“You must be Ranger Harding,” the other man said smoothly.
Wolf held his cold gaze. “That’s right. Who are you?”
“Gerald Summers. I’m a local mine owner.”
Wolf didn’t extend his hand, and neither did Summers.
“You say three men jumped you?” Summers coaxed in a cultured voice.
“That’s right.” Wolf wanted to add, Three of your men. But it was too early to indict Summers. He shifted his focus to the sheriff, who was scowling.
“More than likely these three have left town by now,” the sheriff told him testily.
“I don’t care. I want warrants made out for them. Just give me the papers to sign so that you can put the legal end in motion,” Wolf ordered.
Summers smiled slightly. “Sheriff, I’ll leave now. Ranger Harding, nice meeting you.”
Wolf nodded but said nothing. Summers reminded him of a weasel, as sleek and oily-looking as that bastard Ramirez.
“Like I said before,” Noonan repeated, “these boys have probably left town.”
“As I said before, I don’t care, Sheriff. I want them caught.”
Noonan’s eyes hardened. “No one tells me my business, Harding.”
Wolf stared back into the sheriff’s belligerent eyes. “And no one gets away jumping me from behind—or trying to steal from Sarah Thatcher.”
Leaning forward, resting his palms on his desk, Noonan looked Wolf over. “Kinda chummy with her, ain’t you?” he asked finally.
“That has no bearing on this,” Wolf growled, pointing at the copies.
“Yep, she’s got you wrapped around her little finger. She did that once to a guy name Philip Barlow, you know. Poor fella was all the worse for it. He had to leave town once she got done with him. A real viper, she is.”
Gritting his teeth, Wolf leaned across the desk. “Noonan, I don’t want to hear one more thing out of that filthy mouth of yours about Sarah Thatcher. Got it? Your job is to track down these bastards. If you don’t do it, I’ll make sure it happens. Do we understand each other?”
Noonan’s eyes grew large, then squinted in fury. He came bolting around his desk and clutched at Wolf’s shirtfront.
Instantly Wolf grabbed the sheriff’s soft white hand with his own. “Don’t do it if you want to live, Noonan,” he ground out softly.
Releasing Wolf’s shirt, Noonan straightened, his face white with anger. “Get outa here, Harding. You’re bad news, just like that Thatcher woman. A cold wind follows you, mister. A real cold one.”
“I’m coming in here tomorrow to find out what you’ve done about apprehending those three men, Sheriff.”
“Don’t threaten me!”
Wolf walked slowly to the door, then stopped, his hand resting lightly on the doorknob. “It’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”
“No one tells me my job!”
“I’ll be here at 1:00 p.m.,” Wolf snarled. He jerked open the door and left.
Outside, the weather was warming quickly. It was eleven o’clock and he had enough time to get home, pick up Sarah and take her someplace special for lunch, Wolf thought. He was looking forward to it. Every minute was precious when it was spent with Sarah. He frowned as he got into his truck. As he drove away from the jail, Wolf wondered who this Philip Barlow character was. Momentary jealousy stabbed at him, and he had trouble shrugging it off. The idea of any man making love to Sarah made Wolf uneasy. His grandmother had always said he had a bit of a jealous streak, but it had never surfaced—not until now. Then Wolf recalled the rest of his grandmother’s words—that his jealousy would only rear its head when he fell in love with the woman who would walk with him as his wife.
Rubbing his brow, Wolf replayed his medicine-woman grandmother’s prediction. He’d never been jealous of Maria in any way, he had to admit. He’d known that she’d had two lovers before him, and it had never bugged him. But this Philip whoever-he-was bothered the hell out of him. Was he an ex-lover? An ex-husband? Wolf knew so little about Sarah, and suddenly he wanted to know everything.
Chapter Ten
The noontime trade at Francey’s Diner consisted mostly of tourists, and for that Sarah was grateful. She didn’t want locals who worked for Summers to see her with Wolf or possibly eavesdrop on their conversation. As it was, she and Wolf were seated in a vinyl-covered booth at the rear of the diner, as far from the other patrons as possible, and they kept their voices low.
Wolf sat opposite her, their knees brushing beneath the narrow table. Sarah was hungry, finishing off a hamburger platter with relish, but she noticed that Wolf had left his hot beef sandwich practically untouched.
