She was beautiful, though not in the traditional, heavily made-up sense that I was used to seeing on photoshoots or the set ofSecret Shadows, but in a healthy, real woman sort of way. She wore flip-flops and a loose-fitting blue dress that was oddly flattering. A tangle of dark curls fell past her shoulders, messy from the windswept ferry. She had expressive brown eyes, a heart-shaped face smattered with freckles, and a red pen mark on her cheek.
“Where did they go?” she asked, eyes wide.
I looked around at the gathering crowd. “Where didwhogo?”
“Those huge dogs,” she whispered. “They were about to attack me.”
Blood coursed through my veins like a flash flood.The Crutchfield brothers.I’d seen those hooligans bounding down the ferry ramp in their wolf forms a moment ago, shoving people aside.
“Those selfish jackasses are gone,” I told her. “They have no regard for anyone but themselves. I can assure you, not everyone on the island is like them.”
“Well, that’s a relief to know,” she said breathlessly, smoothing her dress with shaky hands. “Would you mind handing me the cat carrier behind you?”
As I turned to grab it, someone in the crowd shouted.“Look out!”
My head snapped up, and I saw a minivan with two nuns in the front seat plowing into the back of my car. The sounds of screeching tires and twisting metal filled the air. Instinctively, I pushed the woman off the roadway, but I didn’t have time to get myself or the cat out of the way. So, I did the only thing I could do. Using the strength of my wolf, I pushed as hard as I could against the grill of my car to stop the forward momentum.
And it would’ve worked too. But then my outrageouslyexpensive cowboy boots with their smooth leather soles slipped on the pavement.
There was a crack. And a sharp stab of pain—a lot of it. Then the road rose up to meet me.
“Oh goodness, Travis!” Sister Elenor rushed from the van, her hands flapping around her head like two bony birds. She, along with Sister Mary Francis, had taught me in Sunday school when I was a pup. “I was distracted by the kites and didn’t see that you had stopped.” She patted my cheeks briskly. It wasn’t at all comforting. “Are you okay, honey? Where does it hurt?”
“It’s nothing, ma’am.” Trying to ignore the piercing pain in my leg, I got to my feet, grabbed the pet carrier and hobbled over to the woman from the ferry. She seemed equal parts grateful and horrified.
“You got hurt,” she choked. “Trying to save us.”
I started to tell her I was totally fine, hardly worse for the wear. Then she stretched on her tiptoes, and for a second, I thought she was going to give me a peck on the cheek. But instead, she held my face in her hands and planted a big old kiss on my mouth.
“How in the world did you do that?” she asked, her sweet breath warm against my lips as she pulled away. “If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d never have believed it. You saved George’s life. And mine.”
My inner wolf flared to life again, and I nearly growled. Instead, I touched my mouth, tasting the remnants of her cherry lip balm. I could’ve kissed her a little longer, to be honest. “I almost killed you. It was the least I could do.”
“Well, you didn’t.” She took a half step back, seemed to collect herself, then thrust her hand out and gave mine a firm shake. It was the kind of handshake that said,Forget about that hot, impulsive kiss just now. This is what I want you to remember about me.“Thank you very much for saving George and me. I’m…uh…Daphne, by the way.”
She looked at me expectantly, her long-lashed eyes the kind a man could get lost in. It took me a moment to realize she was waiting for me to introduce myself as well. Like she truly didn’t know who I was. I can’t tell you how refreshing it was not to be recognized, especially here on the island where I grew up. “Nice to meet you, Daphne-By-The-Way. I’m Travis.”
She laughed softly, letting go of my hand as she wiggled her fingers inside the cat carrier. “George says thanks too.”
I bent down, trying not to put too much weight on my knee, and peered inside. The black and white cat hissed and took a swipe at me, almost scratching my cheek.Little asshole. I jerked away just in time, wrenching my knee even further.
“George!” Daphne chided, looking aghast. “I’m so sorry, Travis. He can be pretty ill-tempered.”
“Must not like dogs,” I grumbled.
“Hates them. With a passion.”
Sister Mary-Francis, who’d been directing traffic around the fender bender, clapped her hands like a schoolteacher. “All right, you two lovebirds. Let’s go.”
Daphne held up a hand in protest. “But we’re not—well, I was… It was just?—”
“You can kiss all you want at the hospital,” Sister Elenor told her. “I’ll get someone to move your car, Travis.”
“Hospital? I don’t need to go to the hospital.” Then it occurred to me. “Unless Daphne?—”
She shook her head vehemently. “No, no. I’m perfectly fine. Just a little dusty from the road.”
It was then that I heard the siren. I looked up to see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle barreling down the hill toward the ferry dock. “Heaven’s Moon! Who called an ambulance?”
