“Ha. You'd
try.
”
Joe grinned. They sounded almost like Willow and Austin, and that amused him. Even though he knew Alyx was joking, he felt compelled to say, “Luna is different from most women.”
“Yeah, how so?” A new alertness had entered Alyx's tone.
“For one thing, she doesn't trust me.”
“Smart woman. I like her already.”
Joe hesitated only a moment before admitting, “She doesn't really want to get involved with me either.”
Alyx whistled. “Maybe you should marry her for real. She sounds special.”
“Don't be a smart-ass.” Joe squeezed the phone hard. “I just told you she doesn't want to get involved.”
“In casual sex, right? But one has nothing to do with the other. Women rule out casual sex when they know they might fall in love with a guy. It gets too risky then.”
Narrowing his eyes, Joe said, “You sound like you know an awful lot about this casual sex business.”
She laughed. “I'm twenty-eight, Joe. Wise up.”
Twenty-eight, beautiful, smart and stubborn. Joe had no doubt his sister could have her pick of men, but that didn't sit well with his protective instincts. “I don't want to hear this.”
“Good. So let's talk about Luna.” There was more rustling, and Joe assumed she'd left the bed to pace. Alyx continually paced when she thought. She had more energy than Austin, which meant she always had to be moving. “You're so smart, why don't you see what's right there? She loomed over you at your apartment, chasing off other women. I know because she tried to run me off, and that smacks of jealousy no matter what she called it. She played nurse for you, so she must care, because God knows you're a bear to be around when you're sick or hurt. And she invited you along on this little trip of hers, so obviously she does trust you, right?”
Joe held the phone away from his ear to stare at it a moment before returning it to his ear. “Damn, Alyx. I wake you out of a sound sleep and you immediately start analyzing. Amazing.”
“Aren't I, though?”
Joe laughed. “Okay, so since you've got all the answers, how do I get her to quit pushing me away?”
“Duh. Ask her to marry you for real.”
Joe choked, and for only a second the truck swerved. When he caught his breath again, he cursed. “Jesus, Alyx, you know I don't want to get married.”
“No, you don't want to marry those vacuous and vain females you've previously dated. Luna's different, you said so yourself.”
She sounded so sure about that, Joe grunted. “You don't understand.”
“I understand that she's got you scrambling. That makes her okay in my book.”
“I'm hanging up now.” Of course, he wouldn't.
“Coward.” She
knew
he wouldn't.
“Knock it off, Alyx. I'm not marriage material and you damn well know it.”
“Who says so?”
Luna does.
But he didn't want to admit that, not to his sister, not even to himself. “Everyone knows it,” he grumbled. Hell, he'd spent his whole adult life making sure everyone knew where he stood on the issue of matrimony.
“Well, they obviously don't know you the way I do. Deep down, you're a big softie. Granted, you have to dig pretty deep . . .” When Joe growled, she laughed, then said quickly, “Okay, wait. Don't hang up yet. Talking about marriage reminds me, Mom wants to know what she should tell your other women who keep calling looking for you.”
“What other women?”
“Oh, my, you do have it bad if you can't even remember them.”
“Alyx . . .”
She said on a long sigh, “Mostly Amelia.”
Well, hell. He thought Luna had run her off. “Amelia doesn't believe I'm married?”
Alyx snorted. “She's a leech, Joe, not an idiot. Besides, she claims you told her you'd never marry.”
“Yeah, I did.” Hell, he told almost every woman that. “But she was okay with it.”
“You believed her? Sheesh. And here I thought you were smart.” Alyx made an irritating tsking sound of disapproval. “I bet she thought she'd eventually wear you down.”
“Well, now she knows different.” Joe would have felt like a real heel, except he'd been straight with Amelia. Not once had he ever lied to her, and not for a second did he think she really loved him.
“Mom told her you left town. She wants to know where you went.”
Joe stilled. God, all he needed was for another woman to show up . . .
“Don't worry. Mom didn't tell herânot that she knows exactly where you are anyway. But Amelia says she's worried about you because you were so beat up.”
“She was with me the night it happened,” Joe explained, but his mind was churning.
“Don't worry about it, Joe. I can handle her.”
Joe blew out a breath. The idea of his sister playing defender was an awesome and terrifying thought. “Don't tangle with her, Alyx. Just tell her I'm married and leave it at that.”
“Do you think if you keep saying it, everyone will eventually believe it, and then you won't even have to ask Luna? You could just go on pretendingâ”
“I really am hanging up this time, brat.”
“No, wait. I want to know how you feel. Zane said you were pulverized.”
“I'm feeling better. Much better.” Joe realized it was true. Hell, he'd barely winced at all this morning, except for when he'd gotten caught making his move on Luna.
The memory of that nearly brought him to a blush. Kids showed up at the damnedest times; that meant he'd have to be extra cautious. Getting Luna in his bed would be even harder than he'd first considered, because he not only had to convince her, he had to find the right time. And good timing would be scarce with two kids running around.
Alyx drew him out of that disheartening revelation. “All joking aside, I'm relieved to hear that, Joe. I don't like knowing you're hurt.” Her voice hardened and became mean with conviction in an oh-too-familiar way. “It really ticks me off that anyone would dare sneak up on you like that. If I ever get my hands on the guy who did it, you can bet I'llâ”
Joe had been hearing that particular tone from Alyx since she was five years old. At thirteen, he'd been unable to scuffle with the other boys when she was around, or she'd jump into the middle of it and try to defend him, never mind that they were only playing.
