“Okay.” She nodded and spun slowly around. It seemed simple enough, and she could spot several of their red markers from where she stood. “I got this. Not remotely sure why I need to, but I’m good.”
She followed Sawyer back down the mountain much faster than they’d ascended. Sawyer shifted and dressed, and they were back in the truck in no time.
Logan pointed out the windshield. “Instead of heading back to the condo immediately, I’m going to show you how to get to Laurie’s from here. Her house is the closest to this main road. It’s about a half a mile.”
“And all five of you have a portion of land here, right?”
“Yep. I was in the middle of getting the foundation started on my section when I met Logan last Thursday.” Sawyer chuckled.
“And that was funny?” She glanced back and forth between them, wondering what was so comical.
“Not even close.” Logan grimaced. “I was a bit hotheaded when I arrived. We hadn’t even met, and I tore into Sawyer like he was the devil incarnate.”
“Why exactly?” A smile spread across her face as she took in his lighter demeanor. She could tell the story would be one they’d laugh over for years.
Logan glanced at her, a twinkle in his eye. “Because he was building the house I’m going to live in for the rest of my life and didn’t bother to get my say in the design. Or yours for that matter.”
“What? How did you know that before you met him?”
Sawyer set a hand on her thigh. “Same way we know Cooper and Sharon are destined.”
“Ah. But it could have been Sharon you were meant to mate, right?” she asked Sawyer.
“Yes. Right up until Sharon paid me a visit that morning and verified it wasn’t her.” He grinned. “That left one option, and this asshole over here went ballistic when Sharon returned to the lodge to inform him not only was she not my mate, but I was already laying down the two-by-fours for the foundation.”
Amanda laughed. “I can see that.”
Logan pulled off the road. “We’ll swing by so you can see the plans.”
She shivered and rubbed her arms where goose bumps rose. “Weird. Knowing you were building a home I was destined to live in, and I never even knew it.”
“Imagine how I felt?” Logan teased. “I did know it.”
She widened her gaze as they pulled off the main road onto a gravel drive that wound around until it reached the construction site.
Sawyer hopped down from the truck and turned to lift Amanda behind him. “Come on. My little trailer isn’t much, but you can see the blueprints. In fact, we’ll take them with us. I got a bit carried away designing the house before I met you both, mostly to keep my mind occupied while awaiting the inevitable.”
“Which was meeting Sharon and/or Logan and mating,” Amanda concluded.
“Yes.”
Logan took her hand as they rounded the truck and headed for the trailer. “Believe me. I saw the blueprints. He did an amazing job designing this place. I’m sure we won’t have many complaints.”
»»•««
Edmund wiped the sweat from his brow and stopped pacing to stare at his wife. “Ada, all of your ideas are futile. We can’t execute any plan that would raise a red flag to the deputies. We’ve already asked our members to remove their kids from the school.”
“I don’t think Mary got the message,” Ada said. “Obviously not since Caleb says Amanda has another interview with this college professor tomorrow. Thank God that teacher is so excited about hiring Amanda Williams that she keeps yapping about it in class.”
Edmund stopped pacing to address the other three people in his office more directly. “I’m afraid I have other information that makes this situation even worse.”
Ada rolled her eyes. “How could it get worse?”
Edmund continued. “It seems Amanda Williams is in a relationship with Logan Masters and some guy from the reservation.”
Florence jumped to her feet. “Are you serious? This again? What’s wrong with people these days?”
Cecil crossed his legs and frowned. “Florence, sit down.” He waited for her to lower herself back into her chair before continuing. “Legally we’re in a bind. Once again, there’s nothing we can do about who a woman chooses to live with.”
Ada shook her head. “This is insane. It’s like half the town is possessed by the devil.”
Cecil cleared his throat, dismissing Ada. “Let’s stay on track here. The goal is to get this Amanda woman to not take the job at the college. We could send a more distinct message to Mary, but it will have to be anonymous with no way of tracing it.”
Florence sat up straighter, drawing Edmund’s attention to her. “I have an idea. Has Rachel Hanson pulled her kid out of the preschool yet?”
Ada shook her head. “I don’t think so. She was still trying to make alternate arrangements.”
“Perfect. Let’s coach her about what to say when she gets there. Something that makes it clear that Mary’s sister is not appreciated in the community without making it sound like Rachel means anything by it.”
“That would work,” Edmund said, sitting up straighter while his mind raced with possibilities. “I like it. Let me figure out the details.” He turned to his wife. “Ada, can you get Rachel to stop by sometime today?”
Ada smiled. “I’m certain of it.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
By Wednesday everyone was on edge. The men had nearly paced a hole in the carpet in Logan’s condo. The waiting was unbearable.
“Sit down,” Amanda said. She pointed a spatula at him from the kitchen area. “You’re driving me crazy.”
Logan sat at the kitchen table, but he tapped his leg so hard, his actions were not any different. “It’s mind-boggling. We haven’t seen a single spirit in over a day, neither Corbin nor Trace can find anything wrong with the logging site, and we’re no closer to having a clue what the spirits are trying to tell us.”
