C17 How well?

I found the town register, land and leases-all proudly framed behind locked glass and sixty years old-and squinted at the eyes upon seeing the signature.

Paul Reed .

Did he assume Paul Reed's identity when he died? Was there something more sinister behind his doing so?

Don't assume, he recalls. A mantra he lived by: follow the facts, seek the truth, but never assume. Unless it was about my love life.

Rummaging through some more books, papers and plans, I found references to the Season Springs people. Elusive information, but it was a connection to Scott . Especially when he had a casino by the same name. Everything else seemed tidy, normal for a relatively new town, and Paul had a hand in it all.

I shuddered to think that the man had sworn to do anything to protect his city. And I still had to drug him and drive him back over six hundred miles. Or at least half the distance if I could negotiate it. There, I'd risk calling Scott to ride with Spencer the rest of the way. All without Paul killing me for what I was about to do.

Tears welled up in my eyes and a disbelieving laugh escaped me at what I had planned. I was out of my depth and I knew it; lost with no one to turn to. I couldn't even confess everything to Paul .

Or could I?

No. If he threw me out on the street, I would have nothing, and I knew enough about Scott to understand that his threats were not empty. If I failed in this, my uncle's blood would be on my hands.

Needing a little escape, I disappeared into the fiction aisle and found my favorite books, where I could lose myself for a couple of hours. Balanced and refreshed, I would have a better perspective, and what better way to get it than by losing myself in a historical romance?

When I had checked out the books, I waved goodbye to Sansa and ran out of the library.

I staggered to a stop. Paul was waiting there, leaning against the car I had borrowed, holding a flower in his hands. Just one. A white cabbage rose, tinged with pink.

"If I'm still here."

"You'll be here."

"I'll be here now?"

"Yes. You promised. Do you remember?"

Smiling, I replied, "I don't think I promised you I'd go for coffee with you."

"Ah, I see. It must be my brain. I'm getting older. But I'm sure you're capable of humoring an old man."

He pouted, making me laugh. "Fine. I'll have coffee with you. I'm sure I can squeeze some time out of my busy schedule to squeeze you in."

"Noon? Calendar coffee? It's close by."

"Great. See you then."

He didn't move away from the car door. "Did you have fun at the library?"

"Yes. I found a novel or two to pass the time. Maybe I'll take a bath later. I'll curl up with one tonight. I also read the history of the city."

"Really?"

"Of course. I had to see what the mystery was all about."

"And what did you find?"

"That someone named Paul Reed founded the town over sixty years ago. Relative of yours, by any chance?"

"You might say so. See you tomorrow, Lara." She kissed my cheek. "I'm already jealous of the book you'll be holding tonight."

He left me standing there and I fought the urge to call him, wanting to confess to him all about my being here. Instead, I watched him walk away, unable to function until he disappeared from my sight.

Needing a distraction, I put the bag in the car and headed for the coffee shop. I was thirsty for more than coffee. I wanted time to breathe, suffocating under something I couldn't escape without hurting someone.

Relieved to see Mary helping her mother by serving in the cafeteria, I sat down on a stool and picked up a menu.

"What can I get you?" asked Mary . She frowned as she saw my expression. "What's up?"

I’m fine.” I exhaled, closing my eyes briefly. “Iwillbe fine. You know when you have one of those days?”

She smiled. “Tell me about it. Let me get you a coffee. What would you like to eat?”

“Something light will be great.”

“Anything you hate?”

I shook my head. “No. Anything will be good.”

“Alright. Leave it with me.”

Music was playing on the jukebox. They had decorated the place like in the fifties, from the bright red tables to the neon lights surrounding the counter. Signed and framed vinyl records hung on the wall, and the tables were surrounded by slots for customers to pay for the songs of their choice. It looked like a homey, comfortable, cozy place.

Twenty minutes later, after eating a sandwich and drinking my coffee, I felt in control again.

"So," Mary said once she had taken her break, "what did you do today?"

"I bought art supplies and a couple of books to read. Thanks for that, by the way."

"No problem. Sansa always makes sure there's an excellent selection, what do you want?"

"Don't laugh."

She smiled. "Now I may have to."

"I have a regency romance, okay? Something about 'How to attract a duke in ten days'."

Mary laughed. "I love them. The dark, brooding hero and the independent woman who defies society's rules."

"Me too!" I squealed, covering my mouth with my hand. "I'm sorry. But people are quick to belittle romances. I love them. The tortured soul who looks at society with jadedness, who possesses a title and power to his name, but is still able to look past society's volte-face and fixate on the strong-willed blue mean."

"I know. It's a shame that people have such a deluded view of them." He lowered his voice. "The problem is that we set ourselves up for failure with expectations that are too high. That's what my father says. Mom counters by telling him to thank himself for not aiming higher."

I smiled, watching Johana - Mary's mother - from afar. Grace had her color.

"You're going to keep me waiting, aren't you?"

"What?" I asked, dragging my attention back to Mary .

"Your date with Paul . You paced around here trying to distract me, and I tried. I don't mean to be pushy, but the suspense is killing me."

"It went well."

"How well?"

I thought about what to say, not wanting to mislead Mary any more than I already had. "As well as it could go with a guy I'll soon be looking at in the rearview mirror."

"You like him a lot, don't you?"

"Too much," I confessed. "I'm meeting him for coffee tomorrow, but...".

"But what?"

I have to kidnap him! I have to hand him over to an evil bastard who might decide to wipe us all out for fun! And it's killing me.

It went well."

"How well?"

I thought about what to say, not wanting to mislead Mary any more than I already had. "As well as it could go with a guy I'll soon be looking at in the rearview mirror."

"You like him a lot, don't you?"

"Too much," I confessed. "I'm meeting him for coffee tomorrow, but...".

"But what?"

I have to kidnap him! I have to hand him over to an evil bastard who might decide to wipe us all out for fun! And it's killing me.

But I didn't say any of that. Instead, I replied, "A guy like Paul doesn't make plans with someone like me."

He frowned. "Now that's just silly . You're worthy of him, Lara . And he's worthy of you . And you can trust him with anything."

I smiled, nodding to reassure the woman I had become fast friends with. But time was ticking, and if I stayed much longer in this town, with these people, with Paul , I would falter, and my uncle's life would be forfeit.

"Thank you, Mary," I said.

"Sure," she replied, studying me with complicit eyes. But she said nothing more, and I thanked her.

Paul

It was the day I met Lara , and I was about to lose my mind.

I wished I could blame Lara for it, be angry at her deception while thinking myself a fool. But after seeing her leave the library with her defenses down, looking as miserable as I felt, something stung. The words she had said during our date, "I'm just doing what I have to do, taking care of my family obligations." What the hell did she mean?

Is Scott making her do this?

Does he have something against her?

It didn't matter, she kept telling me over and over again. I kept doing it. I kept planning to turn myself in to Scott for a resolution or a payoff. It didn't matter which. Not when it put me and the city in danger. But I also couldn't help but pine for the bounty hunter in a way that irritated me. I tried to assure myself that it would ease up once I'd fucked her a few times. Something I planned to instigate soon. But my fucking wolf was smitten, he loved being near her, he needed the touch, the contact.