Stephanie started to turn away, stopped, and sighed. "You should speak to the sheriff as soon as possible. I would do it myself, but he"d probably listen to you before he would a stranger. I"ll get my Jeep and come back for you." She looked him up and down, then grinned. "You are going to change that shirt, right? In case you haven"t noticed, the b.u.t.tons are missing."
He grinned back. "Any other instructions?"
She c.o.c.ked her head to the side and studied him. "A haircut wouldn"t hurt," she said, then turned and walked away.
He watched her walk down the steps and toward the trees, still smiling to himself over her instructions. They sounded so ordinary. Like something a woman would say to a normal flesh-and-blood man. Like something a wife might say to her husband.
His smile faded. He was not ordinary. And she should never become too comfortable in his company. Wild animals couldn"t be trusted. They turned on people.
Chapter Five.
Stephanie had wondered what type of reception she"d get from the townspeople. It was a chilly one at best. The cafe looked like something out of a black-and-white movie. Even the people inside appeared as if they"d stepped from the screen of an old Twilight Zone episode. The waitress still wore her hair in beehive fashion. Her name was Betty, and she nearly melted on the spot when she caught sight of Rick, but frosted up when she realized he wasn"t alone.
"So what will you have, miss?" she asked, without looking at Stephanie and drooling over Rick.
"What"s good?" Stephanie asked.
"The lamb chops are always fresh."
With a shudder, Stephanie studied the menu again. "I"ll have a salad."
Betty"s gaze finally swung toward her. She snorted. "Figures." She turned a
stunning smile on Rick. "No wonder she doesn"t have any meat on her bones."
He smiled back. "Miss Shane doesn"t eat meat. She"s a vegetarian."
The waitress lifted a brow, snorted again, then asked, "Will you have your usual?"
"Burger and fries. You know me. I"m a meat and potatoes man."
"Rare?" Betty asked.
"The redder the better," he answered.
Stephanie"s stomach rolled. She didn"t know if it was due to the b.l.o.o.d.y meat reference or a result of the way Betty kept eyeballing Rick. It shouldn"t have surprised her. He was a handsome single man in a town where probably few could be found. She imagined he could have his pick of the single women. Maybe even the married ones. The waitress took their menus and sashayed off, her ample hips swinging.
"Why is everyone staring at me?" Stephanie asked through tight lips.
Rick glanced around. "They"re just curious. We don"t get many strangers here." His gaze swung back to her. "I"m curious, too. Tell me about yourself."
Stephanie wasn"t comfortable discussing her past with anyone, much less a man she didn"t know. She shrugged. "Not much to tell."
"Why aren"t you married?"
"Why aren"t you?" she countered.
He smiled, and she tried not to melt. "Never got around to it. I used to travel a lot."
"You said used to. Don"t you enjoy traveling?"
Rick tugged at his shirt collar and shifted against his seat. "No. I"ve become a homebody of sorts." "I love to travel," Stephanie admitted. "It"s one of the things I like most about my job. That and being outdoors."
"And the animals," he added. "You do like animals, don"t you?"
She laughed. "Of course I like animals. I"m naturally suspicious of anyone who doesn"t."
"And you like wolves in particular?"
His line of questioning seemed strange to her. "Yes," she answered. "Wolves in particular."
Lifting a salt shaker to examine, he continued, "Why wolves in particular?"
Stephanie had never given her attraction to the species much thought. "I suppose because they"re beautiful. And they have values. The pack is like a family. They love and protect one another."
"What about your family?"
He"d hit upon a sore subject. It had been three years since her father"s death, and she still felt an empty place inside. "My parents were in a car accident. My mother was killed instantly. Dad held on for another year, but he was in bad shape. An invalid." She lowered her gaze because she felt the tears gathering. "I don"t think he even knew who I was in the end."
The gentle touch of his hand startled her. "I"m sorry for your loss."
His touch felt comforting; his expression held sincerity. Stephanie managed to get her emotions under control. "What about you? Are your parents still living?"
"Yes," he answered.
"Do you see them much?"
"No." He glanced away from her. "Not in a while."
"Why not?"
He removed his hand from hers. "Too busy, I guess. They live in Texas."
"You should visit them as often as you can. You won"t have them forever."
They sat silently for a moment. "What about brothers and sisters?" Stephanie asked.
"I have a brother," he responded. "Or I did. We were together on a hunting expedition in Canada a few years back. He... he was killed."
"How horrible," she breathed. "What happened?"
Rick glanced around as if looking for someone. "I"d rather not talk about it."
She supposed she was getting too personal and tried to change the subject. "You don"t strike me as the hunting type."
"I"m not," he admitted. "I went because Jason wanted us to spend time together." Betty appeared, and he looked relieved. "Great, here"s our food. I"m starving."
And he evidently was, because he attacked his food only moments after the waitress set his plate in front of him. Stephanie had to glance away. She was surprised the burger wasn"t still mooing. She tried to concentrate on her salad.
"You should have children."
"What?"
"Children," he repeated, taking a bite of his b.l.o.o.d.y hamburger. "You"ll make a good mother."
She loved children. Once, she"d pictured herself with a husband and babies of her own. She didn"t know if she could stand to love someone that much again, because she felt certain she couldn"t stand to lose anyone else she loved.
"And you have arrived at this conclusion based upon... ?"
"You have a nurturing nature," he answered. "You like to take care of people."
