Hot Touch (17 page)

“Sleepy?” he asked after they filled up on sugary beignets and pungent cappuccino.

“I don’t know.” Caroline clasped her wrist as if testing her pulse. “Sugar and caffeine level are at maximum, Captain. She’s ready for warp speed.”

Paul slapped the kitchen table exuberantly. “You’re a
Star Trek
fan. Me too.”

Caroline laughed. “That’s probably the only thing we didn’t discuss last night. My voice sounds like a croak.”

“No, it’s very Lauren Bacall.”

Caroline sighed. “You adore me. Such good taste.”

“Then you won’t mind swinging with me.”

“Eh, Tarzan?”

“In the hammock. Out back. Big enough for two.”

“Two what?”

He stood, jerked a thumb toward the back veranda, and smiled wickedly. “Move your
petit cul
.”

“When I find out what a
cul
is, I hope I’m pleased.”

“That was a compliment, and yours is great.”

Holding hands, they strolled out into a pleasant fall morning with air washed clean by a dawn shower. Insects chorused in the honeysuckle and magnolias beyond the backyard; the moss glistened on oaks still silver with moisture.

Paul took her to a huge hammock strung between two of the trees. “I’ve always intended to see if swinging in a hammock was fun,” she commented.

“No hammocks in California?”

“Nah. Just swingers. No hammocks.”

Chuckling, Paul picked her up and laid her in the soft white web. He went to the other side and settled beside her. He crossed his feet at the ankles; she copied him. He put his hands behind his head; she put hers behind her head.

The hammock swung gently, and a fragrant morning breeze curled under Caroline’s back. She felt Paul’s body pressing against hers from shoulder to calf, cozy and inviting. “Heaven,” she whispered.

“See?” he teased. “You do what I do, the world is fine, yes?”

Caroline looked at him, blinked sleepily and happily, and whispered with wistful hope, “Maybe so.”

But the world wasn’t fine, not when Wolf failed to come home by dusk. Carolines sat on the floor, the flowing skirt of a yellow shirtwaist dress tucked around her legs, and watched Paul pace the big parlor along the front of the house, his footsteps reverberating on the old hardwood boards.

Guilt twisted her stomach. “He’ll come back,” she offered.

“He never disappeared like this before the movie people came. I don’t understand. Maybe he’s stressed out, like Frank kept telling me before he brought you here.”

“I don’t think it has anything to do with the movie.” She paused. “Doc, how long have you had Wolf, and how did you get him?”

Lost in thought, Paul distractedly ran his hands over his gray sweatshirt, then sank them into the pockets of his jeans. Caroline watched the languid gathering of shadows around him
and
the way the fading light caressed his hard-drawn face. Put this man in virtually any environment and he made it hum with sensuality.

Paul gazed at the floor in thought. “I’ve had Wolf two years last month. Got him from a roadside zoo when
he was six weeks old. The bastard who ran it had one of those nasty little tourist traps.”

Paul spread his hands as if outlining a sign. “ ‘See the alligators. See the wolves. Buy your beer, food, gas.’ This jerk had a pen with a couple of stagnant puddles full of baby ’gators and a wire cage holding little bitty Wolf, lookin’ sick and mean.”

Caroline thumped her knees. “I hope you raised hell.”

“Yeah, that guy, I got him shut down the next day. I took the ’gators and turned ’em loose. The first night Wolf spends here at the plantation I put him in a box by my bed—you know, with an old blanket and a chew toy. I woke up in the middle of the night with Wolf snuggled under my chin. He knew right from the start that I was his friend.”

“He’d die for you.” Caroline rested her chin on her knees and shivered from emotion as she watched Paul come to a halt.
I understand why
.

Paul looked at her with troubled, searching eyes. “That stuff Mark said about you talking to the animals. I think you
do
talk to them some how.”

Blanching, she fumbled for a reply. The phone rang upstairs in Paul’s bedroom, and Caroline exhaled gratefully as he loped out of the parlor to answer it.

A minute later he bounded down the stairs at high speed. “Let’s go, Caro,” he yelled. “Neighbor of mine has got Wolf hemmed up in his shed. Says Wolf attacked him.”

In terms of the secluded bayou land, Paul’s neighbor was close by, but it took twenty minutes to reach Andrew Dulac’s small, well-kept farm.

Dulac, a paunchy middle-aged man wearing khaki coveralls and rubber boots, came out of a white clapboard house and ambled through the half light as Caroline and Paul climbed out of Paul’s truck.

