LUCAS (12 page)

As soon as they figured out she could heal a patient, they couldn’t, her phone started ringing off the hook. Before coming to Texas, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a day off. She tapped her chin, considering the options. If she started a small office she should still be able to conceal her anomaly. Tap, tap. If she was careful and kept her staff to a minimum this could work. Jojo was right, if she were her nurse, she wouldn’t have to worry so much about being discovered. Tap, tap, tap. This just might work.

She looked Jojo in the eye and paused. “Sometimes, you’re scary smart.”

Jojo squealed again and began dancing Kensie around the room. “You mean it? You’re going to move here?”

Kensie laughed. “Not so fast. I’m going to think about it and do some research on the area. I need to find out what’s here for medical offices and what still may be needed. If there is a clinic and hospital already servicing the area, they won’t need another one.”

“I already checked. There isn’t. Right after I moved here, I sprained an ankle. I had to drive two hours just to get to a clinic.”

“Holy moly, how have these ranchers managed without proper medical care close by?”

Jojo, shook her head. “I’m not sure. I think they take care of a lot of their minor injuries and illnesses themselves. They’d have to, right?”

“I guess they would,” Kensie said quietly as she settled onto the edge of the bed again. “Okay. Before you start spreading the news I’m moving here, I still need to check into a few things. Please, keep this between us until I make a final decision.”

Jojo pouted as best she could before busting out laughing. She wrapped her arms around Kensie and hugged her tightly. “You’ll move here. I know you will.”

Unable to prevent it, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her sister was right; she more than likely would be moving. But what if she moved all the way to Texas and Lucas got tired of her? Was she being hasty? Maybe she should give this relationship thing some time before she did anything so drastic as to quit her job and move. She was going to have to take this slowly. She wanted to be positive she was making sound decisions before she did something she would regret. She should take the rest of the day and really think things over, maybe even come up with a plan. She wanted time to analyze her feelings for Lucas and where that was going. What she needed was a quiet ride. Hopefully no one had taken Marigold out today.

*****

Lucas hadn’t seen Kensie since he walked her home. He searched for her at breakfast, assuming even though they had already eaten, she would at least have coffee with Jojo. He’d hung around until the food was cleared away. Jojo eventually showed up, but she was on the arm of one of the ranch hands. Enough was enough. He would have to hunt her down. After last night, she had to be hiding. He thought they were moving forward and their relationship was finally on the right foot. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why she would disappear, but like his grandfather said, there was no understanding women.

A quick check of their cabin told him she wasn’t there. Did she have another bout of nerves and panic? Would she leave without Jojo? He doubted it. And if she had, Jojo wouldn’t be acting so relaxed and normal. His gut churned. He had to find her. What if she was injured and needed him?

He snapped his fingers.
The barn.
Maybe she was there. She wasn’t, but that damn Roy was and her favorite horse, Marigold wasn’t in the corral.

He stopped outside the stall where Roy was cleaning a horse’s hoof. “Where’s Kensie?” he snarled.

The cowboy didn’t even raise his head to acknowledge the owner of the ranch was standing five feet from him. “She went for a ride.” Roy tilted his head to look pointedly at Lucas under the belly of the horse. “Said she wanted to be alone.” Roy had balls, or he was a straight up idiot, Lucas hadn’t decided yet.

He stepped into the stall shaking with rage.
Who the hell did this punk think he was? What was he to Kensie?
He’d seen them laughing together. He wanted her laughing with him, not this smarmy Romeo.

“She went alone? She isn’t with anyone? I should have gone with her. Riding alone is dangerous on a horse you don’t know and in an area you’re unfamiliar.”

“Maybe she doesn't want to see you?” Dropping the horse’s leg, he rose slowly to his full height, leaning his arms across the back of the animal. “She seemed uneasy. When I asked her about it, she said she had a lot to think about and decisions to make.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes. “What is she thinking about? What decisions does she need to make?”

Roy shrugged. “Maybe she’s afraid someone will get hurt. We wouldn’t want that to happen now would we?”

This man really had a death wish. Lucas fought to maintain control when his wolf wanted to rip Roy’s head off. Why would Kensie confide in him? Then his wolf went ballistic. There was a challenger for their mate who needed killing. “Are you in love with her?”

Roy threw back his head and laughed. Actually laughed. “Hell, no. She’s not my type. I’m surprised you haven’t heard; I’m gay.”

“So, what? You're her new best friend?”

Roy shrugged again. “Most women don’t see a gay man as a threat and tend to treat us like one of their girlfriends. She didn’t want to burden her sister more than she already had, so she talked to me.”

