he’d be doing without them should Cougar even suspect him of thinking about you that way.”
Mara slowly withdrew her hand from Dorothy’s. The things the older woman had said whirled through her mind. There had to be a reason McKinnely was doing all this. There had to be, so she forced herself to ask, “Why?”
Instead of answering, Dorothy avoided her gaze. >From the other room came the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. It was the hopeful, almost desperate look Dorothy cast in the direction of the sound that clued Mara in.
“Oh God!” she rasped, staring at Dorothy as the horrible truth dawned. Cougar McKinnely wanted her. Oh no. Oh God! “No.”
Chapter Six
“You had to know,” Dorothy said, standing up. “You’ve been taking too many risks. You had to know…”
“That Cougar McKinnely wants me?” Mara interrupted. “That what Cougar McKinnely wants, he gets? Pardon me, but I’ve heard all that before and it’s still a pile of manure.” She tried to swing her legs to the floor, but Dorothy blocked her. Mara pushed at her restraining arms. “I’ve got to get out of here!” Pain tore up from her ribs. It was nothing compared to the pain in her soul. “God! I never learn.” His kindness had been a trick. And she’d fallen for it. She yanked at Dorothy’s arms. “Let me go!”
Dorothy didn’t let go, she didn’t move, and she didn’t speak. She just stared at Mara. The silence grew heavier and heavier until, finally, Dorothy broke it on a weary sigh.
“I can see from your expression, you’re determined not to hear what I have to say, so I’m going to tell you this much and then I’ll leave you be.” She released Mara’s arms. “You’re here in my house. You are going to stay here until you are healed. And no one is going to hurt you again.”
“You can’t guarantee that.”
Dorothy’s hands landed squarely on her hips and Mara finally got to see the temper everyone claimed went with red hair. “Look at me.”
The way the order was rapped out, Mara didn’t have any choice.
“I can guarantee your safety, Mara Kincaid, because that big man out there,” Dorothy pointed toward the door, her body jerking with the force of the movement. “The one that you’re so determined to think the worst of is going to make it his life’s mission to see that you are. And I’ll tell you another thing.” That finger came to point at Mara with the same subdued force. “About the only hands you’d be safer in would be God’s.”
“He’s a man.”
“He’s a good man.”
“That doesn’t change anything.”
“It changes everything.”
Mara tightened her grip on the quilt covering her legs. The same quilt this angry woman had just finished tucking in so carefully. The woman who wanted to wrap her in gift wrap as a present for her son. “I don’t want anything changed!”
Except the last few months.
“Change is part of life, Mara,” Dorothy argued almost gently. “You can’t fight it.”
“Leave her be, Dorothy.”
Mara whipped her head around and saw Cougar standing in the doorway. Lord, he was big. All muscle, confidence and cool control.
“It needs to be said, Cougar,” Dorothy countered, love for her son in her voice. “She can’t go on as she has, risking her life and yours.”
“I can do whatever I like!” Mara struggled to rise off the mountain of pillows propped behind her. She needed to gain some advantage.
All she gained was McKinnely’s attention.
In three strides, he was at her side, his big hands swallowing her shoulders as he pushed her back into the pillows. His long black hair swung forward, casting his dark eyes in shadow as he drawled, “Steady.”
The ease with which he subdued her struggles drove a nail through her soul.
“You can’t keep me here,” she hissed, hating the quaver that shook the last word. McKinnely scared her, plain and simple. He was too intense. Too big. Too close. And now, because she couldn’t
Mara slowly withdrew her hand from Dorothy’s. The things the older woman had said whirled through her mind. There had to be a reason McKinnely was doing all this. There had to be, so she forced herself to ask, “Why?”
Instead of answering, Dorothy avoided her gaze. >From the other room came the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. It was the hopeful, almost desperate look Dorothy cast in the direction of the sound that clued Mara in.
“Oh God!” she rasped, staring at Dorothy as the horrible truth dawned. Cougar McKinnely wanted her. Oh no. Oh God! “No.”
Chapter Six
“You had to know,” Dorothy said, standing up. “You’ve been taking too many risks. You had to know…”
“That Cougar McKinnely wants me?” Mara interrupted. “That what Cougar McKinnely wants, he gets? Pardon me, but I’ve heard all that before and it’s still a pile of manure.” She tried to swing her legs to the floor, but Dorothy blocked her. Mara pushed at her restraining arms. “I’ve got to get out of here!” Pain tore up from her ribs. It was nothing compared to the pain in her soul. “God! I never learn.” His kindness had been a trick. And she’d fallen for it. She yanked at Dorothy’s arms. “Let me go!”
Dorothy didn’t let go, she didn’t move, and she didn’t speak. She just stared at Mara. The silence grew heavier and heavier until, finally, Dorothy broke it on a weary sigh.
“I can see from your expression, you’re determined not to hear what I have to say, so I’m going to tell you this much and then I’ll leave you be.” She released Mara’s arms. “You’re here in my house. You are going to stay here until you are healed. And no one is going to hurt you again.”
“You can’t guarantee that.”
Dorothy’s hands landed squarely on her hips and Mara finally got to see the temper everyone claimed went with red hair. “Look at me.”
The way the order was rapped out, Mara didn’t have any choice.
“I can guarantee your safety, Mara Kincaid, because that big man out there,” Dorothy pointed toward the door, her body jerking with the force of the movement. “The one that you’re so determined to think the worst of is going to make it his life’s mission to see that you are. And I’ll tell you another thing.” That finger came to point at Mara with the same subdued force. “About the only hands you’d be safer in would be God’s.”
“He’s a man.”
“He’s a good man.”
“That doesn’t change anything.”
“It changes everything.”
Mara tightened her grip on the quilt covering her legs. The same quilt this angry woman had just finished tucking in so carefully. The woman who wanted to wrap her in gift wrap as a present for her son. “I don’t want anything changed!”
Except the last few months.
“Change is part of life, Mara,” Dorothy argued almost gently. “You can’t fight it.”
“Leave her be, Dorothy.”
Mara whipped her head around and saw Cougar standing in the doorway. Lord, he was big. All muscle, confidence and cool control.
“It needs to be said, Cougar,” Dorothy countered, love for her son in her voice. “She can’t go on as she has, risking her life and yours.”
“I can do whatever I like!” Mara struggled to rise off the mountain of pillows propped behind her. She needed to gain some advantage.
All she gained was McKinnely’s attention.
In three strides, he was at her side, his big hands swallowing her shoulders as he pushed her back into the pillows. His long black hair swung forward, casting his dark eyes in shadow as he drawled, “Steady.”
The ease with which he subdued her struggles drove a nail through her soul.
“You can’t keep me here,” she hissed, hating the quaver that shook the last word. McKinnely scared her, plain and simple. He was too intense. Too big. Too close. And now, because she couldn’t
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