Cougar's Mate by Terry Spear Page B

sleeping with him as anything more than asking for trouble.
    She moved the bedside table in front of the door and then climbed into bed. With the light on and the covers tucked under her chin, she stared at the ceiling and wondered where Hennessey and his brother and uncle were now if all three of them were after her. If all three were involved in the illegal stuff that Ted was into, she figured that his brother and uncle would want her dead just as much. Were they tracking her as cougars? She had believed they would, but then how would they be able to get to her if she did end up doing this? Rejoining the human population?
    Unless they were waiting for word of her suddenly showing up somewhere as a human again.
    Eager to learn if her picture was plastered all over the news as a person of interest in the murder of her cop boyfriend, she opened the phone and frowned at it. The cell phone was an older model, which meant? No Internet!
    ***
    Early the next morning, Chase was torn between wanting to wait for Shannon to wake and serve her a hearty breakfast, worried if he didn’t, she wouldn’t eat enough, and wanting to ensure she was okay with him leaving her alone while he worked on one of the rental cabin’s roofs. He hoped she was having the best sleep of her life. He knew she needed it more than anything else right now after what she must have endured.
    Unable to quit worrying about her, he tried to peek into the room to see if she was still in there. The door was locked. Not that he was surprised. He went outside and surveyed the window. The armoire was still blocking it.
    Believing she wasn’t going to get up anytime soon and attempting to set aside his concern, he fixed himself a piece of toast and honey, then headed out to work. He was just ready to climb onto the roof when Dan called. Immediately, Chase was apprehensive.
    He hated that every time his friend phoned him now that Chase would think the worst. That Dan had learned some horrible news concerning Shannon, and they'd have to arrest her. And he was already contemplating how he was going to hide her away.
    "Yeah, what's up?" Chase asked.
    "We couldn’t lift any prints off the wine glasses. They were too smudged. We’ll have to try at the Muellers’ dinner. Or you can make the attempt again at your place. We're still looking for any clue as to who she is and what trouble she's in. Anything from your end?"
    "Not yet," Chase said. “I’m going to work on some repairs to a roof. She’s sleeping right now.”
    Pause.
    “You still there?” Chase knew Dan thought he should keep an eye on her every minute of the day, but he still felt the best way to learn who she was and what was going on was to earn her trust.
    “Do you think that’s wise?”
    “She's exhausted with all the running she's done. She needs to take it easy. I figure she'll talk about it when she's ready."
    "Which may be too late."
    "I know. That's why I'm trying to ease her into it. Trying to be her friend first."
    "Just be careful you're not thinking with your heart instead of your head," Dan warned. “It is a go on dinner with the Muellers, right?”
    "Yeah, she was good with it. I’ve got to get to work on the roof. The sooner I get to it, the sooner I’ll be back at the main house. Let me know if you learn anything later."
    "Will do."
    Chase tried not to think of Shannon while he concentrated on the roof, or he could take a misstep and end up landing on his backside below. That’s all he would need—to injure himself when he was supposed to be protecting the lady. But he couldn’t quit thinking about her. About the way she was so scared—not just from the way in which she had rearranged the furniture, which had been telling enough, but leaving a light on in the room, as if to warn anyone away who might think she was asleep, and then peeking out the living room curtains when she heard noises outside.
    She’d seemed to sleep well when she was cuddled with him on the couch, and that