Chapter Twenty-Five
I wanted to ask Adam what happened when he went back to the ranch, but I didn’t. He’d been brooding ever since he got back to the hotel to pick me up. We didn’t check out of the hotel though. It was worth paying for a couple of extra days if it could slow Sebastian and Nero down a little. Neither one of us knew the area very well in San Antonio, so it would be tougher to dodge our enemies there. With any luck, we could get my records and be back before Sebastian realized we left Reno.
We went back to the Hot Rod Cafe and took my rental car to the airport. I hadn’t used it since Sebastian came on the scene in Reno so we figured we were less likely to be tailed if we took it instead of Chaney. Besides, it would save me some money to return it. We checked our bags, and soon we were soaring over Nevada, headed south to Texas. I looked over to see Adam had already put on headphones and closed his eyes. Apparently he still wasn’t ready to talk. I blew out a frustrated sigh and stared out the window.
I loved flying. Seeing the land changing below us as we soared through the clouds was exhilarating, yet somehow calming. Gradually, the dense trees thinned, and a smile surprised me when I heard the captain point out that we were flying over the Grand Canyon. I pressed my face to the plastic like a little kid at a Macy’s window at Christmastime. Even from thousands of feet above the earth, the canyon below was awe-inspiring. All the sunset colors blended together to make nature’s masterpiece below.
“Makes our problems seem insignificant, doesn’t it?”
Hearing his voice so soft, his lips brushing against my ear, made me melt back against him as I nodded and turned to look back at him. “You remember how to speak.”
He almost smiled. “Yeah. Sorry I’ve been so quiet.”
“Care to let me in on it?”
His shoulders tensed, and he settled back into his seat. “Not yet.”
I looked back out the window, watching the Grand Canyon fade from view. A sigh escaped me before I could hold it back. A few hours ago Adam told me he loved me. He told me I was his mate. But since then he’d been silent. And definitely not happy.
Insecurity wrapped me in its cold embrace. It whispered that I didn’t deserve to be loved, I never had. I knew he’d gone back to the ranch, and my brain filled in the blanks. Maybe Aren had told him to choose. Me or the Pack. I never should have let him into my heart.
I glanced over my shoulder. His eyes were closed, headphones in place. He was someplace else. Maybe he wished his wolf wiring had chosen differently. Staring out the airplane window, I tried to silence the voice in my head. Adam loved me. I saw it in his eyes when he held me in his arms. He meant it.
But he also loved his family. His brother would have welcomed me with open arms if I had been a nice wolf-y chick.
Except according to Adam there weren’t female wolves. He’d have to bite someone. I shuddered at the thought. What would happen to me if he bit me? Would I be some sort of crazy half wolf half cat? Suddenly the image of the sick cartoon CatDog popped in my head, and I closed my eyes tight, wishing I could wash all thought from my stupid brain. I was making myself crazy.
Adam’s hand stroked my back slow and firm, gradually caressing the tension from my muscles. His comfort gave me a temporary reprieve from the mental assault. I let my head fall forward, and he kneaded my shoulders until I nearly purred. When he stopped, my mind had cleared a little, and I turned to look at him.
He leaned forward and kissed my lips before whispering, “I’m sorry I’m lousy company.”
I could feel my eyes getting hot and did my best to keep back the tears. “I’m sorry I’m not a better mate for you and your family.”
His brow furrowed and he reached up to cup my face. “You’re perfect for me. No other woman has ever made me feel the way I do when I’m with you. In fact, my Alpha was worried I’d be playing the field forever. Apparently I was waiting to find you.”
I looked down at my lap. “You’ve been so quiet. I thought you were having second thoughts.”
He lifted my chin to meet his gaze. “I love you, Lana.”
His tender kiss sealed any doubts I might have had. When our lips parted, he slid his hand down to clasp mine. Our fingers entwined together and neither of us let go until we landed in San Antonio.
…
We got off the plane and caught a cab to our hotel. I couldn’t help gawking when we arrived. The hotel’s website hadn’t prepared me for the European opulence in front of me.
“This is the Fairmount?”
The driver nodded, tallying up the fare. “The Jewel of San Antonio.”
Adam paid while I climbed out and stared at the canopied entrance. He walked up beside me with our bags and smiled. “Not what you were expecting?”
“I just reserved a hotel on the Riverwalk that had a room available. From the ‘Jewel of San Antonio’ title I assumed it would be more like the Alamo, you know? A western-themed place or something.”
The Fairmount looked more like a New England Victorian estate than anything conjured up in the Wild West. Adam stepped up to the entrance and opened the glass doors. While I stared at the large chandelier and ornately carved front desk, a large golden retriever galloped right past me to maul Adam with affection.
“Hey, boy!” Adam laughed, letting our duffel bags drop to the floor so he could properly scratch his new best friend’s ears.
“Duke!” the concierge called, chasing after the dog.
Adam glanced over at the uptight hotel clerk and grinned back down at the wiggling dog. “So your name is Duke?”
The dog barked in answer, and I almost jumped out of my skin. Dogs and cats! I rolled my eyes.
Watching Adam and Duke playing together made me smile. I hadn’t seen an animal yet that didn’t love Adam. It was like they knew he would understand them.
The concierge gave us a well-practiced patronizing smile. “Welcome to the Fairmount. I hope Duke didn’t startle you. He’s never met a guest he didn’t like.”
Adam stood back up. “He’s a great welcoming committee.”
“That he is, sir. In fact, he’s our Director of Pet Relations, so if you find yourself missing a furry friend back home, Duke is happy to go out for a walk with you or meet up for a good brushing. He’ll even bring you the paper in the morning.”
“Wow! You’re a busy dog, aren’t you?” Adam offered the eager canine another scratch behind the ear.
The concierge cleared his throat and glanced over at me. Whoops. “Oh, I’m Lana Turpin. We have a reservation for a queen room.”
His eyes lit up. “Perfect. Please follow me, and we’ll get you checked in.”
Before we knew it, we were heading up to the third floor. Duke accompanied us to the elevator, allowing us both to pet him while we waited for the double doors to open. Once we got into our room, Adam dropped our bags and I set up my laptop. “I’m just going to let the PI know we’re here and see if he’s made any progress yet.”
“Sounds good.” Adam went to the window, peering out from between the drapes.
While my computer warmed up, I flipped through my contacts on my phone to find Bob Jones’s number. He’d come highly recommended and apparently worked plenty of custody cases. Before I clicked “send,” I pulled up my email. I had two from Bob already. Nice.
The first one was just letting me know he’d be meeting with a friend in the department later today. But the second one made me smile. “He’s got it.”
Adam turned around. “Your file?”
I nodded and glanced over at him. “That’s what he says.”
Hope swelled inside me and I did my best to tamp it down. It could be the wrong file, or it could be empty. Life had let me down enough times not to be wary.
I punched “send.”
