Page 32 of Coyote
“You got it,” I said warmly. As I moved around pulling a glass out of the cabinet, filling it with ice cubes and pouring him some sweet tea I asked, “Are you enjoying your day off?”
“Absolutely. I make sure that I have enough hobbies to keep myself busy. How about you? Did you stop by the farmer’s market when you went to town this morning?”
“Yeah, you’ll never guess who I bumped into when I was in the supermarket there.”
“Was it that biker you have a crush on?” He responded with a twinkle in his eye.
“No, unfortunately not. It was Rufus.”
His expression turned angry in an instant. “I thought we were shot of him since I’d banned him from the store.” After Reggie returned from Las Vegas and I’d explained what happened, he told me that he’d ban him from the premises. He continued, “That man just doesn’t give up. I think we’re going to have to file for a restraining order to keep him away from you, Bethany.”
“To be honest, I don’t think I would qualify for one. Rufus is annoying and creepy, but he hasn’t really crossed the line into threatening me, or doing anything the law would consider dangerous.”
When Reggie didn’t immediately respond, I told him about the other thing that had happened. “I was surprised when a man in a leather vest came out of nowhere and escorted Rufus out of the store.”
Reggie froze for a second before speaking. “You think he was from the Dark Slayers?”
“I know he was, because when he turned around his cut had their club name and emblem on the back. You know what that means, right?”
“That your biker friend has taken an interest in your safety.” His face was scrupulously blank as he blinked at me.
“Yeah, I called Coyote, and he didn’t even deny it.”
“At least he’s honest,” Reggie deadpanned back.
“But why would he waste manpower on having someone follow me around so Rufus couldn’t annoy me? Doesn’t that seem like overkill to you?”
He frowned at me. “No, not really. Why? What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that I might be in danger somehow, because Coyote is back in my life, and he feels guilty enough about that fact to send this prospect to watch over me.”
“I see what you’re saying,” Reggie responded grimly. “Are you sure it’s really like that though? Maybe he’s just the overprotective sort and all this is just because Rufus is a persistent asshole. I mean, look at what happened today.”
I took a sip of my iced tea as I turned the situation over in my mind. “It’s possible,” I admitted. It was possible—but given what happened three and a half years ago, I was worried. Maybe me and Coyote being around each other wasn’t a good idea. Back then, I took off because I was scared that if he found out what Cyclops had done to me it would start a war. But what about now? Could being associated with the Slayers put me and my daughter at risk for other reasons, and was that why he was having us followed?
“How close are you with Coyote. Is it just you planning his event or have the two of you gotten back together?”
“Well, aside from the picnic, we’ve been doing a lot of working lunches. I made a trip out or two out to his business. I had to in order to plan his event effectively,” I felt my cheeks burn.
“And,” he prompted me.
“And what?”
“And my nieces told me they spent the night at your place because you had a hot date.” Something about the tone of his voice was sly and teasing. His expression was expectant as he brought his glass to his lips.
I let out a long sigh, “Since you already know, I did spend the night at his place. We decided to enjoy one night together for old times’ sake. And before you ask, it was perfect. But it was just a one-off thing.”
“Is Coyote aware that you saw it as a one-off?” Far from teasing, Reggie was as serious as a heart attack.
My eyes narrowed on him as I tried to remember if we actually talked about it as one time only indulgence. “I believe I mentioned it was a onetime only situation. He didn’t object or voice any kind of complaint.” Thinking it over for a second, I added, “He didn’t exactly agree either.”
“I know you didn’t ask, but I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt. According to everything you’ve told me about this man, he seems like an honest, upstanding human being. I think if there was some kind of danger other than Rufus, he would have told you about, don’t you think?”
I found myself nodding before he even finished the question. “Coyote is honest and dependable. I think you’re probably right. He would tell me if something was amiss.”
Starting to feel uncomfortable for being so suspicious, I added quickly, “I’m probably just letting my anxieties run amok.”
“Well, that’s understandable. You’ve been through a lot. It’s just important to remember who you can trust in life. I’ll bet if you talked to Coyote, he’d be able to set your mind at ease.”