Until There Was You

by Unknown

  His cousin wasn’t a whimsical man. He valued, as Luke did, the close bond of family and friendship. To them, the words held meaning. You didn’t turn your back on either.

  Luke didn’t like to think that he had let his cousin down in some way. The ties that held them were strong and unbreakable. If Catherine had problems, and Daniel wanted her here, she was staying. Even if Luke had to tie her down.

  Shutting off the shower, he reached for a large fluffy blue bath towel. He was pulling on his jeans when he smelled coffee. His morning brightened. Maybe she was cooking breakfast with real bacon and eggs. Despite the cholesterol, both were personal weaknesses of his.

  He grabbed his shirt and quickly stuffed his arms into the sleeves. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a hardship having her around. He wasn’t the greatest cook, and his last satisfying meal was three days ago. It was difficult to enjoy eating when you knew the woman sitting across from you was sizing you up for a wedding ring through your nose.

  Slipping his feet into a pair of handmade moccasins that he wore while in the house, he headed for the kitchen. The closer he came, the headier the aroma. His mouth was actually watering when he stepped into the kitchen.

  Catherine wasn’t there. He frowned and chalked up his sense of disappointment to not finding her cooking.

  The sound of the front door closing had his frown deepening. He walked into the entryway and opened the front door. If she hadn’t been wearing the red jacket again, he might have missed seeing her heading for the woods. Lines radiated across his forehead. Where was she going? She’d probably never been in the woods in her life before now. It would be his bad luck that she’d end up falling and getting hurt.

  The thought of her being in pain brought an unexpected sharp wrench in his gut. Must be hunger pains, he thought, rubbing his stomach as he started back toward his room, grumbling all the way. Sitting on the bed, he removed his moccasins and pulled on his boots. He might as well go after her. Whether he liked it or not, she was on his property and therefore, technically his responsibility. To think he had come up here to get away from women—and now he had to go chase one down.

  Women.

  Nothing had gone right since he had walked into the cabin last night, and probably wouldn’t for the time Catherine was here.

  Women had a way of complicating and messing up a man’s life the way nothing else could. Why any man would even consider getting married was beyond Luke’s comprehension. He enjoyed a woman (on his terms) as well as the next man, but he always, always wanted the door open so he could move on when he was ready.

  The phone was ringing when he came out of his room. He veered in that direction. No one knew he was up here except Daniel. For the first time he might be glad he had relented and installed a phone as Daniel and his brothers and sister wanted.

  “Hello.”

  “Who’s is this? Where’s Catherine?”

  Luke knew fear when he heard it. It was there in the thin, almost shrill, East Coast accent of the female voice. New York he guessed. Dismissing his irritation at being interrogated on his own phone in his own house, he answered the first question. “Luke Grayson.”

  The answer didn’t appease her. “Who are you? What are you doing there? Where’s Catherine?” The questions came as rapidly as automatic gunfire.

  “I own this cabin with Dan—”

  “I want to speak with Catherine immediately.” The demand that cut him off was brisk and authoritarian.

  Patience, he reminded himself. “She just left for a walk in the woods.”

  “Catherine’s not the outdoors type.”

  “On that we agree,” he said with a note of sarcasm.

  “You put her on the phone or I’m calling the police. You have two minutes.”

  Lord, deliver him from high-strung women. “Look, lady. I told you Catherine went for a walk. I may not be able to find her and bring her back in two minutes.”

  “That’s your problem.” Click.

  Luke stared at the dead phone. Just his luck that one of Catherine’s friends was as unstable as she was. But his curiosity and his protective instincts were aroused again.

  Catherine and her friend weren’t the trusting type. Trust was a learned response, which meant that somewhere along the way, theirs had been violated. Hanging up the phone, he headed for the door. This time he was getting some answers.

  HE DIDN’T HAVE ANY TROUBLE FOLLOWING THE IMPRESsion of her tennis shoes in the dew-kissed grass. From the time he could walk and talk, his grandfather and uncles had taught him the old ways of the People. For his ancestors to survive, game had to be hunted. Those days might be gone, but the traditions of his People were preserved and passed on lest they be lost.

