“I can tell you’re just agreeing with me to make me shut up,” Samantha said accusingly, breaking into her thoughts.
Sadie sighed. “I was just thinking that I only made the split with Jeff final last month—it’s really too early to be thinking about finding Mr. Right.”
“He doesn’t have to be ‘Mr. Right.’” Sadie sounded exasperated. “What you need is Mr. Right Now. Just some guy to have a little fun with.”
Sadie laughed. “I swear, if you followed your own advice you’d be having so much sex . . .”
“All right, so I haven’t had it in six months—who’s counting?” Samantha sounded a little testy. “All the more reason for you to get some for both of us.”
“Good night, Sammie.” Sadie’s headache was coming back in force now and suddenly she was incredibly tired. She loved her sister but right now she needed some sleep.
“All right—I can take a hint. Good night and be safe, sis. Love you,” Samantha said.
“Love you too.” Sadie blew her a kiss and hung up the phone. She looked at the box with its many albums of pictures that should be impossible and slowly put the baby book back inside.
Had her mother had a secret life? Another life in another time long before Sadie and Samantha had been born? But how? How was that possible?
Sadie shook her head. It was too much—she would deal with it in the morning. In the meantime, she hoped her growing headache would fade away while she slept.
Nine
Unfortunately, the headache didn’t go away. Sadie woke up with it and it stayed with her—a dull throbbing in her temples that refused to leave no matter how many ibuprofen she took.
Looking at Fiona’s books didn’t help any either. Sadie picked them up from the eccentric pharmacist as soon as she got to work and spent all morning studying them. By lunchtime her headache was much worse and she still hadn’t made much sense of Fiona’s strange method of bookkeeping.
She was just about to call it quits and take a short break when she heard a sharp rapping on her glass outer door. Her stomach fluttered—who could it be?
Mathis, whispered a hopeful little voice in her head. Sadie squashed it ruthlessly and stood up to go to the door. She just hoped she looked all right if whoever it was turned out to be a prospective client. Today she was dressed much more comfortably in a red sweater and jeans but she’d only worn the casual outfit because she was certain she wouldn’t be meeting any new customers.
She took a deep breath and stepped out of her office into the lobby area. It was a small space, just perfect for a waiting area and a receptionist if she ever made enough money to hire one, which Sadie doubted.
Her knocker had already let himself in, which was strange because Sadie had been certain she’d locked the door. After her disastrous walk around town the day before, she wasn’t taking any chances on being alone with anyone—especially strange men.
Which is exactly the position you’re in now, whispered a nervous little voice in her head. A very large strange man.
Not that he looked particularly strange—just big. He was a tall man—at least as tall as Mathis—with broad shoulders and eyes a pale green the color of spring leaves. Sadie placed his age around twenty-six or-seven, though it was hard to be exactly sure. He had dark brown hair pulled back in a sleek knot at the nape of his powerful neck and tan skin that was offset by the pressed white oxford shirt he wore tucked into clean, tightfitting jeans. Italian driving loafers on his feet and a watch that appeared to be a Rolex belied his casual dress.
But even without the expensive accessories Sadie would have known this man was something out of the ordinary. There was an aura of muted power about him—like a charge of electricity. A lightning bolt about to strike.
He lifted his head and sniffed the air—inhaling slowly and obviously, like a hunting animal trying to catch a scent. Then he gave her a smile that made all the short hairs at the nape of her neck stand up at once.
“Hello,” she said nervously, making sure to keep plenty of distance between them in case he went crazy like the men at Sweet Stems and the Friendly Bean. “I’m Sadie Becker, CPA. How can I help you? Are you . . . are you looking for an accountant?”
“I might be.” His lazy grin grew a little. “Hello, Ms. Becker. I heard you were new in town and I wanted to come make you welcome. I’m Liam Keller, the mayor of Cougarville.” His voice was a deep, purring rumble and he stepped forward with one well-manicured hand extended to shake.