Amanda lifted the grilled ham and cheese sandwiches out of the pan and slid them onto plates. “Maybe it was simple, and the spirits wanted me to be informed and safe since I just moved to the area.” She liked that idea.
“Not buying it. It’s never that simple. There’s more to this.” Logan flattened his palms against the glass tabletop, his fingertips turning white where they pressed into the surface.
As she slid a plate over to him, she tapped his hands. “Stop fretting. I don’t think this is a big deal.” She knew they were both worried, but from her viewpoint, it seemed futile. The weird black thing made its point. She did her part for safety, and now it was done. “I have an appointment at the junior college today at eleven.”
“No way,” Sawyer said around a bite of his sandwich. “We aren’t letting our guard down that quickly. You need to stay away from that place for a while longer.”
She lowered herself into her seat and cocked her head to one side. “This is crazy. Logan is intentionally not working, I’m doing nothing, and I’m sure you aren’t spending as much time at the gym as you usually do.”
“What’s crazy is how many days it’s been since there’s been a large fire within a hundred mile radius. Now that’s crazy. The conditions are ripe. The wind is strong. My boss is shocked. And frankly, so am I.”
Amanda held her sandwich midair before taking a bite. “Maybe there’s a connection.”
“I don’t see how,” Logan stated. “Not that I haven’t considered the idea, but where is the connection?”
“No idea.” Amanda set her sandwich down and reached for her water. “Is logging a fire hazard?”
Sawyer shook his head. “Not in and of itself. I mean, it only takes a spark to cause a fire, but the loggers are strictly regulated concerning any sort of potential risks during high-burn months. They go through this every year. No matter how many corners they may be cutting or what illegal activities they may be engaged in, they certainly don’t want to lose their livelihood, and a fire would wipe them out.”
; Logan’s phone buzzed on the corner of the table, and he picked it up. “It’s Jackson.” He took the call. “Hey, Jackson. Sorry we haven’t gotten back with you… Yeah, my brother’s looking at the possibilities…” He sighed, and his shoulders fell as he rubbed his forehead with two fingers. “Yeah. I understand. Can you take someone with you? Perhaps a few people?”
There was a pause. Amanda held her breath.
“Right. Okay. Look, be careful. Maybe if you act like it’s a routine visit instead of a nark-incited request… Yes… Okay… If you find anything, I’d keep your face schooled and not let on that you did. Leave there first and then call someone… Right… Yeah… Make sure someone knows you’ve arrived and will contact them when you leave. Maybe say that in front of the boss… Yes. I’ll text you Trace’s number. Call him when you leave… Okay, bye.”
Sawyer groaned. “Let me guess. He’s going to the logging site for an inspection, and he’s doing it alone.”
“Yep.” Logan frowned. “Not much he can do about it. Other than our gut feeling, he doesn’t have any cause to be concerned. He has to follow up, but it doesn’t warrant his boss sending someone from another county to accompany him.”
“That sucks,” Amanda said. Again, she wasn’t a shifter, nor had she ever heard of half the supernatural occurrences she’d witnessed in the last several days, but even she had a bad feeling that made her hand shake and her stomach roil.
She had to get out of this condo. She finished eating as much as she could swallow in the silence of the room and then pushed her chair back and headed for the bedroom. Before she could consider changing into something more appropriate for her second interview, both men were behind her. She could feel their presence without turning around.
“We don’t want you to go anywhere,” Logan said. “Please.” His voice was soft, gentle, pleading.
She took a deep breath and spun around. “I feel like I’m in a cage.” She smiled at them both. “Granted it’s a wonderful cage filled with the best sex a woman could ever hope for, but we can only spend so many hours a day naked.” In fact, she’d only had clothes on for about two hours in the past twenty-four.
Sawyer lifted a brow. “I beg to differ.”
She set her hands on her hips and cocked one to the side. “Ha ha.”
“Naked is good,” Logan added. “Naked keeps you distracted from wanting to get out of here.”
They both stepped toward her, forcing her to back up to keep a few feet of distance. If they got any closer, she would lose her resolve. She always did when their scents filled her nose and their hands landed on her skin. “Guys, I’m serious. I have an appointment. I’m not going to miss it. What’s the big deal? Who cares if I go to the campus and meet with Dr. Burnhart?”
Logan dropped his shoulders. “That’s the problem. I don’t have any idea who cares, but I’m not willing to risk your life to find out.”
“And we still have no way of knowing who the threats were meant for. There’s no specific indication someone doesn’t want me taking this job.”
“Baby, there’s no specific indication something illegal is happening at that logging site either, but I’m betting my last dime one of those two concerns is valid.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “One of you go with me. But I’m not flaking on this woman simply because someone may or may not be threatening me.”
“I’ll go,” Sawyer said.
“Let’s all go,” Logan added.
She shook her head. “No. You know that idea sucks. We don’t need to draw attention to ourselves. And nobody brings a boyfriend to a job interview, so you can’t get out of the car.” She pointed at Sawyer. “You go. You wait in the parking lot. I’m not going to get abducted between the car and the building.”