  He heard her before he saw her. Her voice, soft and persuasive.

  “It’s all right, I won’t hurt you. Come on, that’s it. There’s more where that came from.”

  Coming into the small clearing of spruce trees, he saw her and couldn’t believe his eyes. Catherine, on her knees, was two feet away from a half-grown wolf hybrid. The dirty animal was gulping down the slices of wheat bread as fast as she threw them. What worried Luke was what the animal would do once the food was gone. Hybrids were unpredictable and high-strung. He could fade back into the woods or . . .

  Luke began slowly moving toward them. He was ten feet away when the animal’s head came up. Luke could tell almost to the second when the wind shifted, carrying his scent. A growl rumbled from the animal’s thin chest as he turned toward Luke, then with one sharp bark he was gone.

  Catherine turned to see what had caused the animal to run and stared up into Luke’s angry face. She opened her mouth to give him a stern reprimand for scaring her animal away, but somehow the words got lost when her gaze drifted downward. The first five buttons of his white shirt were undone, revealing rope-hard muscles that made her mouth water, then dry. Her reaction annoyed her to no end. She had seen a man’s chest before, but, honesty made her admit, never one so sculptured and bronzed.

  “I realize you’re from the city, but don’t you have better sense than to feed a strange animal?”

  His censure effectively brought her back to her senses. Clutching the bread sack in her hand, she pushed to her feet. “He wasn’t going to harm me. Why did you have to scare him away?”

  Wide-legged, hands on narrow hips, he continued to glare at her. “That was a hybrid you were feeding.”

  She stopped dusting off the knee of her black linen slacks. “Hybrid?”

  “Half-wolf/half-dog or descendants of,” he explained impatiently. “They were popular pets at one time until people learned that wolves, no matter how much you dilute the genes, aren’t meant to be shut up or tamed unless they choose.”

  “That explains the worn collar on his neck.” Her lips tightened. “And the scars on his back.”

  A curse hissed through Luke’s teeth.

  “Exactly.” She could almost forgive him. “After three days of trying to get him to trust another human, you come along and ruin it.”

  “Well, excuse me.” He looked like a warrior about to go into battle, and he was taking no prisoners. “I was trying to save your pretty neck.”

  The way he said it, it wasn’t a compliment. Her chin lifted. “Thanks, but I’m used to protecting my neck from wolves.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I just bet you are, but you might have gotten more than a hickey.”

  “Just let a man try to put one of those disgusting things on my neck.”

  “What are you going to do, shoot him like you tried to do to me last night?”

  Her chin went up. “I apologized for that.”

  “Yeah, you did.” He looked her over. “If you were planning to feed the hybrid, why didn’t you bring your gun?”

  Horror washed across her face. “I wouldn’t have shot the poor animal.”

  Somehow her admission escalated his anger. “But you wouldn’t hesitate to blow a hole in me.”

  She waved her slim hand in
dismissal. “The gun wasn’t loaded.”

  His hands came to his sides. “What?”

  She and her big mouth. She hadn’t thought he would like hearing that. “I didn’t have time,” she said, hoping the lie would placate him. It didn’t.

  “Women.”

  He spat out the word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. A very sensual mouth at that. “You have a problem with women?” she asked, wondering why she was standing there arguing with him instead of going back to the cabin and leaving.

  “They’re illogical and scattered,” he told her with an emphatic nod of his Stetson-covered head.

  Bread sack clutched in her hand, Catherine glared up at him. “On what do you base such an idiotic assumption?”

  His black eyes narrowed, but he answered, “Some woman with a heavy East Coast accent called while I was leaving the cabin. She demanded that she speak to you, gave me two minutes to find you, then hung up before I could get her name. If that isn’t illogical and scattered, I don’t know what is.”

  Making a face, Catherine started back for the cabin. “When Helena gets excited or nervous, her accent becomes more pronounced.”

