Beneath the Texas Moon by Elle James

Author:Elle James [Elle James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Suspense
ISBN: 9781459225336
Google: x_dv4XI_WpEC
Amazon: B0068546BA
Barnesnoble: B0068546BA
Goodreads: 16089300
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2006-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Once her heart settled down in her chest and Joey was off playing somewhere in the house with Katie, Eve managed a long, steady breath.

“You okay?” Laura asked, sliding an arm around Eve’s waist.

For a moment, Eve leaned on the other woman until she forced out a shaky laugh. “I live in Texas, for heaven’s sake. You’d think a snake wouldn’t have this big an effect on me.”

“There’s snakes, and there’s rattlesnakes.” Laura hugged her and let her go. “Me personally, I don’t like any snake and would have reacted the same way if Katie had been the one cornered. My pulse rate is just now slowing to normal.”

“Excuse me, Ms. Baxter.” Cynthia cleared her throat, her face flushing pink. “I’m really glad Joey’s okay.”

Eve started at the sound of the teenager’s voice. “Oh, Cynthia. I’m sorry. In all the chaos, I completely forgot you’d come.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” She shuffled her feet. “Where would you like me to begin?”

With a glance around the kitchen, her mind completely incapable of settling on one thing, Eve said the first thing she could think of. “Would you mind making the lemonade?”

“I don’t mind.”

Eve grabbed a can of frozen lemonade from the freezer and a glass pitcher from a cabinet, setting them on the counter. “I can’t believe how much I’m still shaking.”

Cynthia stepped up beside her and said quietly, “Go sit. I’ll do this.”

Eve collapsed at the kitchen table. “Okay. But only for a moment. I need to do something to get my mind off the snake.” Not to mention the man whose kisses scared the fool out of her and all the other scary things going on in Spirit Canyon.

“Speaking of snakes,” Laura said, staring straight at Cynthia. “Are you still dating Toby?”

The girl’s hand stilled in midstir. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Why?” Laura asked.

Eve stared at her new friend. Man, she didn’t pull any punches, did she?

The teenager shrugged, her sweet face closing off, her lips pinching together. “I don’t know.”

“That you don’t know tells me you’ve thought about leaving him.” Eve rested a hand on Cynthia’s arm. “Are you afraid he’ll hurt you?”

The girl’s chin dropped to her chest. “You don’t understand,” she said, her voice only a whisper. “It’s all gotten so complicated.”

Eve pushed all her earlier worries aside and grabbed Cynthia’s hand. “Does it have to do with the cult?”

Cynthia’s head jerked up, her eyes rounded. “What cult?”

“Don’t be silly, Cynthia, we’ve heard all about the cult Toby runs with.” Laura moved to stand in front of Cynthia. “Has he dragged you into it, too?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She backed up a step, leaving the wooden spoon in the pitcher, twirling around.

Her hand falling from Cynthia’s arm, Eve twisted her fingers together. “What do you know about the cult, Cynthia?” she asked softly.

“Nothing.” The girl shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “Nothing.”

“I think you know a lot more than you’re telling us.” Laura reached out, palms up. “You can trust us, Cynthia. We just want to help.

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