Page 71 of Shephard

She was able to laugh. “I can’t prove this and I might be nuts, but I swear I was being watched.”

“How do you mean?”

“There was a dark car sitting in the parking lot of the convenience store next to my building for a couple hours. I didn’t pay much attention except when I ran out to grab a bite to eat for lunch, suddenly the driver was rolling down the road behind me.”

“Coincidence?”

“I tried to tell myself that until it happened when I was leaving. I lost the dude by taking my special shortcut, but I know I’m right. What the hell is going on?”

Her admittance didn’t make me feel any better. In fact, it added credence to the idea there was something much bigger going on here. “I wish I knew and I’ll do my best to find out. Do you have a weapon?”

She gave me a hard yet pinched-nose look. “I grew up with four brothers. Big dudes who were regular hunting machines. Of course. Don’t worry about me. I have actual neighbors on both sides of me. You don’t. You live in the boonies. Doesn’t that ever bother you?”

“Did you forget my background?”

“You would never allow it, girlfriend. Still, I’m serious and I worry about you up there all alone.”

“You make it sound like it’s thirty miles away from town. Stop worrying. With Pepper there, no one is getting through a window or inside a door without having their arm or leg taken off.”

“I do love that pup. I was thinking about getting one of my own.” She lifted her glass as if for a toast.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

Maggie’s eyes opened wide and she sucked in her breath. When she blew it out, she whistled under her breath.

“What?”

“Well, hel-lo, Mr. Hotness. He is just about the hottest creature on the face of this earth. And if I didn’t know better, I’d say he is all into you, baby girl. I noticed that on television.”

“And I don’t care.” I didn’t bother looking. “I found out my ex is getting married to his pregnant assistant after finally divorcing his wife. I bet that’s a little messy.”

She laughed. “I bet. Now is the perfect time to have a little sexy fling of your own. You know what they say about getting over someone.”

“Oh, God. I’m over him.”

“You keep evidence of his bad deeds in a little safe you showed me. Until you get rid of that shit, you’re going to be haunted by his memories for the rest of your life. You’ll never have a healthy relationship.”

While it was good to have someone to confide my ugly past to, I almost wished I hadn’t told her about the documentation I’d taken from Jameson’s computer. He didn’t know I’d taken anything, but he’d suspected I would come back to haunt him. At least that’s what he’d screamed at me about the last time I’d run into him.

The last time a wretched reporter had caught us on camera. Ugh.

“I’ll have you know I enjoy my hot little collection of vibrators.”

When I admitted the truth, she burst into laughter, forced to grab a cocktail napkin to keep from spitting out her sip of wine.

“You are so blunt. I adore that about you. But seriously. Take a look at this man. He wants to devour you for lunch, dinner, and keep you over for breakfast. I’d go for it.”

“Then go for it. I’m busy.”

“Bullshit. You can’t lie to me and you know it. Just look. I think he’s coming this way. Whew.”

She was fanning her face, the dramatic woman always able to make any event fun. I wanted to look. Yes, I did, but it would be like giving into my needs for the third or fourth time that week. I had to keep control. Of my life. Of my business. Of my emotions.

Maybe learning Jameson was getting married when I’d thought for certain I’d walk down the aisle with him was still bothering me. That was the most disgusting aspect of all. So, against my better judgment, I turned my head to grab a lust-filled image of the hot man.

Very little floored me. Seeing the striking man who stood taller than every other male in the room, his broad shoulders filling out a stunning leather jacket was breathtaking. The way hischest muscles pushed against the cobalt blue Henley shirt was mouthwatering. The tight fit of his black jeans highlighted what God had given him, something every girl in the bar hungered for. But it was the fact he was now clean shaven, his facial features even more spectacular than I’d believed the most difficult and sensual aspect of all.

Shephard.