CoyoteWhispers Read online

“What look?”

  “That she’s mine, keep away look.”

  Damn, she really could read him as easy as a book. “It’s the truth and I’m not hiding it ever again.” He cupped her cheek in his palm, pleased when she turned into the caress. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

  “They already know.” She sighed. “They’ve just been waiting for me to give in.”

  “And did you give in, Doc?”

  “No, I took.” She grinned.

  “Yes, you sure did. And you did such a good job. I feel all used.”

  A giggle slipped past her lips, the sound so girlish Steve was reminded of years past when they hung out with the same group in high school.

  “I like the sound of that. I want to hear you laugh like that more often,” he said.

  “Hang around, McKenna and you just might get that wish.”

  “Oh, I’ll be hanging. I’m not planning on going anywhere that isn’t with you.”

  “You’re such a sweet talker.”

  “I can talk lots of ways. After everyone leaves I’ll show you my dirty talk.” He waggled his eyebrows and licked his lips making a slurping noise.

  “Eww… I hope you mean sexy dirty talk or I’m outta here.”

  Steve wrapped his arm around her neck and dragged her back to his side. “Definitely sexy dirty talk, Doc. Now let’s go wait for our company.”

  He felt her stiffen against him and knew she was thinking about what she’d have to reveal. As much as he wanted to take away her worry he knew she had to do this. He’d stand beside her and support her as best he could but he couldn’t fight all her battles no matter how badly he wanted to.

  Chapter Three

  They’d reached the main area of the house when someone knocked on Steve’s front door and continued to knock.

  “Let me guess.” Steve let her go and walked over to unlock the deadbolt. “This’ll be Kat.”

  As soon as the door opened her sister charged past Steve as if he didn’t exist. Kat spanned the gap between them in less than a second and threw her arms around Gordie’s neck.

  “Thank God, you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine, Kat.” Gordie smiled at Steve over her sister’s head. “Unless you plan to choke me to death.”

  Kat eased up on her grip but didn’t let go. “Give me a sec. I just need to know you’re all right.”

  Gordie could allow her sister that much. While they hugged in Steve’s foyer, Rowan came through the door carrying bags of food. One by one the others came in out of the cold, all of them laden down with groceries. Dale was the last to arrive, murmuring something to Steve as he closed the door behind everyone.

  “Come on, Kat. Let your sister go so we can eat all this food you made us drag up here,” Rowan said.

  “I bought…” Kat sniffled. She leaned back and looked at Gordie with one arched eyebrow. “Well, I’ll be.” Her sister took a deep breath and smiled. “About damn time, too.”

  She knew what Kat could smell but this wasn’t the time or the place for that conversation. “Not now.”

  “We’ve all waited years for you two to get it on. You should be yelling it from the rooftop.”

  “Shh. I don’t want to talk about it at the moment.”

  “Oh come on, Gordie. You guys have been dancing around each other since you came home years ago. Everyone is going to be thrilled that you finally gave in.”

  “Kat! I did not—”

  “Sure you did, the whole town knows you’re the one fighting it.”

  “Enough, Kat.” Steve’s quiet words didn’t hide the hard edge they were delivered with.

  Gordie watched Kat wrestle her need to argue. The girl could argue under wet concrete and she still didn’t know why her sister had given up her dream of being a lawyer and taken over The Dec Café from their mother. She’d probably never find out. Even though Kat was the first to ferret out other people’s secrets, she kept her own locked in a vault, not even Gordie was privy to what lay hidden behind that sealed door.

  “I brought stew for tonight. I also packed up a heap of groceries, lasagna and a chicken pie. But don’t think all this food gives you reason to stay up here Christmas Day. I want to see you both at my place for lunch with presents in hand.” Kat marched toward the kitchen.

  “She’s like this every day isn’t she?” Steve asked, shaking his head.

  With a sigh, Gordie turned to face him. “Yeah, she is.”

  “I’ve seen her take charge of things at the café but have never been subjected to it personally. Did she really bring all that food?”

