Page 9 of Wild Omegas
My gut twists and I just know… I just know.
CHAPTER 5
Josie
ONE WEEK LATER
It’s beena week since arriving at Wild Skies Ranch and my ankle is finally starting to heal. Despite initially fighting it, I do rest. Mostly because every time I try to do anything that involves leaving the main house on foot, a member of Wild Skies Pack magically appears as if they have cameras on me at all times.
Do they?
I make a note to check while I flip through more paperwork like I’ve been doing all week. Bills, supply orders, plans for a store on an open parcel of land near the main house. It’s all foreign and familiar at the same time. With my bakery, I could look at this same type of paperwork and not blink, but my eyes lose focus with the complicated necessities of running a ranch. Luckily, the ranch is doingokay. But it could definitely use a financial uplift to stay afloat.
Grandma and Grandpa still have final say, but I can see now how instrumental Wild Skies Pack has been in keeping this place running. I’m grateful to them for that because of what Wild Skies Ranch means to my grandparents. But it makes me all the more nervous every day, especially when theunknown callerphone calls begin.
Just one on day three of being at Wild Skies Ranch. Nothing suspicious. Could be a telemarketer.
Three on day five.
I’ve had seven just this morning and even now my phone rings again. I watch the call without intending to answer because that is no telemarketer.
So much for “not much cell service” on the ranch.
It’s Damien. It has to be. Can he pinpoint my phone if I don’t answer, or is it futile to ignore it? It’s not even the same number that calls so it’s not like I can block them. And if Idoblock the calls, he’ll know I’ve reacted at all.
I stare at the phone until the call dies down, so focused on what’s happening there that I don’t notice a male figure appear in the living room until he’s already walking toward me. The sudden vision of a man coming my way sends me rocketing to my feet.
“Stop!” I shout, recognizing Luke a second later.
“Sorry.” Luke throws up his hands to show he’s harmless but I already know he is. They all are. They all just want to help and go about their jobs, and all I’ve done is barge in and injure myself so theyhaveto dote on me to some degree.
All I’ve done is make their lives harder, and then put those lives in danger on top of it, and they don’t even know.
I need to get them out of here. Or myself. But I have nowhere else to go. Surely they all havesomewhere.
“Josie?” Concern wrinkles Luke’s brow now. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” My heartbeat thuds loudly in my ears. Did my brainreallythink Luke was Damien for even the smallest amount of time? I’m suddenly gasping for air.
Panic. This is panic.
I close my eyes and force a deep breath, then another.
Luke takes a single step closer. “You don’t look okay.”
I shake my head. He can’t be near this. None of them can be. “Everything’s fine, you just scared me. I didn’t hear you come inside.” I point to the stack of paperwork. “Another long day sorting orders and planning and zoning permits. Do you know anything about the store my grandparents wanted to open?”
I’m hopeful Luke will take the bait, but he doesn’t. “No. Are you sure you’re okay?” It’s then I notice he still has his work gloves on. He’s on a break and here I am wasting his time by worrying him.
I take another deep breath and force a smile I hope appears genuine. “Yes, I’m okay. I promise.”
My phone rings again. Another unknown caller appears on the caller-ID in my peripheral vision. I lock my jaw.
Luke’s brown-eyed gaze spots my phone ringing. “You can pick that up if you need to.”
I wave him off. “No need. Telemarketers have been calling all day. My number must have hit a list somehow. Or all wrong numbers.”
Worry clouds his eyes but he inclines his head. “Better to ignore them then for sure. I was thinking, maybe tomorrow you could come help me at the horse barn? Get to know the animals? Seems like your ankle is better.”