»»•««
Amanda made her way into the anthropology department on the second floor of McField Hall, desperately trying not to let her nerves get the better of her. She looked left and right so many times, it was a wonder her neck didn’t hurt. No matter what, she was stressed, making it difficult to keep from wobbling in her professional black pumps. She was glad she’d chosen to wear flared black dress pants instead of a skirt. That was the only thing that kept Sawyer’s hand from making direct contact with her thigh during the drive.
“Amanda…” Sawyer hadn’t stopped with the running commentary the entire time. It had taken every effort to get him to comply with her wishes and wait in the car.
“I’m fine. Geez. Her office is right in front of me. The door is open. I’m going in. Don’t bother me for a bit so I can act slightly human and not distracted.” She wasn’t good at blocking them from her thoughts yet, and she sucked at keeping them out of her head, but fortunately Sawyer cut her some slack and didn’t say another word.
“Amanda. Come in.” Lucy rose from her seat and indicated the one across from her desk. “How are you? Settling in well in the community?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Lucy smiled broadly. “Good news. I should have the grant in place by the end of the week, and the department has approved your employment.”
Amanda returned the smile. “That’s great. I’m so excited. When do you want me to start?”
“Is Monday okay?”
“Monday’s perfect.” Logan and Sawyer were going to flip, but they were going to have to get over themselves. Maybe without another spirit sighting between now and Monday, they would lighten up. Amanda truly believed the spirit had simply wanted to guide her so she would be safer in the mountains.
Lucy’s face grew more sober. “I do want to reiterate that there are many in the community—in both communities, really—who are not in favor of this project. You may get some dirty looks in town when people find out you’re the one doing this research.”
“I can handle it.” Little did Lucy know Amanda was already going to get dirty looks in town for something she couldn’t control at all, living with two men. Who cared if some jackasses applied pressure to her to force her hand? She wasn’t backing down.
“I admire your spunk.” Lucy stood and shook Amanda’s hand. “I’ll have human resources contact you tomorrow so you can come by and fill out all the paperwork.”
Amanda stood also. “Sounds good. I’ll be looking forward to it.” She turned, her heart lighter, and left the office, shutting the door behind her.
Without contacting Sawyer, she headed toward the stairway. He wouldn’t miss her yet. She’d been in the office only a few minutes. He could wait a few more. She intentionally blocked him, thinking to surprise him with her quick exit.
As soon as she stepped into the stairwell, someone caught her eye and she hesitated on the platform. The same kid from the first day she interviewed leaned against the wall two steps down from her. He jerked his head up when she entered.
She thought about turning around and running back inside the second floor waiting area, but he stopped her with an open palm. “Hey. I don’t mean you any harm. I just want to warn you.”
“Warn me about what?” she asked when she should have been running.
“Some people…they don’t want you taking this job.”
She nodded. “I’m not going to back down because of some bullies. They’re going to have to get over themselves.”
He swallowed. “I hear you. I… I just wanted to warn you. I don’t like what they’re saying about you.”
“They? Who are they? And how do you know?”
He shrugged and stuck his hands in his jeans pockets, making himself significantly more harmless.
She instinctively knew he was telling the truth. He didn’t personally mean her any harm.
“Just some religious fanatics who don’t want to see these two communities blended.” He stiffened and jerked upright, standing taller. “Look, if they found out I warned you…”
“I won’t tell anyone. But you should think harder about who you associate with.”
He rolled his eyes. “You mean like my parents and their frien
ds? Yeah, I should. And as soon as I can, I’ll get out of town, but for now, I’m their fucking messenger, and I don’t like it.”
“So, you were spying on me the other day. And today.”
He frowned. “Yeah, I guess so. I’m in one of Professor Burnhart’s classes. She’s really excited about this research project.” He grinned sheepishly and then swallowed and pasted on an intentionally more serious face. He couldn’t be out of his teens. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. You seem like a perfectly nice lady.”
She inhaled long and slow. “I appreciate it. Tell your parents and their ignorant lackeys you did your job and warned me off.”
He nodded. “Will you still take the job?”
“Yes.”
He almost smiled. “I thought so. I hope you have people who can watch your back.”
“I do.”
“Okay. Well, later then…” He raced past her, whipped open the door to the second floor, and disappeared inside.
Amanda closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Logan and Sawyer were going to freak out when she told them about this. In fact, she cringed imagining them not allowing her to leave their sight for an instant. If they told her she couldn’t take this job, she would freak.
She wouldn’t tell them. What difference would it make? She got the message from the kid. She didn’t really have any more information than before. She couldn’t prove his parents or their friends had actually sent the notes to Logan’s condo. In reality nothing had changed, so she didn’t want her life to change either.
Slowly, she began to descend the steps. She made it about three paces before she stopped dead. Shit…
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sawyer jerked his gaze toward the rear entrance to McField Hall for the tenth time as the door opened and someone stepped out.
Finally.
He stopped pacing next to his truck and inhaled slowly. She was fine. She looked more than fine…right? She had a smile on her face… However, her gait was stiff and awkward.
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