“The mayor? Really? You look so young for such an honor.” Sadie put out her own hand reflexively.
“Age is nothing but a number, wouldn’t you agree?” Keller murmured. “I would argue that none of us should let our age stop us from reaching for that which we desire.”
He took her hand in both of his and bent over it as though he would kiss it. But instead of kissing, he inhaled deeply again, his green eyes closing in what looked like ecstasy as he scented her skin.
“Ah, I didn’t believe that fool Blackwell when he told me what you were. But now I see he was actually right for once,” he said, straightening up at last.
“Blackwell? You mean Mathis?” Sadie’s heart began to pound. “What did he say to you about me?”
“Nothing that need concern you.” He was still holding her hand in his, his sharp eyes searching her face. “You’re not . . . attached to Blackwell, are you?”
Sadie thought of the meal and the kiss she’d shared with her neighbor . . . and then the way he’d basically kicked her out in the cold.
“No,” she said firmly. “No, I’m definitely not. He’s my neighbor—that’s all.”
“And he didn’t offer you his protection?” Keller persisted.
“Protection?” Sadie frowned. “Protection from what? No, he never said anything about that.”
“Good.” There was a purring note of satisfaction in Keller’s deep voice. “I’m so glad to hear that because I came here to invite you to lunch.”
“Lunch?” Sadie looked at him uncertainly, wishing he would let her hand go. “Um, that’s a very generous offer but I have a lot of work to do so—”
“Perhaps you’re worried about a repeat of your past experiences at Sweet Stems and the Friendly Bean?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
“Oh . . .” Sadie felt her cheeks go hot. She wished more than ever that she could take her hand out of his but she didn’t know how to do it without being rude. “How . . . how did you know about that?”
“I make it my business to know what happens in my town.” His voice dropped from a purr to a growl. “Let me assure you that those fools who attacked you yesterday have been punished and you need not fear a repeat of such unpleasantness.”
“Punished? You punished them?” Sadie felt her stomach do a flip. Keller was beginning to sound more like a mob boss than a small-town mayor. And he still wouldn’t let go of her hand.
He seemed to sense her concern because he gave a soft laugh and shook his head.
“Don’t misunderstand me—I mean they’ve been sanctioned, that’s all. After all, we can’t have our unmated females afraid to go out of doors, can we?”
“I guess not,” Sadie said doubtfully.
“Exactly. So I want you to know that you’re safe, Ms. Becker—completely safe here in Cougarville. I personally guarantee it. And if you’d like to accompany me to the Cougar’s Den for lunch, I’ll announce publicly that you’re under my protection so no other male will dare to so much as look at you.”
“The Cougar’s Den?” Sadie thought of the bar and grill at the end of Main Street and a cold shiver went down her back. Both Mathis and Fiona had warned her against going there.
Keller, who had been watching her face carefully, seemed to understand her trepidation.
“I own it, you know. You’ll be perfectly safe there,” he drawled, tugging gently at her hand, which he still held hostage in his much larger ones.
“I’m sure I would.” Sadie gave him a polite smile. “
But I really do have a lot of work to do today. So . . . maybe I could take a rain check?”
“Certainly.” Keller didn’t look at all put out by her refusal. “Since you won’t come see our humble establishment, may I at least send you some lunch? As a gesture of goodwill and an apology for the abominable way you were treated yesterday.”
“Oh, well . . . sure, I guess. Thank you.” Sadie smiled at him. Maybe he was just trying to make amends on behalf of the town. For a moment she’d almost thought he was hitting on her but that was ridiculous, he was at least thirteen years younger than her, very handsome, and obviously rich. Clearly he was just trying to be nice.
“Good.” He smiled in pleasure at her agreement. “What can I send you? The Cougar’s Den makes a nice garden salad but if I’m being honest, it’s nothing compared to our bacon cheeseburger.”
Sadie hadn’t had breakfast again and the thought of a big juicy cheeseburger made her mouth water.
