Lone Wolfe Protector by Kaylie Newell Page B

go with. Maybe there was something more here for Jim than just caretaking. Maggie liked the thought of that. Maybe this sweet innkeeper wasn’t alone in this big old place after all.
    The room grew quiet and the memory of Zane’s words still hung in the air.
    Maggie studied Koda’s profile. His wide, expressive mouth set in a firm line. She wanted to trace his narrow nose, the high forehead, and the strong jaw, peppered with new stubble.
    And right then, at that very second, she was forced to recognize a longing inside herself that she wasn’t necessarily comfortable with. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But she felt it just the same.
    He must have sensed her watching, because he met her gaze.
    “Do you want to come, Maggie?”
    Dazed, she nodded. “Yes, please.”

    The long, twisting drive down the mountain had never been Koda’s favorite thing in the world. The truth was, he’d seen too many accidents on this road to feel anywhere near complacent. It was a freeway, which also meant it was a thoroughfare for semis and heavy logging trucks that crowded the slow lane, laboring down the mountain with almost as much difficulty as they had climbing it. Their brakes smelled hot and their engines ground away in the lowest gear, sounding like huge, grumpy bears just waking from hibernation.
    Koda passed one now that was having a particularly hard time. Smoke billowed out the exhaust pipe, which pointed like a blackened finger to the sky. Its bright yellow hazards flashed ominously, on, off, on, off. All part of living up here. Unless you had a chopper, there was only one way down.
    Switching lanes, he glanced over at Maggie, who was looking out her window. She hadn’t said more than two words since she’d climbed in. Her curly brown hair hung loose next to her face, hiding it from view.
    He focused on the road again, wondering what she was thinking. Guessing he had a pretty good idea.
    “He had no right to say that to you.”
    “Huh?” Maggie turned, her eyes appearing larger than normal. They were round as polished, green stones.
    “Zane. He shouldn’t have said that.”
    She considered this for a second, before looking back out the window. “I don’t know. Maybe I deserved it,” she said. “Maybe what happened was because of me. It makes sense.”
    “The only person responsible for hurting Candi was the one who broke into her apartment. Zane says a lot of things when he’s mad. He talks out his ass. It’s a well known fact, ask anyone.”
    This coaxed a faint smile. “He still has a right to be angry.”
    “He does. We all do. No one lays a finger on that girl without paying dearly and that’s the God’s honest truth. If I find him first, Zane’s going to have to settle for the leftovers. But he has no right to be angry with you.”
    “The last thing I want is to cause problems for anyone here. That was never my intention, I hope you know that.”
    She fidgeted, wringing her hands together in her lap. Her fingers were long and elegant. Sexy. He imagined them wrapping around him, stroking his—
    He shifted in the seat and focused on the road again.
    “When I decided to come here,” she continued, “I guess I was only thinking of myself. How things would affect me. I never considered anyone else.”
    “That’s what happens when someone’s grieving a loss. They’re kind of selfish that way.”
    “I guess. But I can see things more clearly now.”
    He said nothing. Seeing things clearly might not be such a bad thing. He suspected that she’d been making blind, gut decisions for a while now.
    “Honestly,” she said, “do you think it’s possible that someone attacked Candi because she was talking to me?”
    Koda sighed. “It’s possible. Anything’s possible. But I don’t think it’s probable.”
    “Who else would want to hurt her? I can’t imagine her having any enemies.”
    “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m assuming she told you what she used to do?”
    Maggie nodded.
    “Well, she hung