Caroline warily eyed the shotgun Dulac carried in the crook of one elbow, but was reassured when Paul went up to the man and clapped him affectionately on the shoulder.

After Paul introduced her, he and the farmer spoke in animated Cajun French for more than a minute. Dulac repeatedly pointed a hand to his disappearing red hair, then held out one arm to show a jagged tear in the sleeve of his plaid shirt. Caroline seethed with curiosity and vowed to learn some form of French, no matter how rudimentary.

Finally Paul turned toward her, frowning. “Wolf tore Andrew’s sleeve and tried to catch him by the hair when he fell down. He’s taken a fancy to Andrew’s farm dog.”

“She’s just a little part-shepherd bitch,” Dulac said in disgust. “Ugly thing, and not real smart. That Wolf, he’s got no taste, tryin’ to bite me ’cause I don’t want her bred.”

Caroline frowned.
She-friend hurts
, Wolf had told her right after she arrived at Grande Rivage. “Is she in season?”

“No, but must be coming in soon,” Dulac said. “Why else would Wolf act so crazy?”

“Was he here a few weeks ago?” Paul asked.

“Yeah, I’ve seen him off and on. Thought he’d get over the hots for her when I took her on vacation with me. Left my brother in charge here while I went to visit my mother’s people up in Canada. Just got back.”

“And you say you took your dog with you?” Caroline confirmed.

“Yeah.”

She-friend gone. Hope she comes back
.

Paul ran his hands through his hair and left it a ruffled black mane. “Guess it’s time I bought him a mate. Been meaning to bring in a female wolf for him.”

“Don’t be a snob,” Caroline said lightly. “Maybe he’s already found a mate.”

“Oooh, I can’t give up Sin,” Dulac told her. He grinned. “As in ‘ugly as sin.’ She’s too good at catching rats.”

“Where is she?” Caroline asked.

Dulac made a huffing sound. “Hunkered down by the shed where ol’ Wolf is. Come on, Doc Blue. Get your wild stud and haul him back home.”

Caroline met Paul’s gaze. She suspected that something was fishy about this situation, but she held her tongue. They followed Dulac through the grounds to a small white toolshed with a padlocked door.

A slender form lay with her back pressed tightly to one side of the shed. Caroline inhaled sharply as she studied the scruffy, medium-sized female dog who bore a passing resemblance to a German shepherd. Caroline smiled at her.

Sin. Come here, sweetie
.

Caroline heard Wolfs toenails scraping the shed’s inside walls.
Help me. Help her. Help us
. Her throat tightened at the desperate tone.

Sin stood up, studied Caroline with pricked ears, then circumvented both Dulac and Paul to come to her. She limped badly. Caroline held out a hand as Sin sat down by her feet with quiet dignity. Sin nuzzled her fingers and looked up at her with intelligent black eyes.

Mistress. I hear of you. You help
.

Caroline almost staggered. She’d never dreamed of finding another canine with Wolf’s sharp intelligence. Her hand began to shake violently as she peered closer in the failing light and saw the jagged, still-healing wounds running across Sin’s nose.

Ugly and scarred. Just like me
. Sin whined at the fervent emotions that Caroline exuded. Caroline took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “What happened to her?” she asked.

“Aw, she got in a fight with an old dog of my uncle’s. Didn’t help her looks much.”

Caroline stared hard into Sin’s eyes.
What hurt you?

The rush of communication made her head swim. Caroline cupped her hands to her temples and tried to hold back the misery and fury that grew inside her. Lord, this was awful. She wanted to throw up, and fought for breath.

Strong hands grasped her shoulders. “You okay?” Paul asked. “What’s the matter?”

She wheeled drunkenly and clutched his shirt with both hands. Looking up at him, Caroline implored, “Buy her for Wolf. Or I’ll buy her.” She swiveled her head toward Dulac and said as calmly as she could, “How much do you want?”

Dulac gaped at her.

“Caroline.” Paul squeezed her shoulders gently. He made his voice low and private. “It’s the scars. I know. Shhh.”

She shook her head. “Please, Talk him into selling her.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t sell m’dog,” Dulac protested.

Caroline twisted toward the man and was vaguely aware of Paul’s arm circling her shoulders in a tight, somewhat rebuking grip.

“Quit jerking us around,” she retorted. “Name your price, you bastard. I’ll pay.”

