“I won’t stay because of it. I have someplace I can go, but I have to leave now to make it before dark.”
Lana forced herself to her feet, disappointed Jayel was leaving and disturbed by that fact at the same time. While having someone with a gun around would add a level of security, that gun had just been pointed at Lana. Despite the inexplicable camaraderie she felt with the woman, Jayel was an unknown quantity.
“I guess I should say good luck then,” Lana said. “And thanks for not shooting me.”
That actually earned her a crooked smile. “Thanks for not freaking out and turning me in to the cops.” She hesitated. “Sorry about the gun.”
Lana followed Jayel to the front door. Sage was up against the front bars of the carrier, meowing insistently.
Jayel stopped and stared at the carrier. “You brought a pet here?”
“I didn’t have much choice.”
“I shouldn’t have to warn you to keep it inside.”
Lana nodded. “She’s leash trained. Among other things.”
After a brief silence, they both started speaking at once.
Lana broke off with a laugh. “You first,” she said.
“I was saying I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention my being here to anyone,” Jayel said.
“Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
The woman looked at her. “Maybe we do have some things in common after all.” She pulled open the door. “Take care of yourself.”
“You too. Stop by if you’re in the neighborhood.”
The look in reply made that doubtful, and as Lana locked the door tightly, she wondered whether she’d ever see Jayel again. It would have been nice to think she’d made a friend, although she’d prefer one with less dangerous baggage.
“Like I’ve got any room to talk,” she said as she bent down to the carrier.
Sage was circling and mewing loudly. Lana opened the cage door, expecting the feline to race for freedom. Instead, she poked her head out cautiously and sniffed before inching her way out.
“I expect you’ll be up late tonight exploring our new home,” Lana said, stopping herself when she reached out to stroke Sage’s soft brown-and-white stripes. Her hands were still sticky. “No more adventures for me, though. I’m exhausted.”
While she set food out for Sage and got cleaned up for bed, her rather freakish introduction to Shay Falls played over and over in her mind—especially the part where two gorgeous men burst into her life and abandoned it again just as quickly. Who could blame them? She wanted to ditch her life too.
Later, when she was snuggled under a thick patchwork quilt, she fell into a rare, nearly dreamless sleep. All she heard were nameless male whispers that teased near one ear and then the other. The voices were suggestive and arousing until she tried to listen more closely to what they were saying. Then the whispers would fade away.
Chapter Three
The truck was bumpy and sat high enough over the road to be disorienting. “Thanks again for the ride,” she said.
The tow driver, a stout man with wide arms, greasy fingernails, and a tag on his uniform that read Abraham, shrugged. “You didn’t have to come along. I could have just hauled the car to Manny’s for you.”
She smiled. “I want to talk to him myself to see if he’ll rush the job while I wait. Besides, I had the car keys.” She held them up with a jingle.
“Sounds like the radiator from what you told me. Might take a few hours, assuming he can get the parts and fit you in his tight little schedule.”
He shot her a grin that gave the last part a rather unpleasant, flirty connotation, and she shifted farther away from him on the bench seat. “I don’t mind. I need to do some grocery shopping in town anyway. I didn’t get a chance when I broke down.”
“And if he can’t work on it today?”
“Then I’ll call a cab.”
In truth, it would have been much easier to stay home and let the tow driver handle things. The morning had dawned gray and dreary, with damp mist lying thick over the mountain. Now that ten o’clock was approaching, the fog was barely parting, like heavy eyelids peeking open to admit sunlight. Staying snuggled under quilts with a book and a purring kitten would have been nice, but she was already getting cabin fever. Besides, she really did need groceries. Sage was the only one who had food, and her supply would only last a few more days. Lana had also left a second suitcase in her car, one she definitely needed sooner than later in light of the previous night’s welcome wagon.
“The turnout’s up ahead,” he said.
She nodded. When the temperature gauge on her car had first inched into the red, she’d hoped to limp it the rest of the way to the cabin. However, she’d been forced to pull over at the clouds of steam pouring out from beneath the hood. She’d left it in a turnout with a note.
As they slowed to round the bend, the trucks headlights pierced through the lingering mist to shine on her car—along with something that shot her eyes wide.
“Well, I’ll be,” Abraham said. “I didn’t know Manny made mobile repair stops. You called ahead to the garage, I take it?”
She shook her head. “I thought you were going to.”
“I don’t really do that. So who’s workin’ on your car?”
“I have no idea.”
The hood was popped open, and she stared at the back of a man who was bent over the engine, poking around. She couldn’t see much except skintight blue jeans and a white T-shirt, but she knew who would be most likely to want to tamper with her car.
A crawling, oily sensation shot up her spine. “Don’t stop,” she said. “Keep driving.”
“Why?”
“That man is dangerous.”
He flicked her a startled look. “Dangerous? What’s goin’ on?”
“Trust me. You don’t want to mess with him.” She yanked her phone from her purse. “I’m calling the police.”
The man straightened up from her car just as they drove past, and Lana slunk down in her seat to hide herself.
Abraham gave a snort. “Him, dangerous? That’s just Jayson Turk.”
