An attractive blonde wheeled Dean into the waiting room. Since a cast covered his right foot and the bottom of his leg, it was safe to assume something was broken.
“Remember to give us a call if you need anything.” The woman handed him a pair of crutches.
“I will,” he told her as he hoisted himself up. “Thanks for everything, Kim.”
Were they already on a first-name basis? Seriously? Bile burned the back of Ember’s throat. She marched over to the pair. “I’ve got it from here, hon.”
The blonde shrugged before walking off.
Ember gestured at the door. “All set?”
“Wait.” He hobbled over to the reception desk where a young boy and his mother had also just come out from the back area. The kid’s arm was in a sling, and he had a bright green bandage on his forehead. “You were so brave, Logan. I bet your mom’s proud of you.”
The child beamed at Dean. “You were, too.” He stuck a lollipop into his mouth.
“Not as brave as you. Five stitches with not a single tear?” Dean gave him a thumbs up without letting go of his crutch. “You’re my hero.”
The boy’s mother ruffled her son’s hair. “Mine too,” she said. Then she threw Dean a wink. “Thanks for everything. You were great in there.”
Waving off the comment, Dean nodded at Ember. “Now I’m ready.”
Ember swallowed past the giant lump in her throat. Why should she care that Dean had apparently helped the boy through getting stitches? Soon enough she’d deposit Dean back at his camp, let him know that he’d have to vacate her property by morning, and she’d be finished with him before lunchtime.
Dean went to the driver’s side and opened the door.
“I’ll drive,” she said, slipping past him. “You’ve probably got some painkillers in your system, not to mention that big cast on your right foot.”
He nodded his agreement then circled around to the other side. When Ember offered to help him in, he shook his head. “I can do it.” And he did. It took him a good two minutes to get inside, though. He positioned his crutches against the door. “Told you I could.”
Snickering, she turned on the engine and drove out of the lot.
Dean rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t pay the hospital my copayment. In fact, I’m not sure I even gave them my insurance card.”
She stopped at a red light on Main Street. “I covered the bill.”
“You did? Thanks.” He pointed at Santa’s Workshop. “There are icicles on that building. The frost on the windows looks so real.”
Ember handed him the water bottle he hadn’t quite finished on the way to the hospital. “It’s very well done, don’t you think?”
“I think I’m not used to painkillers.” Scrubbing a hand over his face, he yawned. “So why’d you pay my medical bill?”
An elf and a guy she recognized as one of the gargoyles who posed in the fountain strode through the crosswalk before the light turned green.
She glanced at the charming businesses lining the downtown commercial district, most of which were lit up with fairy lights. “Well, it was my horse that caused your injury.”
“That’s true, but most people wouldn’t step up and take responsibility, even if they were at fault.”
“My parents taught me to be kind and responsible.” Wait, was he absolving himself of any blame in this? “I wouldn’t say that I was completely at fault. You do realize that if you hadn’t been trespassing you’d have never gotten hurt.”
Despite the fact that she was watching the road, she felt his eyes boring into her.
Folding his arms over his chest, he straightened in the seat. “I was only on your land because of…an understandable mistake that my grad student made. It’s not my fault that the state of Georgia takes their sweet time to update their records after they sell off public lands.”
Her shoulders tensed. “So now it’s the state’s fault? That’s rich.”
He grumbled something about his grad student then remained silent for a good five minutes. Finally, he rubbed his chin. “It’s interesting that you’re blaming me for my broken ankle. That’s not what your actions say, though.”
“Meaning?”
He didn’t respond. When she ventured a covert glance at him, his eyes were closed. A moment later his breaths deepened.
The more she thought about their conversation, she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake by picking up the bill. She remembered a conversation she’d had with her cousin, who was a lawyer. He’d told her about a lawsuit he’d lost a few years back, a slip and fall case. The defendant had covered the cost of the plaintiff’s injuries, just trying to be a stand-up kind of person. Problem was, that gesture had basically been an admission that her cousin’s client had been at fault.
A shiver rolled over her skin. She didn’t give a damn about having to pay out a settlement. Money wasn’t an issue for her. Publicity was the problem. The people of Nocturne Falls wouldn’t want a hoard of media people bearing down on them. The Ellingham family, the folks who ran the town, didn’t care for that sort of attention.
Plus, if Dean decided to sue her, the whole world could find out where she now lived. Long gone would be her blessed privacy, and possibly, her very safety.
Chapter Three
Dean startled awake. He was in the passenger seat of his truck sitting next to the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Then it all came rushing back to him— the demolition of his equipment, breaking his ankle, going to the hospital, and them arguing about who bore the brunt of responsibility for his injury. His head was foggy from the medicine, but at least his ankle didn’t hurt too badly.
His broken bone would heal. The injury would surely throw a monkey wrench in his plans, though. If he didn’t get photos of the creature soon, it might be too late for his father. Dean had to make it happen, somehow.
The truck bounced on the dirt road until Ember parked, the headlights illuminating Dean’s campsite. “Last stop, cowboy.” She came around to his side and opened the door. “Should I bother asking if you need my help getting down?”
