Haze of Heat (5 page)

“Sorry about that.” Melinda peeked up at Rachel, amusement gleaming from eyes set in an otherwise placid face. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders and a fine heart, but I don’t know what’s easier for him, flirting or breathing. You let me know if he becomes a bother.”

Too late for that.
If she didn’t keep a distance between herself and the ever-so-engaging Porter Felix, the bother could easily become a big, heartbreaking problem. Slipping her lips into a quick and cool smile, Rachel looked down at Melinda. “I don’t think that will be an issue, but thank you.”

“Get some sleep, honey. We’ll see you when we see you.”

Rachel stepped back into her room, bemused at how Melinda continued to push sleep on her. Then she walked fully into the bathroom, saw her reflection and squawked. The dark circles under her eyes looked like large bruises, as if she’d been in a fistfight and come out on the losing end. The skin on her face was drawn and very pale. Even her lips looked pale.

Frankly, she looked like death, and not even warmed over.

She shook her head as she went back out to lock the slider, draw the blackout curtain, and check the front door of the suite. Wanting a quick cleanup before taking a nap, she gathered what she would need and showered the day away.

As she lay in bed, watching the ceiling fan go around and around, she thought about her latest story. She’d been unable to write for more than two weeks and knew she needed to get back on the wagon, so to speak. Soon or she would miss her deadline.

With a sigh, Rachel turned on her side and thought about what would happen next with Reed and Evangeline, and found herself thinking of Porter instead.

Porter
, her cat purred.

Oh great.
Rachel groaned and thumped her fist on the pillow.
Here we go again.

Safe
. The single word was accompanied with a soft head butt. Her feline’s attempt at reassurance. Hopeful that she had done the right thing by coming here, Rachel shut her eyes.

Two minutes later she was fast asleep.

Chapter Five

When Rachel woke twelve hours later, she decided against seeking Porter out. She wasn’t on a real vacation and desperately needed to get some work accomplished. Now that she was hopefully hidden from her stalker, she should get her mind back on her writing.

Then she turned over onto her stomach and fell back asleep.

Three hours later, she sat in her sleep shorts and tank, staring blankly at her laptop screen. Her elbow was on the table, her chin in her hand. The other was curled around a glass holding life-giving iced coffee, thanks to the single tray of ice cubes located in the tiny freezer compartment of the mini-fridge.

She’d been in the same position for some time, staring at the bottom of the screen as the minutes ticked by.

Eight thirty-five.

Absently, Rachel scratched the underside of one foot with the toes of the other, and thought. Porter hadn’t said anything to her about her car when she’d spoken to him from the balcony. Had he helped Rome check it out? Was it clean? She was undeniably curious, and since she didn’t know how to get a hold of Rome—

By eight forty-five she’d brushed her teeth, dressed in a pair of jeans, a deep pink short-sleeved scoop-neck T-shirt, and sneakers. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, the rioting curls tamed by the braid that dangled to her nape. Though she was pleased to note she no longer looked like a poster child for the living dead, she slapped on sunscreen, a bit of powder, blush, a slick of lip gloss, mascara—so people could tell she really did have lashes—snatched her key card, and headed for the stairs.

At the dining room entrance she paused, taken aback at the sight of a dark-haired woman slouched in a chair at the expansive table, staring at her phone. Her coloring was almost as dark as Porter’s and Rome’s, yet with a red undertone rather than the men’s deep honey. A slight dent gave her chin an intriguing look and the midnight swath of her hair was pulled back in a long, thick braid that draped over her left shoulder and down her chest. A thin gold band wrapped around the third finger of her left hand. A discreet inhalation informed Rachel this female was all human.

When the woman looked up and smiled in greeting, Rachel noticed her eyes were nearly as dark as her hair and slightly slanted. While not beautiful, all those amazing features created an exotic combination that made Rachel a little envious. To make matters worse, the other woman didn’t seem to have an ounce of makeup on and still appeared stunning.

