Andi’s eyes darkened and betrayed a hint of vulnerability for the briefest of seconds. Her gaze lowered to his mouth and lingered. Her heartbeat sped up against his. She wet her lips, then released a soft puff of breath.
“Do you mind?” She pushed him away. She pursed her mouth into an angry line as she flicked her hair away from her face. “Can we just get out of here now, please?”
Oh yeah. She felt the attraction too—and she didn’t seem to like it very much. Sean wasn’t sure how he felt. He was a busy man with plenty of obligations to tie up his time and energy. He respected Andi too much—
liked
her too much—to consider getting sexually involved for any other reason than for a serious relationship. No matter how tempting Andi Lockhart was, he was too damn busy for that type of distraction right now. Maybe if she were sticking around…?
Don’t go there.
Sean opened the passenger door of his truck for her.
“What’s next, partner? Want to track down Harry Winslow for some more reporter bashing?” He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled. The tension between them was so thick, his lungs felt heavy when he tried to breathe. His teasing eased it somewhat.
“Oooh, tempting.” She shook her head, looking everywhere but at him. “No, I think I’m gonna hit the streets now and get some fresh opinions.”
“Okay. I think I know a good place for us to start.”
“I’m gonna handle this one solo.”
“I don’t mind—”
“I prefer to handle this one on my own, Hunter. No offense. Having a shadow all the time is starting to give me the creeps. I need some alone time.”
He wondered if she was up to something or being sincere. Either way, she didn’t want him around, and he did have a pile of work to catch up on at the office.
He drove her to her car.
“Why don’t you have dinner with me and my family tonight at—”
“Can’t. I’ve got plans. Thanks, though.”
He wondered who she could have plans with since he was the only person she actually knew here.
“Are you off to have a clandestine affair with Doc this evening? Did he slip you his phone number when I wasn’t looking, the sly dog?”
“You’ve found me out, Hunter.” She sighed dramatically. “His playful boyishness was too much for me to resist.”
Okay, so she refused to tell him her plans. It was Friday night. She was probably addicted to
Ghost Whisperer
like he was and would be holed up in her motel room watching it.
He felt a stirring of arousal, imagining her holed up in her motel room at night. Knowing this new Andi, she probably wore something soft and comfortable to bed. He bet she looked sexy in it. Maybe he’d stop by her room later tonight on the pretense that he had some information for her, just to sneak a peek. He’d have to go dig through his old notes to find something legitimate.
Yeah. He made a mental note to do that when he got back to the office.
Andrea turned sideways and gave herself one last glance in the mirror. The jeans were new and boasted a designer tag. They hugged her legs like a second skin but were so comfortable she barely felt them. The cream-colored V-neck sweater went well with the brown corduroy jacket her mother had given her last Christmas. Ankle-high black boots rounded out the outfit, which she considered to be classy casual—not college, frumpy casual. Should Sean see her—and something told her he would—he should have no trouble knowing that, these days, she could look feminine and classy, even in jeans.
Besides, they were just about the only casual clothes she had packed aside from the outfit she’d soiled on her first outing in the forest, and she didn’t dare wear her good clothes to trudge through the woods tonight.
What exactly did a person wear to go werewolf hunting, anyway?
Werewolf hunting. Words she’d never in a lifetime imagined thinking before now, let alone doing.
Good grief.
Andrea had meant it when she told Sean she hoped to be on a plane and headed home tomorrow afternoon. Her feelings for him were too intense and growing with each encounter. She’d come here hating the man, and now she found herself liking him again—perhaps too much. With any luck, she’d satisfy Brandon’s request tonight. She had gathered more than enough in interviews and research to piece together an interesting, objective Halloween feature.
She’d gotten fifteen man-on-the-street opinions of the Woodbine Werewolf this afternoon from men and women of varying races and ages, and their statements had been…surprising.
About half were familiar with the rumor because they either knew someone who claimed to have had a sighting or because they’d seen it in the paper or on TV. Of that half, probably two-thirds said they believed there was something stalking back roads and cornfields in their sleepy little town. The other half didn’t even know what the hell she was talking about. The looks
those
folks had given her…
Andrea chuckled at the memory.
At least no one had called the cops on her. That was something.
She made a short detour on her way to meet Reed. Charles Browder called her cell phone while she was in the car, and his cryptic tone had her redirecting her vehicle toward his office. He wasn’t wearing his animal control officer uniform, so she suspected he’d stayed late to speak with her. Again.
Charlie—as he’d asked her to call him—gestured to the seat across from him. “You got anything recordin’ this?”
“No, I would have mentioned it if I did.”
He nodded and leaned forward. “Had a weird message come across my desk this afternoon. Elderly couple in the county just over yonder ways—” He gestured to his right and leaned back in his chair. “They claim a person was runnin’ across their roof last night. When the husband went outside with his gun, says he saw some sort of bear jump off his house and run into the woods on two legs.”
Andrea blinked. “You think it could be the werewolf?”