“Probably not.” Using his crutches, he eased himself out as Ember stood close enough to assist if he had trouble. She could have left him on the mountain with a broken bone, or merely called an ambulance to collect him. Instead, she’d not only driven him to the hospital and back, but she’d paid the bill. Guilt tightened in his gut. Glancing at the tree where she’d left her horse, he gasped. “Lycia’s gone.”
Ember shook her head. “I had someone take her back to my place.”
Relief coursed through him.
“Anything I can do for you before I leave?” She tipped her chin toward his tent. “Think you’ll be okay here?”
Balancing himself on his crutches, he shrugged. “I’ll manage. But how’ll you get home?”
“I’m a fast walker. It’s only a mile or so.”
“A mile? In the middle of the night?” No way could he allow her to go alone. He shook his head. “Can the person who picked up your horse take you home?”
She waved off his suggestion. “I’m sure he’s already back at his place in bed.”
Scratching his head, he tried to come up with a solution. “What about your boyfriend?”
Her expression went blank for a moment. Then she averted her gaze. “Oh, well he’s…busy.”
Busy or nonexistent? “I see.”
“I’m really fine by myself. I walk alone at night around here all the time. It’s perfectly safe.”
That was doubtful, especially since she no longer had her bow and arrows with her, or even her knife. She’d stashed those in the saddlebag.
“You could take my truck to your house,” he offered. “I’m sure I can drive back here using my left foot.”
Leaves rustled in the nearby woods despite there being almost no wind. A branch snapped. Dean held a finger to his lips to alert Ember to be silent.
She raised her brow in a question.
Tipping his chin toward where he’d heard the sounds, he got out his phone and turned on the night vision app. He wanted to get closer, but he couldn’t very well hold the phone and walk with his crutches at the same time. Besides, his cast-covered, bum ankle didn’t exactly up his stealthy game. They waited several minutes, but whatever had made the sounds must have gone away.
“What’s this?” Ember crouched down and pressed her hand into a depression in the grass.
He trained the light on the spot. Footprints! Big ones. Gasping, he took a step closer but didn’t have a good grip on one of his crutches. He lost his balance and fell over, landing hard on the ground.
Ember was there in a split second helping him up. “Are you okay?”
“Sure, fine.” Only his pride was hurt. “Would you mind giving me a hand over there? I’d like to get a better look at that footprint.”
“Of course.” She took his cell and lit up the area. Then she held onto him as he sat on the ground.
So close to the pond, the ground was wetter, softer. “I’ve got a plaster casting kit in the back of the truck. Would you get that out for me?”
“Now? In the middle of the night?” She frowned at him. “It’ll be impossible to see what you’re doing. You should wait until morning.”
His excitement waned. “Maybe you’re right.” Using one crutch, he tried to pull himself up. Took him three tries.
Ember sighed and set her hands on her slim hips. “Camping won’t be easy with that ankle. I’m not sure I should leave you out here by yourself.”
Was she insinuating that she might stay with him? Even though they’d gotten off on the wrong foot, so to speak, he could hardly deny that the idea of having Ember share his tent was more than a little enticing. “I’ll admit that roughing it all alone is going to be a challenge.”
Her lips bunched to one side. “Looks like you’ll have to postpone your study. In the time it takes you to heal up, you can probably find a more suitable spot to do your research.”
Was she really kicking him when he was down? Throwing him off of her land even though she’d destroyed his equipment and it was her horse who’d caused his injury. Sure, she was beautiful and interesting and bright, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t cruel. His stomach twisted into a hard knot.
He wasn’t going to take this lying down.
Dean’s nostrils flared.
Ember hadn’t meant to be quite so blunt. It was just her nature. When she was a child, her parents had counseled her many times on her lack of diplomacy when dealing with her peers.
“Suaviza tus palabras,” her papa had told her after one of her playmates had left their house in tears. “Soften your words.”
Her mama nodded her agreement. “Think about the other person’s feelings.”
As an adult, she almost always thought about how she said things. Except during her drunken years. The alcohol had almost magically removed her filter. But now, treating people respectfully was important to her. Besides, maintaining control—not only of her life and schedule but also controlling her words—kept her world in check.
Watching the poor guy try to negotiate the terrain on crutches, her chest squeezed. She couldn’t let him stay out here. Talk about having a monkey wrench thrown into your life. Just getting up and down to the ground with the cast on was obviously difficult for him.
The nearest motel was back in town. If she got Dean a room he’d be stranded because despite what he thought, she was sure he wouldn’t be able to drive. No, there was only one solution—her guest suite. “Tell you what. We’re both tired. Why don’t you stay at my place for tonight? We’ll discuss what happens tomorrow in the morning.” After a good night’s sleep, hopefully, he’d understand that he couldn’t do his Bigfoot hunting on her property.
His features relaxed and a slow grin lifted one corner of his mouth.
She shook her head. “That wasn’t a come on.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
Ignoring the little flutter in her belly, she folded her arms over her chest. “I’ve got a guest apartment attached to the stables. It’s not The Ritz, but it’s spacious and comfortable.” Wait, what was she doing? She didn’t know him from Adam’s housecat. Yet she did feel a tiny bit responsible for his predicament.
