Texas Tea [Del Fantasma]

by Maura Anderson

  At times only firing my shotgun was sufficient to warn the ships from the rocks. Even so close, the light could not penetrate the fog.

  Israel's ghost looked sad and troubled even as it faded away, merging into the walls of the old stone building.

  "Thank you, Mister Israel.” She sympathized with the former keeper. His time was over, but he was so invested in his job and duties that, even after death, he chose to remain near the lighthouse he'd served as keeper of for eighteen years. She'd yet to meet a keeper's ghost that was trapped at their lighthouse or the remains of it. They simply could not bear to be separated.

  This last lighthouse fulfilled her promise and, as much as she'd loved learning more about the history of the lighthouses and the people associated with them, she wanted to try something new. Maybe some freelance work or articles. Something less draining and shorter than a book. Maybe something that didn't keep her on the road all the time so she could have a life for a change. What a concept.

  She packed her camera away and descended the tightly winding staircase, replacing the barrier after her exit and nodding to the ranger that had let her in. There were still a few hours left until Matt was off work and she could use a nice walk. Maybe she'd be able to think about her wild attraction and uncharacteristic reactions to the handsome and compelling man without the immediate distraction of his presence.

  The two-mile trail was as gorgeous as she'd hoped. Winding around through the native habitat, she saw all sorts of birds and quite a few squirrels, even a rabbit. In contrast, there were also signs of human habitation and of war—old pillboxes and defensive structures.

  There weren't many other people walking along the trail and she took her time, strolling slowly and not taking any pictures. She needed time to think about what was going on and what she was feeling, without becoming distracted by scene composition or capturing something on film.

  She was very attracted to Matt and it was clear he returned the interest. But, she felt more. So much more it scared her. She'd liked her prior sexual partners, of course, but Matt had an ability to get under her skin. She was afraid he'd permanently embed himself in her heart if she gave him the chance. Her thoughts were scattered and chaotic, nearly as much so as the seagulls she stopped to watch.

  She knew the cold facts—she was no one's idea of a great catch. She had enough problems making and keeping casual friends. Every attempt at a long-term intimate relationship had ended, usually badly. None of her boyfriends had been able to cope with her cover story of being an eccentric artist who stopped to listen to her muse, so she never told them about the ghosts. What man would want to share his woman with invisible figures and voices? Or admit their girlfriend heard voices? Hello, psych ward.

  Maybe she could enjoy Matt while she was here. A little no-strings sex and they would go their separate ways when her work here was done. Surely he'd go for that. Men liked no-strings sex and he was obviously interested. Why shouldn't they both have the milk for free?

  A plan in mind, she turned to walk back up the trail only to see a medium-sized dog sitting by the side of the trail. She didn't see anyone around that the dog might belong to, though. Was it at least friendly? It looked non-threatening enough with its tongue lolling to the side of its mouth and staring at her with bright gold eyes.

  Someone must have let their dog off-leash. Or maybe it had run away or gotten lost. A surge of sympathy ran through her at the idea the dog was lost and she approached it with her hand held out for it to sniff.

  "Hi honey. What are you doing here? Did your humans lose track of you?” She spoke in a low sing-song voice. The dog was a little funny looking with a medium-length coat of mixed brown and tan fur and surprisingly large ears. Probably some sort of mutt—maybe part collie, based on its size.

  When the dog whined a little and lowered its head, she moved a step closer. Slowly approaching, she was finally within reach and the dog sniffed her fingers before licking her hand with a warm, wet tongue. It accepted her.

  She laughed in delight. Encouraged by the dog's actions, she first checked for a collar but the dog wasn't wearing one. There wasn't even any sign it had worn one recently. She knelt next to the dog and ran her hands over it, petting and checking for any problems. Nothing seemed wrong but it seemed to enjoy the attention. Laying down, it let her continue to pet it.

  "Are you a girl or a boy dog?” She couldn't keep calling the dog “it".

