Secrets of Ugly Creek (14 page)

“Kate.” Mac took a slow couple of steps toward her. “Let me help you.”

“Help me what? So you can take the credit, or so you can protect your precious midlife crisis.” She shook her head sadly. “The great Gibson McFain lowering himself to making documentaries about boring places in the middle of nowhere. You can’t change who you are, Gib. You’ll realize you made a mistake, but by then this opportunity will be lost.” The smile was lost on her hard features. “Lost to you, anyway.”

I heard a helicopter, and realized we were running out of time. Mac was slowly moving closer to her. Would he make it in time?

“Let’s move,” Gizmo said.

Mac’s gaze met mine, and I realized he’d heard the dog too. I waited for a moment, wondering what my little furry guide had in mind.
Listen to your guide.
That’s what Aunt Octavia told me to do. Okay, let’s do this thing.

Gizmo ran toward Kate, barking and snarling like a dog ten times his size. Kate lowered her aim, and I rushed toward her. “Don’t you dare hurt him,” I growled.

Mac got to her microseconds before I did. He pulled the gun up, and it now pointed at me.

“Duck!” the dog’s voice said.

I did better, I dove at Kate’s legs, knocking her into Mac. He jerked the tranq gun from her, then shoved her to the ground. I put a heeled foot on her chest. “I dare you,” I said.

The sound of the helicopter was growing steadily louder.

Mac dropped to the ground and searched Kate. “No radio, no cell,” he said.

I shoved down on her with my foot. “How do we stop the helicopter?”

She winced, then smiled. “You don’t.”

I pushed down harder, but she just smiled at me. Damn, Jack Bauer I’m not.

“What is that?” Liza asked.

I started to say helicopter, but I realized that wasn’t what she was talking about. I’d heard that bone deep sound before. Crap, were the aliens going to be outed too?

Suddenly the deep sound got stronger at the same time as the helicopter sound got fainter. The huge UFO appeared above us, and I heard Kate gasp.

A window in the craft became visible, and we saw Aunt Octavia waving to us. Then the window vanished, and the UFO was gone in a flash of light.

“This place is amazing,” Mac whispered.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Liza muttered.

“I could have been more famous than you,” Kate wailed.

“Shut up,” Mac and I said simultaneously.

I heard a noise behind me and turned. Steve, Henry, and some other guys I’d seen a few times around town came rushing in and took the now silent Kate and the apathetic soon-to-be-ex mayor away. Nootau was groaning, which I took as a good sign that he was recovering from his tranquilizer nap. A couple of guys were with him, so I knew he’d be taken care of.

A hand touched my arm, and I looked toward Mac. He wrapped his jacket around my shoulders. “Are you all right?”

“Fine.” I slid my hands up his chest. “Are you okay?”

“Now I am.” He smiled at me and my heart leaped with joy.

“You’re the one who stole the other scooter.”

He nodded. “Sorry about that, but I had to stop her.”

“How did you know what they were up to?”

“You won’t believe it,” he said.

I had a feeling I already knew. “Try me.”

“Gizmo told me.”

“That figures,” Liza said from a few feet away where she was apparently eavesdropping. “The two of you belong together.”

I smiled up at Mac. “Well, if the
dog
thinks so.”

“Hey!” Gizmo protested.

Mac and I laughed, while Liza just shook her head. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go home.”

“Me too,” I said.

Mac nodded in assent, and the three of us got on our scooters. I made sure Gizmo was comfortable in the luggage area, and we all started back toward Ugly Creek.

Mac drove me home, and though it was after midnight, we sat together on the sofa. Mom was introduced to Mac, said hello, then hurried back to her bedroom. She sensed, I guess, that we needed time alone.

“Your town is amazing.”

I smiled into Mac’s warm eyes. “Yeah, it is.”

He took my hand in his. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.”

“Thank you.” I felt a grin pull at my face.

“What a strange experience, following my assistant into the woods because a dog told me to.” Mac shook his head in amazement.

“Tell me about it.”

“Gizmo told me that we’re soul mates.”

I nodded. “He told me he could only talk to my soul mate, and he can only talk to the two of us.”

“So we’re meant to be together?”

I looked across the room at one of my mom’s many potted plants. “I guess it’s up to us.”

“All I know is that I was terrified back there.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I was terrified the woman I love was going to get hurt.”

Love? Love! “The important thing was to protect the Dyami.”

“Bigfoot, right?”

“Yes.”

“I put them in danger by coming here.”

“No, Kate did.” I glanced his way. “Can we go back to that thing about the woman you love?”

He took my face in his hands and looked deep into my eyes. “Madison Clark, I’m in love with you.”

I opened my mouth to say something pithy and brilliant, but my mind was blank. “Mac.”

His lips touched mine, and I melted into his arms. For a few, wonderful moments, the only thing in existence was the two of us. Then he pulled back. “We’re in your mom’s living room.”

“That could be a problem.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, a bit.”

He stood, pulling me to my feet as he did. “I’m going back to the B&B, and you need to get some rest.” He looked into my eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I managed a nod, he kissed me again, then headed for the door. I went to bed tingly and wide-awake. When I finally did go to sleep, my dreams were filled with one, very special, man.

Chapter 13

Filming was a little slow the next day. I could see the fatigue in Mac’s face, and Kate’s absence had him stretched to the limit. I wanted to help, but I had no idea what to do.

I was setting in my folding chair, feeling useless, when a man I really didn’t want to see strode over to me. “Maddie, I’m glad you’re here. I have some great news.”

Me too, but I wasn’t about to share it with him. “What is it, Greg?”

