Andi greeted them both with a handshake. “I hope you don’t mind me crashing your wedding reception.”
Luke’s heavy black eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Of course not. I saw you come in with Trey and assumed you were his date. If I’d known you were here with Sean, I’d have personally greeted you at the door. Sean’s a great man and a wonderful friend.”
Sean was too preoccupied to comment on the compliment. Andrea had arrived with another man?
He noticed Trey Parker greeting a group near the entrance and his body stiffened in immediate dislike. That Trey? Sean barely knew the guy, but his general assignment reporter was borderline obsessed with the sheriff’s deputy all the girls in his office described as “totally cute.”
“I didn’t know you knew Officer Parker.” His tone had a bite to it even he recognized.
“I just met him this afternoon. He was coming to the reception, and he was kind enough to let me follow him.”
Sean glanced at the gorgeous picture she made in that dress.
Of course he was
.
He allowed himself to relax a little as Andrea and Ellie began a side conversation about the wedding. Nearby, Sean saw Lilly Hammond still hovering. She met his eyes, looked away quickly, and he felt a pang of remorse. The other woman hadn’t been his date, but she’d wanted to be. Was it insensitive of him to flaunt Andi in front of her now?
Probably.
Luke and Ellie were pulled away by well-wishers, and Sean gripped Andi’s hand in his.
“Come with me. I want to show you something.”
The garden was beautiful at dusk.
Sean led her through a row of ornamental pots overflowing with silver foliage, marigolds and other plants she couldn’t name. With her hand clasped snuggly in his, she barely noticed the scenery as she took in the movement of his body against the fabric of his tuxedo.
She’d thought he looked good in jeans. He was dynamite in a suit.
The sound of the wedding reception faded until all she could hear was the steady hum of insects around them. Sean stopped at a bench beside an angel fountain and pulled her down next to him. He unbuttoned his collar another notch and took a deep breath. “Finally alone.”
Andrea reached down and loosened the straps on both her heels. She hated the things but had wanted to make a lasting impression on the man seated beside her.
“This is a beautiful place.” She glanced around. “I doubt I would have found it if Trey hadn’t let me follow him.”
“Trey.” Sean’s voice sounded tight again. “So you’re on a first-name basis now?”
She nodded. “We had quite a chat this afternoon. He’s a really nice man.”
“I’ll bet.” He scoffed.
She surveyed his expression. The smile he usually wore was gone. His lips were drawn tight in a firm line. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Was there something about Trey she wasn’t aware of? Or…was Sean
jealous
?
The thought astounded her.
Sure, Andrea had recognized how attractive Trey Parker was, but the cute cop held little appeal for her—not with Sean around to blindside her. She had bonded with the officer because of their comparable sightings, and her lips tugged upward when she remembered the sheriff’s deputy pulling out his gun and showing her the specially made bullets he carried.
“I don’t know what that thing is, but I’m not taking any chances,” Trey had said, holding up a gleaming silver bullet.
Andrea felt Sean’s gaze as if it were a touch. He was watching her with one eyebrow cocked.
His stare was almost accusing. It made her uncomfortable—and defensive. She tilted her chin and matched the look. “I wasn’t sure if you’d found a date, so I didn’t want to crash the reception alone in case I needed to make a quick exit.” She didn’t know why she admitted that, but Sean’s face relaxed again.
“The only woman I wanted to bring wasn’t in town.” He grabbed her hand again and rubbed along the curve of her fingers. It was soothing. “When did you get here?”
She explained how she met Trey, and Sean’s laugh was hearty. “You know how to make an entrance, don’t you, Sunshine?”
Andrea couldn’t take her eyes off him. The hint of a five o’clock shadow darkened his chin. His eyes looked tired, but they also darkened when he smiled at her.
He leaned forward and kissed her, much gentler than at the reception. Andrea sighed against his lips and pulled back. “We need to talk.”
Sean’s fingers toyed with hers. “Okay. Let’s go somewhere nice and private for dinner. I know this great little restaurant. My treat. We haven’t had an official date yet, and we’re all dressed up.”
A date?
She had to fight a ridiculous urge to scream “Yes!” and throw herself in his arms.
