She dreamed of her mother that night, of all the times she’d whisked her away for the full moon, just the two of them in the remote cabin not even her stepfather knew about. Those few precious days were the only thing her mother ever stood up to Sebastian about, the only time she didn’t let him bully her into doing what he wanted. Her mother’s marriage to Sebastian had always been a mystery to Kara; he was so cruel to her mother, yet she stayed and claimed that she loved him.
Kara had decided, watching the two of them, that she’d rather live without love than let a man control her the way Sebastian controlled her mother. She’d had a few relationships, but when things got too serious, she’d always back away, put some space between herself and the man.
When her mother died and she was forced to go on the run, she’d given up completely, decided that it was too complicated and painful. But what she felt for Danny was so different than anything she’d ever felt; what she didn’t understand was why.
She fell asleep with that question still on her mind and dreamed of the redhaired, freckled man who’d captured a part of her she’d thought was closed off. When she woke in the morning, she was still confused, torn between the desire she felt and the need to protect herself, so she decided to stay as far away from Danny as she could.
Since Sophie wasn’t very happy with her either, she thought about just staying in her room for the day, but hunger drove her over to the cabin. When she walked into the kitchen, Sophie turned from the stove and gave her a big smile as if the discussion they’d had the night before had never happened.
“Good morning. I hope you slept well; we have a lot of work to do today,” she said, gesturing to the bushel baskets of vegetables Kara hadn’t noticed. “Jessie left these behind today; we’ve got to get them canned before they go bad.”
Kara was a bit surprised by her cheerful greeting but decided not to question it. “Oh, okay, I’ve never canned vegetables before, but it sounds like fun.”
Sophie snorted. “It’s hot and boring work, but when we’re eating all this over the winter, it makes it all worth it. You’d better eat something before we get started. Did you see Danny on your way over? We’re going to need his help.”
Kara’s heart sank; if they were all cooped up in the cabin together, it would be impossible to stay away from him. “I didn’t see him in the barn,” she answered, taking the bowl of oatmeal Sophie dished up for her.
“Well, I would imagine that his stomach will bring him in soon enough.”
***Danny***
Danny’s stomach growled as he climbed the slight hill to the cabin. He’d been acting like a child and avoiding Kara all morning, but he was too hungry to stay away any longer. Still confused by her reaction to him kissing her the night before, he’d gone to bed thinking about her and woken this morning with her still on his mind.
She’d seemed to enjoy the kiss at first, had even clung to him, but then she’d suddenly pulled away and ran to her room. Now, he wasn’t sure if she’d liked it or not and it was all he could think about. Part of him wanted to confront her, but he was afraid of the answer he might get.
He’d never felt this kind of attraction before, had never been this obsessed with a woman. In fact, there was a part of him that wondered if he’d ever settle down and have a family, if he’d ever find that one person that was perfect for him. As much as he loved living here in the mountains, he’d realized a long time ago that it meant his choices for a life partner were very limited.
After he’d dated a few of the local girls and discovered that none of them were quite what he wanted, he’d decided that he’d just have to leave it to fate. But now that fate had done what he’d asked of it, he wasn’t sure he was ready for what it had sent.
His greatest fear was that Kara would think that he was too young for her, that she only saw him as a kid with a crush on her. But he knew that what he was feeling was more than that, that the feelings he had for her were real, so real that sometimes they frightened him.
He wanted her in a way that he’d never wanted another woman, wanted to hold her and kiss her, but most of all he wanted to protect her. Like Sophie, he’d become convinced that she was hiding something from them; her tears the night before had been about more than just her confrontation with Sophie.
When he got to the cabin, he took a deep breath and put a smile on his face. He’d have to face Kara eventually, and his stomach wasn’t going to let him wait any longer, so he pushed open the door.
The sight that greeted him was a shock at first and then he realized that not only was he going to have to see Kara for breakfast, but he was also going to be spending the entire day with her.
Chapter Eight
***Kara***
“It looks like the garden exploded in here,” Danny said, scaring Kara and making her jump.
Looking over to where he stood in the kitchen door, her heart leaped in her chest. She tried to tell herself that it was the fright he’d just given her, but she knew that wasn’t why her blood had suddenly started pumping through her veins.
“Jessie left us a little gift,” Sophie said with a grin, “and you’re going to help us can all this.”
Danny groaned but said, “I figured as much when I saw the jars.”
“There’s some oatmeal on the stove; help yourself and then roll up your sleeves,” Sophie said, turning back to the sink where she was washing canning jars.
Kara picked up the knife she’d been using to cut carrots, then realized that her hands were shaking so badly she’d probably cut herself and set it down again. “I need to take a little break,” she said, then slipped out of the room and headed for the bathroom.
After she shut the door, she leaned against it, thinking that at least this time she wasn’t crying. Instead, her body was tingling with desire, the memory of Danny’s lips on hers so fresh, she could almost feel them there right then.
