Anita Clenney - Embrace the Highland Warrior

Shay gaped at him.

“She was right. You weren’t there. She said you’d moved on with your life. You didn’t want anything to do with me. That you were seeing someone.”

“Why would she say that? I didn’t even go on a date for two years after that.” Shay clamped her lips together.

Cody glanced across at her, his eyes pinning her to the seat. “Why?”

Because the only one she ever wanted, didn’t want her. Shay turned and looked at the scenery flashing soundlessly by. “I was distracted with other things. Renee must have thought she was trying to protect me.”

“From what? What the hell did you tell her about me?”

“I didn’t tell her anything.” Not intentionally. Why hadn’t Renee told her Cody had come to see her? Shay would have given her right hand to have known. She let the spark of anger toward Renee die. She was just trying to help, but God, Shay wished she had known. Her phone rang, a puzzling call that distracted Shay from considering the damage Renee’s actions had done to Cody and Shay’s friendship.

“What was that about?” Cody asked.

“This just gets stranger. That was Julie, who ordered the mate to the table in my shop. A man called two days ago asking if she’d gotten the table, but she had already canceled the order with Renee. We don’t have any male employees.”

“He didn’t give a name?”

“No, and she said another of Renee’s clients was burglarized. Nothing taken, but a table destroyed.”

“What the hell was this guy looking for? We’ll call the police in the morning and see what the guy says.”

Shay yawned. “I don’t know why I’m so tired. I slept well last night.” The best night’s sleep she had in weeks. She touched her arm. The scratch was burning.

“Here.” Cody reached behind the seat and pulled out a pillow. “When I’m hunting, I have to sleep wherever I can.”

Shay put her head on the pillow. “Hunting?”

“Uh, criminals.”

As she drifted off to sleep, she felt his hand cover hers.

***

“Your husband’s going to kill us both. You know that,” Ronan told Bree as she dug through a bag of junk food she bought at the airport.

“I’ll send you in first, let you talk some sense into him.”

“Not me, darlin’. Faelan’s already gonna think this is all my fault.”

“I’m supposed to be on my honeymoon, not bailing my husband out of jail.”

“You’re the reason he had to play bodyguard. You and your bloody visions.”

“I had to warn Cody. The woman I saw in the vision with him was going to die.”

“You did the right thing,” Ronan said, scrubbing his knuckles over Bree’s head. He grinned. “I could take you on the honeymoon.”

“Sorry, stud. You need to age at least another century.”

“Don’t know what you’re missing.”

“From what I hear, I’m the only one.”

Ronan’s grin turned to a grimace. “You shouldn’t listen to gossip. There’s more smoke than fire.” The reputation was probably his own fault, but if he didn’t flirt once in a while to lighten the load, he would explode from the guilt hanging around his neck. The clan still didn’t know his part in things. He would tell them, after he figured out where the vampires were and what they wanted. “So what’s the story between Cody and this woman?”

“I don’t know, but you’d best keep your hands to yourself if you don’t want to lose them.”

“Like that, huh? Well, I have no plans to put my hands anywhere except on this steering wheel. If I was going to go messing with some man’s woman, not that I would, I wouldn’t choose the only warrior besides Faelan who’s battled an ancient demon and lived to tell about it. Give me a little credit, darlin’. That’d be suicide.”

“You don’t fool me. You’re not afraid of anybody. Including my fierce husband.”

Bree was wrong. He was afraid… of himself. “What’d you do with Cody’s address?”

Bree pulled a piece of paper from her purse. “I just hope Faelan’s there. I’m worried about him.”

“The Mighty Faelan can take care of himself.”

“I know.” Bree twisted her ring, frowning.

“Can’t you just call and check on him?”

“He’s not answering his phone. He keeps losing it, but no, I need to see him.”

Something was bothering her. Ronan had some kind of connection with Bree that he couldn’t explain, a need to protect her that confused him and drove Faelan insane.

Ronan eyed the box of Milk Duds she was munching. “You shouldn’t be eating that crap.”

“I can’t help it. Pregnant women have cravings.” Bree clamped her hand over her mouth, her eyes round.

“You’re pregnant? I’m going to be an uncle?” He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. “And he left you alone, knowing—” he narrowed his eyes. “He doesn’t know, does he? Is that why I’m risking my neck bringing you to Virginia? So you can tell him?”

“No, he can’t know.”

“Why not? He’s the father.” Ronan lifted a horrified brow. “Isn’t he?”

“Of course he is, but he can’t be distracted now. You know how he is, even with me hale and hearty. Can you imagine how he’ll act if he knows I’m carrying his baby?”

“Blimey. You sure I can’t talk you into going home? You can rest, stay healthy, and I can stay alive.”

“I have to see him, but don’t you dare breathe a word. Promise me.”

Ronan sighed. “Scout’s honor.”

“Shake on it.”

Ronan extended his hand, and Bree clasped it. She looked taken aback for a moment and stared at their clasped hands.

“You scare the hell out of me when you get that look.”

“It’s probably the pregnancy.”

“Give me that.” He grabbed the box of Milk Duds from her lap and flung it into the backseat.

“What are you doing?”

“Faelan’s going to blame this whole fiasco on me. I’ll be damned if I’ll let him blame your poor eating habits on me too.”

“But I’m craving them. I’ll eat broccoli tomorrow.”

“We’ll probably both be dead tomorrow,” Ronan said as he pulled away from the airport and headed toward Charlottesville.

***

“Shay, we’re home.”

Shay sat up, blinking her eyes as Cody pulled into his driveway. It was already dark. “I can’t believe I slept the whole way. Did I snore?”

“Either that or there’s a kitten purring under the seat.” His lips thinned, and he looked away.

Shay didn’t want to think about Cody and kittens; that’s where the trouble started. “I’m going to go straight to bed.”

Cody pulled his truck up beside a blue car. “Wait, I’ll come with you.”

Shay raised her eyebrows.

“I’ll walk you over. I need to get some things from the house first.” He looked at the blue car and frowned. “Why don’t you wait out here?”

“You’re staying at the house again? Why?”

“I’m not taking any chances.”

“My ankle’s okay.”

“What? Yeah, your ankle. Stay here. I’ll be back.”

“I don’t want to sit here and wait. I’m going on. You can come when you’re ready.”

“I think you were a mule in a previous life. Go on, then. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

She got out of the car, wondering why he was so distracted that he’d let her walk home alone. In fact, she was fairly sure he was trying to keep her out of his house. What was he hiding?

She turned around and walked to Cody’s house. She eased in the back door as she had a thousand times before. He wasn’t in the kitchen. She crept into the living room and down the hall. Her fingers skimmed the banister she and Cody had slid down while his mother, Laura, hid a grin and pretended to scold. Voices were coming from upstairs. A woman’s. Was Laura home? Shay eased up the steps to what had been Cody’s room. His door was cracked. Shay froze, her eyes locked on the long dark hair spread across his pillow. A woman was in his bed.