gas station. You can start picking up something to eat and I’ll join you when I’m done,” he said, pulling into the rest stop and driving towards the gas pumps.
“Sounds great,” she replied, running a hand through her untamed hair.
Getting out of the car, Carlie reached back to pick up Ava, angling the baby so she was resting back-first at her hip.
“I’ll see you inside,” she remarked brightly before turning away from him.
It took a while for Devlin to tear his eyes away from the sway of her ample hips and finally start pumping gas. The way her body moved was a sight to see, and he wouldn’t mind running his hands up those soft thighs, or cup that amazing ass of hers….
Okay, getting off track here.
After he was done at the pump, he strolled inside, his entrance accompanied by a little ding when the door opened. The clerk looked up from the book he was reading to give Devlin a small nod before returning to his pages.
Looking around the store, he could see a hint of Carlie’s dark hair between the shelves and headed over there, already feeling like he had been away from her too long.
I can’t stand how ridiculous I’m being right now, he thought, shaking his head.
“Find anything for the little one?” he asked, catching up with Carlie.
“Yeah, but I’m kind of out of hands, here,” she grinned, bouncing Ava on her hip and balancing another armful of items.
“Ah, a challenge I can tackle,” he said, puffing up his chest in mock heroicness as he scooped the goods up from Carlie.
Devlin grabbed a shopping basket and they made their way through the shelves, stocking up on whatever they might need on the road, including baby food and a plastic spoon. The place was empty except for them, which made him even more aware of Carlie’s presence as she walked by his side.
He liked keeping her close like this, the both of them, in fact. The three of them felt like a weird little family unit and he fell into it far too comfortably.
The store was bigger than he’d thought, probably because it was the only one for miles, and there was even an aisle of kid’s stuff. Carlie picked up a rattler and some diapers, while he had his eye on a car seat. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it would get the job done.
“This could come in handy,” he remarked, reaching for the large box on the top shelf.
“I don’t think I can afford that right now,” Carlie admitted, staring down at the items in the cart with a blush on her cheeks.
“It’s an early birthday present for Ava,” he said with a wink, tucking the box underneath his arm.
Carlie gasped, her beautiful eyes shimmering a little. He could keep looking at her all day long when she looked like that.
“No, I really couldn’t…”
“It’s not for you,” he interjected, bending down so he was face to face with Ava. “What do you think, Ava? Should we get you your very own seat?” he asked, making faces at the baby.
She hiccupped with giggles when he stuck his tongue out at her. He took a deep breath for a moment and smiled. Somehow, the happiness of a child could make everything seem better.
Devlin focused on the immediate. The car seat, and talking Carlie into getting one.
We’ll figure the rest out later, he decided.
He had put in long hours at the construction company he had worked at back in Miami so he could take this roadtrip to Wyoming without worrying about cash, and he’d also gotten back the security deposit from his old apartment. That didn’t mean he was swimming in money, exactly, but it meant he could do something nice for a mother and daughter who had been through a lot and not worry about it.
Ava made a sound somewhere between a giggle and a gasp, kicking with her feet excitedly as he straightened himself up. He couldn’t help the grin stretching his face. She was as adorable as they come and having a baby around felt familiar.
He had always enjoyed babysitting his little cousins when he was a teenager, even though he had complained about it constantly at the time.
To him, a child’s laugh was one of the most gratifying things, because there was no pretense in it. Kids didn’t put up a charade, they either liked you or they didn’t. It was refreshing, having someone judge you so purely and without all the rest of the bullshit that came with human interaction.
“I think Ava’s made her decision,” he commented, playfully arching a brow at Carlie.
She shook her head at him, but there was a smile tugging at her lips.
“Fine, but I’ll pay you back for it as soon as I can,” she warned, her dark eyes fiery.
“If that’s what you want,” he shrugged, making his way towards the cash register.
He knew for a fact that he wouldn’t accept a dime from her for it, though. But he didn’t take that possibility away from her, if she needed it to feel better.
The clerk pushed his book aside to ring them up, with Carlie insisting she pay for her own food. He didn’t argue. She was obviously someone who didn’t like to be in
debted to anyone, and the car seat was already making her uncomfortable.
