Chapter Eighteen

Koda lay awake with Maggie sleeping soundly in the crook of his arm. Her face rested against his chest, her silky curls fanned out above them. Every now and then, she would twitch, her eyelashes fluttering against his skin, feeling like the wings of something small and delicate.

He wasn’t wearing a watch, but guessed it was around midnight. There was no fog, and the moon, which was just a few nights away from being full, was probably right overhead. He shifted a little, catching the scent of Maggie’s hair. She moaned and rolled over. Her pale shoulders rose and fell with the gentle cadence of sleep. An unknown emotion rushed through him, taking him by surprise.

Blinking into the gritty darkness, he wondered if sleeping with Maggie Sullivan had been the smartest thing to do. He’d broken his own rule about not jumping into bed with someone he barely knew. And she wasn’t exactly in the best place emotionally, either. Was he going to contribute to that by confusing the ever-loving shit out of her? But even as he thought it, he knew if someone were to put the brakes on here, it was going to have to be Maggie. He was in too deep now.

She moaned again, dreaming, and he pulled the sleeping bag up over her shoulders. There was definitely something about this girl that spoke to him. She was an old soul, something he had been accused of being, too. And when he’d told her she was brave, he meant it. She was one of the gutsiest people he’d ever met, and he’d met quite a few.

He ran a finger down her arm, deep in thought, when a sound from outside made him stop.

Koda held his breath and sat up. It couldn’t have been. He’d been punchy these last few weeks. Looking for a body, consumed with trying to find a killer, Maggie showing up and turning him inside out. He wasn’t normally the kind to spook. But as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he’d been spooked several times since she’d come to town.

And then he heard it again. His scalp prickled. The hair on his arms stood on end. A long, eerie howl floated along the midnight air to reach him inside the tent. And this time Maggie stirred.

She opened her eyes. “What was that?”

“Sounds like a wolf,” he said, forcing himself to appear relaxed.

She sat up, clutching the sleeping bag to her chest. “But there aren’t any wolves around here.”

“There aren’t supposed to be. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few here and there. They’ve been known to make their way south from Canada.”

They sat quiet, waiting. After a long minute, another howl. It was out of place, enough to send chills all the way down his spine. It reminded him of watching old movies when he’d been little, he and Zane staying up until the wee hours of the morning, scaring each other with their own idiotic legend.

Maggie put a hand on his arm. “Koda…”

“It’s okay. Wolves are shy. We should be more worried about bears.”

“Great.”

Her hair covered one eye and hung in loose corkscrews down her back. Even in the dead of night, out in the middle of nowhere and woken from a sound sleep, she took his breath away.

He leaned over to kiss her shoulder but stopped when another howl cut through the silence.

It was closer this time. Considerably closer.

She scooted next to him and the skin on his neck crawled. Wolves were shy, so why was he so jumpy? And what the hell was a wolf doing down here, anyway? Despite what he’d told Maggie, there hadn’t been any wolf sightings around here for decades. It didn’t make any sense.

Another howl. This time it sounded like it came from the outskirts of the meadow, directly to their left. Maggie sucked in a sharp breath.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s all right.”

He’d no sooner gotten the words out, than they heard the unmistakable sound of something loping toward the tent.

It was big, whatever it was. The ground seemed to vibrate with it.

Thud, thud, thud.

“Oh my God.”

“It’s okay.” He moved his backpack aside and grabbed the rifle, checking to make sure it was loaded. “Stay here.”

She dug her fingers into his arm. “You’re not going out there?”

“I’m just going to fire a warning shot. I’m sure that’s all it’ll take. It’s probably just curious, that’s all.” He pulled on his jeans, then his fleece. Zipping it to his chin, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

“Koda.” Her eyes were wide and afraid and settled on him with a look of desperation. “Be careful.”

He nodded. A few weeks ago, he just wanted her to go back to the city where she’d come from. Now, he knew he’d put himself between her and anything that could hurt her, no matter how dangerous it turned out to be. He’d protect her with his life if it ever came down to that. The knowledge was strangely comforting.