She sat bolt upright and twisted around. Sure enough, the cowboy from the woods was wiping his hands on a shop towel. His hat was tilted slightly on his head, but not enough to block out his show-stopping profile.
“You know him?” she asked.
“We grew up together. Heard he left town a while back, though. You still want me to keep goin’?”
She thought for a moment. Lana had a few things to say to the man who’d taken it upon himself to go poking around her car. Was he hoping to steal it?
“No. Turn around.”
The tow truck couldn’t manage a U-turn on the narrow mountain road, so they drove a quarter-mile up to the next turnout before heading back. Puffs of dust flew up when the truck stopped behind her car, and she saw Jayson poke his head out from around the open hood. As he approached, she tried not to stare at the muscular torso his grease-smudged T-shirt hugged so tightly. The last of the fog parted in that moment, allowing rays of glorious morning sunshine to spill over him. His pale green eyes found Abraham first, and when they shifted to hers, they glittered with a heat that brought back all the confused feelings he’d stirred up the day before.
“Abe Jenson,” Jayson said, meeting them halfway and shaking hands vigorously. “Been a while.” He nodded to Lana and put a finger to his hat. “Mornin’, fancy lady.”
She rolled her eyes. Fancy? She was wearing comfortable jeans and a striped Jersey knit shirt. And sneakers, thank you very much. She still wore the wolf pendant, as well as the long witch’s braid that lay over one shoulder. She wound the end of her hair around her finger, wondering whether the braid’s magic could protect her from herself as well as from others.
“Heard you left town, Jay Jay,” Abraham said.
“You heard right. I just got back.”
The smile vanished from Abraham’s face. “How you holding up, after wh
at all happened?”
A muscle tensed in Jayson’s stubbled jaw. “People say it gets easier over time, but I’ve yet to see it.”
Abe nodded somberly. “I’m sorry, man. Truly.”
“Don’t suppose you’ve seen her around?” Jayson went on.
Lana’s spine stiffened at that. Jayson flicked her a glance, but she tried to appear disinterested by looking around at nearby trees. Inside, however, her mind was whirring. Who was this “she”? Had there been a divorce? Maybe that’s what Abe meant about how Jayson was holding up.
“Haven’t seen her lately,” Abe replied. “Figured she left sometime after you did.”
“I reckon,” Jayson said. “I’ll let you have my new number. Give me a holler if you hear anything.”
Her eyes wandered back to him while the men traded information. When Jayson’s smile reappeared, along with the dimple Lana had somehow forgotten about, she felt a brief little floating sensation in her knees. An annoying fact, considering there was some other woman he was apparently interested in.
“Any verdict on the lady’s car?” Abraham asked.
Lana stepped forward at that. “Yes, I’d love to hear this. Starting with how you knew this was my car.”
“It’s the only one broke down near where I first saw you.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “And it’s got your scent inside.”
The fact that he recognized it twisted a small knot in her chest.
“And how’d you get inside to sniff my perfume? I have the keys.”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out another set. “Found your spares hidden in the rear wheel well.”
Her brows knit. “I had spares?”
“You didn’t know?”
“I just bought the car before driving out here. The previous owner failed to mention it.”
He snorted. “Don’t know what you paid, but I’d wager you didn’t get a bargain.”
“I was in a hurry. And how did you know there would be spares?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Older cars like this often have spares tucked away somewhere. I took a chance.”
“Uh-huh. And why come out here just to take a chance?”
“Thought I might be able to help. And I was right.” He spun on his boot heel and strode around to the engine. “Radiator hose blew out but good. Among other problems.”
Abe nodded. “Figured as much, the way she described it.”
“I’m getting it towed to a mechanic,” Lana added.
Jayson waved his hand. “Don’t bother. I can fix it easy.”
She lifted her chin. “That won’t be necessary.”
He gave her a half grin that told her he knew she was trying to get rid of him. “Manny’s a great guy and an honest mechanic, but he jacks up his labor costs somethin’ fierce to cover his overhead. People pay it, too, since there ain’t any other full service garages for miles. I’ll do the job for the cost of parts, save you a bundle.”
Lana wished that argument wouldn’t matter, but it did. She’d been unable to work for months, and the savings she’d been living off wouldn’t last forever.
She clasped her elbows. “I suppose that’s a generous offer I can’t resist.” Just so long as he wasn’t under the mistaken impression she could work off the difference in other ways.
Jayson turned to Abraham. “Want some help hookin’ her up?”
“Sure.” The guy looked at Lana. “Where to, then?”
She looked at him hopefully. “Don’t suppose you could drop me at home and tow the car to his place?”
His thick brows lowered. “I really ain’t supposed to do that.”
“That’d be a problem for me anyway,” Jayson said. “I’m just back to town, hoppin’ here and there. It’d be best if you just take us to her place. I can work on it there.”
Lana stifled a groan. Alone at her cabin with Jayson? She wondered whether the money she’d be saving would be worth it.
