The Outcast by Beverly Barton

Author:Beverly Barton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1995-07-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Elizabeth sat alone inside the Burtons’ summer house. Reece had been outside for the past couple of hours. First he’d parked Sam’s ‘65 T-Bird at the back of the house, beside the Jeep, then he’d taken off into the woods, saying only that he was going to take a walk down by the lake.

For the twentieth time she checked her watch, wondering when Sam would arrive and how long Reece was going to stay outside sulking. She wasn’t accustomed to being alone; MacDatho was nearly always at her side. She wished she could have brought him with her, but where a lone woman might go practically unnoticed, no one would forget a huge black wolf-dog.

The back door creaked. Elizabeth tensed. Turning her head just a fraction, she saw Reece enter the kitchen.

“It’s getting colder out there,” he said. “I thought I’d make some fresh coffee, but it looks like you’ve already done that.” He glanced at the freshly filled coffeepot.

“It’s going to snow before dark.” Elizabeth turned back around, focusing her attention on the fire.

“Does that mean Dundee will be snowed in here with us?” Reece picked up a clean coffee mug from the dish drain, grabbed a dish towel off the wall rack and lifted the coffeepot.

“There will be a light snow, just an inch or two. Sam should be here soon.”

“Maybe he couldn’t get a flight out of Atlanta.” Reece poured the mug full of coffee, returned the pot to the coffeemaker and walked into the living room, sitting in a chair to the left of the wicker sofa where Elizabeth sat.

“Sam flies his own plane. A small twin-engine Cessna. He probably rented a car at the airport and is on his way here now.”

“Quite a man, our Mr. Dundee.” Reece leaned over, resting his hands between his spread knees, the warm mug secure in his grasp. “Former DEA agent, owns his own business, flies his own plane. I can hardly wait to meet this guy.”

“He’s anxious to meet you, too.” Tilting her chin up, Elizabeth glared at Reece. “You see, you’re the first man I’ve ever run away with, and Sam doesn’t trust you any more than you trust him.”

“Sounds like he’s very protective when it comes to screening the men in your life.” Reece sipped his coffee. “Does he warn off all men you show an interest in or just the ones who are escaped convicts?”

“There haven’t been any men in my life for Sam to screen.” Elizabeth bowed her head, looking down at her lap where she’d laid her clasped hands. “You’re the first.”

Reece strangled on his coffee. The mug in his unsteady hand hit the wooden floor. “Damn!”

Elizabeth jumped up, rushed to the kitchen for a towel and returned to mop up the spilled coffee. Reece knelt beside her, picking up the broken pieces of the ceramic mug. He threw the shards into the fireplace. Elizabeth wiped the floor clean.

She rested on her knees in front of him. He laid his hand on her shoulder.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.