Lucas leaned forward and gave Roy a long hard look. The man didn't even blink. “Let me make this perfectly clear. I would never hurt Kensie. It would be utterly impossible for me to do that. The next time she needs advice, tell her to talk to me.”

Roy looked like he wanted to say something, but self-preservation must have finally kicked in and he clamped his mouth shut. Then he said, “Sure, Mr. Le Beau, I’ll do that.”

*****

Kensie lost track of time. Surprisingly, nights could be cool at the ranch. Shivering, she rolled her sleeves down, suddenly thankful she’d worn a shirt with sleeves today. With no cell phone, or laptop to interrupt her train of thought, she had become absorbed in her ever-increasing list of concerns she needed to address. She had hoped to make some decisions; instead she was more confused than ever. Night was settling in. Crickets were chirping. And the sun was going down.

Standing to stretch, she stopped for a moment to get her bearings. She needed to get back quickly or it would be dark and she could easily lose her way. She sure didn’t want to spend the night on the range with the animals… and snakes…and bugs. She shivered just thinking about it.

She hadn’t ridden far when she saw someone coming toward her.

As the rider grew near her heart began to hammer. There was no mistaking Lucas’s horse, Elvis. Kensie sighed heavily. She tried so hard to avoid running into him today. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him, but she knew she needed to keep him at arm’s length if she was going to work things out in her mind. It was bad enough; her thoughts repeatedly returned to him and his incredible kisses. If he had been with her, she wouldn’t have been just thinking about kissing him she would have been stripped him naked. As it was, there was no turning her traitorous memory off. Her body ached for him and her heart felt empty without him, reminding her just how lonely her life was. Is that why she worked all the time? Had she been avoiding the loneliness that was her life?

Straightening her shoulders, she tried to smile casually and not like a silly schoolgirl gazing at the boy she had a crush on. “What are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?”

“I asked your guard dog in the barn,” he chuckled.

Kensie frowned. “Guard dog?”

“Roy.” 

“Ah. That’s too bad. Up until he gave me away, he had been a really good confidant. I hoped he would help me keep unwelcome company away.”

Lucas hesitated as he dismounted. “Am I unwelcome company, Kensie?”

Heck, no. She wanted him so badly, it hurt. That was the problem. “Not in the way you think. Anyone would have been unwanted. I needed some time alone so I could think and figure a few things out.”

Lucas cocked his head. “And did you? Figure things out I mean.”

“Not really. All I did was come up with more questions. To be honest, I know what you want from me. I’m trying to figure out what I’m willing to do and possibly give-up in return. I know you would prefer I would just go ahead and jump into bed with you.”

She held up a hand when he opened his mouth to speak. He clamped his lips shut and remained silent.

“No, you haven’t said it in so many words, and you’ve been a complete gentleman, but your body language speaks volumes. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do that. I’m trying to protect both of us. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I want to be hurt myself. Is it fair to have sex with you knowing I’m going home in a few days? I’m not sure it is. It’s not much, but I did extend our stay here another week. I’m hoping that will give me a little more time to figure things out. I hope you can understand where I’m coming from.”

Lucas nodded, she was right. He pushed her too fast and sniffed around her like a randy dog. They needed to have a serious talk about what and who he was. He hoped to make her fall in love with him first, but even with an extra week there just wasn’t enough time. He walked to her horse and laid a warm hand on her thigh. He needed to find a way to explain everything to her without scaring her to death.

“You’re right. I have a lot to explain to you and much of it is going to sound crazy and some of it might scare the heck out of you. We both missed dinner; let’s grab something from the kitchen and go somewhere private to talk. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to trick you into being alone with me. I just need to make sure no one else hears what I’m going to tell you.”

Kensie’s leg trembled under his palm. She was warring with her prim and proper persona with the desire of one mate for the other raging through her body. He could smell her arousal laced with apprehension.

“You said you weren’t married! Ah, hell. You’re not a criminal are you? Tell me you don’t have a wife and six kids or worse yet you haven’t murdered anyone.”

Lucas choked. “Hell, no. But I can see how you would jump to such a conclusion. I was a bit cryptic. Tell you what, if you want Krystal to join us I can arrange for her to be with us.”

“That might be a good idea. Let me think about it.”

“I won’t lie to you, babe. You’re right, I do want you. But I won’t push you until you’re ready.”

He dropped his hand from her leg and backed away. Then he easily mounted Elvis with a grace that belied his large body.

“Lucas?” Her voice sounded strangled. She was about to do something totally stupid and reckless. She trusted him and knew she would be safe with him. He had proven that last night. But did she trust herself? That was the problem.

His heart raced as he dared to hope. Was she going to give him a chance?

“We can talk in my cabin. Jojo told me she had a date and might not be home until morning.”