“Good morning, Rachel. I’m Gwen and you’re just in time. Annie was about to take away breakfast.” She nodded at several chafing pans that sat on a sideboard along the wall behind one end of the long table. “Grab some while you can and have a seat.”

Though Rachel wasn’t exactly starving—she’d eaten the bag of chips and banana with her coffee—the scent of bacon was tempting. After a tentative hello back, Rachel spooned up scrambled eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes, recalling that this was the woman Porter said he was going to kill because of the embarrassing ringtone. Turning from the buffet to take a chair, Rachel jolted, finding Gwen watching her with open curiosity.

Uncomfortable under that steady gaze, Rachel struggled to come up with something to say, settling on the first thing that popped into her head. “You’re the one who put ‘I’m Too Sexy’ on Porter’s cell phone?”

She took a seat across from Gwen, who rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Unfortunately. I thought he might be embarrassed, but that man doesn’t have an embarrassing bone in his body. The idiot’s left it because he knows it annoys the rest of us. I’ve tried...” She paused and tilted her head, which caused her braid to shift and reveal white lettering against the dark blue T-shirt. “You’ve already met Porter?”

Rachel nodded, picking at her eggs for a dainty bite, all the while wondering if Gwen worked at the Orchards as the shirt she wore was identical to Porter’s. “On the road yesterday. I pulled off for a minute and he was riding toward me on a horse. He stopped, we talked.”

When Rachel didn’t elaborate, Gwen asked, “And when his phone rang he specifically told you I changed his ringtone? Odd. He usually just smirks.”

Swallowing, Rachel shrugged and stared down at her plate. “Actually, he seemed embarrassed.”

“Really?” The way Gwen stretched the word out had Rachel peeking from her plate to see the other woman staring at her through a pair of assessing eyes.

What? Did she have egg on her face? She dipped her chin. “Do you work here?”

Gwen looked down, instinctively placing a hand over her breast, and let out a short laugh. “Oh. Yes. Sorry. I’m a ranger. One of three, actually.”

“Ranger?”

“For the wildlife reserve at the far end of the property. Today’s my day off and I’m not sure what to do with myself. Especially since Rome’s out helping fertilize the trees.” Gwen’s nose wrinkled. “I draw the line at that.”

“Ah.” So would Rachel. Pointedly looking at Gwen’s left hand, she asked, “Rome is your husband?”

A dreamy expression crossed Gwen’s features. “Yeah. Three months now. Still getting used to it.”

Which would make Gwen Porter’s sister-in-law.

Porter. Want Porter now.

Ack! Shut it already!

A mental huff was the feline’s response, along with the sensation of a furry tail tickling her nose. Rachel rubbed it before the oncoming sneeze came to fruition.

“I take it you don’t know much about the Orchards?”

“Just what I saw online,” Rachel admitted. “And something about a ghost.”

Gwen leaned forward, arms crossed on the table, eyes alight with an anticipatory gleam. “Yeah? Anything odd happen after you arrived?”

Like a door opening on its own?
Rachel shoved that out of her mind as quickly as the thought entered, replacing it with the logical assumption that Katie must have set her daughter on the floor as she’d opened the door, then had to run off and snatch the little speed demon before Rachel even saw her. “No.”

Gwen deflated. “Oh.” Then she perked up. “Well, if anything odd does happen, let me know. I find it interesting to hear about our guests’ encounters with Cort.”

Rachel took a drink of the orange juice she’d poured from an iced pitcher on the sideboard. “I take it you believe in ghosts?”

A careless shrug. “Considering I’ve learned in the last year that shape-shifters and vampires really exist, I’m open to just about anything.”

“Vampires?” Rachel choked out, eyes wide as saucers.

Gwen sat back in her seat. “You didn’t know? How’s that possible? Rome said you’re a leopard shifter.”

Rachel tensed, her eyes darting around the empty room, making Gwen raise a brow. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe here.”

“That may be, but it’s not something I’m used to discussing openly,” Rachel whispered.

