Page 29 of Wolf's Chance

Five minutes later, I was being handed more cash than I was used to holding at any one time.

“How long have you lived here?”

“A few years,” I answered. The big guy was called Royce, and the other man, I had learned, was Mal. He watched me too intensely to be considered polite, but the other man made up for his weirdness, so I concentrated on Royce.

“What made you move here?” Mal asked. “Scenery? Hiking?”

I laughed. “I don’t hike.”

“Why?”

“There could be bears.” I hoped my playful tone would make them stop asking questions. “Or wolves.” Their attention seemed to sharpen, and I had no idea why I thought that, but they were both just…more. Clearing my throat, I forced myself to remain positive. Ihadjust sold six pieces after all. “I really appreciate your business,” I said with complete honesty. “You sure you want to take them all today? I can easily ship them if you need.”

Royce shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. We have the truck.”

“Right.” I watched as he picked up three of the pieces easily off the counter. Mal held the door open for him, but my gut twisted in anticipation when he didn’t follow his partnerout the door. Mal walked back to the counter and didn’t even pretend to pick anything up.

“I’m a doctor.”

That, I hadn’t been expecting, and I knew I hadn’t hidden my surprise very well. “Ah.” Not much else you can say to that.

“I’m telling you because it makes what I say next less creepy.” He grinned, and I had a feeling that this was the first time he had been genuine with me. “Your skin is clammy, your coloring is off. The darkness under your eyes tells me you don’t sleep well.”

“And I thought I looked quite good today.” My sass made him smile wider.

“What is it?” His head tilted. “Fibro? Lupus?”

“Nothing as sinister as that. I have ME.” I felt the usual discomfort when I spoke about my illness.

“You moved here for a better quality of life.” Wisdom and understanding were evident now that I was looking at him. Really looking at him, taking him in. He hadn’t been getting ready to dissect me and eat my liver with a nice chianti; he was a doctor analyzing a patient.

Wait…wasn’t Hannibal a doctor?

“I mean you no harm.”

Brilliant, he was also a mind reader.

“Pretty sure that’s the line every killer tells their victim right before they kill them.” I’d meant it as a joke, but the flat way in which I said it made us both falter.

Royce walked back into the store, and his sure step slowed as he picked up the tension between us. “You two okay?”

“Yup.” I was relieved he was back. “Mal was just telling mehe’s a doctor.” I didn’t miss the sharp look Royce gave his companion.

“Was he? That’s interesting.” Funny, Royce didn’t seem to think it was interesting at all. He picked up the other three pieces. “We got everything?”

“Yeah.” Mal was looking around the room, distracted, and missed the other man’s frown. His gaze fell on me once more. “Keep hydrated,” he told me. “Your sleep pattern has been disturbed. Fix that.” Like it was that easy. “More veg, less candy.” He nodded toward the open counter door where a solitary candy bar lay. “Three meals a day, less snacks.”

Jesus.

“I know how to look after myself.”Why did I sound so defensive?

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you so fatigued?”

“I have ME.”

“You have an illness that is controllable. Using it as a crutch only makes you weaker.” His simple head nod on the way out floored me as much as his harsh words had.

“He forgets himself sometimes,” Royce told me apologetically. “Thank you for these. Bye.”

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