  Gordie laughed. “You saw the bags everyone carted in. Kat’s always had this need to feed anything with a mouth. We used to joke when she was little about her finding a mate early and having a truckload of kids to mother.” Gordie stared after her sister. “You know I don’t think I’ve seen her date anyone since she was in high school.”

  “And that’s a subject we’re not touching.” He placed a hand on her lower back and gently nudged her forward. “Come on, we’ve put it off long enough.”

  The next few minutes were taken up by Kat giving orders and everyone following them. Bowls were filled with hot stew, and with food in hand they went into the dining room where Steve’s hand-carved table and chairs seated all of them with room to spare. Gordie ate a mouthful of food and chewed. Usually her sister’s cooking tasted delicious but she could have been eating dirt for all the flavor she could taste tonight.

  There was no point putting it off any longer, it wouldn’t get any easier. She just had to decide where to start, what was necessary and what she was comfortable disclosing. Pushing her bowl away, Gordie leaned back in her chair and turned her head to catch Steve’s gaze. He slipped his hand over hers and gave a gentle squeeze before returning to his meal.

  “It started last year when I found the first stray up here. That’s the first significant event I can remember, anyway. After that there was all the drama of Rowan’s return and the attempt on Quinn’s life by the other two strays and of course Malcolm trying to run him down.” She reached for her water and took a sip to wet her dry mouth and throat.

  “Between January and May there were numerous little things, objects moved in my house and at the clinic, doors unlocked when I was sure I’d locked them, missing papers from my home office, that sort of thing.” Gordie took a deep breath and glanced at Steve. He reached for her hand again, entwined their fingers and nodded for her to go on. She kept her gaze locked with his. If she looked away she knew the words wouldn’t come.

  “May eighteenth I came up here to walk in the forest. I was going to shift, go for a run but decided against it.” She swallowed over the lump in her throat. “I didn’t hear anything or see anyone before I took a punch to the jaw. The force snapped my head back into a tree. I don’t remember a lot of the next few minutes other than I took some hits before I caught my breath and fought back. I never saw who attacked me and whoever it was had masked their scent well enough that I couldn’t say for sure who it was.”

  Gordie trembled. Memories of that night bombarded her, fear churned the food in her stomach and she had to swallow the bile rising in her throat. A chair scraped along the timber floor and Steve pulled her onto his lap, cradling her against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and held her close, warmth seeped from his body into hers, soothing her. She couldn’t stop shaking and her fingers and toes were numb from the cold gripping her.

  “The details don’t matter, Gordie.” Steve tucked her head under his chin. “I’ll finish this part, okay?”

  Gordie nodded. She didn’t dare open her mouth to speak for fear a sob would tear free. Or worse, she’d throw up. In the months since the attack she’d done her best to block the whole event out. But in her effort to forget the horrible night she’d pushed the person who saved her and cared for her afterward away as well. It was unfair to Steve but at the time she couldn’t cope any other way.

  “I heard the attack from the deck so
I shifted and ran into the forest. I didn’t see who had Doc pinned to the ground but at the time she thought it was Marcus.”

  Steve’s words were met with gasps but it was Brogan’s softly spoken words that froze Gordie. The venom in them turned her blood to ice.

  “I should have killed him when I had the chance.”

  “No, Gordie and Steve should have reported the attack,” Dale said.

  “Probably.” She felt Steve’s shoulders rise. “But to be honest, I was more concerned with looking after Doc’s injuries, and we had no real proof.”

  “Oh my God, the scar on your lip.” Gordie opened her eyes to find Kat kneeling on the floor beside her. “You told me you’d sliced it with a knife while eating fruit.”

  She tried to smile but the hurt in her sister’s eyes stopped her. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to forget. And nothing happened after that.”

  “Until last month.” Warm air ruffled her hair. “What happened, Doc? And don’t tell me nothing because I know you, I know something’s been going on for weeks now.”