After a long second, he stepped out, holding the rifle close and scanning the moonlit surroundings. The meadow was bathed in silver, frost sparkling over every blade of grass. His breath billowed from his mouth like smoke. He straightened, listening for what they’d heard earlier. But other than his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, there was nothing. No sound, no movement.

Koda walked around the tent, holding the rifle steady. It was impossible to tell what was just beyond the dark line of trees thirty feet to his left. But there was nothing close by. At least not close enough to see. He stopped in his tracks, watching, waiting. Nothing.

He stayed there for a good five minutes, his toes numb and his nose running from the cold. He sniffed, beginning to wonder if it had all been a figment of his imagination. Finally satisfied, he headed back to the front of the tent and kneeled to unzip it.

He glanced down at the toe of his boot, the untied laces lying there like miniature snakes. Then froze. Taking a deep breath, he touched the tips of his fingers to a paw print the size of his head.

So much for his imagination.

Maggie sat on the edge of Candi’s love seat and tapped her foot, an old anxious habit. Today she was going to meet Bart, Candi’s new dog, the alleged vicious protector. Floppy ears and all.

“He’s in the back. I’ll go get him, just sit tight.” Candi had been as excited as a little kid a moment ago, and Maggie grinned back, trying to suppress the nerves that had been gnawing at her since last night.

A paw print. A huge paw print. She’d scrambled out of the tent when she’d heard Koda swear under his breath.

“What the…?” Her voice had trailed off. The print was so big, she couldn’t believe it had come from an animal, much less, an animal that wasn’t even supposed to be living in this part of the United States. They’d looked at each other at the exact moment another howl had pierced the air. Maggie scrambled back in the tent ready to hike out that second. Koda had reasoned with her that they should stay put until first light, but he’d held her for the rest of the night and she was pretty sure he hadn’t slept at all.

“Ready?” Candi’s sweet singsong voice carried from the back door.

“Ready!”

Maggie heard the tick, tick, scratch of paws that were having a hard time getting a hold on the kitchen linoleum.

“Meet Bart!”

She looked up in just enough time to see a big, brown blob launch itself straight at her.

“Bart, no,” Candi cried.

But it was too late. At least seventy-five pounds of slobbery, hairy hound dog was climbing into her lap, licking her ear, under her chin, up her nose. Any place that his long pink tongue could reach.

Maggie laughed, managing to keep his saggy face away from hers, but only by inches. “Oh my God, Bart. You’re huge!”

Candi grabbed him by the collar and pulled him off. He looked excitedly from her to Maggie, his long ears swinging back and forth.

Patting his head, Candi smiled sheepishly. “We have a little training still. But I think he’s going to be a great dog.”

Maggie reached out and scratched behind a velvety ear, getting licked in the process. “He’s already a great dog. Aren’t you, Bart? Yes, you are. You’re a good boy.”

Candi sat on the floor and draped her arm around his big, gangly body. He leaned in, and to Maggie’s surprise, settled down immediately.

“See?” Candi said. “I think he likes me.”

“Of course he does. He knows you’re his person.”

“You think?”

Maggie smiled at the dog who licked his mistress’s face, then collapsed halfway on her lap to expose his chocolaty belly.

“I know,” she said.

Candi looked up and eyed Maggie. “So. Koda’s picking you up here, huh? Going on a date?”

Maggie pulled her knees together. If only Candi knew what had happened between them last night. “Um…yeah. He’s taking me to dinner down the mountain.”

“I’m glad,” Candi said. “I’m glad you two are seeing each other. He’s a great guy, Maggie.”

Were they seeing each other? Maggie hadn’t let herself think that far ahead. But the idea made her happy. “I like him. A lot.”

“You light up when he walks in the room, girlfriend. I can tell.”

“I do?”