Gwen only grinned. “Everyone working at the Orchards knows. Not about you, per se, but of the ‘paranormal,’” she put air quotes around the word, “and specifically who is what. Other than the Felix males, we’ve got a young leopard shifter who helps Porter with the horses on the weekends, a wolf shifter who works in the crop shop, and Ria, Santos’s wife, who’s half vamp. Everyone else is human.”

Rachel digested that information. “And everyone is okay with that? All the differences, I mean.”

Gwen shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

It was remarkable how so many species had come together to create such a diverse and odd pack. Because, make no mistake, the Orchards was a pack. A shifter didn’t tell a human what they carried willy-nilly. It was a life-and-death secret. A pack-worthy secret. And it really brought home how much of an ass Rand Hensen was, not agreeing to help Rachel unless she mated his son.

Rachel glanced back down at her plate so Gwen wouldn’t see the grimace that had nothing to do with her current whereabouts other than wishing she’d known about them sooner and had avoided the Greenleaf Pack altogether. “Except the claws and fangs part.”

“Well. There is that,” Gwen agreed as the double swinging doors that led to the kitchen opened and Katie came out, her daughter on her hip.

“I thought I heard voices out here,” Katie stated with a distracted smile. “Was breakfast all right? Simple fare, I know, but we had a pancake situation this morning and had to adjust.”

“Since I didn’t make it, it was wonderful.” Rachel told her the truth.

Katie beamed. “Thanks. You sound like Gwen.”

“Oh.” Rachel looked at Gwen for clarification.

Gwen winked. “I can’t boil water,” she told Rachel before turning to Katie. “What was the mishap?”

With a sigh, Katie hefted Maddie higher on her hip. The little girl pressed her face into her mom’s chest and rubbed it. “Batter on the floor. Don’t ask. Soooo…” The single syllable was drawn out to five, her eyes on Gwen almost pleadingly. “What are you doing today?”

One dark brow lifted. “I think I’m about to find out.”

“I’m sorry. She’s fussing.” Katie nodded at her daughter. “And I have to clean up the kitchen; strip, straighten, and redress the singles; and then start on dinner. Grandma and Grandpa have lunch plans with friends in Panama City and after that they’re getting supplies for the B&B, so they won’t be back until this afternoon. I don’t want to trouble Melinda as she’s buried under paperwork and—”

Gwen held up a hand, forestalling any more of Katie’s verbal distress. “I got it, Katie. It’s no problem. I can take care of the squirt for a few hours.” She rose, pocketing her phone and crossing over to gently play with the hair on the baby’s head. When Maddie looked up to see who touched her, she held out her arms. The transfer was made without a hitch, making Rachel think this wasn’t the first time.

“She needs a nap.”

Rubbing the little girl’s back, Gwen nodded. “Maybe some fresh air will help. We’ll just take a walk.” She turned to Rachel. “You have plans today?’

“Plans? Me?” Rachel blinked up at the women. “Um. Well, Porter mentioned something about riding lessons.”

Gwen and Katie shared a look and Gwen muttered, “I bet.”

Rachel shifted uncomfortably. “He said I could learn on Daisy. I’ve never been on a horse before and the website said you offered horseback riding.” And why was she explaining herself to these two women?

“We also offer guided hikes, boating, and gulf fishing.” Katie responded helpfully.

Rachel nodded. “I’d like to do all of that. Just not in one day.”

“Well, then.” Gwen headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll take you to Porter.”

“Oh. Now?” Rachel stood, suddenly anxious for reasons she didn’t want to ponder.

Katie reached for Rachel’s empty plate and headed to the kitchen. “Best to go earlier in the day before it gets too hot. Maddie will need sunscreen, Gwen.”

Gwen rolled her eyes behind Katie’s back as she and Rachel followed. “Geez, Katie. We’re not going sunbathing.”

“Not all of us are blessed with your natural protection from the sun’s rays.” Katie disappeared in a back room, emerging a few moments later with a bottle of sunscreen.

