He haunted her, and although he maintained a persistent presence and that same intense regard he had shown from the beginning, he never quite pushed beyond it. He might offer casual comments but never again pressed unwanted advice on her.
And because he stayed within the limits of propriety—and also, she admitted, because he was a very attractive and charismatic man—Joey simply could not ignore him. What frightened her more was the notion that soon she might not want to.
The dreams still came with distressing regularity. Each one seemed more vivid than the last, it was all she could do to prevent her chagrin from showing on her face in Gévaudan’s presence. Even so, she had the uneasy feeling that he could see through her façade and knew what he was doing to her. Somehow, he knew.
Reflecting bleakly on her situation, Joey sought sanctuary in Red’s Tavern. Maggie had been a constant source of support for her, and their friendship had grown so strong that it felt to Joey as if she’d known the other woman for years.
As usual, Maggie was busy waiting on her regulars; Red’s was a haven for many local folk. They no longer looked up when Joey arrived, and Maggie had told her their indifference was a sign she’d been accepted. That, at least, was a welcome change.
But, Joey mused as she sat sipping her usual glass of wine, being accepted didn’t solve her current problem. And of all the local people, only one seemed to fill her mind.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Maggie said, grinning as Joey looked up with a blank, unfocused stare. At once the redhead’s cheerful face grew serious. “I see you haven’t had any more luck. Damned shame.” She wiped the counter off with long strokes of a towel and talked as she worked. “I sure wish I knew how to help, Joey. But I’ve tried every lead I could think of, even outside of town. I just haven’t come up with anything.”
Joey nodded gloomily. “Bill Jackson wasn’t able to help me, either. I’m getting to the end of my rope, Maggie.” She sighed and dropped her chin into her hands Her reflection in the spotted mirror behind the counter looked like a stranger’s: grim, weary, and helpless.
Maggie frowned in sympathy. “Well, kid, try to get it off your mind for a while. Relax a bit—you don’t look like you’ve slept well lately.” She set down the towel and peered into Joey’s face.
“As it happens, I haven’t,” Joey admitted. She took a sip of wine and experimented with a smile. “Sorry. I’ll try to be better company.”
“That’s it. Just take it easy for a while. You’ve earned it.” Maggie swept away to look after a patron and returned with a wink and a glance back over her shoulder. “Might interest you to know you’re at the center of town gossip these days. You know how dull things are around here—doesn’t take much to set tongues wagging.”
Joey managed a wry grin. “Tell me about it. I suppose it’s my silly city-girl attempts to conquer the wilderness—or maybe that I don’t know when I’m licked?” She couldn’t help but admit that the townsfolk had a point there, even though she had not retreated one step from her goal.
Maggie shook her mane of red curls “People are getting used to that. No, it’s the fact that Luke Gévaudan has spent more time in town over the past two weeks than he normally does in a year—and word is it’s all because of you.” She put her hands on her hips triumphantly and beamed at Joey. “Looks like you’ve made a conquest, like it or not.”
Unable to control her instinctive response, Joey tried to relax her taut muscles and maintain an even expression. “Is that so? I’m glad to be a source of entertainment for people, but I’d just as soon Mr Gévaudan went back to his old habits and stayed away.” Her best efforts could not quite keep the bite from her tone, and Maggie’s brows shot up in surprise.
“Sorry, kid. Didn’t mean to offend. So he’s making a pest of himself, is he?” She learned over the counter. “I told you before he’s got kind of a reputation, but I’ll be honest with you—in the past, he never went to much effort. The ladies just sort of fell into his arms.” Her tone grew confidential. “He’d usually disappear with the lucky girl, and people wouldn’t see much of them for a season or two. And then, eventually, the girl would leave. Every time “