  The dog stood up again and paced around her slowly enough that she could tell it was definitely a boy dog.

  "Ahhh, you're a boy.” She laughed at herself. As if the dog would understand her. She'd always loved animals—they didn't judge her by what they expected her to be or how they thought she should behave. They understood loyalty and unconditional love.

  He was about the size of a lab but with a bushy tail he didn't hold erect. Plopping onto his rear in front of her, he hunkered down with his head close to her face.

  She laughed again. He was cute and obviously intelligent. She moved off the trail onto the sand and sat down with the dog following her. Laying down beside her, he pressed against her thigh and seemed happy to just keep her company.

  She went over her plan again, second guessing her decisions. Maybe talking out loud would help. “What am I going to do? I really feel something special for Matt but I'm not sure that anything more than a fling is a good idea. He's so ... normal."

  The dog startled her with what sounded like a snort, making her laugh again. “You don't think so? Well, he is a lot more handsome than the average man and a whole lot more chivalrous, I'll give you that."

  She idly continued to pet her mysterious canine companion as she stared out at the ocean. Rhythmically stroking the dog calmed her and seemed to please him. What a sweet dog. Though tame and obviously very social, he had the feel of the spirit world around him. It wasn't unheard of—many animals had greater ties to the Land of the Dead than most people did.

  "I'm in trouble. Real trouble. I think I've already started to fall for him. It's going to really hurt to leave, but I can't bear the thought of seeing disgust and fear in his eyes when he finds out that I can see and hear ghosts. That they seek me out.” She felt a huge lump in her chest at the thought.

  The dog turned and rested his chin on her thigh. He licked her hand and his bright gold eyes captured hers. She had an eerie sense that he understood what she was saying, what she was feeling.

  The animal's gift of total acceptance, nothing held back, no conditions, nearly made her cry. She threw her arms around the dog's neck and buried her face in his fur. His warm coat was thick and a little coarse, and he let her hug him without struggling to get free.

  She must already be in love because even the dog reminded her of Matt. He smelled a little like Matt and even felt a little like him—wild and with untamed depths. Releasing the dog, she shook her head with a laugh.

  She felt the presence of a ghost and looked up to see a woman standing before her, dressed in an elaborate wedding dress with long sleeves and a hoop skirt. Her veil was pushed back from her face and spider webs of fine lace covered her dress. Unlike most ghosts, this one looked straight at her. Her eyes were happy and an excited smile was on her face. Lara got the impression of a woman thrilled to marry her soul-mate. But why was she here?

  The ghost walked a few steps closer, never disturbing the sand under her feet. She held out her left hand and Lara could see a ring of made of entwined strands of silver and gold with a single red stone on her finger.

  The dog whined and nudged at her arm with his muzzle. Without taking her eyes off the ghost, Lara patted him. “It's okay, it's just a ghost that has something to tell me."

  But this ghost acknowledged her. The only other time in her life that a ghost had done that had been extremely life-altering. The ghost of the lighthouse keeper had saved her from drowning and his price had been paid over the last five years of her life. She'd done her best to make sure his wish, that the lighthouses and the lives of
their keepers would be documented and not forgotten, was carried out.

  Would this be the same? She waited to see what the ghost would do or say, if anything.

  Love can do anything. Love can overcome anything. Two souls really do become one and love is everything. When you're ready, my ring will find you.

  The ghost smiled at her and turned, walking out into the surf toward where the faintest image of a huge sailing ship flickered, waiting for her.

  "Thank you, lady.” Lara's voice wobbled.

  The behavior of the woman's ghost worried her. Love? It was far too much of a coincidence that she spoke about love just when Lara was beginning to accept she'd fallen for Matt, ghosts or no ghosts. The spirits had never led her down the wrong path. Maybe she'd been given a hint that Matt could handle her secret and the uninvited guests that followed her.

  The dog suddenly stood, licked her cheek and trotted off into the brush beside the trail. He seemed to know where he was going so she let him go.