“Stop it!” Paul’s voice was rough as he pulled her around to face him. “You can’t talk to people that way down here.”

Dulac’s mouth thinned and he lifted his chin proudly. “I don’t do business with uppity women.” He tossed Paul the key to the shed. “There you go,
ami
. Take your wolf. Sin! Get back!”

Caroline looked down into pleading eyes. Sin quivered, got gingerly to her feet, but never stopped looking at her for salvation.
You are our only hope
. Inside the shed Wolf emitted a blood-freezing howl. It was too much.

Caroline turned away from Paul and shook both fists at Dulac. Then she called him half a dozen names that made his jaw drop down to his shirt collar.

Looking stunned, Paul stepped in front of her and grabbed her fists. His gaze could have cut diamonds as he glared into her eyes. “I’ve known this man for years and he’s a good neighbor. You’re embarrassing the hell out of me. Either be quiet or I’ll put you over my shoulder and haul you back to the truck.”

Wolf howled louder; Sin bumped Paul in the leg with her nose and directed a query to Caroline.
Should I bite him?

No
, Caroline answered hurriedly.
He’s your friend, the same as me
.

“Apologize to Andrew,” Paul ordered.

Caroline groaned. She wanted to punch Andrew Dulac’s smug mouth. Frustrated because the truth coiled inside her like a deadly snake with no place to strike, she turned her ferocity toward the tall, equally fierce man in front of her.

“Try to carry me out of here, pal, and you’ll be wearing your ears for cuff links,” she threatened.

Paul’s eyes flickered with regret. In one swift movement he pulled her right arm up, bent forward, and carefully shoved one brawny shoulder into her midsection. Caroline found herself hanging upside down over his back. Her voluminous yellow skirt tangled between her legs, and Paul anchored one arm behind her knees.

He started toward the truck, his strides swift and angry. Caroline made a hoarse sound of defeat as she thumped at his unrelenting back.

“I can explain,” she said.

“Impossible.”

God help me, she thought, while the utter hopelessness of the situation sank in. There was only one thing she could do, and Paul might not ever get over it.

“We’ve got to take Sin away from here! Dulac uses her as bait to train pit bull terriers to kill!”

Paul halted so quickly that she almost slid off his shoulder. He set her down and stared at her in shock.

“Hey!” Dulac interjected, his voice high and frightened. “Hey, doc, you tell that woman not to accuse me of things like that!”

Paul gazed from her to the white-faced farmer, whose discomposure was evident even in the dim light. “You’ve never met Andrew before.”

She shook her head wearily. “I just know. Trust me.”

“She’s crazy!” Dulac yelled. “That bleedin’ heart
Américaine
bitch is trying to get my dog anyway she can!”

Paul’s head snapped up, and he seared Dulac with a lethal gaze. Caroline didn’t have to understand French to know that what he said to the farmer in her defense could never be repeated in polite company.

His attention finally swiveled back to her. “What do you know about Andrew? This is a bad accusation.
How
do you know? Who told you?”

Caroline muffled an anguished sob. “He took Sin someplace where people train pit bulls to fight. He and his cronies use dogs like Sin as blood bait.” She was shaking so hard that she could barely stand still. “Most of the bait animals don’t survive. Most of them are puppies and kittens, or old animals that can’t fight. But Sin is smart and tough. She survived.”

Caroline wavered until suddenly Paul reached out with both hands and caught her under the elbows. She begged him with her eyes. “Dulac has used her for this before. Usually he keeps her out of sight until she heals. If you check under her coat you’ll find scars all over her.”

“Nobody’s touching my dog!” Dulac cried. “Sin! You get! Get!”

Caroline, tears streaming down her face, shut her eyes and said softly, “Sin, come here and lay down by me.”

She studied Paul’s incredulous expression as he watched Sin limp to her and settle carefully by her sandaled feet. Breathing roughly, he dropped to his heels and slid his fingers into her coat.

In the background Dulac sputtered and threatened. Caroline knelt beside Paul and watched his hands gently search the dog’s body. His earlier expression of astonishment was nothing compared to the one that came over his face now.

Then fury supplanted it. He got to his feet so fast that both Caroline and Sin jumped. Striding toward Dulac, he muttered, “I’m takin’ your dog.”

“You can’t prove anything!” Dulac screamed.

Paul said something vicious in French. Then he went to the shed and split the thin plank door with one well-placed kick.