“Shoot. They called the po-lice, and some wildlife officials went out to check the site.” Charlie scratched his chin. “Apparently no one took ’em seriously, so they called here. Thing is, the man claims he found somethin’—some sort of fur stuck to the gutter. It’s out of my jurisdiction, you understand, but I thought maybe you’d like to give ’em a call.”
He slid a piece of paper across the desk toward her. She saw that it had a name and phone number scrawled across it.
She smiled and reached for the paper. “And if I happened to get my hands on some of this fur, would you be able to help me get it analyzed?”
“I reckon I could point you in the right direction, unofficially, of course.”
Andrea tucked the tip away for follow-up tomorrow.
Reed was waiting for her when she finally made it to the steakhouse. “Sorry I’m late. I had to stop and see someone.”
There was a long line, but Andrea spotted two empty chairs in a waiting area and nodded for Reed to follow her to them. Holding back, the teenager pulled out a cigarette and lighter. “I’ll be just a minute, okay?”
Had he already forgotten her disdain for those things? “Not okay. No smoking on the job. That’s my rule as your new boss. Got it?” Andrea grabbed the unlit cigarette and snapped it in half. She’d gotten her best friend to quit the filthy habit once, so she was sure she could have the kid on the road to nicotine freedom by the time she left. She’d spend the next few hours telling him horror stories about smoking if she had to. She grabbed the lighter from his hand and stuffed it into her pocket. “Trust me. You’ll thank me someday.”
“But—”
“
Inside
.”
He mumbled something about her being the Smoking Nazi but allowed her to push him through the door.
Too bad they were in a hurry. Andrea devoured her delicious sirloin faster than she could truly enjoy. She was just finishing when she caught sight of a familiar face in a nearby booth. She’d been right then. She would see him tonight. Maybe it was a good thing they were in a hurry, after all.
Sean leaned forward and said something to a cute blonde in the seat across from him. The woman looked as if she were hanging on his every word in total adoration. How sickening. They weren’t alone. A young boy, about ten or eleven, and a younger girl, maybe four or five, came barreling up to the booth begging for something—probably money, Andrea decided, remembering the room full of video games she’d passed on her way inside.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, hoping she didn’t have to actually play nice and speak to them.
A hasty retreat was definitely in order.
“You about ready to go, kid?”
“Huh? I’m not finished yet.” Reed had wolfed down his own steak in record time and was munching on some leftover bread. Andrea placed a handful of dollars on the table—enough to cover a generous tip and both their meals. God bless expense accounts.
She grabbed her handbag. “Come on.”
Too late, she realized they were going to intercept Sean and his company near the exit. He blinked in surprise when he first saw her; then he gave Andrea a thorough once-over that told her he liked what he saw. Andrea couldn’t believe he’d done that in front of his girlfriend or wife or whatever she was, but then again, what did she really expect from the man?
Jerk.
“Andi. Reed.” Sean greeted them with a pleased smile. “What are you two doing here?”
“Actually, we’re—”
She bumped Reed before he could finish his statement. “Dinner,” she said with a meaningful glance at the teen. “Reed here was nice enough to keep me company, and I tried to give him some pointers on the newspaper business. He’s also agreed to help me out with photos for my story.”
“Really?” Sean looked between the two of them and smiled. “Well, kid, you couldn’t have a better teacher. I’m sure there’s a thing or two Andi could teach even me, if she tried.”
“Oh, I can almost guarantee it,” she agreed before she could stop herself.
The woman at Sean’s side chuckled.
Before Sean could introduce them, Andrea took a deep breath and held out her hand to the other woman. She favored Reese Witherspoon. All sweet and perky. “Hello. I’m Andrea Lockhart.”
The woman accepted the handshake. “Yeah, I know. My brother has told me a lot about you.”
“Your brother?”
“Yeah.” The woman sent Sean a funny little look. “I’m Megan Hooks. This lug here is my baby brother.”
“Wow,” was all Andrea could say. She really had pegged that one wrong, hadn’t she? She cleared her throat and tried to ignore the heat that crept into her face. Heat caused from embarrassment and the thrill of knowing this woman had no claim on Sean. “You look more like
his
baby sister. I would have never guessed.”
Megan smiled and joke-punched Sean in the arm. “I like this lady, Sean. You should bring her over to our house for dinner while she’s in town. That is, of course, Andrea, if you don’t mind two young kids running wild in the background. Kelly! Don’t push your brother!” she suddenly yelled at someone behind Reed. She looked at Andrea again. “Sorry. My son and daughter are quite the handful sometimes. Excuse me a second.”
Sean’s sister darted off toward the arcade area, and Reed tugged at Andrea’s shirt sleeve as if he were a child summoning attention from his mother.
“Can I run to the, um, restroom before we leave? You never know how long we’re going to be at the—”
“Movie,” she finished for him and nodded. “Sure, sure, go ahead.”
She sighed and placed her hand at her forehead. Damn her luck for leaving her alone with Sean.
“You’re going to the movies?” Sean leaned closer and propped himself against a column separating the restaurant from the lobby. “With Reed?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Yep. Not sure what we’re gonna see, but—”
He shrugged. “That’s cool.”