The man behind the counter was loudly chewing his gum and lazily dragging the items across the scanner, and Devlin’s eyes drifted to the small TV behind the clerk’s back. Carlie had already unboxed Ava’s car seat and was strapping her in, cooing at the little one and handing her daughter the rattler she’d bought.
It seemed Carlie’s hometown was in the news, as a late night special came on the screen, with reporters discussing the grisly death of a young woman. A grim-faced reporter addressed the viewers as pictures flashed in the top-right corner.
“Hey, I th-“ Devlin started saying, but quieted as the news report rolled on, frowning.
“There are still little to no leads in Samantha Rowland’s murder case and the public is shocked by the brutality of the crime. Police are still looking for a woman seen near the scene with what appears to have been…”
And that was all he heard, because suddenly, all his senses were taken over by how close Carlie was. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him into a tight hug, crushing her luscious body against his.
Drawing in a deep breath, he savored her intoxicating scent all around him. Returning the embrace, he let his hands run over her hair and down her back, getting lost in the way his body reacted to hers.
Now what is this all about? his rational side wondered.
His irrational side, and his bear though? They couldn’t care less. Not about the news report, and even less about what his rational side was thinking.
Four
Carlie
Wow… This feels so… right.
What was supposed to be a diversion tactic had now turned into much more as she was pressed against Devlin’s hard body, with large, warm hands resting on her back. Resisting the urge to nestle into the crook of his neck, Carlie snuck a sideways glance at the TV screen.
A picture of her, taken from her nurse’s badge, was starting to fade from the screen. Under it was the number of a tip line, along with a statement urging anyone who has seen her to call into the St. Louis police department.
So Detective Silas can track me down personally, no doubt.
An exaggerated cough from the store clerk made her finally pull away. Stepping back, she smiled awkwardly at Devlin, who was staring at her in amusement. But there was something else in his eyes, more primal. A shiver ran down her spine when she realized it could be desire.
“What was that for?” he asked, getting out his wallet and throwing bills on the counter.
“Oh, you know. Everything,” she said, turning her attention back to Ava so he wouldn’t see her blush.
She had been doing that a lot lately – blushing. Usually she could keep her cool around just about anyone, but obviously Devlin was an exception. Her body responded to him on its own, with no regard for what her brain was telling it to do.
Between the adrenaline rush of the news report and the sensation of having Devlin pressed up so close to her, Carlie’s head was spinning. It wasn’t an entirely uncomfortable feeling, thanks to the latter.
Devlin picked up the bags while Carlie carried Ava to the car in the seat and they climbed in, the shopping bags rustling as they dug out their food. She fed and changed Ava first and chucked the trash in a nearby garbage can before eating herself.
It took the first bite of her baloney sandwich for her to realize how hungry she really was. That thing was gone in ten seconds flat. They ate in silence, Carlie preoccupied with her hunger and her confusion about what had just happened, and Devlin likely dealing with much the same.
I got lucky with that one… but how long can it last? What if the clerk recognized me? What if someone sees us in a car when passing by?
There was that familiar panic again. She didn’t like it one bit.
“Ready to go?” Devlin asked after a while, turning the key in the ignition.
“Yup, we’re all set.”
The engine roared to life and he pulled back onto the highway, the beams of the car illuminating their way through the dark. Ava was fortunately content to babble to herself and play with her new toy, so she leaned forward to chat with Devlin, to make sure he wasn’t about to fall asleep behind the wheel.
Yeah, that’s the reason. Not that I’m desperate to learn more about the man that’s got me this hot and bothered, she thought wryly.
“Have you been to Wyoming before?”
He shook his head, making his blond hair flop around a little. It was cute.
“Nope. I’ve never even gotten outside of Florida. But I felt like it was time for a change in scenery.”
“I get that. Where exactly in Wyoming are you headed?
Devlin smiled to himself, shadows flitting across his strong features as they cruised down the highway. The place obviously meant something to him, even though he’d never been. She remembered his father had lived there once.