“Dinner sounds nice, but I have something I need to say first.” She took a deep breath. “I still don’t know if it’s a good idea to mix business with pleasure. Technically, I’m on the clock again. Maybe, after my story is done—”
“When that’s done, you’ll leave again.”
Andrea nodded. “You’re right. I’ll leave again when this is over.” She would only stay if he gave her a good reason to, but so far, he hadn’t made any promises or declarations of love. And she didn’t expect he ever would. She was choosing her next words carefully when she sensed his mood shift.
His eyes darkened, his mouth tightened and his body tensed. “You weren’t exactly putting up a fight when we first made love. And are you forgetting how you begged me to make love to you again at my sister’s house?” He grabbed her arms and met her eyes. “This is exactly what I was afraid would happen if you went back to Florida. I knew you’d talk yourself out of giving us a chance.”
Then he kissed her. Hard. Angry.
She couldn’t fight him. She’d missed him too much. Rather than pulling away, she leaned into him. Sean pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. His hands curved around her face in gentle apology.
“I’m sorry, Andi. You make me so crazy sometimes, I can’t think straight.”
“I wasn’t saying I didn’t want to give us a chance.” He had this way of barreling straight past her defenses. “I’m not the type of person who can handle a casual relationship, Sean, no matter what impression I might have given you.” She took another deep breath. “I’ve never seen a long-distance one that works, but I’d be willing to try if you wanted to give it a shot. I don’t know how we can make this work, but I want to, Sean. I just don’t see how it’s possible.”
He held her until both their hearts slowed to a calmer beat. What she said was true. She didn’t think she’d ever want to live in his crazy little town, and she knew he couldn’t leave his sister and her kids just yet. But there had to be a compromise. There just had to be.
Sean untangled himself and looked her in the eyes again. “Promise me you won’t shut me out again.”
Andrea nodded. “But we take things slow. I can’t afford to mess up this story because I’m too distracted.” Not to mention scared of getting hurt again.
“I promise. I will not intentionally do anything to distract you while we’re working.” He held up his hand in oath.
She pulled away and cleared her throat. “In that case, I’d love to grab some dinner, but only for an hour or so. I need to get a room at the motel. My first story in this series is due at midnight.” She sighed. “I’m blogging about my experiences now on our website in addition to an article for the actual magazine.”
He blinked in surprise. “You mean you haven’t checked in to the motel yet?” His gaze roamed down her figure, his eyes questioning.
Heat threatened to add color to her cheeks. She’d been in too much of a hurry to see him. “Trey let me change at his place.”
Sean frowned. “I don’t think I like the sound of that.”
So he
was
jealous! The realization sent a thrill of pleasure coursing through her veins. “I told you. He’s a very nice man. That’s all.”
His jaw clenched. “Forget the motel. Stay with me.” She’d barely opened her mouth to decline when he grimaced. “Sorry. My place is a bad idea. Too distracting.”
Andrea leaned to plant a brief kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Hey Sean!” Andrea turned at the sound of Reed’s voice, shouting from a distance. The teen came running up and jarred to a stop when he recognized her. A huge smile spread across his face. “Andrea, hey! Wow, you look…I mean,
wow
!”
She put the heels back on her feet and stood to greet him. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him too, until he wrapped his arms around her in an awkward hug. “You look pretty
wow
yourself in that suit.” She straightened his crooked bow tie.
He pushed his glasses up his nose. “Did Sean tell you some of the theories we came up with while you were gone?”
She glanced at Sean, who shook his head. “Not tonight, kid. Tonight’s not about work. Not yet.”
Reed looked at Andrea, then back at Sean again. “Uh, okay. Some of the pictures I took look kind of bad on the viewfinder. Ellie wants you and the other guys to take a few more before everyone leaves.”
Sean pushed to his feet with an exaggerated groan. “Sure, but we gotta make it quick. I’ve got dinner plans, and my date has a curfew.”
Smiling, Reed shot off again at a run. Sean was struggling to redo his collar. “Come here.” She pushed his hands out of the way and began looping the black cloth back into shape. “Did you recommend Reed as the wedding photographer?”
“I made sure a backup was here, just in case.” He shrugged. “You seem pretty good at tying a bow.” Sean watched her face.
