“Can I help you?”
“I’d like to look at your shepherds.”
“Anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“I need one young enough to bond, yet old and strong enough to protect.”
The man hummed. “Well I got this one dog. She’s real good with kids, house broken and knows a few basic commands. She’s well mannered, smart and gentle, practically docile. Unless threatened.”
He paused outside the last kennel in his enclosure but didn’t open the door. “Only problem is she ain’t registered. She was given to me by some folks who moved last month. I have no idea of her bloodline but I can tell you she’s ninety-nine-percent pure. She’s spayed and her shots are up to date.”
“I don’t care if she’s registered or pure for that matter. The fact she’s good with kids and docile is perfect. How do you know she’s aggressive when threatened?”
“When the folks that gave her to me brought her over, their young daughter dashed to the fence. One of my stud dogs ran toward her. He wouldn’t have hurt her either mind you, but Princess here didn’t know that. She hit that fence and all I saw was teeth and fur.” He chuckled at the memory.
“Every hair on her back and neck stood straight up and she growled something fierce. I guarantee if he’d have gotten out, she would have tore him up. Or died trying. Want to take a look at her?”
Carson nodded and the man opened the door and called the dog. “Princess, come here girl!”
One look at the slick, slender, juvenile female and Carson’s heart cinched with confidence. This dog would fight to the death to defend the women he loved. “How much?”
“Well I got about a hundred in her with vet bills. Give me that and I’ll throw in enough food to last a day or two.”
Carson paid the man then loaded Princess and the food into the SUV he’d rented. He called Lorelei and asked her to meet him at his house. In the course of conversation, he found she’d decided to keep Laurel with her for the day. Perfect.
He pulled into his driveway moments before Lorelei and Laurel arrived. When they disembarked and walked in his direction, he climbed out of the driver’s seat, strolled around to the back of the vehicle and opened the hatch. Princess sat up and crouched as though to jump out.
“No.” Carson said his voice firm.
The dog sat.
He palmed her head. “Good girl.”
He scratched her under the chin then snapped the leash onto her collar, stepped back and snapped his fingers. “Come.”
She jumped out of the vehicle.
“Sit,” he told her. She promptly obeyed. Again he ran his hand over her head and praised her good behavior. A delighted squeal from Laurel made him smile. At the sight of the young girl, Princess whimpered and whined. Though she held herself in control awaiting his command, her whole body quaked with joy and Carson knew he’d chosen wisely. One glance at Lorelei and he sensed her approval. He stepped aside, unsnapped the leash and whispered, “Go.”
The dog leapt into Laurel’s arms and the two tumbled to the ground and rolled around in mutual admiration.
“Why don’t you take her inside, Laurel, and find some bowls for her food and water for today. I’ll pick up supplies on my way home this afternoon.” When Laurel rose to do as he asked with Princess in tow, he turned to Lorelei.
“She’s house broken and trained to obey basic commands—sit, stay, no, heel, and go. You shouldn’t have any trouble with her.”
“She is certainly beautiful,” Lorelei murmured. “Laurel’s always wanted a dog, but I never did get around to buying or adopting one.”
“So you don’t mind?”
The smile she bestowed on him would have melted a glacier. Instead of an answer, she slid one hand around his neck, placed her other palm on his cheek and guided his lips toward hers. Her eyes widened, pupils darkened and dilated. Her breath caught in an audible gasp, lips parted. Her soft sigh shivered through him.
A simple shift and they were torso to torso. His hands roamed over her shoulders, stroked her back. He slid deeper into the kiss, savored the texture and tasted the honeyed sweetness of her mouth. A low moan sounded in her throat, her arms crept around his neck. Her fists curled in his hair and sent him spiraling over the edge. Something deep and feral snapped within him. His teeth scraped her bottom lip. She whimpered and stiffened, straining against his embrace. He jerked away, buried his face in her neck and whispered an apology.
