Changing Hearts by Marilu Mann

Author:Marilu Mann [Mann, Marilu]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Romance/Paranormal
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2008-11-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Midmorning rolled around and still there was no sign of Malcolm. Joie bit her lip as she stared out the kitchen window again. He’d run toward the road, so that was the direction she expected him to come from.

Joie and Tante stayed near the cabin just as Malcolm had requested. They worked with the injured animals, made more powders and refilled Tante’s satchel with fresh bandages and the makings for poultices.

They ate a quiet lunch at noon, still without any sign of Malcolm. Tante got up at one point, checked to make sure the shotgun still held silver shot, then took her seat again. Joie knew from that action that Tante felt the same nervousness she did. With every strange sound from outside, Joie got up to look out the window. Finally Tante had had enough. She left the room, returning in moments with a deck of cards.

“Sit you down, child. We’ll play some Bourré.”

“Tante…”

“No. Sit down. We’re not gonna discuss this. We’re just gonna play cards.” When Tante’s jaw firmed that way, there wasn’t any arguing with her.

Joie finally sat, letting loose with a deep sigh as she did so. Tante started dealing and they were soon engrossed in their cards. Neither of them heard a car, but they both heard the footsteps on the porch.

Joie went to the door with Tante on her heels. They looked out at the woman standing there with her hand raised to knock. She was attractive and they both knew right away that she was like Malcolm and Micah—a shifter. She did nothing to hide the glow of her eyes.

“Hello. I’m looking for Slade.”

“He’s not here.”

“But he’s been here?” She stepped forward and both women stepped back. She came into the house uninvited, staring hard at Tante Kay, then harder at Joie, her nostrils flaring slightly. They in turn studied her.

“Who are you?” Tante Kay’s voice sounded harsh in the sudden silence.

“My name is Margaret. I’m…a friend.” The disdain in her voice echoed on her face as she stared around the humble cabin.

“Margaret? Don’t you mean Maggie?” Joie’s voice came out as pure ice.

Maggie smiled, the type of smile that made Joie want to slap her silly. “Oh, so Slade’s mentioned me?”

“Briefly.” Joie looked at her again. Maggie was attractive, but harsh looking. Certainly not what Joie had expected of Malcolm’s former lover. The woman’s hair had obviously been dyed blonde because her roots were beginning to show. Her eyes were an indeterminate shade between blue and green, her jaw was strong and her lips full.

She wasn’t beautiful in the conventional sense, but something about her compelled attention. She had a definite presence.

Maggie smiled, showing a lot of teeth, which made everything she said sound like a lie. She also had a tendency to talk with her teeth slightly clenched. With her hair pulled back into a ponytail it was hard to tell the length. She stood about five feet nine or ten inches and had rather large shoulders for a woman.

Not surprisingly, she had large breasts as well.

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