“Yes, you do. And I’ve never seen him like this with anyone else. Koda doesn’t get close easily. Just don’t go breaking his heart.” She winked. “I like you too much to have to kill you.”

Maggie smiled and looked away. The thought that Koda could feel the same way she did made her belly tighten.

“Has he told you anything else about the investigation?” Candi’s voice was flat, as if she were afraid of the answer. “Have they gotten any closer to finding the guy who broke in here?”

“I don’t think they have anything new. At least not that I know of.”

“It’s got to be connected, though, right? My bra. Aimee’s bra. It’s all too weird to be a coincidence, don’t you think?

Maggie’s chest tightened. She wished she had some answers. Not only for Candi’s sake, but for her own as well. But the truth was, whoever was wreaking havoc in Wolfe Creek was very, very good at covering their tracks.

“I do think they’re connected,” she said. “But so far the police are keeping quiet. They say it’s too soon to speculate. There’s not enough evidence.”

“Bullshit. I think they know more than they’re saying.”

“Could be. But it’s hard to tell for sure.”

Candi nodded, stroking Bart’s sleek head. “I know it’s all classified, but if you hear anything, you’ll let me know?”

“Of course I will.” Maggie meant it. If anyone deserved to know what was going on, it was Candi.

“I almost forgot.” Candi stood, leaving Bart thumping his tail and looking up at her adoringly. “Zane was over last night. Left a shirt to wash. I guess A’s machine is on the fritz.”

She disappeared into the other room and came back holding a black T-shirt. “He fell in the mud or something. It was covered with it.” She handed it over, her face drawn. “He said he was out hiking Pike’s Peak. I hate that. It’s so dangerous alone. Can you give it back when you see him? I’ve got to work tonight, and it’s one of his favorites.”

Uneasy and not knowing why, Maggie stuffed it into her purse. “Sure. Is he okay?”

“As okay as Zane ever is. I worry about him.”

“He’s lucky to have you.”

“I always thought it was the other way around. He walks into a room and everyone notices. He’s got this…” She paused, as if looking for the right words. “He’s got this life force, you know? I love that.”

Maggie wondered how much of that life force was genetic. Koda had the same thing going on, and Maggie was just as taken with it. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“We’re hopeless,” Candi said with a little laugh. “Hopeless.”

“Right?”

Bart pricked his ears and stood, looking at the door.

“That’d be Koda,” Candi said.

Maggie peeked out the window to see his truck parked at the curb. Speaking of life force…

“Let’s introduce you two,” Candi said to the dog that trotted along after her. “He loves dogs.”

Before he could knock, Candi opened the door, holding Bart by the collar.

“Hey you,” she said.

Koda stepped in, wearing jeans and a black fleece that matched his hair, and set off the tawny color of his face and neck. Yum. He glanced at Maggie and gave her a slow, sexy smile. The same one that had graced his lips last night. They shared a look that sent sparks straight to her core.

“This is Bart,” Candi announced, oblivious. “Bart, meet Koda.”

Grinning, Koda reached out, but froze at the deep grumble inside Bart’s chest. The dog’s lips curled away from surprisingly long teeth, and Koda snatched his hand back.

“Bart.” Candi jerked on the collar and he sat, but kept his eyes trained on Koda. “I can’t believe it. I didn’t think he had it in him.”

Koda backed up warily. “Looks like he does.”

“Maybe he just doesn’t like men,” Maggie said, standing. Bart immediately turned and wagged his tail. “Some dogs are like that.”

“Maybe. Or maybe he just doesn’t like me.”

Candi leaned forward and sniffed the air. “Did you roll in anything that could have pissed him off? Set off a red flag or something?”

“Yes. I rolled in a patch of Old Spice. Maybe he has a thing against cologne.”

“Well, you never know.”

“Candi.”

“What?”

Rolling his eyes, he touched Maggie’s elbow. “Ready?”

“Ready,” she said, giving Bart’s pointy head a pat.

She didn’t know about the dog, but she didn’t mind how Koda Wolfe smelled at all.