The men made quick work of getting the little blue coupe onto the back of the flatbed, and they were soon off to her place with her sandwiched in the front seat. Jayson’s body heat proved a distraction that almost made her want to press against Abraham, who smelled of grease and a slight under-use of deodorant. Jayson, on the other hand, had a very male, forest-god scent that she wanted to keep inhaling. She folded her arms tightly to keep from rubbing against his, and she did her best to keep their thighs from touching. His legs were long, and he sat with them parted to avoid the toolbox he’d placed at his feet. As such, every bump in the road resulted in a contact that sent a jolt through her. The six-mile drive may as well have been six hundred.
“You know,” Abraham said, snapping her out of churning thoughts, “if you need a job now that you’re back, try Manny. Heard he wants a part-timer now that he’s taken up golf.”
The heady laugh in reply danced through her. “Golf?” Jayson grinned. “Can’t picture Manny in an electric cart and plaid pants. But thanks for the heads up. Truth is, I could use the work.”
Their chatter calmed Lana’s nerves somewhat. Conversation eased the awkwardness of sitting next to Jayson in silence.
“I know it’s not ranching,” Abe went on.
There was a pause. “It don’t matter. I ain’t worked a ranch for a while now.”
“Great,” Abraham said. “Then I’ll put in a word for you.”
“Better yet, I’ll put one in for myself. You headed back to town after this?”
“Yep.”
“If you don’t mind me taggin’ along, I can get the parts I need and a few more tools. I’ll stop and talk to Manny the golfer while I’m at it.”
“Sure thing.”
Lana rolled her eyes. Funny how Abe was willing to taxi Jayson around after his reluctance to help her.
“Just try to avoid jokes about his tiny balls,” Abe went on. “The guys give him enough shit about the golf thing.”
“I’ll bet.”
They pulled up at the cabin moments later, and she stood on the porch while the others offloaded the car onto the driveway. When Jayson started to climb back into the truck, however, she raced off the porch.
“Wait,” she said, a little too desperately. “Don’t you need money for the radiator?”
He stood on the running board of the truck. “Radiator hose. We can settle up later.”
“But you’re out of work. I can’t expect you to front that kind of money.”
“And I don’t expect a lady to carry that kind of cash around.”
That stopped her short. She did have quite a bit more than she should ever admit to a stranger. Especially one who would be returning here while she was alone.
“You’re right, of course. I don’t have anything of value.” Let him think on that, in case he had thievery in mind.
With a signed receipt from Abe and a tip of the hat from Jayson, the men took off. As soon as the large truck was out of sight, she opened her car trunk and got out the second, smaller suitcase.
Sage was at the door, purring and meowing, when Lana returned.
“What’s all the excitement, Sagie?” Lana asked. “Did you see birds out the window?”
The cat kept up her kitty-talk while Lana carried the case down the hall. The urge to primp almost pulled Lana to the bathroom magnetically, but she waved it off for matters of actual importance. From the suitcase she retrieved a small, glass jar full of an odd assortment of items—broken mirror shards, rusty nails, thorny rose stems, and razor blades.
Back outside, she buried the jar in the dirt beside the porch steps while chanting the incantation.
Jagged, rusted, sharp and pointed
With blood and herbs this jar anointed
Keep me safe within this dwell
Evil and harm this shall repel
After the ninth recitation, she brushed dirt off her hands and returned to the cabin, where it was time for some minor pagan redecorating. She lit a black candle and carried it room to room while she hung prote
ctive wards, whispering enchantments along the way. Sage followed along, purring. A horseshoe went up over both the front and back doors, and small, brass eyes graced the top of each window. The energy of pure nature all around the cabin would help boost the magic, although her poor mental focus wasn’t aiding matters any. All throughout the process, Lana kept flicking glances out the front windows, wondering when Jayson would return.
When she got to the last stop, the guest room, she frowned. “Shoot. I’m all out of charms.”
At least the most important rooms were done, and she’d made certain everything was locked tight. Maybe it seemed ridiculously superstitious, using old world tricks in a desperate effort to keep evil away. But new world tricks hadn’t been working that great for her thus far.
Once that vital work was done, she gave in and raced to the bathroom. Some strands had worked their way loose from her braid, and she tucked them away carefully. A quick swipe of mascara brightened her eyes, but her cheeks were already nice and pink from busy work and mountain air. Her lipstick had worn off, but she stopped short of painting on another coat. She didn’t want a certain cowboy thinking she’d been dolling up for him.
The sound of something metal clanking on the cement driveway startled her as she was dabbing perfume behind her ear. She ducked into the guest room to peer out the window. Jayson had come back and gone straight to work on the car.
Lana relaxed a little at that. She’d wondered whether he’d try to come inside first to see how much gratitude she was prepared to show him.
“Fat chance of that, mister,” she whispered.
For reasons she could never truly put a finger on, men who tried enchanting her were invariably put in their place—and that had been before a crazed killer turned a damning eye her way. Men weren’t safe, and they couldn’t keep her safe. Some had tried, like the police. He found her anyway. She’d gone on the run to make sure that didn’t happen again.
She peeked out the window, watching Jayson work while considering whether to go outside and acknowledge his presence. Maybe she could sit on the porch swing with her e-reader while there was someone else around. It was turning into a beautiful day.
Disorderly Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4
