things like that." She tried to infuse her voice with light humor, but it didn't take.
"I'd like to know who you are." He stood and ran a hand through his hair, looking a little frantic. "I mean, you just showed up out of nowhere. It's too..."
"Too what?"
"Perfect." He took a step back, his eyes wary.
Damned if she didn't want to crawl out of bed and go after him, but she held back. First, she had her pride, and fawning over a man—even one who called to her like Ryder did—just didn't sit right. Hell, she might already have a Ryder waiting for her back wherever home was. Plus, she'd scared him. She could see it in his eyes, which made her feel bad.
Jane laid back down and pulled the covers up to her neck, hoping that would reassure him. “Before you go, do you know Sheriff Garde? Can you call him?”
“Yeah, I can call him. What do you want me to say?”
“Tell him I’m awake and I need to talk to him. Will you do that? Please?”
He nodded. “No problem.”
“And Mason—”
He frowned. “What about Mason?”
“Don’t tell him about me? Just call the sheriff, okay?”
“Sure. I can do that, but rest, okay? You’re pale as a ghost. I’ll call the sheriff and Mason is the last person I would say anything to about anything.”
She nodded and sank back into her bed, her eyes closing as she gave in to the headache that had reclaimed her body. The wrong kinds of throbbing filled her sleep. Pain pulsed, annoying as an eye tic, alongside desire for Ryder. One she didn't want, the other she shouldn't want, but it didn't matter. Fate wasn't taking orders from her.
Chapter Six
R yder looked down at Jane and resisted the way her sweet feminine scent filled his mind. No matter how sizzling their kiss, she was trouble. He could feel it in his bones, and just then, he wasn’t looking to add to his list of problems.
His grandmother had been right, their scents mixed well. More importantly, his wolf had been at attention since first meeting Jane. It was ridiculous in a way. She was dressed like a refugee from a 1980s Miss America pageant. The outfit alone should have put him off. Instead he’d been unable to ignore the way her cleavage filled the dress and how it hugged her rear, making her walk a sultry come-on.
She looked so good, maybe the eighties were due for a comeback.
But as much as he needed to walk away, he wouldn’t turn his back on a shifter down on her luck. He would call the sheriff for her, and while he wouldn’t say anything to Mason, he would sniff around and see if there were any clues that would explain why his alpha was familiar to Jane.
And he'd just pretend they'd never kissed.
His wolf whined at that and gave him a look of reproach. Yeah, I know you want her. But she doesn't even know her name. Not exactly prime mating material, right, buddy?
The wolf that shared his life yowled, the sound full of disapproval. Apparently names were optional for his wolf.
Ryder shook his head and steeled his resolve. Any man who let his beast lead him wasn't much of a man. Jane was off limits and that was that. Self-control intact, he left Jane's room and almost tripped over an elderly man.
“Excuse me,” he said, jumping back.
“No worries. Just checking on our newest resident.” The man peeked into the room. “Haven’t seen a looker like her in ages.”
Ryder’s hands curled into fists and his wolf narrowed his eyes at the man. Ryder’s wolf did not like this stranger. He smelled sour, like he, or something on him, had gone bad. Ryder took a breath and forced himself to relax. Being jealous of such an old man was silly. His wolf’s ears twitched at that as if to ask ‘are you sure?’
Yeah I’m sure.
“You’re Tillie’s grandkid, right?” The man looked at Ryder with a steady gaze, his blue eyes clear.
Ryder nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’m Charles. Nice to meet you.” He held out a hand and Ryder shook it despite being confused as to why Charles wanted a formal
"I'd like to know who you are." He stood and ran a hand through his hair, looking a little frantic. "I mean, you just showed up out of nowhere. It's too..."
"Too what?"
"Perfect." He took a step back, his eyes wary.
Damned if she didn't want to crawl out of bed and go after him, but she held back. First, she had her pride, and fawning over a man—even one who called to her like Ryder did—just didn't sit right. Hell, she might already have a Ryder waiting for her back wherever home was. Plus, she'd scared him. She could see it in his eyes, which made her feel bad.
Jane laid back down and pulled the covers up to her neck, hoping that would reassure him. “Before you go, do you know Sheriff Garde? Can you call him?”
“Yeah, I can call him. What do you want me to say?”
“Tell him I’m awake and I need to talk to him. Will you do that? Please?”
He nodded. “No problem.”
“And Mason—”
He frowned. “What about Mason?”
“Don’t tell him about me? Just call the sheriff, okay?”
“Sure. I can do that, but rest, okay? You’re pale as a ghost. I’ll call the sheriff and Mason is the last person I would say anything to about anything.”
She nodded and sank back into her bed, her eyes closing as she gave in to the headache that had reclaimed her body. The wrong kinds of throbbing filled her sleep. Pain pulsed, annoying as an eye tic, alongside desire for Ryder. One she didn't want, the other she shouldn't want, but it didn't matter. Fate wasn't taking orders from her.
Chapter Six
R yder looked down at Jane and resisted the way her sweet feminine scent filled his mind. No matter how sizzling their kiss, she was trouble. He could feel it in his bones, and just then, he wasn’t looking to add to his list of problems.
His grandmother had been right, their scents mixed well. More importantly, his wolf had been at attention since first meeting Jane. It was ridiculous in a way. She was dressed like a refugee from a 1980s Miss America pageant. The outfit alone should have put him off. Instead he’d been unable to ignore the way her cleavage filled the dress and how it hugged her rear, making her walk a sultry come-on.
She looked so good, maybe the eighties were due for a comeback.
But as much as he needed to walk away, he wouldn’t turn his back on a shifter down on her luck. He would call the sheriff for her, and while he wouldn’t say anything to Mason, he would sniff around and see if there were any clues that would explain why his alpha was familiar to Jane.
And he'd just pretend they'd never kissed.
His wolf whined at that and gave him a look of reproach. Yeah, I know you want her. But she doesn't even know her name. Not exactly prime mating material, right, buddy?
The wolf that shared his life yowled, the sound full of disapproval. Apparently names were optional for his wolf.
Ryder shook his head and steeled his resolve. Any man who let his beast lead him wasn't much of a man. Jane was off limits and that was that. Self-control intact, he left Jane's room and almost tripped over an elderly man.
“Excuse me,” he said, jumping back.
“No worries. Just checking on our newest resident.” The man peeked into the room. “Haven’t seen a looker like her in ages.”
Ryder’s hands curled into fists and his wolf narrowed his eyes at the man. Ryder’s wolf did not like this stranger. He smelled sour, like he, or something on him, had gone bad. Ryder took a breath and forced himself to relax. Being jealous of such an old man was silly. His wolf’s ears twitched at that as if to ask ‘are you sure?’
Yeah I’m sure.
“You’re Tillie’s grandkid, right?” The man looked at Ryder with a steady gaze, his blue eyes clear.
Ryder nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’m Charles. Nice to meet you.” He held out a hand and Ryder shook it despite being confused as to why Charles wanted a formal
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