Storm Warrior

supportive, but it was time to get on with her regular responsibilities. Normal—she wanted lots and lots of just plain normal. Morgan left her car in the parking lot and took one of the clinic pickups home for the night. The cargo box was equipped with everything she was likely to need for most emergencies.

Pager on her hip, Morgan picked up a few badly needed groceries and then made a quick house call on her way out of town. She wanted to check on Berkley, a sweet-natured basset hound and unrepentant escape artist. On his most recent yard break, he’d stumbled into a hole where a construction crew was working on a sewer project. Berkley now sported a cast on his left front leg—and an enormous plastic cone around his head to keep him from chewing on the cast. All dogs looked ridiculous wearing a cone, but Berkley’s ears were so long that they draped over the edges and dragged on the floor like twin mud flaps. Morgan struggled not to laugh as she made a careful inspection of the leg and assured the anxious owner that there were no swelling or circulation problems. Once back in the truck, however, she let loose the laughter she’d been holding until tears ran down her cheeks.

Despite the long day, the silly basset had done her a world of good. Morgan felt herself relax, looking forward to the peace and sanctuary of her country home and feeling more in control of her life. Normal is good. But as she pulled into the treed driveway of her property, she spotted a blue sedan parked in the yard and an old man sitting on her front step.

“Leo! Is Spike all right?” she called from the window as she parked the pickup next to the car.

The old man heaved himself to his feet as she pulled her grocery bags from the truck.

“Ol’ Spike’s at home holding the couch down,” he said with a broad grin, automatically taking a bag from her. “I was thinking of helping him with the job, but I volunteered to give my friend a ride out here instead. He’s just taken a walk around the farm—” he glanced around for his companion but apparently didn’t see him “—so I thought I’d enjoy the shade for a while. I remember back when Earl Hornsby used to run this farm. ’Course that was long before your time.”

“Well, come on in and tell me all about it. Gosh, if I’d known you were coming, I’d have hurried home. I’ve got some iced tea in the fridge.” And that was about all there was in the fridge, except for condiments. Thank heavens she’d given in to temptation and bought a package of cookies at the store.

Before Leo could answer, a familiar figure in unfamiliar clothes came striding around the corner of the garage. His purposeful gait was fluid despite his height. And that blue plaid flannel shirt didn’t hide his broad shoulders or muscled arms in the least.

“Good it is to see you again, Morgan Edwards.”

The timbre of his voice combined with his accent—an accent that still spoke plainly of Wales—made her hormones do a double backflip. She wrestled them into an unquiet submission and wondered if it was going to be necessary every darn time she saw him.

And exactly why was she seeing him now?

“What a surprise,” she managed, smiling weakly. Nainie told me not to talk to strangers. What would she have said about deluded strangers? But every part of Morgan responded with recognition—and even a crazy kind of joy—as if the man was anything but a stranger. Either her instincts were right and she was in no danger from this man, or her many dreams about him had created a false sense of relationship. I’m betting on option two.

Thank heavens old Leo Waterson was with him, though she couldn’t imagine why. And since Leo was both a client and a friend, for his sake she would be nice and give Rhys-or-whatever-his-name-really-was the benefit of the doubt. For now. Looking into the tall man’s eyes, she was intrigued anew by their amber-gold color. Even better, she saw no particular sign of insanity—although she wasn’t really sure what that would look like. Just the same, she put her hand in her jeans pocket and withdrew her cell phone, keeping it palmed but ready.

“I’m guessing you already know my friend, Rhys,” said Leo. He didn’t laugh, but she could see the humor in his eyes. Obviously he knew at least some of the story.

“We’ve met, yes.”

As if to change the subject, Rhys swept a hand toward the fields and outbuildings. “This farm is yours?” he asked.

“All two hundred acres.”

“A great deal of land. Yet you have no horses in your stable, nor cattle in your barns. Your sheds have no grain in them. Where are your hired men?”

“They have the decade off.” She heard Leo snort at that. “Besides, it’s not like the land’s going to waste. One of my neighbors leased a hundred acres from me this past summer to plant extra hay, and the local college planted twenty-five acres in test plots.”

“You have nothing for yourself?”

Rhys seemed genuinely interested, but his questions made her a little defensive just the same. He wouldn’t be the first critic of her decision to purchase the farm. She resisted her sudden need to explain how much the place meant to her. Instead, she took the offensive. “So, good to see you’re wearing clothes today.”

It didn’t seem to throw him off in the slightest. “Officer Richards said you gifted me with these. I’ve come to thank you for your kindness and I’ve brought coin—money—to repay you for them.”

Now she was really surprised. The money didn’t matter to her, of course. After all, Morgan had fully expected the man to disappear into the sunset once he was free. But his desire to pay her back spoke of character, and that did matter to her—and more than she thought. “I appreciate that.”

Rhys pulled a few folded bills out of his shirt pocket and extended them to her. “Leo thought this would be the right amount.”

“Thank you,” she said, sliding the bills into her pocket without counting them. “I’m sure the amount is just fine. Shall we go inside now? I don’t know about you fellows, but my feet are killing me.”

She poured iced tea for the three of them at her kitchen table, thankful that she’d been too rushed to eat breakfast that morning because the dishes would likely still be there. She put the cookies on a plate in the center and sat down. The rest of the groceries sat on the counter, and they could stay there for the time being. She hoped the milk and margarine and such could manage the wait.

“You look tired, Doc,” said Leo. “I’ll bet you put in a long day—and here we are taking up your time.”

She smiled at him. “I don’t get many visitors, so it’s a treat. And all my days are long, it seems. I’ve got Jay and Grady hunting for another vet for the clinic.”

“Now that’s smart thinking,” nodded Leo. “You’ve got a lot of regular customers now. Why, the last time I brought Spike in, there wasn’t a single chair left in the waiting room. That receptionist of yours, Anne-Marie, she brought one in straightaway though. Kindhearted girl, that one.”

“Like Morgan.” Rhys smiled.

As her hormones swooned yet again, Morgan focused her eyes firmly on her drink. There’s no such thing as a coincidence this big. That a good-looking Welshman would appear in her life right now was about as plausible as the moon being made of cheese. And what about the similarity between his name and that of her missing dog? Jay would have a field day with this, I just know it. “So has Leo’s dog bitten you yet?”

“Ah, Spike. We get along well.”

Leo simply nodded in agreement—although Morgan could swear he was trying not to laugh. She leaned toward Rhys. “Are you kidding me?” she said in a stage whisper. “Grady had to have stitches in his thumb the last time Spike came in.”

The old man burst out laughing, and Rhys chuckled too. “The dog is formidable for his small size, but most of it comes from fear. Now that he cannot hear or see, he is easily frightened and feels he must attack first in order to be safe.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” she admitted. Did Rhys really understand animals, or was he just repeating what Leo had told him? Come to think of it, Morgan wasn’t sure that even Leo understood Spike quite that well.

“So, Rhys, you must have a job?” It was out of her mouth before she could stop it. So much for being subtle, but she was keen to hear his answer.