“A small town called Sweetwater. It’s pretty rural, near the mountains, but I like that. The bustle of a big city has never really appealed to me. From all the pictures I’ve seen, it’s a beautiful place.”
“Sounds lovely. How long are you staying for?”
“No sure yet. I kind of quit my job and shoved my stuff in my trunk and took off,” he said with a carefree laugh.
That was basically what she had done, except she had been fearing for her life. Devlin just wanted to change his life and so he did. Carlie found that admirable. This was definitely not a man who waited around for things to go his way.
“Was it a job you were sad to leave behind?”
“Not really. I was in construction, and while I enjoyed the work, I got tired of busting my ass just to pay the rent, you know?”
“Tell me about,” she sighed, resting her elbow on the back of the passenger seat.
“And what did you do, before that asshole ran you out of…” Devlin stopped short, quickly glancing at the back and guiltily scrunching his face at Ava. “Sorry for the language, Miss,” he said to the baby, getting an undecipherable response.
“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t mind one way or the other,” Carlie remarked, grinning. “I was a nurse before Tom screwed everything up.”
Tom. That’s a name people and not just cartoon cats have, right?
“Now that’s a hard job,” Devlin replied, letting out a low whistle.
“I bet construction’s no walk in the park either.”
“It’s not that bad. And I’ve always been good with my hands,” he said lightly, but there was something in his eyes that added a deeper layer to his words.
I bet, she thought, her mouth growing dry.
For a moment, Carlie got caught in what it would feel like to have his hands on her body, feeling his warm breath on her neck while his fingers…
Okay, that’s enough of that.
He threw her a knowing look, and for a second she was sure he could read her mind somehow. Turned on and embarrassed, she forced herself to continue talking. Anything to distract from how the air was turning thick and she could easily see herself reaching out and running a hand through his hair, or tracing a finger over that slightly stubbled jawline of his.
“I waited tables to put myself through nursing school. Now that was a bad time. Once, this guy wrote down his number on the check instead of a tip. It took all I had to not tell him off.”
“Wow, what a charmer,” Devlin laughed, his voice smooth and low.
“I’m sorry if this is too personal but… Why your father’s hometown, and why now?”
Carlie couldn’t help but ask every question that came to her mind. It felt like she and Devlin were old friends who had lost touch, trying to catch up on decades of lost time. It was strange, getting a sense of familiarity from someone she’d never met before today, yet the fact they were so comfortable with each other was also comforting.
Leaving her whole life behind hadn’t been easy, and talking to someone who was kind of going through the same thing made her feel normal again.
Being on the run with a stranger’s baby, she had doubted her sanity more than once.
Devlin mulled it over for a while; so long in fact she thought he might not answer. Turned out, he was just gearing up for another bout of unrestrained honesty.
“My kind doesn’t like big cities much, and there are many others like me in Sweetwater. It was time for me to get to know that side of me better. You see, I’m a shifter.”
Eyes widening, she couldn’t help but gape at Devlin, looking at him in a whole new way.
Whoa.
Five
Devlin
With her eyes wide as saucers, mixed with her sudden silence, Devlin thought his little confession might have freaked her out.
Maybe I should have eased into that particular piece of information.
He was used to being direct. Subtlety wasn’t exactly his strong suit and she had asked why he was going to Sweetwater. All he did was tell her the truth.
It wasn’t like shifters were a secret anymore. Their existence had been out in the open for some time, and mostly people had adjusted to the notion of their friends and neighbors turning into animals. The primal side of shifters did make them somewhat different from regular humans, stronger, easier to anger at times. But at the end of the day, they were all people.
Carlie shook her head, coming out of her stunned silence. To his surprise, a huge smile erupted on her face.
That’s unexpected.
“That is amazing,” she declared, a glimmer of fascination in her dark eyes.
“It is?”
She was eyeing him in amazement, like she was expecting him to sprout fur at any moment.
“We learned a little about the genetic anomalies of shifters in nursing school, but the research is still in its infancy. And I don’t think I saw a lot of your kind in the ER, at least I don’t think so…” she trailed off, brow furrowing.
“You’re probably right. We don’t have much use for doctors,” Devlin chuckled.
“What do you mean?”