“What’s bothering you?” she asked, blotting her mouth with a paper napkin.
Wolf shrugged. “Not much.” He’d told her about the incident with Noonan, but not about Philip Barlow. There was no sense in making Sarah suffer because the sheriff hated her. She’d had enough nasty words flung at her.
Tilting her head, Sarah smiled. “You’re brooding. You look like a thunderstorm ready to split open and pour down rain.”
Wolf attempted to return her smile. “Good analogy,” he told her. Moving his fork absently around the tabletop next to his plate, he added, “It’s nothing.” It was something, all right, and Wolf was becoming angry with himself, because it seemed that he could hide nothing from Sarah’s perception. Jealousy ate at him, although he knew it shouldn’t.
“Oh.” Sarah sat back and picked up her mug of coffee. “I thought friends could share problems and concerns.”
“They can.”
“I’ll listen if you want to talk,” she said softly.
Wolf glanced up at her, on the verge of asking about Philip. He knew he was behaving like some immature sixteen-year-old kid—and it was making him mad. Swallowing, he shook his head. “It’s nothing,” he repeated.
“For once, I’d like to help you,” Sarah whispered. “I’m not a world traveler, and I don’t have more than a high school education, but maybe all you need is a set of ears.”
“Sarah,” he said, scowling, “stop putting yourself down.”
“Was I?”
“Yes. You’ve got so much going for you. You’ve got drive, energy and brains. You handle a career like gem mining all by yourself. And,” he said, “successfully. I’ve seen college grads and Ph.D.s who were worthless at running a business.”
Grinning, Sarah said, “Okay, so I’m a good businesswoman. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Wolf saw a slight flush come to Sarah’s cheeks. What she needed was a little care, a little pampering—a focus on her strengths.
“So,” he said, moving aside his platter of uneaten food, “how did you manage to get half this town angry at you?”
With a laugh, Sarah said, “It wasn’t hard, Wolf. My dad bucked Summers, and after he died, so did I.”
“You had a reputation as a troublemaker even back in high school,” he said, baiting her.
Frowning, she agreed. “Yes, I did. As my mom said, I don’t suffer fools gladly.” Sarah brightened. “My mom was always quoting different passages, things that made sense to me.” Her happiness faded. “That’s one of the things I miss about her since the stroke. She always had the right saying for any occasion.”
Wolf hurt for her. “At least she’s alive, and there’s a part of her left,” he said gently. Maybe he should take Sarah to the nursing home to see her mother. “And you love her. She knows that.”
Sarah shrugged unhappily and sipped her coffee. “Maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t. I just wish…”
“What?” Wolf said softly, absorbing her sad, pensive face.
With a sigh, Sarah forced a slight smile. “I just wish Mom was still here. I really miss talking to her and getting her advice. She sure helped me get through some tough times.”
“Such as?”
Sarah gave him an arched-eyebrows look. “My reputation in this town was bad news after the FBI investigation, Wolf. A lot of locals wouldn’t
have anything to do with me—of course, a lot of them work for Summers. But even those who don’t are afraid of him.” She gave him an apologetic look. “See what happened to you because you’ve sided with me? They almost beat you to death.”
Raising her hand to his lips, Wolf kissed her fingers gently. The need to give her some solace burned hotly through him, and he watched as her eyes widened at the touch of his lips on her skin.
“I wasn’t beaten to death, Sarah. You have a tendency to blow things out of proportion.”
Sarah’s fingers tingled pleasantly. For a moment, she sat in shock from Wolf’s unexpected kiss. Scrambling to find words, she said, “I know.”
Smiling, Wolf reluctantly released her hand. “That’s one of the many things I like about you, Sarah Thatcher.” How much heartbreak Sarah had endured. The look in her eyes was one of warmth mixed with desire. Wolf wondered if it could really be desire for him.
Sarah’s heart wouldn’t settle down. She had watched his strong mouth gently graze her hand, and the sensation had shone like sunlight through her until she ached to love him. But did he like her enough to want her? She sat digesting those thoughts as she finished her coffee.
Wolf pulled his platter back in front of him and began to eat the now-cooled beef sandwich, potatoes and gravy. Sarah smiled.