  She stood up and stretched, then checked her watch. Time to get back to the parking area so she could meet Matt. Re-adjusting the camera bag, she insured her braid wasn't caught on anything then turned to walk back.

  Just as she rounded the second uphill curve, she met a Park Ranger walking toward the beach. “Good afternoon, Miss. Are you enjoying the Park?” His warm brown eyes reflected the color of his uniform.

  "Oh yes, it's beautiful."

  Taking the inquiry as a standard question for any tourists, she eased to the side of the trail to allow them to pass each other on the narrow trail, only to have him stop her.

  "I just saw a big coyote running near the trail. Did you see it earlier? Did it approach you at all?"

  "No, but I did meet a really sweet and friendly dog on the beach that kept me company for a while.” There was no way her dog was a coyote and he certainly wasn't wild.

  "Hmm, a coyote looks a lot like a dog if you're not familiar with them.” He pulled a worn guidebook from his back pocket and opened it to show her a picture. “This is what a coyote looks like, just in case. Be sure you don't go near any animal, just to be safe. And don't feed any of them. It can cause a whole host of problems."

  She nodded in agreement. The instructions were common sense and no surprise. The dog she'd met looked like a coyote. Would a coyote have been so sociable and friendly? So tame? It didn't matter now since he was gone.

  The ranger tipped his hat and continued down the trail past her.

  Falling into an efficient hiking rhythm, she made her way quickly back up to the top of the trail. Each step brought her closer to Matt. Every yard made her heart lighter and her libido hotter. She couldn't wait to see him, to touch him, to taste him.

  Faster and faster, her walk turned to a jog.

  She couldn't wait to love him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Matt sat down on the bumper of his truck to wait for Lara to return from the trail. Appearing calm was second nature, but he wasn't calm at all. When he'd shifted into Coyote's form and followed her down the trail, he'd not expected to find out what he did.

  Her big secret was she saw ghosts? That was nothing compared to his secrets. If she thought the ghosts were bad, he feared to see what her reaction to Coyote would be.

  It did explain the twinge of the spirit world he felt whenever she went into one of her staring bouts. It also explained who she was thanking when she'd whisper so quietly.

  Interesting that she didn't seem to have any control over the ghosts, almost as if a door had been left permanently open and any spirit that wanted to, could walk through. The other people he'd met who communicated with the spirit world were able to choose when and on what terms they visited. Lara either wasn't able to exercise that control or didn't choose to.

  Happily, she'd not run from Coyote. True, she thought he was a dog. Not a misconception that sat very well with Coyote, though he let it stand when he realized it resulted in pets and caresses from the woman they were both fixated on. His human skin rippled at the memory of her hands burrowing into his fur, rubbing his ears and stroking him. The smell of her skin through Coyote's sensitive nose imprinted her on him forever. No perfume, no artificial scents, just natural woman. His woman.

  When Coyote licked her, he'd tasted something so perfect it was hard to believe. Salty, sweet, spicy. She tasted like woman, like lover—like mate.

  The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Mate. Oh fuck. Mate recognition was such a rare thing among his kind, he'd never thought to be so incredibly lucky. He'd been taught the signs by his parents when he'd reached puberty, as all children were taught when they began to shift.

  His parents had not been mates but they were loving spouses and life partners. He'd always thought that was the best he could even hope for and even that was a long shot, especially for him.

  Not only did he and Coyote share lives, spirits and bodies, but he carried a lot of additional baggage from his military service as well. Not just his own secrets, but those of others, too. Secrets he would carry to his grave.

  It would take a special woman to understand him. His prior fiancé had been someone who shared his Apache heritage and whom he thought would be his wife and partner for the rest of his life. It turned out she was unable to accept that he had things he could not share with her. She was jealous every time he went out for a run, convinced he was cheating on her. Her lack of trust meant she really didn't understand him and he'd ended up breaking the engagement when he returned from Afghanistan. The move to California to follow Cody and his debt made it a clean break. Last he heard she was happily married to a local stone mason and expecting a baby.

