Summer Heat (Wyoming Fever Book 2) by Elizabeth Lennox (books for new readers TXT) 📕

a writer, but I never knew what kind of books you wrote, nor what name you used.”

“I’m Kelsey Gibbons. But keep that to yourself,” she whispered.

He smiled, nodding his agreement.  “I will.”  He took her hand, pulling them from the wrapped position around her body. “How about if we eat some pancakes while you tell me about the scary things that have been going on around here?”

She peered around his broad shoulders and giggled.  “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Arik spun around to find Xena standing on the table.  She’d completely devoured the stack of pancakes while Minx was on the floor with his own pancake.  He’d either gotten up on the table as well, or Xena had tossed him one.  Probably the second, Sage thought, covering her mouth with a hand.

Arik turned and glared at the dogs, clapping his hands.  “Down!” he roared.

Immediately, Xena leapt off of the table, licking her chops as she happily sauntered over to stand beside Minx, who ignored the entire episode as he finished his treat.

“Oh, that’s going to be a problem,” she whispered.

Arik looked down at Sage, wondering if she realized that she’d just leaned against his chest, snuggling up to him.

Probably not, he thought as his arm moved around her to pull her even closer.  Nor was he going to point it out.  He was simply going to revel in this small moment of success!

Chapter 7

Arik sat on his heels and frowned at the ground.

“What’s wrong?” Sage called out, coming out of the shed where her gardening tools were stored.

“Nothing,” he told her, standing up.  But she saw the concern in his eyes and confronted him.

“Arik, I was completely honest with you this morning about my previous marriage and…” she stopped, squinting up at the sunshine.  “Well, if there’s something that you’re keeping from me, that’s going to make me worry.”

“Are you going to kill me off next?” he teased.

Sage smiled, but she shrugged. “I don’t know. It depends on how much you’re hiding from me.”

He reached out and pulled her close.  “I’m not hiding anything from you, so much as wanting to investigate a bit more before I tell you my suspicions.  Does that explanation make a difference?”

She considered for a moment, her hand resting on his chest.  It occurred to her that, even after everything Jerry put her through, she was more comfortable with Arik even after just the short time that she’d…well, she hadn’t “allowed” him into her life.  He’d sort of…inserted himself.  Regardless, she felt safer with Arik than she’d ever felt with Jerry.  Comfortable?

No, she definitely didn’t feel exactly comfortable around Arik.  He felt safe, yes.  But not comfortable.  Because every time he touched her, like now, she wanted to grab his hand and drag him inside so that they could have a repeat of last night.

She didn’t.  Because Jerry’s words had dug deeper than she’d realized.  Obviously, she had a bit more healing to accomplish.

“What’s going on, Arik?” she asked, looking into his eyes so that he could see the need there.  The need to feel safe.  The need for him to be honest and open with her.

“There are footprints here,” he said.

That was startling news.  She looked around, as if she could somehow see the footprints. “Where?” she asked.

Arik laughed, then bent to kiss her neck.  “You’re awfully cute,” he said, smiling when he felt her shiver in his arms. “And sexy as hell.”

“You’re changing the subject,” she replied, not really sure that she cared.

“I don’t think they are recent.”

“Why not?”

“Because Minx and Xena didn’t bark last night.”

She thought about that.  “Would they always bark?” she asked.

He pulled her closer, lacing his fingers behind her back, pressing her hips to his.  “Remember this morning, after the second breakfast?”

“When they started barking at the vultures perched on the fence post?”

“Exactly,” he nodded.  “They are very aware of their new environment.  They want to investigate everything.  So, I think they would have heard if someone had been…” he hesitated, then blurted it out.  “They would have noticed if someone had peeked in your windows.”

Sage jumped and twisted around, still in the circle of his arms.  “My windows?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said, releasing her so that he could lead her over to the window where he’d noticed the shoe impressions.  “Here,” he said, pointing to two footprints that looked too big to belong to a woman.  “These are much bigger than your feet.  So, unless you’re wearing oversized boots and staring into your own windows, these are suspicious.”

“I don’t wear big boots,” she admitted.  “I wear a size six.  And there’s no reason for me to look inside my windows, Arik.  I didn’t make those shoe impressions.”

“I didn’t think so.”  He sighed and pulled his phone out. “I’m going to get the forensic team out here.  It might be nothing, but I’d like them to get these prints into evidence.  Just in case.”

He made a phone call and Sage listened, only half paying attention.  Most of her concentration was on the shoe impression.  Who was spying on her?  And what had they seen?  Why would someone even care?

A cold sensation filtered through her stomach as thoughts and worries surfaced.  The possibilities that popped into her mind worried her more than she’d thought possible.

“Sage?” Arik called out.

Sage turned, her eyebrows lifted in question.

“What size shoe does your ex-husband wear?”

She blinked, not sure why he was asking.  “I don’t know.  A size ten or eleven?”

The look in Arik’s eyes warned her that the shoe impression was around that size.  He went back to his phone call.  When he ended the call, he walked closer to her.  “I’d like to get the dogs and take you to my place tonight.  Would you be okay with that?”

She