“I hope you don’t think I have any intention of ‘falling into his arms’ and disappearing anywhere with him,” Joey said with some heat. That’s the last sort of complication I need.”
“As I said, it’s not the same with you. That’s what has people talking,” Maggie admitted. “People may not trust him, but he’s different. And so are you. So it’s got people a little curious.”
“Just as long as they don’t get their hopes up,” Joey snapped. Closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath, she smiled apologetically at Maggie. “All right. He’s attractive. Maybe if things were different—but you’ve said yourself he has a reputation, and I am not about to become anyone’s ‘conquest’. In fact, if you happen to have any advice about how to discourage him, I’d sure appreciate it.”
The redhead leaned back and folded her arms with a thoughtful tug on one earlobe. “Well, I wish I knew. He’s always given me the impression of being very persistent—sort of like someone else I know.” She took the sting out of her words with a wink. “Trouble is, no one here knows enough about him. Except maybe Dr Collier. I hear he got as close to Gévaudan as anyone ever did.”
Joey shook her head. “I like Dr Collier,” she murmured, “but I don’t think I’m ready to ask him for advice about another man. Especially not one like Mr Gévaudan.” She fell into a brooding silence, vivid images of her dreams bringing an unwelcome flush to her skin.
There was a long stillness, and Joey was hardly aware of the constant din of the bar as she tried not to think of Luke Gévaudan. Maggie’s return to conversation was a much-needed distraction. “You know, I’ve been thinking, Joey. You probably aren’t going to like this, but something just occurred to me.” She broke off, frowning in thought, and seemed to reach a decision. “You’ve been searching for a guide, and all this time there’s been one overlooked possibility right under our noses.”
Joey sat up. “What’s that?” Gévaudan fled her mind at the sudden wash of hope that followed Maggie’s pronouncement, but the redhead’s next words chilled her.
“Luke Gévaudan.” Maggie didn’t wait for Joey’s reaction. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before, except that he’s such a forbidding character—and I’ve never known him to hire out before. But the fact is, I doubt there’s another man around here who is likely to know more about the area you want to go into. Come to think of it, he owns a sizable parcel of the land out that way. You might even have to pass through it to get where you want to go.” The redhead nodded to herself, falling silent as Joey sat back and absorbed the unexpected revelation.
Gévaudan as guide. It had simply never occurred to Joey, even with his near-constant presence, and though the idea dismayed her for a wealth of very complicated reasons, it was the first real chance she had.
Her fingers were gripping the fragile stem of the wineglass hard enough to snap it. She relaxed them slowly and met Maggie’s gaze. “Are you serious, Maggie? Do you think he could do it?”
“I’m sure he could do it,” the redhead assured her. “He’s lived up there in the woods too long not to be damned good at wilderness travel. No…” She paused to fill a pair of glasses with foaming beer and slide them down the bar to waiting customers “It’s not a matter of could he do it, but would he do it.”
“He’s never hired out before?” Joey frowned over the possibilities, defying her uncertainty. “How much do you think it would take to get him to do it? I still have money left, and I’m more than willing to pay whatever it takes.”
Maggie chuckled, undaunted by Joey’s implacable demeanor. “I have a feeling money wouldn’t tempt him, kid. Fact is, he seems to have plenty of that already—I heard he inherited it from his old man.” She hurried on before Joey could interrupt. “But you’ve got an advantage here. And I’m afraid this is the part you may not like.”