  He'd always wanted children but accepted her decision not to have any, willing to sacrifice that dream for her. Her child-free status didn't seem to have lasted for long after he'd left. She just hadn't wanted to have a child with him.

  Lara had to be his mate. Only a mate would have been able to shred his prized self-control without effort. Only a mate would have both him and Coyote panting after her and ready to bite anyone who even looked at her with interest. Yet they wanted to take care of her, to keep her safe, to protect her from anything and everything that might hurt her.

  Brushing her hair earlier had almost pushed him beyond his limits. Her trust in him to not hurt her and perform the intimate task amazed him. Then to find out she'd planned ahead to take care of him, to make sure he was fed, touched his heart.

  Ines and his mother were the only women who had tried to take care of him before this. Accepting their attentions had always made him feel like a child. There was nothing childlike in the love and desire her felt for Lara, in his need to return the care.

  He heard running footsteps and looked up in time to see Lara running towards him. He hopped up and braced himself, somehow knowing she would launch herself at him again. The sight of her made his cock instantly hard. He knew the lush body that she hid under her loose clothing and couldn't wait to see it again. See it, lick it, taste it.

  He didn't just want her, he needed her. The Desert Song People mated for life and she was his mate, even though she didn't know it yet.

  Lara flew through the air toward him, completely trusting him to catch her. Arms wrapped around his neck and legs around his waist as he yanked her to him. One hand under her ass to support her, his other hand grabbed the back of her head and held it so he could possess her mouth.

  His lips devoured hers, hot and consuming. She tasted of spice and honey, an addictive taste he'd never get enough of. Her lips parted on a gasp and his tongue dove past her teeth to entwine with hers, flirting and dancing to a song of love and lust. Parry and retreat, tease and coerce. The velvet feel of her tongue stroking against his made him long for more.

  Lara tightened her legs around him and rubbed herself against his rock hard cock, whimpering into his mouth.

  He felt like he could come any second, just from the friction through both their clothes. He pulled his mouth from Lara's, gasping for
breath and praying for enough control to get somewhere more private. Ignoring her protests, he carried her to the passenger door of his truck, his hand caressing her rounded ass the whole way. Bracing her against the vehicle, he wrestled the door open with one hand, disengaged her legs from around him, then lifted her up onto the seat. He reluctantly released her and forced her to look at him.

  "Lara. I want you. Badly. But I need you to be sure. I can take you to your rental car and try to stay away from you from now on. Or I can take you home with me. But if you choose that, we'll spend the night making love.” His voice grew fierce. “You'll sleep with me, if we sleep at all."

  He needed to make sure she understood what she was agreeing to. There could be no room for misinterpretation, no doubt about her choice. Watching her face for any hint of regret, of fear, of indecision, he saw none.

  "I want you, Matt. I don't understand why my feelings are so strong, but I want to go home with you. I want to spend the night with you.” Determination shone in her eyes.

  He tucked her legs into the truck and pulled her head down for another kiss, just a quick one to last him until he got into the truck. He jogged around the truck and got into the driver's seat as quickly as possible, yanked his seatbelt on and started the truck.

  He tried not to look at her as they pulled out, instead pushing the speed-dial button for Ines’ restaurant. Luckily, Ines herself answered. “It's Matt. I need my usual and a dinner for my date, Lara. To go. I'll be by in about twenty minutes."

  Ines sounded highly amused but agreed to have the dinner ready. He was sure to hear about this later, probably at great length and with great amounts of laughter at his expense. She was entitled.

  When he hung up the phone, he looked at Lara and she gave him a devilish little smile. Managing to extricate herself from the camera bag strap, she set it on the floor. Loosening her seatbelt, she scooted over just enough to be able to reach out and take his cell phone away and tuck it into the cup holder in the dash.