It had scared him then, worrying that she might get hurt. It scared him even more now. The thought of Bruno Caldwell touching his familyâhis baby sisterâfilled him with rage. It would never happen. He wouldn't let it happen.
Interrupting Alyx's awesome and unlikely threats, Joe said, “You got everything at my apartment taken care of?”
Distracted, she switched gears, taking offense that he'd even ask. “Of course I did. Why do you think I'm still in bed? Zane and I were there till late. All your important stuff has been moved in with me.”
“Thanks, hon.”
“You owe me. Anything else?”
“Yeah.” Joe grinned, considered her reaction, then said, “I love you.”
Alyx went silent. “You sure you're okay?” Usually it was Alyx who came to Joe for advice or help, and he enjoyed doing what he could for her. But this time it felt nice to get her input. His baby sister had a pretty good head on her shouldersâwhen she wasn't playing his protector. “Yeah, I'm fine.”
“Well, all right, then.” She didn't sound entirely convinced. “Is that it?”
He started to hang up, but hesitated. “One more thing.”
She gave an exaggerated sigh of impatience. “Yeah?”
Joe swallowed hard. Introspection was a real bitch. “Don't date any guys like me, okay?”
Alyx's husky, teasing laughter sounded in his ear. “I can promise you that, big brother.” Then, very sweetly, “Luckily for womankind, there are no other guys like you.”
She hung up, leaving Joe chagrined, but with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
His conversation with Alyx had lasted him right through to the outskirts of the small town. He reached the sharp bend in the road, going upward and to the right this time. A little way ahead, he saw the sign for Visitation. From this side, it said,
Be Sure To Visit Visitation Again.
He was almost to the spot where he'd first met Jamie Creed. Joe no sooner thought of the mysterious man than he saw him lounging there on the side of the road, his arms crossed over his chest, one shoulder propped against a tall boulder. Jamie looked as though he'd been waiting on Joe, which didn't make any sense at all. But nonetheless, Joe pulled the truck up beside him and stopped.
Joe was rolling down his window to speak when he realized Jamie had circled the truck to the passenger door. He opened it and slid in.
Jamie's jeans were so worn they were threadbare in the knees. His gray T-shirt hung loose but couldn't disguise a lean, hard musculature probably achieved through hard work, not a gym. His dark hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, making his beard more prominent. A shave wouldn't hurt him at all.
One brow raised, Joe stared at him. “Excuse me?”
In idle interest, Jamie gazed around the interior of the truck. “I'll ride with you. I need some more stuff from the security warehouse myself. Some tapes and special batteries and a new lens that an animal must have broken.” He slipped on his seat belt and then waited.
Indignation rose. “Who says I'm going to a security warehouse?”
Jamie glanced up. “Deputy Royal.”
“Oh.” So he hadn't just divined it? Joe shook his head at himself. He didn't believe in that nonsense anyway. “Why don't you drive yourself?”
“Don't have a car.”
Don't have a . . .
“Why the hell not?”
“Can't get it up the mountain.”
Joe considered thatâand came to the conclusion that Jamie Creed was certifiably weird. What grown man didn't have transportation? What grown man lived alone on a mountain? “You could order your stuff on-line.”
Enigmatic black eyes surveyed him. “Then I'd be deprived of your company. And we should do some talking, don't you think?”
Knuckles flexing on the steering wheel, Joe said, “Oh, yeah, I think we should talk.” He had a few prime things to say to the man, particularly where Luna was concerned.
Jamie slowly nodded. “It's a puzzle.”
Giving up, Joe put the truck into drive and pulled away. “What's a puzzle?”
“All of it.” He lifted the fold-down center armrest that Joe used as a business console. While peering at Joe's stored laptop and a few CDs, Jamie said, “You have women troubles.”
Joe scowled. Damned snoopy bastard. He snapped the console shut and growled, “The hell I do.” Things between him and Luna weren't perfect, but he'd work them out. Somehow, he'd get Luna in his bed, and the experience would be nothing but pleasure, not heartache. He had to believe that or he'd go nuts. If Jamie thought he could sneak in and try to usurp his relationship, he'd . . .
“No, not Luna. But there's danger, and it's all mixed up, hard to decipher.” He started tinkering with the finger-touch reading lamps, turning them on and off, as if fascinated. “Unclear.”
Joe drew a deep breath that didn't help worth a damn. “I may just beat the hell out of you, Jamie.”
“No, you won't.”
That had Joe's brow cocking and his masculinity bristling with challenge. “You don't think I can?”
Unaffected by Joe's snarling tone, Jamie shrugged. “Maybe.” Then with a slanted, black-eyed perusal, “Though I'm not a slouch myself, so don't presume it'd be easy. It's just that you wouldn't hit me without a reason, and no reason exists. Ergo, no beating.”
Ergo no beating,
Joe mimicked in his mind. “I want you to stay away from Luna.”
That appeared to amuse Jamie, though he sure as hell didn't smile. It was just something in his eyes, something condescending and indulgent. “I'm not competition.”
“Damn right, you're not.”
“The big question,” he murmured, ignoring Joe's ire while deep in thought, “is who's following you?”
Joe's gaze automatically hit the rearview mirror, the side mirror. He didn't see another single soul on the long, empty road. “No one is, damn it.” Joe was certain he'd lost the tail before entering Visitation.
Stroking his beard, Jamie stared out the windshield without appearing to see anything. “Things are muddled in my mind.”