Night Games by Nina Bangs Page A

terrified of humans.”
    â€œShe can control humans.” He shrugged. “Everyone fears something.” There was nothing mocking in his statement.
    â€œEven you?” Ally realized his answer was important to her.
    â€œEven me.” His tone warned Ally that his fears weren’t open to discussion.
    He put his arms across both women’s shoulders, then turned them away from the road edge. Ally felt a sense of security that she couldn’t explain, didn’t want to dissect.
    â€œWhat happened, Katy?” His tone was grim.
    Katy drew a deep breath, then was off and running. “I was driving there on the other side of the road, next to that cliff, just relaxing, when here came that car from behind me like a bat out of hell.” She paused for an editorial aside. “Stupid jerk.”
    â€œDid you get the plate number?” Brian walked over to inspect the horse.
    Katy stared at him askance. “You’re kidding, right?” When he didn’t answer, she continued. “I thought he would zip on by, but he didn’t. He got right behind me and laid on his blasted horn.” Time for another commercial break. “Stupid pea-brain.”
    â€œAnd?” Brian carefully checked the harness and shafts.
    Ally wondered how he could be so calm. Shewas still working on her pounding heart and erratic breathing.
    â€œThat horn scared the crap out of me. Thought it would do the same to the horse. I looked over the side of that road and thought I was about to take a shortcut to heaven.” Katy walked over, pulled the horse’s head up, and kissed it soundly on its surprised nose. “I’ll never complain about a laid-back horse again. I figured when he heard the horn, the horse would jump and take the wagon over the edge, but he kept right on walking.”
    Katy sighed and looked uncomfortable. “The horse had more sense than I did. I was scared and not thinking straight. All I could remember was that you turn the wheels into a skid.”
    Okay, Ally was officially confused. “What’s that have to do with anything?”
    Katy glared at her. “Nothing. Anyway, I steered the horse to the right, and that damned driver wasn’t expecting us to swerve into his path. He tried to go around the wagon, but he clipped us.” Katy’s expression dared her to make a comment. “Knocked us against the wall.”
    â€œAre you sure the driver was a man?” Brian patted the horse and turned to Katy.
    â€œWell, I’m not sure. Everything happened so fast. But he drove like a man.”
    â€œWe’re not going anywhere without a new wagon.” Ally glanced at Brian while Katy walked to the back of the wagon.
    She didn’t say it, but Brian knew they’dreached a proving ground. Ally wanted him to use the Constructor. “Is this what you really want? Katy will find out. We could just wait until someone comes by, and you could go back to Liscannor to call the office. They’d bring out a new wagon. This accident wasn’t your fault.”
    Ally offered him a half smile. “Getting cold feet, Byrne? Katy will find out eventually anyway if we park at your keep while you help with my book.”
    â€œSo you’ve made a definite decision to stay?” The logical part of him reasoned that if she stayed there’d be no relaxing vacation. But a part of him that had never spoken up before said having Ally around would be fun. Fun? Women had never been fun. They’d been nothing more than a number on a scoreboard. Maybe it was time to explore the fun concept.
    Her smile faded. “I need to write a blockbuster book about sex and the single life without going through the field-testing stage. I need to consult an expert so I can write a reasonable facsimile of the real thing. I’ve never tried to fool my readers before, but look where writing from the heart got me.”
    She meant it as a joke, but he didn’t