Yeah, right.
“Maybe hanging out with Reed will give you a better appreciation for our little town. He can be an enthusiastic tour guide. Who knows? You might even start to like it here.”
“I will admit one thing. I don’t think I’ve been so amused doing a story, ever. I mean, let’s examine the theories I’ve been given so far.”
She ticked them off on her fingers as she went.
One, it was a werewolf.
Two, it was a cute and fuzzy werewolf named
Fluffy.
Three, it was a supernatural, demonic werewolf conjured forth by Satanists.
Four, it was an inter-dimensional being—that one was her favorite so far.
“Oh yes.” She snapped her fingers. “There’s your Man-Dog theory too. Let’s not forget that one.”
“You forgot your own theory.” Sean grinned and lowered his voice to a loud whisper. “This whole town is, and I quote, ‘completely insane.’”
“Did I actually say that out loud?”
“Yep.”
“Well, look at the evidence. Can you blame me? I swear to God, ever since I came here I feel like I’ve been transplanted into an episode of
The Twilight Zone
. And I always thought Hollywood was weird. Jeez.”
Andrea moved her hair out of her eyes and wondered where the hell Reed was. There was a soda machine behind Sean. Maybe she should grab a bottled water. Reed was right. Who knew how long they’d be on a stakeout tonight?
“Want one?” Sean must have caught her looking.
“Actually, yeah.” She pushed passed him and dug some coins out of her purse. “Well, I would have given you one thing before now. All the sightings were consistent. Big, scary creature with an aggressive presence and those red eyes. Dr. Parkins blew that out of the water with his description of Fluffy, though.”
“It is strange, isn’t it?” Sean leaned against the vending machine, forcing himself back into her line of vision. “I can’t give you any answers, Andi. I’ve never seen it myself. I’ve never even been certain it’s real.”
“Oh come on. You’ve all but admitted that you do.”
“I just try to keep an open mind, that’s all.”
“It’s one thing to have an open mind. It’s another to be gullible.”
“Gullible? You think I’m gullible?” He laughed.
“Hey, I can’t really blame you. You live in this town. You see these people every day. I’m sure it’s easier just to accept what they say than to question it.”
Someone made a throat-clearing sound. Andrea turned and saw Reed shuffling nervously on his feet, feeding his hands in and out of his back pockets. Sean’s sister was standing beside him, a little girl balanced on her hip now.
“It’s getting dark outside.” Reed gestured toward the large window beside the door. “We’d probably better get going.”
“Y’all be careful,” Sean warned in a fake country tone. “Looks like there might be some fog rolling in tonight.”
“Fog?” Andrea laughed. Brandon had probably checked the weather report and chosen tonight for that very reason.
How…atmospheric.
“Ready, Reed? We don’t want to be late for our movie,” she lied again, just to throw Sean off track. “It was nice meeting you, Megan. Sean, I’ll see you later.”
“I meant what I said about dinner,” Megan said, even as Andrea and Reed were halfway out the door.
“Thanks. Uh, I’ll keep it in mind.”
Andrea pushed Reed out the door, cursing herself for acting like such an idiot. So what if she’d been off the mark about Sean’s marital status? He could still be married. It was possible.
They walked to her jeep. “Reed, can I ask you something?” Andrea asked, reluctantly. He nodded. She clenched her teeth. “Is Sean married?”
He looked taken aback. “No. Why? You interested in him?”
“No, I am not interested in him,” she bit out, more angry at herself than at Reed’s question. She wasn’t sure if Sean’s marital state was a relief or terrifying. If he’d been involved with another woman, Andrea had a logical reason not to want to get more involved with him, even as a friend. She shook her head and glanced at Reed. “I was just curious.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I mean it.”
Reed laughed nervously. “I wasn’t arguing.” His eyes glistened with humor as he sent her a sideways look. “For the record, he’s not living with anyone or dating anyone that I know of.”
Andrea took a deep breath and tried not to turn red with embarrassment. She was out of sorts because she’d jumped to conclusions—she knew better than to do such a thing—and had made herself feel like a fool because of it.
When they got to her SUV, she hesitated. Since the accident, she’d been a control freak when it came to being behind the wheel. She glanced around at the light layer of fog developing around them, felt her hand shake a little at the thought of driving in it and then made a decision. She tossed the teen her keys. “You know the way better than me. Just be careful. My insurance doesn’t cover other drivers.”
“You sure?”
“Go.”
As she slid into the passenger seat, Andrea pulled out her cell phone. “Almost forgot. Where exactly are we headed, anyway?”
Reed adjusted the car mirrors and seat. “Well, you said you wanted to go to the place the werewolf has been spotted the most. These days that would be over at Bluffs Parkway.”
“Thanks.” She waited for the dispatcher on the other end of the phone to pick up. She glanced in the backseat, saw the three buckets of fried chicken—the bait, she presumed—and sent Reed an amused look. When the desk officer answered, she briefed the authorities on her planned activities for the night as a professional courtesy.