Sensing this, Luke kept his irritation in check. He allowed himself a faint answering smile. “I was a little careless tonight,” he admitted. Anticipation rose in him again. “You might say I have quite a bit on my mind.”
Dr Allan Collier gazed at him in a way few of the other townsfolk would have cared to risk. “Could this very engrossing subject possibly be Miss Joey Randall?”
Luke’s full attention snapped back to his friend. Even Collier shifted under the weight of his stare. “You know her, then,” he said softly. “That shouldn’t be a surprise. ” He looked the doctor over with cold deliberation. “What I don’t understand is what possible concern any thoughts I might have about Ms Randall could be to you.”
The edge in his voice should have warned Collier off, as it would have done with anyone else. But Collier knew him better than the others, he knew just how far he could push. Luke had had reason in the past to curse the fetters of his unique relationship with the doctor. It put restraints on him he did not always like.
As if fully aware of Luke’s ambivalence, Collier took a cautious step forward. “I suppose it isn’t my business, but I’d like to ask you this one time, Luke, to let her alone. She’s got her own problems.
“What makes you think I would harm her in any way?” Luke growled. “If you know me as well as you think you do, you’ll keep to your own affairs.” He half turned away in dismissal, but Collier caught at his arm.
“Oh, I know you wouldn’t harm her,” Collier said. His hand trembled on Luke’s rigid biceps, but he maintained his grip. “No more than you ‘harmed’ any of the others. You’ll play your games and let her go free at the end, but while you do that, you’ll disrupt her life and everything she cares about.”
Luke controlled his instinctive response and forced himself to turn slowly. His eyes raked over the hand on his arm until it dropped away.
“What is your interest in this, Doctor? You never interfered before.” His eyes narrowed to threatening slits, and his voice fell to a rasp. Collier flinched in spite of himself but stubbornly stood his ground.
“I don’t want to see Miss Randall get hurt. She’s not a plaything for you or anyone else.” He held fast under Luke’s glare. “Leave her alone, Luke. If I’ve ever done anything for you that mattered, then return the favor and do this for me.” The strained emotion in Collier’s voice reached Luke through his anger, and he shook his head in genuine puzzlement.
“I don’t understand you, Allan. And I won’t make you any promises. You know my requirements.” At the doctor’s attempt to interrupt, he raised his hand to forestall it. “I’ll promise this much. I won’t hurt her. She won’t suffer in any way. Quite the contrary—she needs what I can give her.”
He set his jaw and stared at Collier until the other man dropped his head in defeat. It seemed to Luke a hollow victory. Collier turned away, shoulders slumped, looking like a weary old man. Luke snarled a curse—at Collier, at himself, at what he was—and turned back for the welcome safety of the forest.
A shadow darted out from among shadows and flowed to his side. Luke’s fingers found the rich fur and raked through it slowly. He could not maintain his anger for long, there was too much anticipation. The wolf raised yellow eyes to his.
“Yes, my friend. This will be a difficult hunt, but I think the prey is well worth it.” The canopy of trees closed over him as he padded into the forest, the wolf ranging just ahead.
The day was half over by the time Joey was able to follow up on her latest lead. A small bell rang overhead as she entered the general store, and the resident Labrador retriever acknowledged her presence with a thump of his tail.
“Hi, there,” she said with a grin, crouching down beside the dog and cupping her hand under the broad, moist muzzle. Tail-thumping became more enthusiastic, Joey obligingly scratched the dog’s belly as he rolled over with a languid yawn.