Page 10 of Sweeter Than Honey
Jett was pulled from the conversation by a hard jab on his shoulder.
“Who is that?” Dax leaned close as if they were sharing a secret.
“How the hell should I know?”
“Because some of that funk scent is coming off her and you said you got up close and personal with it earlier, and the grass in your hair, your messy shirt. She looks pretty tired. The only reasonable conclusion is that—”
“She hit me with her car.”
Dax blinked. “Come again.”
“Didn’t come once, but thanks for implying otherwise.”
“Jesus, you two,” Rowan shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
Jett put a hand on the table, his gaze returning to the woman. “I was coming down from a shift and was still dazed in my recovery zone when I crossed the road. She was having car trouble and bumped into me at like two miles an hour before I had to push it to the side of the road.”
Dax’s brow fell. “How long were you in your shift? Must have been a while if you were so out of it that you let yourself get hit by a car going two miles an hour?”
“Now that’s a reasonable question. I’d like to know that, too.” Rowan crossed his arms on the table. Both men were staring at him. Jett rolled his eyes. Shifters had to be careful of how long they maintained their shift in their bear form. It took an enormous physical and mental toll to transform bodies, and the longer he was in his bear form, the more difficult it was to turn human again. After his family had been killed, Jett spent an unhealthy amount of time in his bear form, nearly killing himself when he tried to revert the shift and his body denied his human. He’d since reined in his tendency to run away from his pain by playing bear in the woods for days on end, even though the urge was constantly there.
Lately, the nightmares had returned and the only solace he found was running free in the woods.
“Maybe a little too long.”
“Not again, Jett.” Rowan sighed. “You found any help for your farm yet? It’s past time you get another body in that remote homestead of yours. It’ll help kill the loneliness since you refuse to move into the lodge with me. You need people, Jett. You need to start letting people in again.”
“No, Dad. I haven’t found help yet.”
He hadn’t even been looking. He liked his quiet, secluded mountain farm. He raised bees, honey, and a variety of hardy organic crops. He didn’t want help. He didn’t want anyone.
“I didn’t catch your name.”
He homed in on Allie’s voice again.
“Cara. Thanks again for the hospitality.”
Cara.The name flowed on his mind’s tongue.
“Anytime. You know, if you have time, you should stop in tomorrow morning about seven. I like to have a little breakfast before the bakery gets busy. We could chat.”
Cara tilted her head as if considering it. “Thank you. I’ll think about it.”
“Great. The front door will be open if you decide to come.”
Jett turned slightly away as Cara walked to the door. She paused, but didn’t look toward him, though for a fraction of a moment he thought she might. And then she was gone.
He shouldn’t care. But he couldn’t stop himself.
He just might have to be in town earlier than usual tomorrow to see if one curiously alluring human showed up for breakfast.
Chapter Six
Caraheldherbreathand listened as footsteps paused outside the door to her hotel room.
She’d slept hard last night, a little surprising considering the thought of danger was always in the back of her mind. A long, warm shower had relaxed her while deepening the fatigue and she’d fallen into a deep sleep, waking once to the image of a man walking out of the woods and stepping in front of her speeding car.
The shape had been a mixture of the shifter she’d hit in Kansas City and Beard. He’d turned glowing yellow eyes on her, and she’d woken with a start. Her next conscious realization was sunlight streaming in the window and someone walking around in the hall.