“What brought back your appetite?”
“Talking with you.”
She gave him a rueful look. “Noonan must have mentioned my name when you went to see him.”
“Yes. And not in very pleasant terms.”
“I’m sure.” Sarah fingered her sweat-beaded water glass. “I’m not a mean person, Wolf, although part of this town may paint me that way. I’m a fair-minded person. And I’m easily touched by sad stories.” She gave a little laugh.
“You bluster a lot, but underneath you’ve got a soft heart, honey,” he agreed.
Sarah blushed at the endearment, drowning in the burning gray of his gaze. “Mom always called me feisty,” she admitted wryly with a widening smile. “I’d get my hackles up at the drop of a hat, but then, I’d cool down just as quickly.”
“You’re a woman of fire. I like that.”
The words, gritty and low, made Sarah quiver with a hunger she’d never experienced. “Y-yes, I guess you could say I am.” The powerful intimacy that had sprung up between them frightened Sarah badly. Each time she held Wolf’s tender gaze, more of her trust reached out to him. It just couldn’t happen! Inwardly she began to panic. When she was around Wolf, she automatically surrendered to him, to the emotions that blossomed in his presence. Summers posed a physical danger to her, but Sarah felt the danger of being around Wolf becoming even more frightening.
“After lunch I’ll take you to see your mom at the nursing home, if you want.”
Desperate, Sarah jerked her chin upward and met his gaze. “I—No. I called the nursing home when you were gone, and she’s doing fine. She really doesn’t miss me.” Nervously she moved the water glass around between her hands and tried to prepare herself for the explosion she knew was coming. “Wolf, I want to go back to the cabin today.”
Her pleading tone tore at him. Frowning, he muttered, “You’re not ready to go back there, Sarah.”
“I have to! You know I’ve got to mine enough sapphires to pay the bills coming up.”
Wolf stopped eating and again pushed his plate aside. Sarah had both elbows on the table and was leaning forward, her eyes intense and stubborn-looking. “I can’t protect you if you’re up there, Sarah.”
“I can protect myself. Wolf, take me home—please.” Sarah had other reasons for leaving. She knew that if she remained with Wolf she might do something embarrassing and stupid.
Leaning back in the booth, Wolf held on to his patience. “Why can’t you work at the house?”
“It’s impossible,” Sarah said, spreading her hands. “I’ve got to dig more sapphires.”
The conversation was getting too heated. Wolf looked around and dug money out of his billfold. “Come on,” he growled. “We’ll talk about this on the way home.”
Sarah glanced around, realizing she’d become a little too loud. Wolf was right: The diner was no place to discuss the situation. She remained silent until they were on their way home, Skeet sitting between them.
Wolf broke the silence. “Look, if it’s the money worrying you, I’ll give you whatever you need, Sarah.” Holding her pleading stare, he added, “I’ll pay your bills. I’d rather have you safe than out on that mountain alone.”
Desperation filled Sarah. “No, Wolf. I’ve never taken anyone’s money, and I’m not starting now. Thanks, but—”
“Make it a loan, then.”
Tensing, Sarah whispered, “No.”
His mouth tightening, Wolf lowered his voice as he pulled into the driveway of the house. He slammed the truck into park and turned to Sarah. “All right, level with me. Why do you suddenly want to leave?”
Blinking, Sarah whispered rawly, “Because I’m drawn to you, Wolf, that’s why.” She watched him rear back as if he’d been struck, surprise written all over his harsh features. “Well, you don’t have to act like that,” she said bitterly. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep to myself.” She climbed out of the truck and nearly ran into the house, Wolf following close behind.
Once they were in the living room, Wolf gripped her by the shoulders. “We need some straight talk,” he rasped. He realized how tightly he was gripping her, and eased his fingers a bit. “You’re afraid if you stay around me that something will happen?”
Hanging her head, Sarah nodded. Wolf’s hands were like brands on hers. “I can’t trust myself. It’s not you….”
Wryly Wolf said, “Don’t kid yourself. This is a two-way street, Sarah. But we can deal with this like adults. You don’t have to run away from me, from the protection I can give you.” He watched Sarah’s head snap up, her eyes huge.