Did he really want her to tell him the truth—that she’d gotten plenty of practice when she was with Brandon? She didn’t think so.
“There. All done.” She patted his tie.
His hands hooked her around the waist and pulled her so close their chests touched. He snatched a kiss. “I’m glad you’re back, Sunshine.” Andrea was reaching up to snatch a kiss of her own when a loud scream tore through the darkness.
Cindy Simmons was still screaming when Sean reached her side. The blond, blue-eyed child cowered behind a tall oak tree. The little girl held a bouquet of flowers in one hand. The other was pointing away from the reception toward a cluster of trees.
Her scream turned to a yell when Sean put a hand on her shoulder. “A monster! A monster!”
Sean waited until Andi knelt beside the girl to turn his attention to the woods.
The wind blew through the trees, causing them to sway gently, but he didn’t see anyone. It was too dark in the shadows to see much of anything.
“Sean.” Andi’s calm voice caught his attention. Cindy’s parents had appeared and were trying to make sense of the little girl’s fearful ramblings. Andi had joined him where he stood. “I don’t think it was a person. I think it might have been—” she leaned closer to whisper, “—you know.”
The confusion clouding his mind lifted. The werewolf or whatever it was.
He glanced around for Megan to make sure she was safe. Trey Parker was standing beside Andi, awfully close for Sean’s liking.
“Think I should call this in?” the deputy asked.
“Isn’t that your job?” Sean returned in a voice that was harsher than it probably should have been.
Andi’s look of disapproval made him feel guilty. Almost. She turned toward Parker. “Maybe you should talk to the girl first. See what she’ll tell you. She might just be overreacting to something.”
Trey nodded and, with a challenging look at Sean, turned and walked away.
Andrea’s left hand held on to his arm for balance. She eased off the sexy red heels strapped to her feet. Sean had a bad feeling about this. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to see if I can find any tracks in case the flower girl saw what I think she saw. Would you hold these?”
He ignored the shoes and grasped her arm. “Are you crazy? It’s dark, and we don’t know what’s out there.”
“Trust me. I’ve seen this thing, and there’s no way I’d go trailing off into woods again if I thought it was still hanging around. There’s too many people here. I’m sure it scampered off as fast as it could. I just want to look for obvious tracks, here in the light.”
“No.” He made his tone firm. “We’ll come back tomorrow when it’s daylight. I don’t want anything else to take away from my friends’ wedding day.” Cindy’s parents were escorting the little girl toward the parking lot. The cluster of partygoers were already migrating back toward the reception tent. Her episode seemed nothing more than a minor disturbance.
The fight in Andi’s eyes dimmed some. She shifted so she could put her heels back on. “Fine. I suppose I was being impulsive.” She took a deep breath and seemed to have a hard time pulling her eyes away from the forest. “You’d better hurry and get those photos taken. I’m starving, Hunter. Feed me.”
Sean relaxed his shoulders. He didn’t know what Cindy Simmons had seen, but he wasn’t going to let it ruin his night with Andi.
A couple of hours later, Sean tossed his keys on his nightstand and peeled out of his monkey suit, happy to be rid of the damned bowtie and jacket. He glanced at the bedside clock while he changed into his sweatpants and wondered why he hadn’t heard from Andi yet.
He’d dropped her off at her car half an hour ago and she’d promised to call him as soon as she got checked in to the motel. He’d tried again to persuade her to stay at his place, but she wouldn’t budge. She’d also balked at his suggestion of following to make sure she got checked in to the motel without hassle.
“I’m a big girl, Sean. I can check in on my own.”
“You’ve got a reservation, right?”
She’d pursed her lips. “Please. There was hardly anyone staying there. Why would I need a reservation?”
“Because—”
“No, Sean, don’t try to change my mind again. I’m staying at the motel.”
Sean chuckled at the memory as he put fresh towels in the spare bathroom and straightened up the rest of the place. All he had to do was sit back and wait for her to show up. He could have tried again to warn her that the motels around here filled up fast in October, but some things she needed to learn for herself, apparently.
Stubborn woman
.
Sean tried calling Andi on her cell phone but kept getting her voicemail. Was she deliberately avoiding him or too busy to answer? It irritated the hell out of him that he didn’t feel secure enough about their relationship to banish such doubts. He changed into his bedtime sweatpants and settled down in front of the TV while he waited for her to either call back or bang on the door.
