Hunted in Conard County by Rachel Lee

Author:Rachel Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-11-09T16:43:02+00:00

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Kerri hated the return from her seizures at least as much as she hated the seizures themselves. The momentary feeling of confusion, as if she’d landed on a strange planet. It was less troubling if nothing had changed, but it was still bothersome because uncertainty overtook her along with that inexplicable confusion.

She always needed to get her bearings again, as if she’d made an unexpected journey and then dropped back into space and time. It was easier and quicker when nothing had changed. Sometimes she barely noticed except for a brief confusion as if she’d lost her train of thought. Other times it was much more difficult.

Oh, it was hard to explain even to herself. She looked around, gathering scattered thoughts, trying to remember exactly what she had been doing, making sure that her entire world, or even part of it, hadn’t changed too much.

Well, something had changed. Snowy was resting his head on her thigh. Instinctively she reached for him and began to knead his neck. He grounded her. He made her return easier.

Then she saw Stu at the bar, his elbow resting on the counter, waiting.

“I’m sorry,” she said automatically.

“No reason to be. Don’t apologize.”

She lowered her head, looking down at Snowy. Didn’t Stu recognize how broken she was? That almost nothing was normal for her now, nor could it ever be again? She felt useless in so many ways that she had begun to apologize for her very existence.

Then she realized something. “Did you sit there and watch me?” Annoyance flared.

“I was waiting,” he said levelly. “Did you really want me to disappear while you were out?”

“I hate anyone to see me like that. Dead to the world, glaring. Oh, God, I wish there was some way to stop it.”

“You weren’t glaring, and what are you going to do, dammit? Become a hermit?”

“I wish.”

“Hardly. You were out in a crowd this morning, following your cop nose, and you got some potentially useful info by talking to a stranger. I can tell you don’t want to live in a cave, and frankly, I’ve been admiring you.”

“Me?” Surprise lurched through her. She didn’t feel admirable at all.

“Admiring you. Starting a whole new life despite being sort of disabled.”

“Sort of?” She gaped, wondering if the always-simmering anger in her was about to boil over. When she was honest with herself, she knew her underlying emotion was rage—not self-pity, but rage.

“Sort of,” he repeated. “You’re teaching. You’re trying to stick your nose into an investigation. Maybe it’s only for the dog’s sake, but you go out for walks and run into people like you did this morning. You’re not the hiding type, Kerri.”

“How would you know?” She began to wonder if she was pouting like a kid. Damn, did she have any nice emotions left in her?

“I’ve spent enough time with you in the last couple of weeks to form an opinion, and what I think is that you’re remarkable. And beautiful, too.”

“Who cares what I look like?” Now she knew she was being childish.

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