Chapter 13

Once in the house, they didn’t mention the paw print in front of Lizzie, but Shane did tell them about Matthew coming out of the coma. Thank goodness—and the news appeared to give Allison something to smile about, too.

On her way into the kitchen, she stopped and gave him a quick hug. “I know how much old Doc means to you, to many of us. I’m sure you feel so much better. I just don’t know what we’d do without him around here.”

Did she know her hug made him feel better, too? He managed to sneak in a quick kiss when Lizzie wasn’t watching. Tasting Allison’s lips, even briefly, sent a triple surge of pleasure rippling through him that blocked out the other worries.

Shane then showed Lizzie the best way to care for the kittens and gave her written instructions of a feeding schedule. Allison cuddled them along with their daughter, as he knew she would. Watching them together on the sofa, both sitting cross-legged and giving each kitten its bottle and rubbing tummies afterward, he knew he’d done the right thing tonight.

When Allison announced bedtime, Lizzie tucked the kittens into their basket and gathered it up. “Can they sleep in my room? Please, Mom?”

“Yes they may, but you’ll have to wake for their middle of the night feeding. Go ahead, and I’ll fix some more bottles.”

As Lizzie made her way upstairs, a rush of some unique emotion filled Shane’s chest. Was this what it felt like to be a new father? He hugged the feeling close.

“I’m going to the kitchen, would you like anything?” Allison had the kitten bottles in her hands as fatigue settled on her face.

He followed. “I hope you don’t mind I brought the kittens here. I thought it might be something Lizzie and I could talk about, until we figure out this father-daughter thing.”

She put the bottles in the sink. “Seriously, did you ever know me to turn away an animal? And she’s just like me, so of course it’s fine. She’ll be an attentive little mama to them.” She lined up the extra clean bottles he had brought, opened a can of the kitten milk, and proceeded to fill the little containers.

Shane came up behind her. “You’re right. She is just like you. In every good way.” He wanted to hold Allison close and offer any support he could, but was hesitant to touch her. Her unspoken worry over the paw print would make her much too vulnerable, and he refused to take advantage.

As if reading his thoughts, she paused in filling the bottles, and a sudden shiver rippled over her slender shoulders. “What is out there?” Quiet fear rimmed her words. “As if the Potters aren’t enough of a problem, now this. I’m afraid to let the horses out in the pasture anymore, but what can I tell my boarders? I have kids coming for lessons in the morning. I can’t risk their safety, but I can’t lose my business either. What am I going to do?”

He gently grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him, knowing he had to tread lightly. “I think we should start by contacting the authorities. The sheriff’s department and the local conservation officer. We have to know what we’re up against before we can figure out what to do about it.”

“We?” The question in her eyes went beyond whatever doubt she had about his concern and straight to the truth. The truth of how long he would be here and a part of their lives.

“I’m here to help you. For better or worse, I’m part of yours and Lizzie’s life. I know you’re not sure you want to believe me, but you two are more important to me than anything else right now, and your safety means everything. Please know that.”

“I want to believe it. I do believe it. But what happens if I report the Potters are harassing me, and they say I stole their horse? As for the poaching, it’s my word against theirs, and—”

He touched her mouth with his fingers, then lightly kissed it. “Okay, we won’t report the Potters, but the paw print is another matter. If it’s what I’m thinking, we have to know for sure.”

She placed her hands against his chest and put some distance between them. “And what are you thinking?”

He let her go and paced back and forth a moment, rubbing his chin as he contemplated the notion playing in his mind. “I’m remembering an incident early in the summer before I left. Doc and I went to a farm probably ten miles from here because a horse had been injured. There were bite marks on the neck and scratches on its back. Very unusual, Doc had noted, and he didn’t agree with the official report.”

“What did the report say?”

“The easy answer was coyotes, and while they don’t often go after prey as large as a horse, it has happened. They just don’t jump on its back.” He felt her gaze on him and hated to speak the word that would frighten her more, but better she knew.

“Then…what does?” Allison’s voice trembled.

“Cats. Big cats.” He swung around to face her and found her face pale as summer mist.

“Wh-what are you saying?”

“I’m saying the paw print in the pasture is like the ones I saw in that canyon. My guess would be a cougar.”

“But how? There are no…”

“Cougars in this part of Michigan,” he finished for her. “I know. Same thing we were told that summer, but Doc was convinced no coyotes injured that horse.”

Her chest rose with a deep breath. “Do you think that’s how Pride was hurt? Whatever left the print tried to…bring him down?”

The shudder of her shoulders and tremor in her voice drew him to her side. He rubbed his hands down her arms and kept them against her chilled skin until it warmed a little. “I don’t know, but until we do, I’d keep all the horses close to the barn.”

“I will.”

When she broke away, she tightened caps on the bottles, and put them away in the fridge. As she closed the door, he noticed her wince and rub at her leg.

“How are the bruises?” he dared to ask.

She shrugged. “They’re going away. Just still sting a little now and then.”

“You should let me check them, see if they’re healing properly.”

She rubbed her hands down the worn jeans fitting snugly against her legs. “I can hardly pull these up like sweatpants.”

“Then drop them.” Her eyes grew wide, and he couldn’t help but grin. “Nothing I haven’t seen before, you know, but I promise to only look at the bruises.”

Cheeks flaming, she unzipped her jeans and pulled them down just enough to show the abrasions, now turning a nice shade of pale blue and purple with a little green around the edges. Shane crouched to inspect them, touching her skin ever so gently, fighting the strong temptation to press a kiss there and run his hands along the curve of her thigh. But a promise was a promise.

He stood and glanced away while she pulled her jeans up. “If you think it’s come back around, you have to tell me.”

“I will, but can we just let it go for now?”

He suddenly ached to hold her close and make them both forget about their problems, but for now, he couldn’t ask that of Allison. He couldn’t expect her to just pick up where they’d left off ten years ago, but he was determined she wouldn’t shut him out. Not anymore.