A loud series of knocks startled him out of sleep sometime later. He blinked until he could focus on the time. A quarter shy of midnight.
What the hell had taken her so long? He heard rain splattering against the window.
Great, more rain.
He ran a hand through his hair and hurried to answer the knock, not even bothering to put on a shirt as he went.
Sean threw open the door.
“B-bout time y-you got here,” Andi said through chattering teeth.
She was drenched, shivering in the cool air, arms folded across her middle, her hair plastered to her head and her dress hanging damp and heavy on her slim frame. “Get inside,” he told her gruffly, angry at himself for falling asleep and not checking on her again. He suspected she’d driven around in the rain trying all her options before coming here. Didn’t she have any sense? Grabbing her upper arm, he tugged her into the hallway and closed the door. He had to get her out of her wet clothes, get her warm.
“What the hell happened?”
He made a move to help remove the denim jacket she was wearing over the dress, but she stepped back, just out of reach, and winced, grabbing her ribs. She’d been holding her arms around her middle like she was sick, he realized, and was that blood on her face?
“What’s the matter?” He moved to check her out. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” She winced again. “Owww.”
Had she seen the werewolf again? Had she been attacked? “I’ll call an ambulance.” She reached out a hand and stopped him.
“No, I—” She winced again and reached into her jacket. “Stop it, you little devil. I’m trying to help you out here.”
She opened her jacket, her hands fumbling to catch a tiny black ball of fur as it started to tumble to the ground. Its wiggly body was almost round, with a long tail and tiny black paws that scrambled frantically to grab hold of the nearest object. It meowed pitifully as its claws latched on to Andi’s sweater.
“What’s that?” Sean asked stupidly.
“
That
is one of Satan’s demons, sent here to torture me. I found him near my car at the motel. I don’t know which one of us was the most frightened, but he sure did put up a fight. Believe me, I’ve got the scratches to prove it.”
The kitten stopped its pitiful crying and nuzzled itself under her neck, and damned if Sean couldn’t hear it purring from where he stood.
“Oh, sure, now you want to be my friend.” Andi nuzzled back at the kitten with a reluctant smile. Sean watched, fascinated and bewildered. She made a throat-clearing sound. “I’m sorry, but I just reacted by coming here.”
He sighed, trying to make sense of what was happening. “Start from the beginning.”
“I’m taking you up on your offer.” Her lips curved in a sheepish smile. “Assuming you don’t mind if I stay here? Plus one?” She gestured with the kitten to indicate the additional houseguest.
“Of course you can stay.” Sean handed her a towel, but instead of using it for herself, she gently wrapped the kitten in it. “Maybe we can put the kitten outside for the night. It can stay under the deck to keep out of the rain.”
There was the rumble of thunder in the distance, and Andrea lifted her chin. “We can’t put it outside in this weather.”
“Maybe the bathroom, then.”
Her eyes were conflicted. “Look, I’m sorry to intrude like this, but I don’t really have anywhere else to go.” She walked across the floor and back, full of pent-up energy. “The motel in town is booked. The B&B is booked. I even called the next closest handful of motels and guess what? Booked! Apparently as soon as October rolls around, people flock to your weird little town because they want to spend Halloween—or close to it—chasing down your smelly werewolf.”
“Is that so?” ’He feigned surprise. He’d given up trying to get her dry and leaned against the nearest wall, arms crossed, watching her rant. God, she was beautiful.
Sean fought back a chuckle as Andi wrestled with the energetic kitten. She walked from one end of the room to the other, babbling about werewolf-hunting weirdoes and how it was always raining when she was here. If he didn’t know better, he’d say fate was trying to tell them something. It seemed they were always being thrown together, even when they tried to avoid it.
She finally stopped pacing and took a moment to gather herself. “I need you to promise me our relationship won’t interfere with my work if I stay here. I’m serious, Sean. We can’t spend all of our time in bed or kissing or—What are you laughing at?”
“Are you always this neurotic about your work?”
“Yes. Sometimes,” she said with a sigh. “The last time I mixed business with pleasure, it didn’t turn out so good. Forgive me if it left me more than a little wary.” She began pacing again. “To be fair, I’ll even pay you for staying here. Do you mind? About the cat?”