He wanted to whoop with joy. She was going to give him a chance and since they were out of sight and earshot, he could shift if she didn’t believe him. This just might work.

“Krystal held two plates aside for us from dinner. Would you like to join me before we go to your place?”

“That sounds like a good idea. I didn’t expect to be out so late and I’m pretty hungry.”

They rode back in silence. Lucas was trying to formulate a plan. How did he even begin to explain to her what a shifter was? Glancing at her fierce expression, he was pretty sure Kensie was busy trying to figure out what he was about to tell her.

*****

The horses were rubbed down and fed, and dinner was eaten. It was now or never.

He walked her to the cabin and waited for her to unlock the door. “I know this is will sound very cliché and dramatic, but I think you should sit down.”

Kensie took one of the easy chairs, began to wring her hands in her lap, and quietly waited for him to begin.

Lucas paced back and forth as he searched for a way to explain things.
Maybe she’s a believer.
“Sweetheart, do you believe in things like magic and fictional creatures?”

She looked confused by his question. “That depends on what you mean by magic and exactly what creatures?”

“Do you believe things like shifters could possibly exist? People who can become an animal? But you’ve never seen one because they remain a secret so humans don’t know about them?”

Up until he started spouting crazy, she’d been relaxed and enjoying herself. Now not so much. She dealt with crazy people at the hospital on occasion. Those individuals were scary and downright dangerous. The first rule was, keep them calm.

“Are you feeling unwell? I can call Krystal and we’ll get you the help you need.”

Shit. This wasn’t working.

“Forget I asked you that for a minute.” He rubbed his jaw. “Okay, okay. How about this? When you first met me, did you smell anything you really liked? Like your favorite food or something like that?”

Kensie concentrated and tried to remember back to that moment. Then she smiled and leaned forward. “Now that you mention it, I smelled the forest and fresh pine. Like you smell when you cut down a Christmas tree. Actually, I smell it right now, in the cabin. Strange, I’ve never smelled pine in here before.”

Lucas grinned. “Good, that’s really good. I smelled lemon meringue pie. Which by the way is my favorite.”

“What does that...”

“Please, let me continue. You can ask all your questions in a few minutes.”

“All right.” She crossed her arms and sat back in her chair, and waited for him to speak.

He raked his fingers through his hair and shot a quick glance her direction. “This is going to sound bad since you think I’m trying to get you in bed. But are you intensely attracted to me? You know, like – in a very unusual way. Unlike you’ve ever been attracted to a stranger before?”

Kensie snorted. “That’s a bit egotistical, don’t you think?”

“Please. Just answer the question honestly. It’s important.”

She blushed and sputtered. “Fine. I think you’re hotter than hell. Happy now?”

He grinned at her and chuckled. “Very. Lastly, and this the most important one, have you ever heard my voice in your head and maybe thought you imagined it?”

Kensie blushed a pretty shade of pink, then she blurted out. “I thought I heard you say ‘My Goddess, she’s beautiful’ when we first met.” She was so embarrassed she covered her face.

Gently he laid a hand on her shoulder. “There’s nothing to be self-conscious about. You heard me speak telepathically. And it’s true, I do think you’re beautiful.”

“How could that be? I’m not telepathic.”

“No. Not normally. But you are with me. Mates can communicate like that.”

Her eyes got wide as she tried to understand what he just said. “What did you say I was?” Before he could answer, she remembered hearing a voice earlier in the day. “Hey, hold on. Did you talk to me earlier today and say ‘Who you gonna call’ and then laughed like a fool?”

Lucas barked out a laugh. “Yes, that was me. I apologize. I just couldn’t help myself. When you thought about the movie, it just popped out. As for your other question, you’re my mate and I’m yours.”

“What the hell do you mean, I’m your mate? You make me sound like a dog or something.”

Lucas held up his hands. “Please, don’t get angry, I wasn’t insulting you. I’ll get back to the mate thing in a minute. And trust me, it’s not a bad thing. At least I don’t think so. First, let’s backtrack to my questions about magic and creatures. I promise this will all make sense. Eventually.”

Purposely he used telepathy again.
Since you were not telepathic before, but you are with me, isn’t that a form of magic?

Kensie sucked in a sharp breath.
“Did you just speak to me? In my head?”

Lucas was getting excited. She was starting to understand.
Yes. And you can answer back. Just think the words at me. Try it.

Tentatively, she stared him in the eye.
Can you hear me?

Yes, I can.
He scooped her out of the chair and swung her around in his excitement.

“Put me down,” she laughed.

“Sorry. I got carried away.” He put her down so she could take a seat again and he collected his thoughts. “Okay, back to serious business, you didn’t answer my question. Isn’t speaking telepathically a form of magic?”