He straightened his shoulders. “I caught a felon.”

Obviously I hadn’t had enough sleep. “You what?”

“Caught a felon. That Haven woman was wanted for smuggling or some such.” He showed his perfectly straight white teeth. “I thought I recognized her from the one of the files that come across my desk.”

“Haven is a criminal?”

He nodded, his self-congratulating smile growing wider by the second. “Yes, and I caught her. Not entirely by myself, of course. Other people in the FBI were involved.”

I leaned back against my seat and studied this man I’d known for years, but didn’t seem to know at all. He was a jerk, but would he really lie about something like that? “You work for the FBI? I thought you were some kind of consultant.”

“I consult for the FBI. Most of what I do is behind a desk.” He smirked. “It’s always great to get out in the field and do some real work.”

I felt a tingling up my spine at the same time I heard footsteps coming my way. I looked up and smiled at Mac.

He stood so that his leg almost touched my chair. “You okay?”

I smiled up into his handsome face. “I’m fine.”

He took my hand in his. “I have some things I’d like to discuss with you later.”

“Okay.” I understood he was letting Greg know to back off, that he was staking his claim to me. Before, that would have had my Victoria’s Secret panties in a wad. Today, though, his attitude felt good, protective. Not that I needed protection from wimpy Greg. It was the principle of the thing.

Mac started to pull away, but I stopped him with a tug at the hand that still held mine. As I stood, I pulled him closer and pressed my lips to his. It took him about a gazillionth of a second to respond, and I promptly melted from his touch.

“I’d better get back to work,” he finally said against my lips.

“I know.”

He leaned close to my ear. “Later,” he whispered. Then he turned back to his film.

“If you’re trying to make me jealous, you shouldn’t use a guy with his reputation. It’s not really believable.”

I stared at the egotistical dirt bag standing close by. Why had I thought we were friends, if not more? The thought that I’d actually slept with him had me gagging. I swallowed back my revulsion. It was time to set things straight. “It’s not always about you, Greg.”

He gave me a strange, unbelieving look. “Are you saying you really are seeing that man? You do know the kind of person he is?”

I smiled. “Yes, and I know exactly the kind of person he is. He’s gentle, caring, honest…all those things you’ll never be.”

Greg was sputtering when I saw Aunt Octavia coming my way. Her stride looked stronger than usual, and she was almost glowing.

“Whoa doggies! That was the most fun I’ve ever had.”

“Did you just get back?” I asked.

“Yep. They brought me back this morning.”

“You went on a trip?” Greg asked.

“Oh yeah. A really special one.” Aunt Octavia grinned.

Greg stuck out his hand. “I’m—”

“Deceitful and manipulative,” she said before he could say his name.

His mouth dropped open. For a moment he stared at the little woman, then I saw him physically pull himself together. “Where do you get off saying that to
me
?”

Aunt Octavia lifted one eyebrow. “You seriously need to get over yourself.”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling, but all amusement was thrown out of me when Greg put his arm around my shoulders.

“Your niece and I are seeing each other.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’m pretty sure he can take you.” Aunt Octavia nodded toward Mac, who was glaring at Greg.

Greg straightened his back and looked down his nose. “I work for the FBI.”

“No you don’t.” Aunt Octavia straightened her own back and glared up at Greg. I figured she could take him. “You’re a civilian consultant.”

“For the FBI.”

“So?”

Greg glared at Aunt Octavia, them me, then turned and huffed off.

“He’s all wrong for you,” Aunt Octavia said.

“No kidding.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “How come the spirits were that specific with Greg, when they’re always so vague for the rest of us?”

She chuckled. “Because it wasn’t the spirits who told me about him. I spoke with Steve earlier.”

“So fill me in.”

“Your buddy Haven’s real name is Heather Rose, and she has two convictions for smuggling exotic animals. She jumped parole to come here.”

The pieces began to slide into place. “She was helping Kate.”

“Yep. Luckily she never got a look at a Bigfoot. She’s in jail for parole violation.”

“What will happen with Kate Stone? She did see Nootau.”

“We have people who deal with things like that.”

I didn’t want to know what that meant. “Who attacked the film crew?”

“Nootau, his buddy Machk, and a couple of teenage human guys they hired.”

Tingles ran through my stomach. “Because they were afraid they were in danger.”

“Yes.”

“The faeries knew about them.”

Aunt Octavia took my hand in hers. “You were right, Maddie.”

It was a bittersweet confirmation. “I would like to have been wrong.”

“I know.” She squeezed my hand, then turned it over. “The shifting is clearing. Soon your path will be clear.”

“Any hints?”

She only smiled up at me, sparkles of mischief in her eyes. “That’s up to you.”

She turned and walked away, leaving me with only a few of my questions answered. Clear path, huh? It sure as heck didn’t seem clear to me. All I knew was that the big adventure was over. It was time to get back to our regularly scheduled lives. Crap.

When the crew finally broke for lunch, I hurried to Mac, only to have to wait while he took care of a few details. Then he turned to me, his smile big and welcoming. “Hello, beautiful.”

“You look tired.”

He nodded. “It’s a little crazy around here.”

“You need a new assistant.”

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then tugged me gently to one side. “I was thinking more about a partner. You know, an equal. Maybe a beautiful woman with whom I could share everything.”

My breath caught in my throat. “That sounds intriguing.”

“Know anybody who might be interested?”

I allowed the smile to pull at my lips. “How about a woman who loves you?”

His grin outweighed any I’d ever seen. He pulled me close and kissed me until we were both gasping for breath. “Oh, Maddie.”