He’d never had a cat and never thought he would. “Of course not. I’ll set him out some milk. You can put him down and let him walk around if you want.”
With a grateful smile, she did just that. The kitten darted toward the sofa, disappearing underneath. Weren’t cats notorious for clawing furniture? Sean tried not to think about that and looked instead on the woman dripping water all over his carpet.
“We need to get you dry.”
She looked at the towel she held as if she had forgotten she had it. Sean went to get more, plus a change of clothes for her. He figured one of his old Red Sox sweatshirts and a pair of shorts would do until he could carry her luggage in from her car.
He frowned when she still made no move to dry herself. She gazed toward the sofa as if she were debating what to do with her tiny new pet. Taking matters into his own hand, Sean took one of the towels and began rubbing her head, much the same as he’d done for his niece more times than he could remember. The amazing thing was, Andi didn’t pull back or insist on doing it herself. That, more than anything, spoke volumes about her current state of mind. She looked exhausted, and she was obviously waging an inner battle about staying here. She wanted to stay but didn’t want to rush into things or screw anything up between them. That meant she cared about him. A lot. That epiphany hit Sean in the chest with the power of a punch. And scared the hell out of him. Was he ready for that kind of relationship? Ready or not, he didn’t want her to leave.
“Why don’t you go take a warm shower? I laid some dry clothes out for you.” She looked as if she were about to argue, and he sent her a stern look of reproach. “I insist. It’s too late, and the weather’s too bad for you to drive anywhere tonight. Besides, your cat likes it here. Right, kitty?”
She frowned at him. “He’s not my cat.”
He felt a smile tug at his lips. Coming here had humbled her, but it hadn’t taken her fight away. “He is until you find him a new owner.”
She glanced toward the sofa again, and he could only describe the look on her face as…longing. She wanted the cat. Only, she was too stubborn to admit it, even to herself.
When she turned her eyes back to him, the look was gone. “So, do you want a cat?”
“Nuh-uh, lady.”
“It was worth a shot.”
“Now, go.” He gestured toward the bathroom.
When he returned from carrying her luggage and checking her car, Andrea was sitting on his sofa, playing with the kitten. With her hair wet and tousled, she looked sexy as hell.
“Thank you.” There was genuine appreciation in her voice. He looked at her, sitting on his sofa, so fresh and innocent, and felt something tug in his chest. It unnerved him, that tug, but it didn’t stop him from taking a seat beside her.
“Now
you’re
all wet.” Her eyes lingered on his bare chest beneath his jacket.
“Sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I just—” She shook her head and ran a trembling hand through her damp hair. “I didn’t want to come here, Sean.”
“I know, but I’m glad you did.”
He smiled and gently brushed the hair away from her face. He liked seeing Andi like this. She had a healthy glow to her now, thanks to the shower.
Not to mention a pair of very naked legs that drew his gaze and brought to mind images of silk sheets and tangled limbs. He swallowed and looked away, trying not to stare. He wondered if she was naked beneath his clothes. She had to be. He felt himself getting hard and had to do something before he embarrassed himself.
Slow. I promised slow.
He stood. “You can stay here as long as you need, but you’re not sleeping on that couch. I have a guest room.”
The relief that passed over her face was almost comical. “I didn’t know you had a guest room.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry, Sean. It’s not that I don’t trust you or want to stay here because of—”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain, Andi. I understand. We agreed to take things easy. No pressure.”
She sighed and raked back her hair. “I’m not very good at this stuff, you know. I have lousy luck with men.”
She changed the subject before he could respond. “That photo Brandon gave me was a fake. I found the photo on a real estate website. My guess is that Brandon had someone take it and airbrush in a werewolf figure.” She made a sound of disgust in her throat. “I can’t believe I fell for it—or
him
. I’m such a dope.”
He wanted to kill the other man for hurting her. It wasn’t a feeling Sean was used to.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Andi.” He sat down beside her again. “Look on the bright side. That photo brought you to town. It gave us a chance to get to know each other again.”
“And there
is
something out there.”
He nodded. “This is the story of a lifetime. Personally, I can’t think of a better reporter to cover it.”