FMR (13 page)

she politely thanked him and then reached for the cream and sugar.

Besides the cook and herself, there was only a young couple in the

diner. Occupying the back booth, they sat across from one another,

oblivious to their surroundings. From their expressions, Jac could tell

they were in love.

Reclining in her seat, she sipped her coffee and watched the love-

struck couple. They were so absorbed in each other that the world

around them didn't exist.
I wish Ray were here.
The fleeting thought

took her by surprise. It had been a long time since she'd been

enamored with a man.

But, Ray was no ordinary man.

He was kind and gentle, yet rough around the edges. There was

also something mysterious about Ray. Mysterious and compelling at

the same time.
If only ...

A bell chimed. Jac quickly glanced to the door, but her heart sank.

It was only a customer picking up a to-go order. I've got to get him

off my mind and focus on this deadline. She shook her head. With a

sigh, she turned her attention back to the screen.

She read through the files she'd managed to locate, but there was no

other record of Jerry MacDonald's arrest on Halloween night. Perhaps

it'd been nothing more than a simple case of public drunkenness or,

worse, insanity.
But why was Mr. White so upset when I asked about

it in his office?
Jac sighed, massaging her temples with her fingertips.

"So, where's Mary Lynn?" she overheard the customer at the

counter.

"Snow's falling harder, so I sent her home early," the cook replied.

"I think I can handle this big crowd." The cook and the customer both

laughed, but Jac was relieved the waitress was gone. She'd made Jac

feel uneasy when she'd returned to the diner to work and grab a quick

bite to eat.

"I have a lightly grilled ham and cheese on whole wheat," Mary

Lynn had confirmed her lunch order with a thin smile. "Will there be

anything else?"

"Maybe a tad more coffee, if you please." Jac smiled up at the

waitress.

"Sure thing." The blonde nodded, jotting the order onto the receipt

pad. "So, you're here by yourself. Where's Ray?"

"Ray?" Jac blinked, startled. "Um, I haven't seen him since this

morning."

"I saw you two leave together after breakfast."

"Well, my car's over at the garage. Ray offered me a lift. He's a

real gentleman."

"Uh-huh." Mary Lynn's eyes appeared to shimmer in the

fluorescent lighting. She lowered her voice. "Ya know, some folks

aren't all they appear to be." The blonde flashed her a smile; the

expression not quite reaching her eyes.

"Thanks. I'll remember that." Jac had managed a weak smile.

Mary Lynn pivoted on her heel and headed behind the counter to the

kitchen.

She didn't know what the waitress was alluding to, but it was

obvious Mary Lynn was jealous. Jac shrugged it off and returned her

attention back to the computer screen.

Now, it was late in the afternoon and, taking another sip of coffee,

she glanced out the window. There was an inch of powdery snow on

the ground. Jac reached into the jacket pocket, pulling out a scrap of

paper with Ray's cell phone number written on it. She smiled,

recalling how his sister had insisted she have it.

"If you need a ride back to the hotel, just call him. I'm sure Ray

won't mind. Really." Megan had grinned, handing her the scrap of

paper.

Even though she'd love to see Ray again, Jac thought against it.

He's probably snuggled up by the fireplace somewhere. Besides,
she

resolved,
I'd rather walk back to the hotel.

Looking out the restaurant window, she marveled how the small

town looked like a picture postcard, covered in a thin layer of

powdery white snow beneath a soft, gray sky. Smiling to herself, Jac

stuffed the phone number back into her pocket with a dreamy sigh and

repacked her laptop.

"Not leaving so soon, are ya?" The cook angled his head, grinning

at her over the counter as he took the bill and money.

"Oh yes." She returned his smile. "I'm walking back to the hotel."

"Best be careful, miss. There might be some ice out there," he

added with a nod.

Assuring the cook she'd be fine, Jac buttoned the denim jacket and

pushed open the glass door. A sharp snap of cold air instantly stung

her cheeks. Muttering a curse under her breath, she searched for the

sidewalk under the crunchy layer of snow then headed up Main Street.

When she was about a block from the restaurant, Jac's boot slipped

in a small patch of ice. A tiny yelp escaped from her lips as she

struggled for balance. Fortunately, she remained upright, but her

heart was doing summersaults.

"If I fall, my computer's done for." She shook her head, clutching

her laptop to her chest. "Maybe I should call Ray."

Before she could reach into the oversized pocket of the jacket, a

low growl echoed through an alley close to where she stood on the

sidewalk, frozen into place. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck

bristled. Jac swallowed hard, turning her gaze to the narrow space

between the buildings. No streetlights. Just pitch darkness.

Once again, a low, throaty growl echoed off the brick walls. Then,

she saw something move in the inky blackness. A pair of amber eyes

gazing at her, moving closer.

"N-nice doggie," Jac uttered, taking a step back. "I-I'm not going to

hurt you."

The snarling creature stepped out of the shadows. It was a wolf ...

an angry wolf with its ears erect and tawny-color fur bristling over its

body.

Every fiber of her being said to run, but fear overwhelmed her. Jac

shook from head to toe, her gaze locked on the wolf. She was

petrified, afraid to look away as the wolf arched its back; its sharp

front teeth catching the light.

Summoning up her nerve, Jac attempted to slide another step away

from the approaching wolf. Holding her breath, she slowly inched her

foot back. There was a harsh snarl. The wolf dashed at her, its

incisors bared as it leaped straight for her.