His smile slipped, only a little. “Won’t your boyfriend mind?”
Was he onto her? Tipping her chin at his truck, she said, “Come on.”
“Hang on a sec.” He hobbled over to his camp and awkwardly ducked into the tent. A moment later he came out holding a few small orange flags, the kind surveyors use. “I’ll mark off the footprint before we leave. Would you mind grabbing my laptop from inside? It’s next to the sleeping bag.”
“Sure.” When she entered the tent, she wondered how he could have believed that staying there with a cast on his foot was even possible. Ember could only stand in the middle, which was the highest point. A sleeping bag stretched the length of one side, and a cooler sat nearby with his laptop on the lid. Pretty cramped even without the added difficulty of a broken ankle. Good thing he hadn’t given her a hard time about leaving his campsite. She’d have worried about him all night.
After grabbing his computer, she headed outside and met him at his truck. “Sure there’s nothing else you need?”
He shook his head. “I keep a backpack with some clothes behind the seat. I can monitor my video equipment from the laptop.”
On the off chance that Bigfoot even existed, the notion that Dean was stalking it didn’t sit right with Ember. Scientific breakthrough or not, she knew how it felt to be watched every moment.
Rather than asking Dean if he needed help again, she merely stood behind him as he climbed into the cab. She inhaled a whiff of his woodsy cologne. How could the man smell so good after all he’d been through today?
He was almost seated when he somehow got the seatbelt tangled in one of his crutches, and he stumbled backward against Ember.
“Whoa.” She managed to prevent him from falling. Giving him a gentle push back up, she couldn’t help but linger on the hard sinew of his back and sides. Who knew that underneath that eighties-style plaid shirt there lurked so much muscle?
Once he was settled in the seat, she got behind the wheel and headed home.
“You’re not from this area, are you?” His question came out more like a statement.
“What tipped you off?”
“I’ve got a good ear for accents. Yours sounds like Miami with a side of Cuban.”
She chuckled. “Very good. I’ve lived in New York City, Atlanta and LA, but I did grow up in Miami. Little Havana to be exact. What about you?”
He leaned his head back against the seat. “Born and raised in Oregon.”
“You’re a long way from home.”
“The town where I was born was on the edge of the Elkhorn Mountains. It’s gone now.”
“Gone? The whole town?”
He nodded. “The entire economy revolved around the logging industry. Until an environmentalist group proclaimed that the logging companies were destroying the habitat of an endangered owl.”
She steered his truck onto the dirt road. “You’re a biologist, right? Wouldn’t that put you on the side of the owls?”
He heaved out a breath. “There’s got to be a balance between protecting ecosystems and the needs of industry. The government regulated the loggers out of business, and it turned out that the owls would have died off anyway. There was this disease that spread rapidly among the population—too quickly for scientists to figure out the cause, or come up with a treatment. By then, almost the entire town had left.”
“Wow.” The beginning of her driveway came into view. She stopped at the lamppost and punched in the security code on the keypad. The double gates opened with a mechanical hum. A familiar sense of peace filled her a minute later as she paused in front of her house then continued past it tow
ard the stables.
Dean sat up taller in his seat. “This is where you live?”
Most people had that reaction when they first saw her home, and she couldn’t blame them. Heck, she’d figured that she’d died and gone to heaven the day the builder had finished it. From the A-frame design to the wraparound porch and huge back deck, the outside was just about perfect. And the inside… She tamped back a sigh of pleasure. The interior was beyond paradise. “The stables are out back, less than a quarter of a mile to go.”
She drove past the herb garden to the main entrance to the stables. As Dean got out of the truck, she grabbed his backpack and computer then unlocked the door to the suite and mentally ticked off the list of items she considered must-haves for her guests. “The linens are fresh, and there are clean towels in the bathroom. I keep the fridge stocked with drinks and snacks. If you’re hungry for more than that—”
“All I need is a bed.”
Their gazes locked and something sensual ricocheted between them.
Ember’s stomach knotted. Her limbs felt weak, unsteady. “Okay, goodnight then.” She took a backward step then immediately shut the door between them.
Heart pounding, she hurried to her house and locked herself inside. Letting someone into her home had been a mistake. First thing in the morning she’d send him packing.
Chapter Four
Dean scratched his head. Why had Ember seemed so nervous as she’d left him? All evening she’d acted so sure of herself, until just a few moments ago. If anyone ought to be worried, it was him. Would she really make him vacate his campsite tomorrow?
Abandoning this area and starting his research elsewhere would set him back at least a month, which would cost more than he had left from his grant money. Not that he should be surprised. Everything about this project had been fraught with obstacles from the beginning as if he were operating under a black cloud. Heck, his dad had also had terrible luck when it came to his pursuit of evidence that Bigfoot existed. Even before the fire that had destroyed his photos and the negatives, his father’s research had been plagued by all sorts of mishaps, from faulty recording equipment to bad weather to vehicle breakdowns. Dean had to wonder if his father’s tendency to attract calamities had followed Dean too.
Beauty and the Bigfoot Hunter Page 3
