I felt another presence behind me and just before I knew Grace was about to say something, I pulled her in front of me, cupping my hand across her mouth. At the same time, I lowered my head, whispering into her ear as she stiffened. “Shush. Look toward the clinic.” Her body was rigid and in her hands were two travel-style coffee mugs.
Even her breathing was heavy, much like the night before. She’d been a brave girl in coming after either a bear or an intruder with nothing but a shovel. Yet I’d been able to sense her fear and it had nothing to do with who I was or what I’d done.
The beautiful woman was harboring a dark secret that made her uneasy around men. And forget about trust. The two of us were in the same boat with that.
Yet here she was, finding me to offer coffee.
“See the deer?”
She nodded and her entire demeanor shifted in front of me. As soon as I removed my hand, she gasped just enough the gleeful sound brought a smile.
I’d be damned. A real smile on my face.
Not about sex either.
“That’s amazing. I knew they’d come and find her.” She was breathless in her excitement.
“Her?”
“The fawn. Wait here. Will you? Don’t move.”
She shoved the mugs into my hands, taking a wide berth to head to the clinic. I stood watching them, daring to inch just a little bit closer. They were scared, but I had a feeling they’d realized that neither I nor Grace had any intention of hurting them.
I had no idea how long it was before she’d returned, but when she did, she had the fawn in her arms. The little creature wasn’t kicking until Grace placed her on the ground.
The other deer walked closer and I could sense such emotion in them.
As soon as the fawn was free, the tiny awkward deer raced toward the group. Even a big, indecent man like me could enjoy such a beautiful reunion, the mama nuzzling her baby to ensure she was okay. After a thorough inspection, all four bounded toward the woods while Grace and I walked closer. There was something so magical about the moment, including that neither Sailor nor Ellie May was chasing after them.
When the fawn’s mother reached the edge of the woods, she stopped long enough to turn around, her huge brown eyes locked on Grace’s. The moment was one I would never forget.
“You’re welcome,” Grace whispered and that was enough to release the magic and the deer ran away.
The trembling woman stood where she was and I put the cups down, taking slow and easy steps toward her. I didn’t know the woman well at all, which was why when she wiped tears from her eyes, I stiffened, uncertain what if anything to do.
But the surprises continued and she turned, running toward me and jumping into my arms.
Her laughter sparkled into the air and in those strange and wonderful few seconds, I was part of her world, seeing the joy of caring for animals through her eyes. “Amazing. I knew it. I knew her family would come find her. Animals are so amazing.”
I laughed with her, which caused the dogs to finally go nuts, but I wasn’t worried about them chasing the deer. I’d never seen two dogs so happy to spend time together.
If that wasn’t bad enough, when she slowed her laughter, she pressed one hand against my chest, curling her fingers around my shirt. The girl was daring, tempting, and bad news all the way around.
Which was why when she captured my mouth, the shock wore off quickly and I took control of the kiss, the hunger breaching the surface. I was lost in the moment, not caring about what had been said the night before, the guilt or anything else.
Just the intense moment of intimacy.
But as quickly as it had begun, we both grasped onto the realization of what had just happened, the line we’d stepped over and she wiggled from my arms to the ground, immediately backing away.
The moment was awkward, silent, and unacceptable. She made certain there was a significant distance between us before pointing to the coffee. “I didn’t know what time you were leaving so I put it in a to-go cup that you can take with you. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of Sailor. Um… Have a good day at work.”
I stood staring after her, shaking my head the entire time. What in the hell had just happened?
* * *
There was something about her, that something difficult to ignore.
Grace.