There was no time to scream.
Oof!
The breath swooshed out of her.

She fell back hard onto the sidewalk with her laptop bag shielding her

from the full weight of the wolf.

Instinctively, she threw up an arm, blocking her face from the

wolf's snapping jaws. The thick denim ripped as the large predator

tugged viciously at the sleeve. Reacting in a blurred haze, Jac bent

her knee and thrust a kick upward.

The wolf yelped releasing the jacket sleeve as her blow knocked it

a few feet away onto the icy pavement.

Jac scrambled to her feet, running for her life in the direction of the

restaurant. In the distance, a pair of headlights beamed, coming down

the street.

"Help me!" she wailed, not looking behind to see if the wolf was on

her heels or not. Her foot slipped on a patch of ice. Jac's wayward

skid brought her to her knees and sent her rolling into the street until

she stopped, flat on her back.

A low groan escaped from her lips as bursting stars of pain clouded

her vision.

Everything around her went black.

* * * *

The woman's voice was soft and melodic. Jac blinked, attempting

to get her bearings. Her body ached as she propped up on her elbows

and glanced around the room. She was stretched out on a medical

table beneath a high-powered light. The woman was wearing a white

coat with a stethoscope around her neck and a worried expression

upon her face.

"I'm ... sore," she managed, although her throat was dry. "May I

have a drink of water?"

"Certainly," the woman replied, crossing to the water cooler on the

far side of the room. "I'm Doctor Allison Browne and you're at the

urgent care facility."

Jac gave a relieved sigh and slowly sat up, taking the cup of water

the doctor offered.

"Glad to see you've come to, Jacqueline. You had a nasty tumble,

but nothing's broken and no sign of serious injuries." Doctor Browne

flashed a thin smile. "However, I feel you're going to be sore for the

next couple of days."

"Oh!" Jac was now fully alert. "D-did they catch the rabid wolf?

Please, God, tell me they did." A shiver rippled down her spine as the

memories came flooding back.

"There, there," the woman reached over, gently patting her hand.

"You're going to be fine."

"Fine? Fine?" Jac snatched her hand away, her eyes wide with fear.

"How can you say that? I nearly had my arm ripped off by a wild wolf

on ... on Main Street!"

Her stomach was churning.

Doctor Browne didn't reply. Instead, she crossed to the door and

partially opened it. "She's awake now. I think you should come in,"

she said to someone on the other side.

The door swung fully open. Jac's heart leapt in her chest at the

sight of Ray entering the room.

His handsome face was pale and drawn. In two bold strides, he was

by her side.

"Are you okay, Jac?" His brows knitted with concern.

"Ray, you look as bad as I feel." Jac smirked, yet she reached out,

taking hold of his hand. His roughened yet warm touch instantly

calmed her. He enclosed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Damn, I've been worried sick about you." His voice was thick with

emotion. "You've been out cold since they brought you in."

Jac was so enraptured by Ray's appearance she barely heard the

doctor excuse herself and closed the door.

"Ray, have they found the wild wolf that was chasing me? It

attacked me near the alley, but I managed to kick it off and run, but

the ice ... it was slippery and ... "

Her voice trailed off as Ray straightened his stance. "Bruce was the

first cop on the scene. He's already filled me in on all the details of

your attack." Jac could have sworn she saw a flicker of anger in his

eyes. His jaw tightened into a hard line. "Lucky for you, you're one

tough woman. It took some balls to ward off that crazed wolf."

"Balls? I was scared shitless, Ray." Jac shivered recalling the

struggle.

"Well, don't worry. The wolf will be taken care of soon ... I

promise."

"Thanks, Ray. That makes me feel better." She smiled up at him.

He brought her hand to his lips and placed a feathery light kiss

upon her knuckles. Jac blushed as a warm rush of heat washed

through her body. For someone she'd just met, he made her feel all

warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Like a bolt of lightning, a worrisome thought flashed through her

mind.

"Oh! What about my laptop?" she exclaimed. The last thing she

remembered before her tumble was clutching it to her chest. "My

story notes and interview were on the hard drive!"

Ray gave a heavy sigh, slipping his hand from hers. "Your

computer's still in one piece, which is more than I can say for the

jacket I let you borrow." His expression darkened.

Jac recalled the wolf's snapping jaws and the ripping of the sleeve.

Her stomach tightened. "Oh geez, Ray, I'm sorry about your jacket.

I–"

"Hey," he stopped her, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.

"The jacket's just a jacket. The important thing is you're not hurt."

The tenderness in his voice opened the floodgate to her emotions.

Tears of fear and frustration swelled in the corners of her eyes.

"Ah, come here," he gently coaxed, pulling her into his comforting

embrace. She buried herself in his arms and let her tears silently

trickle down her cheeks.

"Everything's gonna be fine now, you'll see." His voice was

reassuring as he ran a soothing hand down her back. "You're going to

be okay, aren't you?"

Jac gazed up into his eyes and nodded. "Sure, I'm all right." She

sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Everyone needs a good cry now and then," he replied with an

empathic smile.

Jac nodded in agreement, trying to remember the last time she'd

cried. It seemed like a long time ago ... and there had been no one

around to comfort her.

"Thanks, Ray."

"For what?"

"For, you know, holding me. Letting me cry." She smiled up at

him. "I needed that."

Before he could reply, the examination room door cracked slightly

open. Someone cleared their throat. Regretfully, Jac backed away

from Ray's embrace and straightened on the edge of the table.