Lorelei eased back, as though afraid if she moved too fast, one or both of them would break apart and crumble to the ground.
“What in the world just happened? I have never been moved by a single kiss the way you move me.”
“Nor I,” he mumbled while he nuzzled his way to her ear then jaw.
“Yeah right, you’re much too good a kisser to make me believe that.”
A chuckle rumbled through him. Tentacles of need crawled along every nerve in his body. “Believe me, sweet Lorelei, I’ve not kissed nor been kissed as thoroughly by another.”
She untangled herself from his arms and stepped away. “Yeah, well I think we need to slow down. Things could get complicated and we both need to keep a clear head.”
He nodded then glanced at his watch. “You’re right and I’ve got to get going. I’m late already.” Still he hesitated.
“Maybe I should call in a sub.”
Lorelei shook her head. “No. You go. I won’t get a single thing accomplished if you’re underfoot all day.”
He chuckled. “OK. Promise you’ll stay alert and keep Laurel under close scrutiny.”
“I always am and do.”
He grinned. “Promise, anyway.”
Her laughter rang like chimes on the wind. His heart leapt in response. Another quick caress of his lips over hers and he left.
****
The days rolled quickly into weeks and the three of them slipped into a routine. Princess accompanied Lorelei during the day and at night she slept with Laurel, who seemed to rest better. The episode which prompted Carson to purchase the animal occurred a time or two, though not as severe. Lorelei began to wonder if she’d been mistaken about the degree of Laurel’s perceptiveness, or if having the dog made her daughter feel safer. Weekends found them with Carson at one or the other’s home.
A month after the storm she and Carson sat on the front porch admiring their newly repaired vehicles while Laurel and Princess played in the front yard. Huge, puffy clouds drifted in a powder blue sky. She sighed. “Beautiful day.”
He reached over and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Not as lovely as the person sharing it with me.”
Heat warmed her cheeks. She smiled at him. “Works both ways.
Laughter and a happy bark greeted her ears. Contentment rose in her breast. “Thank you for setting up and attending the meetings with the principal, sheriff, and guidance counselor. Seems now we can’t make a move about town without someone stopping to talk and pray with us.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome. That’s what I like about this place.”
“Me too. This is the most peace I believe I’ve ever experienced in my life. I thank God every day for bringing us here.
He stroked her face again. “So do I.”
Lorelei grabbed his hand and rested her cheek in his palm a moment, then laced her fingers through his. “I’ll be done with your back yard before long. Not sure what Mr. Flaven has for me next, but I’ve been thinking about starting my own landscaping service. I’ve designed business cards and brochures and I’m considering a website. What do you think—is there enough work around here?”
Carson shrugged. “I don’t know about in this town alone. However, with Nashville less than a half-hour away and all the surrounding communities, I’d imagine you can build quite a business...but....” He hesitated.
Her eyebrow arched in question. “But what?”
“I wish you’d contemplate waiting a while before you venture too far out on your own, especiall
y with Jaxon on the loose.”
She bristled. “I refuse to hide in fear any longer. If he finds us, I’ll deal with him once and for all.”
“I’m not asking you to hide in fear, just to consider not advertising too far out. Business cards & brochures in neighboring towns could prove dangerous. And a website is like waving a red flag in front of an angry bull.”
Frustration rose to choke her but she knew he was right. Oh God, will we ever be free?”
His words haunted her in the weeks that followed. Halloween approached and with it, fears of the unknown. Though Lorelei felt safe and secure with the townsfolk, she hated the thought of all those costumes and what they could hide. Carson arrived at her house as planned on All Hallows Eve to find she and Laurel locked in a battle of wills.
“What’s going on?”
Tears glistened on Laurel’s cheeks. She brushed them away with an angry swipe.
“Mom won’t let me trick-or-treat without you two accompanying me like I’m some kind of baby!”
“I said you could if you took Princess with you.”
Laurel stomped her foot. “If I take her with me, everyone will know who I am!”
