Page 59 (1/2)

"You got a situation involving Mean Eugene and Dickhead Dwayne and you knoho started it," Rafe explained

"Just the way things are in Eclipse Bay," Nick said

Jereive his two cents' worth She hushed him with a raised palht about?"

Nick shrugged "Bar fight They happen Jere tileamed in her eyes She turned to Jeremy

"Tavern brawls are sort of like inds and tornadoes," Jeremy said seriously "Forces of nature They erupt out of nowhere for no known cause"

She et an answer from you?"

He held up both hands, palms out Innocent as a laain

"Hey, it was your idea that I buy Jeremy a drink," he reminded her

She planted her hands on her hips The es of the windbreaker and stretched the tee shirt across her unconfined brsts "So this whole thing isto say? Don't you dare blaain to block his companions' view "You can take me back to where I left my car"

"Wait a minute, I'm not finished here," she said

"Yes," he said "You are"

He put his arms around her shoulders, turned her smartly around, and shoehorned her into the front seat of her car before she could say another word

He followed her back to her cottage and got out of the car to see her to her front door

"There was no need to follow me hoht and this cottage is pretty isolated out here on the bluff"

"This is Eclipse Bay" She turned the key "Probably has the lowest crime rate on the entire West Coast"

"It's still late I'd have worried" Butabout her Maybe it was soover, a residual effect of the brawl Or ot the door open, stepped inside, and switched on a laht behind her, it was impossible to read her expression Her red hair forain He wanted to put her down on a bed and bury hiet that she was as human as he was

"Thank you," she said, ever so polite "As you can see, I'm home, safe and sound You o out into the woods and howl at the ht

He reached out and gripped the door frame "Invite me inside"

"Why should I do that?"

"How about because I've had a hard night and it was, as you have already noted, your fault"

"I told you not to blame that tavern brawl on me" She tipped her head a little "By the way, you never toldWere you able to work through some of your issues before the brawl erupted?"

"Oh, yeah, we definitely rebonded"

Her expression softened "I' and put one foot over the threshold "Now can I come inside?"