“That sounds delicious—the cheeseburger I mean,” she said, smiling.
“Ah . . . a carnivore.” He gave her a lazy grin.
“Absolutely,” Sadie said. “I’m most definitely a meat eater.”
“I’m more glad than I can tell you to hear that. Sadie Becker, I can tell you’ll make a delightful addition to our little town.”
He bent over her hand again and this time he did kiss it—a soft, lingering brush of his lips over the pulse point of her wrist that made Sadie shiver. God, what was it with the men in this town?
When he finally straightened up and released her hand, there was a hungry look on Keller’s handsome face.
“I’ll send that cheeseburger right over to you. And in the meantime, would you be so kind as to give me one of your business cards? I really am in need of a new accountant.”
“You are?” Sadie felt a flush of pleasure. Maybe she would make it in Cougarville after all! If she had the mayor himself for a client, others were sure to follow—weren’t they?
“I most certainly am.” He waited and when she brought him a card, he sniffed it before tucking it carefully into his wallet. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.” Sadie smiled at him. “I appreciate you coming by to say hello. And telling me not to worry about, um, going out again.”
“I am completely serious about that, Ms. Becker,” Keller said soberly. “If anyone in town gives you trouble, simply tell them you are under my protection. And then call me—or better yet, come and tell me. I’m almost always to be found in my Den—the Cougar’s Den, that is.” He smiled charmingly. “You’re always welcome.”
“Thank you.” Sadie smiled again as he nodded and left her office. She felt as though a burden had been lifted off her shoulders—so not everyone in this town was crazy after all! She might actually be able to have a life here. As a cherry on top of her good feelings, the headache that had been plaguing her had finally dissipated. It seemed to have drifted away like a dark cloud going someplace else to rain while she was talking to Keller.
What a nice man—the first real gentleman I’ve met since I moved here.
But is he? Is he really? whispered a little voice in her head.
Her good mood dulled just a little and she couldn’t help remembering those sharp green eyes or the way he kept sniffing her and the air around her. That was strange, wasn’t it? And the way he’d talked about “punishing” the men who had bothered her yesterday—was that normal? And why did he keep wanting to put her publicly under his protection? Why did the rest of the town need to know he was looking out for her? Was it just to scare anyone who might bother her away . . . or was there another reason?
The questions bothered her until she heard another knock on her outer door. Stepping out of her office, she saw a boy of around twelve or thirteen holding a large brown paper sack with promising-looking grease stains on the side.
“From Keller,” he said when Sadie opened the door. “He said to tell you he hopes you enjoy it.” He had a high voice that clearly hadn’t changed yet and his cheeks were still smooth and childish though Sadie thought he had a cynical glint in his eyes.
“Thank you.” She took the bag from him. “Let me just get you a tip.”
“No tips. Keller says the food is completely free—he doesn’t want you to pay in any way for it.”
“What?” Sadie frowned but the boy shrugged.
“Hey—he’s the Alpha. He gets what he wants so no tips, lady. Okay?”
“Well . . . if you’re sure,” Sadie said. But the boy had already turned away and was headed back down the street to the Cougar’s Den, shoulders hunched against the cold. Sadie looked at him for a moment but the enticing smell of hot food was drifting from the brown paper bag and she found she couldn’t wait any longer.
Taking the bag of goodies to her office, she opened it, pushed Fiona’s books carefully aside, and spread everything out on her desk.
Besides the bacon cheeseburger there was a large order of hand-cut fries, a small bottle of chilled white wine, and a note in a sprawling, masculine script that read,
From one carnivore to another.
Enjoy.
LK.
Sadie certainly did enjoy the meal. Keller hadn’t been lying when he said that the Cougar’s Den made an excellent burger—it was possibly the best one she’d ever tasted.