“Gimme a break. It’s not like I don’t use it when I’m out all day.”

“You want some now?” Katie asked as she expertly applied lotion to Maddie.

“Not on your life. I hate the stuff.”

“That’s what I thought.” Katie looked at Rachel. “You’re fair like me. You should put some on as well, especially if you’re going to be out riding.”

Rachel shook her head. “I’m good, thank you. Already have it on.”

Katie sent Gwen a smug smile. “See?”

“Hey. It’s not my fault you lily-white types can’t handle a few minutes of sunlight.”

Not in the least offended, Katie closed the tube and produced a tiny hat from the back pocket of the tan cargo pants she wore and placed it on the baby’s head. “Ha. If you’ve ever turned red as a lobster and hurt so bad just the air touching your flesh was painful, you’d understand.”

“I do and have been burnt.” Gwen frowned. “Just not to that extent.”

Katie went to the refrigerator, pulled out two bottles of water and handed one to Gwen, the other to Rachel. “Count yourself lucky.”

“Come on, Rachel. Let’s get out of here before she starts mothering us to death.”

After waving bye to Katie, Rachel followed Gwen out the kitchen door, mulling over the sibling-like razzing between the two women. Outside of family, friends were few, partly due to her solitary job. The other part, well, that was on Rachel and she knew it. She was a total introvert, except when it came to her family. Which was why she never missed a monthly get-together.

They went down the steps from the kitchen stoop and Rachel noticed the crawl space under the house, and the bowls of water.

“For the cats,” Gwen explained when Rachel asked.

“Cats?” They were too small for the jaguars, and really, the Felix males didn’t run around in their feline form all the time, did they? They’d terrify the guests!

“Yep. See? There’s Tamara now.”

Following Gwen’s finger, Rachel spotted a pure white house cat—though outside—pouncing through the bushes in the garden.

“There’s several that live out here. They take care of the pests and rodents and we make sure they stay healthy and happy. If you’re not in a hurry to see Porter, you should check out the garden. It’s beautiful.”

“All right.” Not a hardship to stop and smell the flowers, especially as the scents coming off the mass variety of foliage were divine. As they meandered along the stone pathways, Gwen pointed out the different plants.

“These little white ones are sweet alyssum and over there, the pink one, sweet pea. One of my favorites.” Gwen stood a moment, breathing in, eyes closed. Rachel grinned when Maddie copied the ranger, squeezing her little eyes shut, her button nose all scrunched up.

“We talked about you last night at dinner,” Gwen said so softly and suddenly that it took Rachel a moment to process what she’d said.

“Ah...” Because what do you say to that?

“Not in a gossipy way,” Gwen quickly pointed out, “but in a need-to-know-what’s-going on way.”

“Oh.” Rachel hadn’t thought about that. No wonder Gwen had been looking at her with curiosity this morning.

They moved along the pathway, Rachel a little stiff and uncomfortable at having strangers know her situation.

At her side, the ranger’s lips curved slightly. “You’re not the first woman to come here haunted, or even harassed, by her past and I doubt you’ll be the last.”Melinda’s comment, “Damsels in distress are us,” floated in Rachel’s mind and took on a more intimate meaning. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I, for one, took the job here when my cheating ex-bastard boyfriend became my boss.” Gwen made a gagging sound that had Maddie giggling. “An intolerable situation. Ria came here for work as well, only her past was hunting her. Literally.”

Rachel opened her mouth, shut it. It wasn’t her business, though she couldn’t fault wanting to know more. People were generally nosy by nature and Rachel was about the nosiest of all. Probably came from being an only child. Or her colorful imagination.

More like a combination of both.

“All is well now, though?”

“It is.” Gwen halted in front of a bush brimming with white flowers. The scent was one Rachel knew.

“Gardenia.” She took an appreciative sniff.

Gwen plucked one open flower and ran it down Maddie’s nose, who smiled in delight. “Melinda told us you’d had some concerns about staying here because of Maddie?”