Stephanie laughed. "For a man who hardly knows me, you a.s.sume a lot."
He lifted a brow. "You don"t want children?"
A hot flush spread up her neck. She could imagine having his children. And what beautiful offspring he would produce. "Most women want children. That was an easy a.s.sumption." She moved her fork around in her salad, not looking at him. "Would you like to have children?"
When he remained silent, she glanced up. He mumbled, "I can"t," then looked away.
"Oh, I"m sorry," she said, realizing she"d gotten too personal again.
Rick wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Hugh"s here. Do you mind if I talk to him?"
She glanced behind her and saw the sheriff conversing with Betty. "No. Go ahead. I"ll wash my hands and freshen up, then meet you at the door."
He grabbed the bill, slid across the seat, and waited for her to rise. Conversation stopped at each booth or table they pa.s.sed. Stephanie felt self-conscious. She nodded at the sheriff when they reached the man, then proceeded to the restroom. Once inside, she washed her hands and splashed her face with cool water.
She found herself primping before the mirror, which wasn"t at all like her. Stephanie knew she was pretty, in a natural, no-fuss sort of way. Her job didn"t allow her to waste time with makeup or hot rollers. That was the bad thing about camping out. No electricity. Of course, it had never bothered her much before. But then, she"d never had a single, handsome man living near her campsite before, either.
Frowning over her silly primping, she threw the paper towel in the wastebasket and left the restroom. Rick stood at the register talking to Betty.
"Sure you can"t stop by later tonight and look at my Sugar, Rick? Her appet.i.te hasn"t been at all good lately."
"You know I don"t practice on small animals. You"ll have to take her-"
"But Sugar doesn"t like that old vet," Betty interrupted, her plump red lips forming a pout. "And it"s so far over there."
He dug in his back pocket for his wallet. "Sugar doesn"t like me either, remember?"
Stephanie stepped up to the register. "Who"s Sugar?"
"My poodle," Betty answered, frowning over the interruption. "I wanted Rick to come over tonight and have a look at her, but I forgot, she pitches a fit anytime she comes within sniffing distance of him. He"s the reason we"ve all had to take to penning up our pets."
"You should keep them penned up anyway," Rick said. "Confinement stops the spread of disease and keeps them from getting run over."
"I suppose you"re right about that," she admitted. "Well, don"t be such a stranger."
"Keep the change," he said, ushering Stephanie outside.
"Why don"t dogs like you?" she immediately asked, finding that strange since Rick was a veterinarian.
He looked a little embarra.s.sed. "They just don"t."
"But that"s odd, isn"t it? Haven"t you ever had to practice on small animals?"
He nodded. "There"s the drugstore. You can get film and anything else you need. I"m going for a haircut."
Although it pleased her that he"d taken her suggestion to heart, Stephanie wouldn"t be put off. "Well, haven"t you?"
Rick sighed. "I used to practice on small animals when I lived in the city. I can only a.s.sume that dogs no longer like me because they smell wolf on me."
She drew up short. "What?"
"My shoes," he specified. "Tromp around a forest inhabited by wolves and you"re bound to pick up their scent on your shoes. Spoor and things."
"Oh." She wrinkled her nose. "I suppose you"re right. I hadn"t thought of that. How"d it go with the sheriff?"
He shrugged. "Okay. He said he"d speak to the farmers, but he also said to tell you to be careful. Some might listen and some might not."
"I guess it"s a start," she said.
"Do you mind shopping alone while I get a haircut?"
The idea wasn"t too pleasing since she was a stranger in town and evidently not highly regarded, but Stephanie answered, "No problem."
"I"ll meet you back at your Jeep."
With a nod, Stephanie veered off toward the drugstore. She received a chilly reception from the owner after she entered, but ignored the balding older man. Stephanie picked up a few rolls of film, strolled the aisles until something caught her eye. She smiled and plucked a bottle of her favorite shampoo from the shelves. Since she didn"t know how long it would take Rick to get a haircut, she lingered over the magazine section and chose a mystery novel from the limited selection of books.
The man running the cash register didn"t thaw a fraction toward her, even though she"d spent more money than she intended, maybe unconsciously trying to win him over. She took her sack and headed back outside. The barbershop was just up the street, but Stephanie decided to wait at her Jeep. She headed toward the vehicle. A woman stepped from the alley beside the drugstore.
The woman"s appearance startled Stephanie. She had long, tangled hair and wore ragged clothing. Her face was a mask of wrinkles. She lifted a bony finger and pointed.
"Beware of the wolf," she croaked.
Stephanie glanced behind her, unsure if the woman was speaking to her, and also to make certain there wasn"t anything frightening standing behind her. There was no wolf. Only Rick walking toward her. She turned back. The woman had disappeared. Stephanie scanned the streets, searching for the woman. When she didn"t find her, she stepped into the alleyway. It was deserted.
Rick held the shampoo bottle beneath his nose. He took a deep breath, then sighed with pleasure. He smiled, recalling how Stephanie had pulled it from the sack once she"d brought him home. A gift, she had teased, so he wouldn"t have to sniff her. He wouldn"t use the shampoo on his now shorter hair, but he liked having her scent floating around the room.
His smile faded when he recalled something he hadn"t liked. Stephanie had said an old woman stepped from the alley and warned her to beware of the wolf. He"d thought she might be seeing things until they spotted the old woman later, hobbling down the road.