Sarah forced herself to meet and hold Wolf’s gaze. There was such tenderness in his eyes that she felt her breath escape in response. As a lover, Wolf would be cherishing with her, Sarah realized instinctively in that moment. All the more reason to leave. But she saw the set of his jaw and knew that Wolf wouldn’t let her go—at least not yet.
Driven to a point of desperation she’d never thought she’d feel, she twisted out of his grip. Taking several steps back, she lied to him. “I need time to think this over, Wolf. I—I want to go see my mother and think about it.”
Wolf raised his eyebrows. She’d said she didn’t want to visit the nursing home. Sarah’s face was flushed, and there was fear in her eyes. Wolf wrestled with the knowledge she’d shared with him. He knew that she was scared. He nodded. “Maybe that would be better,” he agreed thickly. Inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief that Sarah was going to remain under his roof.
“Come on,” he said, all the emotion draining from his voice. “I’ll take you over there.”
“Fine,” Sarah rattled. “Just let me get my purse.” Her mind was racing with alternative plans. Somehow she would find someone—perhaps Pepper Sinclair, the closest thing she had to a friend in this town—to drive her up to the cabin. Once she got there, Wolf would realize too late that she’d meant what she said. She had to get away from him. He moved her as no man had ever done, and Sarah couldn’t risk losing the last of her disintegrating self-reliance to Wolf.
Part of her was relieved, but another part was crying out that she would miss Wolf’s company, his presence. The feelings she’d had for Philip and those she held for Wolf were chasms apart. Her mother had told her what real love was like, how it felt, and what it meant. Did she love Wolf? The thought was pulverizing, sweet and unsure.
In front of the nursing home, Sarah turned to Wolf. She ached at having hurt him. Dragging in a breath, Sarah said, “I want to meet Pepper Sinclair when I’m done seeing Mom.”
“Who’s Pepper?”
“She’s a smoke jumper for the forestry department. I’m surprised you haven’t met her yet.
She’s the only woman on the team.”
Wolf roused himself from his unhappiness that Sarah wanted to leave. “No…I haven’t met her, yet. I heard her name mentioned once.”
Sarah forced a small smile. “She’s a lot like me—independent and a fighter.”
“Are you two friends?”
With a shrug, Sarah said, “I guess Pepper is a friend to me—but I haven’t been a very good one to her.”
“Because of the trust issue?” Wolf guessed grimly.
“Yes.” Sarah licked her lower lip. “I’ll call her from here, Wolf. I…I need some time away from you—from everything.”
“How are you getting home?” he asked, trying not to feel the smarting pain of her honesty.
“I’ll have Pepper drop me off. It’ll be a couple of hours, so don’t worry, okay?” She looked up to see the torture in his eyes and felt terrible for her dishonesty. More than anything, Sarah wanted to avoid subjecting Wolf to an argument over her leaving. This way it would be cleaner, less hurtful to both of them.
“Just keep your eyes open, Sarah. I don’t trust Summers at all.”
Without meaning to, Sarah reached out and grazed his puffy cheek. “I’ll be careful because you care,” she told him, her voice quavering. And she would.
The tingling dulled the pain in his jaw. Wolf watched her leave the truck. Unhappy, he sat with his hands resting on the steering wheel. There was nothing he could do to stop Sarah. He’d lost Maria through a very stupid mistake; he didn’t want to lose Sarah the same way. He tried to tell his hammering heart that she would be safe enough at the nursing home. And he’d heard that Pepper Sinclair was a woman warrior in disguise.
Sighing, Wolf put the truck in gear and backed out of the asphalt parking lot. His entire body ached, but, worse, his heart was in utter turmoil. Sarah had admitted some of her feelings for him. He tried to understand the terrible pressures that must put on her. She didn’t want to trust him, didn’t want to like him, but she did. Exasperated, Wolf left the nursing home. He’d go take a nap, and maybe, by the time he awoke, Sarah would be home.
Sarah moved guiltily around her cabin. Pepper had just left, and she was alone for the first time in nearly a week. The silence of the cabin was nerve-racking; something it had never been to her before. Nervously, Sarah looked at her watch. Two hours had passed since Wolf had trustingly left her at the nursing home.
Heart of the Wolf Page 15
