The woods were too still, the kind of quiet that made every crack of gravel sound louder. Somewhere behind me, a branch snapped. Probably nothing. Still, I picked up the pace. I wondered what it would look like this time of year on Hatteras Island. If the sound of the Atlantic Ocean would be more comforting than the Pacific. If I had enough strength to make it all the way there.
When my boots had rubbed a new blister onto my heel, I headed back to Cullen’s. I stopped when I reached the edge of the clearing and took a long look at his cabin. Smoke curled from the chimney, and lights glowed in the windows against the dimming late afternoon light. It didn’t just look like a house. It looked like a home and somewhere people came back to on purpose. I stood there too long, wishing I didn’t want what that picture promised. Maybe someday, I’d have one of my own to return to after taking my dog for a walk. Maybe I’d even have someone who loved me waiting for me inside.
As I took a step toward the porch, Ozzy’s head snapped to the right. I followed his gaze to where a huge gray wolf stood near the edge of the tree line. Mr. Farley had warned me to stay away from the wildlife that frequented the land he owned down by the river. I thought he meant deer or maybe a stray moose. He hadn’t said anything above wolves. A chill raced down my spine as the wolf eyed us across the distance. Ozzy pressed into my leg. I slid my palm over his head to keep us both from bolting. The air felt thinner, sharper.
As eager as I was to get inside, I forced myself not to run. But by the time I opened the front door and slipped inside, my heart thudded so hard against the walls of my chest that I felt like I’d just completed a marathon. For a woman whose curves made jogging impossible, the comparison might have been a stretch, though it was true.
Cullen was in the kitchen and Ozzy raced over to see if Callie had dropped anything from the highchair yet.
“There’s a wolf outside. A big one.” I hung the leash on the hook and moved to look out the kitchen window.
Cullen came up behind me, so close I could feel the warmth of his breath across the back of my neck. His shoulder brushed mine as he leaned in to see. My pulse jumped for a reason that had nothing to do with teeth and claws. “That’s just Hades. He’s part town mascot, part protector. He probably heard Callie crying or something and wanted to come check it out.”
“This town has a real wolf as a mascot?” The idea didn’t make me feel any better.
“Yeah.” Cullen shook a few more rice puffs onto Callie’s tray on his way back to the counter. “Jackson raised him from a pup. He won’t hurt you. Might even follow you around if you give him a snack.”
“I don’t think I want a wolf to follow me around.”
Cullen let out a soft laugh. “Is brisket okay for dinner? I wasn’t busy at the station during my last shift so I smoked a couple to practice for the upcoming barbecue contest.”
I’d been so rattled, I hadn’t paid much attention to what he was doing when I first stepped inside. The kitchen was warm and steamy, the air thick with sweet smoke and spice. “You cooked?”
“Yeah.” His voice rumbled low, close enough to feel at my throat. He held out a spatula with a smear of sauce on the edge. “Try it. The sauce is homemade.”
Our knuckles brushed as I reached for the spatula… just a quick spark, but too intense to ignore. I touched my lip to the spatula. It was sweet at first, then a smoky heat filled my mouth. “That’s delicious, but I need a glass of water.”
He dropped the spatula in the sink and filled a glass from the faucet. “Sorry. I should have warned you it has a little kick to it.”
“A little?” He set the glass in my hand. I felt the strength of his fingers long after he let go. A gulp of water barely took the edge off the heat. “Where did you learn how to barbecue?”
“My great-aunt taught me. I’ve been trying out some of her old recipes on the guys at the station and they told me I needed to enter the contest. What do you think? Is it too hot?” He looked at me like he cared about my opinion, like what I thought actually mattered. Something flickered between us… something small, bright, and inconvenient. I crushed it fast.
“Let me fix a plate, and I’ll let you know. How does that sound?” I grabbed two plates from the cabinet and served myself a few slices of brisket along with some beans he had simmering on the stove. A skillet of cornbread sat on a trivet and I cut a slice.
“Can’t have brisket without coleslaw.” Cullen pulled a bowl out of the fridge and set it on the counter.
“When did you have time to do all this?”
“What can I say… I’m a man of many talents,” he teased.
I could only imagine what other kind of hidden talents he might possess. Word around town was that Cullen had a bit of a reputation with the ladies. I’d heard a couple of women gossiping about him when I stopped by the Merc with Callie a few days ago, wondering what kind of effect becoming a single dad would have on his love life. That made me more determined than ever to ignore the attraction that zipped through my veins whenever he got too close.
“Does your extensive collection of talents include handling baby blowouts yet?” I asked.
He chuckled. The casual laugh sent warmth racing through me.
“Sure does. You should have seen the one she had earlier. It went all the way up her back, and I had to give her a bath.” He picked up the other plate and helped himself to several slices of meat.
“You’ve come a long way in such a short amount of time,” I said as I set my plate on the table. It was time for Callie to eat dinner, so I wheeled the highchair over to the table. Ozzy took his usual spot underneath.
“I’ll feed her tonight,” Cullen said. “Just because you’re here doesn’t mean you have to work around the clock.”
“About that…” I started.
He looked over as he gathered what he needed to feed the baby. “About what?”
“I’m only here for two more weeks. Have you thought about what you’re going to do when I leave?” I didn’t make eye contact as I scooped a bite of beans onto my fork. Either he’d been extremely secretive about his plans or he hadn’t wanted to think about it yet. My bet was on the latter.