She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself, noticing that there was a slight blush to her cheeks and that her eyes seemed especially green that day. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, not sure what she should do: let things happen between them or shut it down.
But the way she felt, it might be impossible to do that; something had already begun, something she might not have the power to stop. Wishing that this wonderful thing she was experiencing had happened some other time and some other place, she splashed water on her face and headed back to the kitchen.
Determined not to encourage Danny any further, she promised herself that she’d keep her distance, ignore the longing she felt deep inside. A longing that was only growing stronger the more she was around him, the more she thought about that kiss.
When she came back into the kitchen, Danny was just washing up his bowl. He turned and smiled at her, and all her good intentions disappeared, and all she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and kiss him.
Her heart pounding in her chest, palms sweaty, she picked up her knife and asked, “Did the carrots miss me?”
That day turned out to be one of the longest of her life; with the three of them in the little kitchen together, there wasn’t much room and several times she bumped into Danny. Each time her body erupted into quivering mass of nerve endings anywhere his body touched hers, the tingling going on for long minutes afterward.
By the time the sun started to set, the table was covered in full jars of vegetables, and the merry popping of the seals was the only sound in the cabin. They were all hot and sweaty from hours spent in the hot kitchen, and all Kara could think about was some fresh air and a shower. Her body was in a constant state of arousal, and she knew that if she didn’t get away from Danny, and soon, she’d do something she’d be sorry for.
She was halfway to the barn when she realized that her car was supposed to be fixed that day and turned back around. When she came back into the cabin, Sophie and Danny shot her a questioning look.
“My car was supposed to be done today; I completely forgot that I was goin
g to go to town and check on it,” she said. “Maybe I could call Jack.”
“We don’t have a phone up here,” Sophie said, “but if you have a cell phone, it might work. I’ll get you the phone number.”
When she got back to the barn, she got her cell phone out of the drawer she’d put it in when she got there and sat down on the bed. She turned it on and waited while it powered up, thinking that she hadn’t even missed it.
It took several tries, but she finally got Jack on the phone, only to hear the news that it would be at least one more day before her car was fixed. She threw the phone on the bed and walked over to the window, disappointed but a little relieved that she had one more day here.
She still hoped to talk to Jessie, to apologize once more before she left, and one more night might give her that chance. If what Sophie said was true, he’d be home tonight and wouldn’t be leaving again for a few days. She had no intention of trying to talk about their mother, but she did want to see him once more before she left.
A last meeting with her brother, so that when she left, she’d have a nice memory to take with her. The only problem with this plan was Danny and her new and strange feelings for him. Feelings that she had no business having for him, or anyone, right now, she thought, remembering Sebastian and the promise he’d made to find her no matter what.
But he wasn’t going to find her here, she thought, pushing the future from her mind. All she wanted to do now was take a shower and have a huge dinner since they’d skipped lunch. Then she’d go to bed early, so tomorrow she’d be up early enough to get some time with Jessie.
Danny was just a distraction that she didn’t want or need, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, and since she was leaving, that was bound to happen. Heading for the shower, she tried to tell herself that she wouldn’t be sorry to leave, that life would be simpler when Danny wasn’t tormenting her with his hard body and soft lips.
***Danny***
Danny was starving, but not just for food; spending the day with Kara in the little kitchen had been like pure torture. Each time their bodies touched, whether it was a hand or the curve of Kara’s breast as he passed by her, his body went wild. Tingling and throbbing in a way he’d never experienced before.
If Jessie had been around, he’d have talked to him about what he was feeling, but he wasn’t home yet and probably wouldn’t be until late that night. That meant that he had to get through another dinner sitting just feet from Kara, smelling her intoxicating scent and thinking about the kiss they’d shared.
He still wasn’t sure how she felt about the kiss, but he’d seen her blushing when he walked into the room earlier that day and couldn’t help but be pleased. When she’d rushed out of the room, he thought that just maybe the kiss had affected her as much as it had affected him.
But through the long day, Kara had said little to him. She’d joked and chatted with Sophie, and all but ignored him. If it hadn’t been for the blush and inhaled breath he’d seen when he touched her, he would have thought that the attraction was one-sided.
As he showered, he thought about the way Kara had treated him that day and wondered how he could break the hard shell she’d put around herself, wondered if it would be worth the effort it might take.
He still had his doubts, and the knowledge that she was hiding something from them hadn’t disappeared. But he wanted Kara, and for the first time in his life, he was going to follow his desires. It might end in disaster, might end with her laughing at him, but he knew deep down that what he felt for Kara shouldn’t be ignored.
But when he came around the corner of the barn, he saw Kara and Jessie sitting at the picnic table in front of the cabin. There was a small fire burning in the firepit to stave off the chill of the night, and at first, he thought that it looked like a cozy scene.
But as he got closer, he saw that Jessie’s shoulders were stiff, and that the look on his face was anything but pleasant. Just as he began to think that he should go back to his room, Sophie came out of the cabin with a huge platter of food. When she set it down on the table, she gestured for him to join them.