  Luke matched his steps to hers. “How do you know who it was?”

  “Only three women know I’m here. My mother wouldn’t have warned you, Dianne would have charmed you, and neither have East Coast accents,” Catherine explained.

  Without thinking, Luke caught her elbow and helped her over a log. He was surprised how fragile she felt, and even more surprised that he was reluctant to release her. “Why did she sound so upset?”

  “Literary agents tend to be very protective of their clients,” she answered.

  “Client?”

  “Yes, I write children’s stories.”

  He frowned, his gaze running over her again. Would this woman always surprise him? The red jacket’s collar was turned up, framing her beautiful mahogany face with its sensual lower lips and eyes the color of . . . melted dark chocolate, he finally determined. A face too exotic and too tempting for anything as tame and harmless as children’s stories. “I thought you taught psychology?”

  “I do. Most of the professors publish books or research papers. It’s almost a prerequisite if you hope to obtain tenure.” She shrugged slim shoulders. “I’ve been writing children’s stories since I was a child myself.”

  “You publish anything yet?”

  A small smile of satisfaction played around her mouth. “Yes.”

  “Is that how you know Daniel? He bought one of your books for Daniel junior?”

  “He’s purchased all of them, but I’ve known Daniel and his family since I was a baby. I was at Daniel’s wedding reception and Dominique’s wedding.”

  “I don’t remember seeing you.” Of that he was certain.

  She lifted a brow at the slightly accusatory tone. “I was on a tight schedule and only stayed a short time at both occasions.”

  Pausing, she bent over to pluck a wild daisy. Her black slacks gently cupped her rounded hips. Luke shoved his hands into his pockets before they did something ungentlemanly, foolish, and possibly dangerous. He didn’t doubt he’d soon find himself looking down the barrel of her gun again, and this time it would be loaded. “You’re from Boston then?”

  “Yes, Daniel and my brother, Alex, went through prep school together.”

  Rich and pampered, just like he’d imagined. A year’s tuition to Daniel’s private school cost more than some people made in a year. “You don’t look like you write children’s stories to me.”

  Used to the remark, but no less annoyed by it, she pushed to her feet. “How many children’s authors have you met?”

  Although he knew the trap waiting for him, he could see no way around it. “You’re the first.”

  “And you call women illogical and scattered, yet you make an inane statement like that. Men,” she said and started walking again.

  Luke tugged the brim of his black Stetson and followed. Women. Daniel was going to owe him big time for this.

  BY THE TIME THEY EMERGED FROM THE WOODS, A black and white state police patrol car was pulling up in front of the cabin. A faint trail of red dust followed, then settled as the car stopped.

  “Guess your two minutes were up,” Catherine said blithely.

  Luke gritted his teeth, caught her elbow, and continued toward the cabin. Daniel’s bill was escalating more by the minute.

  A young patrolman emerged from the car, then put on his black regulation hat. “Hello, Luke, Miss.”

  “Hello, Johnny,” Luke greeted. “I guess I don’t have to ask why you’re here?”

  The young man momentarily looked embarrassed. “We got a call to check on a Dr. Catherine Stewart. The order came from way up. Since I was patrolling Interstate 25, the sergeant sent me.”

  “Dr. Catherine Stewart, Patrolman Johnny Wesley,” Luke introduced. “As you can see, she’s all right.”

  Surprise swept across the officer’s face. “You’re a doctor?”

  “I have a doctorate in psychology,” she told him.

  The admiration in his appreciative male gaze increased. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Stewart,” he said tipping his hat. “It certainly wouldn’t be difficult to tell you my troubles.”

  “Brother,” Luke muttered and barely kept from rolling his eyes.

  Ignoring Luke, Catherine stepped forward, glad to be able to free herself from the surprising heat emanating from his fingers on her arm, and extended her hand. “Patrolman Wesley, I’m sorry for any inconvenience I’ve caused. I planned on being up here alone, and my friend in New York must have become alarmed when Luke answered the phone.”

  A wide grin on his face, the young man accepted her hand in his and held on. “Don’t worry about it, Dr. Stewart, part of my job.”