  Gordie sighed and sat up to face the others. “The week before El arrived in Whispering Springs my house was broken into but unlike before it was obvious. Whoever it was smashed out the kitchen window.” She turned to Dale. “And before you ask, nothing was taken. I don’t know what the aim was, to frighten me maybe. They took nothing but went out of their way to let me know they’d been inside, messed with my things.”

  A growl rumbled behind her. She expected to face an angry Steve at some point, hopefully he’d hold it all in until everyone went home. She knew keeping everything from him was wrong but she couldn’t change that now.

  “Go on. What else?” Dale asked.

  “Nothing until after the wedding.” Gordie glanced at Rowan. “It started with little things being moved, food missing, doors unlocked when they shouldn’t have been. Clothes that aren’t mine laid out on my bed.”

  “What the fuck?” Steve spun her around on his lap until they were nose to nose. “Some fucking prick was in your bedroom and you never told me!”

  “That only happened yesterday. I haven’t seen you to tell you.” As much as she’d wanted to call him last night, her sister had been with her when she’d arrived home and made the discovery. If she hadn’t convinced Kat to stay she would have phoned him. “Kat was with me.”

  “You found that last night and didn’t say anything? Jesus, Gordana, what were you thinking?” Kat gripped Gordie’s leg and gave it a shake.

  “I didn’t want you to worry. If you hadn’t stayed I would have called Steve.”

  “You should have called me regardless.”

  “Whose clothes were they?”

  Gordie turned to Rowan. She could tell by her friend’s white face and wide eyes that Rowan knew the answer. “Yours.”

  “Bullshit! What clothes?” Quinn stood, his chair toppled over, hit the floor with a loud crash. He stared down at Rowan.

  Rowan never broke eye contact with Gordie. “My mother’s wedding dress.”

  “Fuck off!” Brogan rose to his feet. “How the hell did that end up in Gordie’s house?”

  “It wasn’t at the cleaners when I went to pick it up last week. They thought it was still out being cleaned but Nancy had phoned to tell me it was ready so I knew something wasn’t right. I was hoping they’d just misplaced it.”

  Brogan turned to El. “And your dress? You put it in with Rowan’s.”

  El licked her lips. Glanced at Gordie and Rowan in turn. “I… I don’t know. It’s missing too.”

  “Except Rowan’s isn’t missing anymore,” Dale said.

  “No, it’s in my closet.”

  “What I don’t get is why leave Rowan’s dress at Gordie’s? There doesn’t seem to be a purpose to it.” Kat’s head tilted at an angle and she got that look of concentration she wore whenever she thought hard about something. “Do you think this is about getting everyone involved? I mean, before yesterday it all seemed focused on Gordie but add in this dress thing and he’s pulling someone else into the equation.”

  “This isn’t math, Kat. Besides, it’s Marcus we’re talking about, who knows what goes through that twisted head of his,” Steve said.

  “No, Kat’s right. All Marcus’ previous actions have targeted individuals, there was no crossover except when Rowan returned and I think that was accidental more than on purpose. This is different. I’m not sure how or why but the game rules have changed,” Dale added.

  “So what do we do now?” Gordie looked at Dale.

  “I want to have a look at your house and I’d like to go back to the clinic in daylight. Do you mind if I do that while you’re closed?”

  “No, go ahead.” Gordie got to her feet. “I’ll get you my keys. Quinn do you have the new keys for the clinic?”

  “Dale has them.”

  “Okay.” She stifled a yawn. “Sorry, I think it’s catching up with me. I’ll just go grab those keys.”

  “Gordie, go on to bed. I’ll make sure Dale gets the keys,” Steve said.

  “I’m fine, just a little tired and my feet are cold.”

  Steve stood and scooped her up in his arms.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “Put me down.”

  “I will.” He walked across the room. “Just as soon as I get you in the bedroom. Say goodnight, Gordie.”

  A chorus of goodnight Gordie echoed behind them as Steve strode along the hallway leading to the bedroom.

  Gordie yawned again. She really was tired. Maybe she’d just lie down for a few minutes. Steve deposited her on the mattress and stood with hands on hips beside the bed.