Almost as good as the steak Mathis made last night, whispered a little voice in her head. She pushed the thought away. There was no point in thinking of her neighbor that way—especially since he’d made it abundantly clear he didn’t want anything else to do with her. Better to just enjoy her food and concentrate on making some headway on Fiona’s books.
She worked all afternoon and was finally beginning to make sense of the pharmacist’s crazy bookkeeping when she looked up and saw that the clock read five thirty.
Quitting time. I’ll get back to this tomorrow.
She locked Fiona’s books carefully in her filing cabinet and got her jacket and purse. On the way home, she pulled into the parking lot of the only grocery store in town. Her cupboard and fridge were completely bare—it was time to stock up.
This was an errand she had been dreading before Keller’s visit. Now she felt like she could shop the aisles of the Piggly Wiggly with confidence. Keller had promised her his protection and the mayor of Cougarville didn’t seem to be a man you wanted to mess with.
With her chin held high, Sadie grabbed one of the ancient metal shopping carts and guided it through the sliding glass doors.
The Cougarville Piggly Wiggly was an old-fashioned grocery store with plate-glass windows and narrow aisles. There was a picture of a cartoon pig with a paper hat cocked at a jaunty angle on his round pink head grinning at her from the back wall. On either side of him were big signs that said, WE BUY LOCAL! and FRESH EVERY DAY!
There were a fair number of people shopping the narrow aisles and though she tried to ignore it, Sadie could feel them watching her. Several times she saw some of them whispering and looking in her direction but they stopped as she passed by. Keeping her chin high, she tried to disregard the whispers. At least no one assaulted her or shouted at her, although several times she did hear someone mutter, “Juvie,” under their breath.
It’s all right, she told herself uneasily. They’re just curious because I’m new in town. Everything will be okay as soon as I get to know a few more of the locals.
But would it? Despite her confidence at the start of this shopping trip, she couldn’t help feeling shaken by the unfriendly glances thrown at her by the women she passed and the hungry looks the men were giving her.
What the hell was wrong with this little town? Sadie felt like she’d been dropped into the middle of a Twilight Zone episode.
Though she tried not to, she found herself shopping faster and faster, trying to grab the things she needed quickly so she could pay and get out of the crowded store. The aisles became a blur, filled with unfriendly faces. Everywhere she looked it seemed like men were sniffing the air and w
omen were scowling at her.
The way the local men were acting reminded her of the way Keller had sniffed first the air of her office and then her skin. And come to think of it, hadn’t the elderly florist at Sweet Stems and the barista at the Friendly Bean also sniffed or at least flared their nostrils at her before attacking?
The thought made her more nervous than ever.
Do I smell? Why do they keep doing that?
Surreptitiously, Sadie pulled a lock of her hair under her nose and sniffed. All she smelled was the floral scent of the shampoo she’d used that morning. What was going on?
To her relief, she made it to the checkout line in record time and started unloading her purchases onto the moving belt. The checker was a middle-aged woman with a taciturn air about her that said she wouldn’t welcome conversation. She didn’t say a word to Sadie, not even to ask if she’d found everything she needed.
Down at the end of the register a bagboy, who looked like he might be a senior in high school, was staring at Sadie with an open expression of hunger that made her feel extremely uncomfortable. He had black hair and a very unfortunate case of acne but his eyes were deep blue and might have been nice—if they hadn’t been fixed so consistently on her face and body.
“Nice day,” she ventured to the checker, trying to make small talk. “I love the weather here—I’m from further south where it never gets chilly like this.”
“Yeah, we heard all about you—Juvie from Florida, right?” The checker had a sour expression on her face, as though Sadie left a bad taste in her mouth. “You’re Keller’s new female, right?”
“I’m sorry? His what?” Sadie looked at her, uncomprehending. “Mayor Keller came and talked to me today but that does not make me his in any way.”
“Sure it does, Juvie.” The checker glared at her. “It’s the only reason you’re safe in here.”
“I don’t understand,” Sadie protested. “What do you mean by that?”