  “That’s nice of you to be so understanding,” she said, sliding her hand free.

  The officer flushed. Catherine’s smile widened to put him at ease. “If you’ll excuse me, I better call Helena and let her know I’m all right.”

  Luke couldn’t help but notice the rapt expression in the officer’s face. He never took his eyes off her as she went into the house. At twenty-one, Johnny was the impressionable type, but turning into an outstanding patrolman from all reports, according to Sergeant Owens.

  The state police for New Mexico covered a great deal of isolated territory and often had to go into dangerous situations by themselves with no backup. No matter what, they always had to be alert, never let their guard down. Luke knew if the by-the-book officer could see the top graduate of the academy thinking about a woman instead of getting back to his patrol, he’d go ballistic.

  “Hadn’t you better radio in and let the sergeant know everything is all right?”

  “I did that the moment I saw it was really you.” Leaning against the hood of the car, he crossed his legs and continued to stare at the door. “How is she related to you and Daniel?”

  “She’s not.”

  Abruptly straightening, Johnny brought his attention back to Luke, his expression wary as his gaze traveled over Luke’s partially buttoned shirt. “She’s not?”

  Luke didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out where Johnny’s mind had incorrectly traveled. “She’s a friend of Daniel’s. I didn’t know she was up here.”

  Johnny brightened and settled back against the dusty black and white. “How long is she staying?”

  “She’s leaving today,” Luke said.

  Thin shoulders slumped beneath the starched charcoalgray shirt. “Just my luck.”

  The front door of the cabin opened and Catherine hurried down the steps. She carried the bread sack in her hand.

  “Where are you going?” Luke asked, afraid he already knew the answer.

  Smiling, she leaned toward him. Her red lips slowly parting, she said, “Guess?”

  The word came out in a throaty, provocative purr. Unexpectedly, something inside Luke tightened. He had a crazy impulse to drag her into his arms,
put his lips on hers, and really give her something to purr about. His eyes darkened.

  The teasing smile slipped from her face. Catherine felt as if she were in a vacuum alone with Luke and someone was sucking out all the air. And the only way to get it back was to . . .

  He stepped back. “A hybrid is nothing to play with.”

  “I’m not playing,” she said, unsure of what had just happened to her, and if she were talking about the animal or him. One thing she was sure of, she had to leave or she was going to do something totally foolish and out of character for her.

  “What hybrid?” the patrolman asked.

  “The wolf hybrid Catherine found in the woods,” Luke answered.

  The young man frowned. “He’s right, Dr. Stewart. You should be careful.”

  “I can take care of myself, but thanks for your concern. Goodbye, Officer Wesley,” she told him.

  The young man tipped his hat. “Goodbye, Ma’am.”

  Catherine headed for the woods. Maybe it was a good thing she was leaving. Luke affected her in the most unusual ways. After feeding the hybrid she’d named Hero, she was leaving.

  “Stubborn woman,” Luke muttered.

  “And beautiful,” Officer Wesley added with a heavy sigh.

  Luke didn’t take his gaze from Catherine going deeper into the woods. “A bad combination.”

  “You’re going after her?”

  Luke hadn’t realized he was doing exactly that. He didn’t slow. “Daniel would never forgive me if anything happened to her.”

  “I could go in for you,” Johnny offered hopefully.

  “Thanks, but I’ll take care of it.” Luke’s pace increased to keep her in his sight. When he caught up with her, she was going to listen to reason. Of all the women for Daniel to send to the cabin, why did it have to be someone so stubborn, and so damn beautiful and compelling? Just his bad luck that he never liked anything easy or predictable.

  TRY AS SHE MIGHT, CATHERINE COULDN’T KEEP HER mind totally on the hybrid. She was still too conscious of Luke. Of all the times for her to be attracted to a man, why now, and why to someone as opinionated as Luke? Didn’t she have enough on her mind without this? So what if he had a body that would make most women’s mouths salivate, she had never gone in for the superficial.