  “No arguing, you’ve got dark circles under your eyes. I bet you didn’t sleep at all last night, did you?”

  She ducked her head. There was no way she could sleep after finding that dress on her bed, not even with her sister in the room down the hall. “No.”

  “Just as I thought.” He reached over and pulled the covers back. “Come on, ditch the pants and climb in.”

  “Ditch the pants?”

  “You can’t sleep in those. Leave the shirt on though, it gets chilly even with the heat on.”

  Before she could move he’d snagged the end of the bow and yanked the drawstring loose. Gripping a bunch of fabric in each fist at her hips he tugged the sweats down her legs and threw them in the general direction of the dresser.

  “There. Climb in. I’ll go see to our friends and be back before you’ve missed me.”

  “Who said I’d miss you?” She smiled around another yawn and her eyelids grew heavy.

  “Me.” Steve bent over and gave her a smacking kiss on the mouth. “Rest. I’ll be right down the hall.”

  “Rest with me.” Her eyes closed.

  “Later.”

  “Okay.”

  “Back to agreeable Doc, I see.”

  “Only until I sleep.”

  Steve chuckled. “Doesn’t matter which Doc you are, I’m still glad you’re in my bed.”

  “You just liked the sex.”

  “Gordie.” His fingers brushed her cheek.

  “Mmm…”

  “Sleep.”

  “Night.”

  Steve gazed down at a sleeping Doc and tried not to climb into bed with her. He still had to go out and deal with their friends and he wanted to be sure Dale kept him in the loop about her house and the clinic. Anger still burned in his gut when he thought about her not calling him last night. She wouldn’t admit it but she was still holding him at arm’s length. A smile stretched his mouth. There would be no holding him off now.

  Doc was right, he had enjoyed the sex but it had been far more than a physical act. He’d finally been buried inside her after years of dreaming about it. No fantasy he’d concocted came close to the real thing. Now he wanted a repeat but she needed to rest and he had to sort out a plan of defense because there was no doubt in his mind that Marcus was back on the scene. In fact, Steve was pretty sure the man h
ad never left.

  He tiptoed from the room and pulled the door shut, leaving it open a crack so he could hear Doc if she called out. Quiet voices drifted down the hall, they grew louder as he made his way back to the dining room. The table had been cleared and everyone sat with a mug of coffee, at least he thought that’s what he smelled. Obviously Kat’s talents weren’t just with food.

  “How is she?” Kat asked.

  “Asleep.” She eyed him through narrowed lids. He knew what she was really asking but he wasn’t getting into that with her. “Later.”

  Steve spied a spare mug and picked it up. The aroma rose up, teasing his senses with the taste to come. He sipped, the hot liquid filling his mouth, spilling over his tongue. Damn, whoever made this knew what they were doing. Taking a bigger drink he walked out of the room and headed for the garage. They’d left Doc’s purse in his truck when they rushed inside earlier. He placed his mug on the table beside the garage door as he walked past.

  He retrieved her bag from the truck and headed for the button to shut the roller door and pressed it, but movement at the end of the driveway caught his eye and he quickly aborted the action. Peering into the night, Steve tried to focus but the lack of light outside and the abundance of it inside combined to make it impossible. He stepped to the edge of the garage for a better look when he heard someone behind him. Spinning on his heels, fists raised, he came face-to-face with Dale.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “No worries, I’m a little jumpy.”

  “That’s expected. What are you doing?”

  Steve pointed down the driveway. “What is that?”

  Dale leaned forward. “You got floodlights?”

  “Yeah, let me get the switch.” Steve strode to the other side of his truck and flicked a couple of levers. Light illuminated the entire front yard.

  “Shit!” Dale took off running.

  “What the fuck?” Steve dropped Doc’s purse and raced after the sheriff.

  The new layer of snow on the ground proved difficult to traverse and they slipped and slid their way to the end of the drive. They skidded to a halt as a woman wobbled and lost her footing in the slippery conditions, crumpling beside Dale’s car. At least Steve thought it was a female bundled up under all that snow gear.