Knowing he had no choice, he walked over and sat down. Jessie looked at him, but his face was unreadable: the only indication he wasn’t happy was the stiff way he was holding his body.
No one moved for a minute, so Sophie began filling their plates. “Eat, everyone; what Jessie has to say can wait until we’re done.”
Danny was hungry, but after only a few bites, his stomach began to hurt. He pushed his plate away, noticing that everyone else had done the same. When it was clear that no one was going to eat, Sophie gathered up the plates and set them off to the side.
Jessie leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve decided to listen to what Kara has to say, and I wanted you both to be here,” he said, looking first at Sophie and then over at Danny.
Kara looked panicked for a moment when all eyes turned to her. She cleared her throat, then said, “My mother met yours a few years back when she got sick, and she made her promise to find you and tell you how sorry she was for what she did to you and your brother.”
Jessie narrowed his eyes at her. “Why did she tell your mother about us? And why didn’t she come here herself?” he asked, his face blank, but Danny could see his chest rising and falling faster than normal.
“They met at the hospital and hit it off right away. My mother was from here too, but she got sick and died not long after your mother,” Kara said, but Danny could detect a lie when he heard one.
“Is that it?” Jessie asked, his voice hard. “You came all this way to tell me that the woman who abandoned me was sorry?”
Kara hesitated for a second. “No, I mean, there’s more. She told me that she was alone, that the father didn’t want anything to do with her when your brother was born a wolf; she knew that she couldn’t raise you on her own. She was desperate to give you a good life; she even came back to check on you a couple of times.”
The words just seemed to pour out of Kara, her voice full of desperation. “You have to understand, she had no idea that your grandfather would only find you, that our… I mean, your brother would wander off and not find you for years.”
“How do you know about all that? Who told you?” Jessie asked, his face losing its neutral expression.
“Your mother did; she kept up with your life,” Kara said.
“I thought she told your mother?” Jessie asked, not missing Kara’s mistake.
“I mean, she told my mother,” she said. “Jessie, she cared about you, she really did.”
Jessie stood up from the table. “I find that hard to believe. She could have contacted me when she was here, could have come to see me instead of sneaking around.”
“She was afraid that you wouldn’t talk to her, that she’d make things worse for you,” Kara said, wishing that things could have gone differently.
Jessie looked at Kara for several long minutes, then said, “Thank you for telling me this.” Then he walked off into the forest behind the cabin, Sophie right behind him.
Kara got up then too and said, “I think I’ll go to bed early tonight.”
“I’ll walk you to the barn,” Danny offered, wanting to comfort her.
“That’s okay,” she said, smiling sadly at him, “I can make it on my own.”
He watched her walk away, feeling like something vital to him was disappearing. Now he would probably never know what fate had planned for them; Kara had delivered her message and tomorrow she’d leave.
Chapter Nine
***Kara***
When Kara came downstairs the next morning, Danny was waiting for her. The first thing she felt when she saw him was a stab of regret for what would never be. But she’d known all along that anything between them was impossible, so it was just as well that nothing had happened between them. If her body disagreed with her, she’d ignore it.
She wasn’t really surprised to see him and glad that she wou
ldn’t have to leave without saying goodbye to him. Last night she’d decided to take the coward’s way out with Sophie and Jessie, had spent nearly an hour writing a goodbye note that she’d ask Danny to deliver when she was gone.
“I’m going to go down to town and wait for my car to be done,” she said, setting her backpack down on the barn floor.
“So, I guess this is it then?” Danny asked. “I could go to town with you if you want.”
Kare wanted to accept his offer but knew that it was only putting off the inevitable. “No, I’ll be fine; it’s not hard to get there. I won’t get lost.”
Danny didn’t know what to say so he didn’t say anything. Kara reached down and opened her backpack and pulled out a folded piece of paper, “Would you give this to Sophie and Jessie after I leave?”
“You’re not going to say goodbye?” Danny asked, hoping to keep her there just a bit longer.
“No, I think I’ve caused enough trouble as it is. I’ll just go quietly and let you all get back to your lives.”
She could tell that Danny wanted to argue with her, and the look on his face made it feel like her heart was breaking. But she knew that the sooner she left, the sooner what had burned to life between them would begin to die. So, she picked up her backpack and without looking back, walked out of the barn.
It felt like she was walking away from something precious, but she knew that she couldn’t stay. Jessie would never learn to accept her, and she wouldn’t be able to maintain the lie she’d told. Even if she told the truth, she felt sure that Jessie would turn his back on her and she couldn’t bear that.
Besides, she reasoned with herself as she headed for the trail, what she and Danny shared was really nothing. A mutual attraction, that was full of passion, but that was it. They were two very different people, people whose lives were going in very different directions. If she stayed, in a few weeks what they had would burn out and she’d be left with nothing.
Triumph (Wolves 0f Gypsum Creek Book 2) Page 5