Weathering Rock. Mae Clair
world affairs might give anyone pause. As far as she could tell, Caleb was single with no attachments other than his brother. For a single man, the military could be an attractive option.
Except for his headaches.
It suddenly dawned on her why he’d retired. Last night, Wyn had mentioned Caleb’s ongoing problem with headaches. If last night’s episode was any indication, the Army had probably given him a medical discharge. Having blundered into the subject, she wasn’t certain how to bow out gracefully.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”
“It’s all right. My health wasn’t the issue.” Caleb drew a breath and grinned, making an effort to lighten the mood. “I manage to keep occupied. I have an avid interest in the Civil War and–”
“Caleb.” Wyn gave a quick, clipped shake of his head, dropping his eyes when Arianna glanced in his direction. Something passed between the two she didn’t understand.
“Arianna teaches history at the local middle school. American history. Civil War history.” Before he could say anything further, the soft chime of a doorbell echoed through the house. Wyn breathed a sigh of relief, giving her the impression he was thankful for the arrival of a visitor.
“Caleb, the door.” He cast a meaningful glance toward the hallway.
His brother hesitated. “Maybe you should–”
“No. Caleb, the door.”
The denial was flat and final, leaving Arianna with the uncomfortable feeling Wyn didn’t want to leave his brother alone with her. She was about to excuse herself, the diversion the perfect reason to bow out and be on her way, even if it meant calling Triple A.
“Very well.” Caleb pushed back from the table and stood. “I’ll be back shortly. Arianna, I’d appreciate it if you’d stay a while longer.”
She fiddled with her fork, her eyes riveted to the trim v-shape of his back as he left the kitchen. It was disheartening to think a man that fit could be incapacitated by something as trivial as a headache. Somewhere along the line, between discussing Caleb’s military background and what he’d done since retiring, she’d wandered into territory marked taboo.
“I didn’t mean to pry,” she said to Wyn.
“It’s not your fault. Things are complicated with Caleb. His health.”
A cold fist squeezed her stomach. “Please tell me it’s nothing’s terminal.”
“Nothing like that.” He shook his head. “Sometimes he’s too driven, and I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression. I’ll be honest–I’ve seen the way women react to him. That old-fashioned gentility goes a long way in today’s all-about-me world. I wouldn’t want you to fall into the same trap as others.”
Others?
She flushed, revising her opinion of Wyn. She’d initially thought him friendly and open, but now it seemed he was doing everything he could to warn her away from his brother. Was she that obvious, or did Wyn simply expect most women to fall under Caleb’s spell the moment they met him?
Heat crept up her neck and she pushed back her chair. “It’s time for me to leave.”
“I’m more curious how long you’ve been here,” someone said behind her.
Startled, Arianna glanced to the doorway as Caleb re-entered the kitchen trailed by a tall, brown-haired man. “Luke!” The last person she expected to see on a Saturday morning in a stranger’s house was her ex-boyfriend, Lucas Drake. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same thing.”
The disapproval in his voice made her hackles rise, and kicked on her defensive meter. His most exasperating trait had always been his bent for jealousy. She could imagine the thoughts going through his head at finding her having breakfast with two bachelors.
“I spent the night.” She knew it would annoy him. It served him right for sounding so damn high-handed. “I was on my way back from Lauren’s and got stranded by the fog. Didn’t you see the flat tire on my car?”
“You never heard of a spare?”
“That was my fault,” Caleb came to her rescue. “I asked her to–”
“It doesn’t matter.” Arianna didn’t owe Lucas Drake a damn thing. Let him think what he wanted. “What are you doing here, Luke?”
“Official business.” Squaring his shoulders, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. A plainclothes cop, he wore street clothes on duty, dressed now in a light summer jacket to conceal the bulk of his handgun.
“Is something wrong?” Wyn asked.
“As I told your brother at the front door, Dr. DeCardian, I’m Sergeant Drake of the Sagehill PD. I understand you’re the legal owner of Weathering Rock?”
Wyn nodded, rounding the table to offer his hand. “Dr. Winston DeCardian. What’s the problem, Sergeant?”
“It’s more of a warning. I’m making rounds of the area to alert homeowners there may be a rabid animal in the area. We want you to be aware of the danger when you’re outside. If you have children, keep them close and make sure they understand the importance of staying away from stray animals, even those that seem harmless. You know how kids can be with pets.”
Concerned, Arianna left the table to join the others. She thought of the large animal silhouetted against the window last night. “What makes you think there’s a problem?”
“A patrol car found a deer carcass down the road.” Lucas jerked his head to indicate the direction. “Normally that’s not cause for alarm, but it was badly mauled.”
“How bad is badly?” Wyn flicked his brother a disconcerted glance. Did a moment of silent communication pass between them?
“Not like anything we’re used to seeing. The best guess is we’ve got a rabid dog, or a bear that wandered down from the mountains. Given it’s the second occurrence in less than a week, we want to make sure residents are aware of the danger.”
“A bear?” The animal she’d seen hadn’t been bulky enough for a bear, but too large for a dog. “What about a wolf?”
The question earned a sharp glance from Caleb.
“There are no wolves in Pennsylvania, Ari,” Luke told her. “Coyotes, but it would take a pack of coyotes to do this kind of damage. Odds are it’s probably a large dog, but until we get a report from the Game Commission, we won’t know for sure. Right now our goal is to alert residents, especially those with kids.”
“That’s kind of you, Officer,” Caleb said, sounding cordial and formal. “Since you’re here, perhaps you’d be good enough to follow Miss Hart home? It won’t take long to change her tire.”
Miss?
Arianna blinked, feeling like a schoolmarm passed to the care of the local sheriff. “Thanks, but Luke knows I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t.” Caleb took her hand, looking into her eyes.
She fought the urge to swoon like an idiot. Seconds passed and she found herself unable to speak, their hands locked together, her gaze riveted to the light blue crystal of his eyes.
“Caleb,” Wyn said.
Arianna came to her senses, politely withdrawing her hand. “I’ll be fine.”
“At the very least, the sergeant can walk you to your car,” Caleb suggested.
“That’s probably a good idea.” Lucas sounded annoyed.
Too unsettled to protest, Arianna nodded. Outside, she popped the trunk, waiting while Wyn unloaded the spare tire and jack. Off to the side, Caleb and Luke exchanged a glance, a tense undercurrent to