Lorelei took a step closer to her daughter, her hands clenched into fists by her side. “Another word, young lady and you won’t go at all! The point of this night is to dress up and have fun. It doesn’t matter if someone guesses who you are!”
Carson stepped between them. “OK, let’s calm down. I’m sure we can work something out.” Lorelei drew herself to her full five-feet-four. Her eyes flashed like emerald daggers.
“Don’t you dare get between me and my daughter. This is none of your business!”
“Oh great, now everyone’s fighting!” Laurel screeched before he could respond then stormed from the room.
Lorelei fumed. A low growl sounded in her throat. She raised her clenched fist and shook it under his nose. “Now look what you’ve done. Are you happy?”
Carson grabbed her hand, wrapped his other arm around her waist, and went nose-to-nose with her. “Don’t shake your fist in my face, Lorelei Connor. I suggest you calm down and talk rationally.”
“Or what?” She challenged.
His senses heightened as every bit of her tension seeped into him, her fears popped into his mind and he understood. His grasp loosened, he brushed his lips over her white knuckles. He released her hand and cupped her cheek in his hand. “United we stand, divided we fall, Lore,” he whispered. He urged her a notch closer and lowered his lips to hers. She stiffened a bit then melted against him. Within moments she was more than a passive participant in the kiss. Her arms curled around his neck, fingers wove through his hair. She whimpered and clung. Passion raced through his veins like a heady drug. Visions of them heart to heart danced in his head. He pulled her closer still and devoured the lush nectar of her mouth.
A slamming door jerked him back to reality.
He broke the kiss, buried her face in his chest and held her tight, afraid if either of them tried to move, their trembling legs would give way. She quivered in his arms. Soft sobs escaped her and tore at his heart.
“I’m so afraid,” she mumbled.
“I know,” he whispered. “But there is nothing to worry about. I’m here, the whole town is here. Besides, I don’t feel the least bit of apprehension.”
She stepped back and looked into his eyes. Her gaze glowed like sunset atop a brilliant green forest. He saw clear to her soul, felt the anxiety flow out of her body.
Her eyebrow arched, lips twitched. “So now I guess you think you can waltz in anytime and bend me to your will with a single kiss.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare to be so presumptuous.”
She smiled and his heart took flight. He brushed his lips over hers in a brief caress. “What do you say we let Laurel walk with her friends and then follow in the SUV? We’ll keep Princess in the vehicle with the windows down so she can keep the kids in her sight and within her range of smell. At the slightest hint of unease, the first growl or whimper, we’ll turn the dog loose.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Think Laurel will agree?”
She snorted. “Laurel will agree or she won’t go.”
He laughed and caressed her mouth with his. “Tough love is so sexy on you.”
He moved away from her enticing embrace then called Laurel back into the room. Her tear-streaked face and stormy eyes tugged at his heart. “Laurel, your mom has agreed to allow you to walk with your friends...” His words trailed off when she pumped her hand in the air and exclaimed “yes!”
He held up a hand to ward off any more outbursts. “However, we will follow with Princess in the SUV. You’re to stay within our sight at all times. Is that understood?”
Her expression clouded, smile turned into a frown. “But...”
Lorelei drew in an angry hiss. Carson shook his head and cautioned her with a firm look then turned back to the child. “Not up for discussion, Laurel. Either we follow or you don’t go. The choice is yours.”
An hour later they drove to the school for Laurel to meet her friends. Trick-or-treating began. The evening passed without incident.
As Thanksgiving approached more than a hint of winter chilled the air. Carson felt the change in atmosphere as acutely as the evolving of seasons. Dreams and visions haunted his nights. He talked with Julie on more than one occasion and begged for insight to Jaxon’s method of operation, his strengths and weaknesses.
“Terrorization,” Julie said. “If he can threaten or intimidate then he controls the person and/or situation. If he is close, he’ll strike when least expected. You need to bring them here, Carson. Come home for the holiday.”
“Figured I wouldn’t be welcome. You know something I don’t?”
“Oh, Cars, you know everyone is over the shock and grief, you’re always welcome. This is your home. It’s been five years.”
The anguish in her voice pierced him like a splinter in the heart. Carson scrubbed his hand over his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. “No one has said that, Jules, except you and the twins. No letters, an occasional phone call, but no real conversations. I do receive a card for birthdays and gifts at Christmas which is wonderful. It’s nice to know I’m remembered...” His voice trailed off when she interrupted.
“Cars…”
“Don’t say it Jules. I know the accident was not my fault but I tried to warn Mom and Dad not to go on that trip. They knew of this…gift or curse, whatever you want to call it, but wouldn’t listen! I should have stopped them or changed their minds somehow.”
“Carson, you couldn’t have changed their minds if you wanted. God’s will is still His will. Look at the chain of events. Even if their car hadn’t broken down and been crushed by that eighteen-wheeler, the plane they were scheduled to be on crashed with only a few survivors. Who’s to say they would have lived through that? I don’t think they would have.” She paused, heaved another sigh.
“It was just their time to go. Stop blaming yourself for things you couldn’t control. And, stop rejecting your gift as a curse. God has a reason for blessing you with these premonitions, these prophesies…whatever they are. Stop fighting Him. Let Him show you what to do, and how to use them for His glory and your good. Think about it,” she urged.
He raked a hand through his hair. “OK. I’ll let you know as soon as possible what we decide.”
The situation came to a tumultuous head the weekend before school was due to break. Laurel and Princess were traipsing through the wooded area which surrounded his house looking for pine cones and berries she could use to make Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations.
He and Lorelei were out on the back patio she’d built as part of the landscape design their landlord chose. He’d tried to convince her they should go with him to Mississippi. “Julie is the only one who knows about you and Jaxon and she’s the one insisting I bring you home with me for the holiday. Besides, my family isn’t that way.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Says he who has barely spoken to said family in five years, much less visited them.”
His jaw hardened at the sarcasm in her tone. “That’s different. My parents died. This is a whole lot different than you sleeping with my sister’s husband, regardless of how it all came about.”
Her palm connected with his cheek. He grabbed her hand. “That was uncalled for, Lorelei,” he muttered between clenched teeth.
“So was your comment.”
A yelp from Princess and scream from Laurel rent the air before he could respond. They scrambled to where the sounds came from and met her as she ran out of the woods.
Lorelei enfolded her daughter against her breast. “What’s the matter?”
“A man,” she panted out.
Carson bolted for the woods, calling for Princess. The two returned winded, but empty handed. “Tell me everything, Laurel.”
“I started to feel uneasy, you know, like someone was watching me, so I headed back this way when Princess growled and tore off in another direction. I saw a man. At least I think it was a man. Whoever it was is dressed in black and had a ski mask over his or her face. But the person moved like a man.”
She trembled and moved closer to her mother. “Do you think its Daddy?”
Lorelei hugged her daughter closer, and then gazed up at Carson. “I don’t know, sweetheart but how would you feel about going to Mississippi with Carson over the holiday to visit his family?”
The child brightened. “Really? Oh, boy, I’d love that!”
“It’s settled then,” Carson said, relief evident in his tone. “Let’s go inside and see what we can do about tickets.”
They took a redeye flight from Nashville to arrive at Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport in the pre-dawn hours. Laurel, thank God, slept well before time to leave and managed to get to the airport and on the plane with minimal drama and very little grumbling. Lorelei however, couldn’t seem to stop the whirlwind of her thoughts. Was that Jaxon in the woods? Had he found them? Would he figure out they’d left and follow them to Mississippi? Would Carson’s family accept her, or even him, for that matter? How would they feel about Laurel? Would they really need to know who her father was? Around and around the questions went, like a merry-go-round on an unending cycle.
Love in Season Page 19
