Beneath the Texas Moon

Eve eased up beside Mac, a questioning expression on her face until she spied the horse and dog.

Joey buried his face in Mac’s black T-shirt, his hands clutching the fabric, turning his knuckles white.

“It’s okay, Joey,” Mac said in a low, steady tone, coaxing the little boy to look up. “Molly won’t hurt you. Watch how her backside wiggles when she’s excited. That means she likes you.”

Joey peeked through one eye at the dog. The Australian shepherd wagged her stump and spun around in a circle.

“Molly’s special,” Mac continued, his voice smooth and calming. “She takes care of our little animals. She’s like a babysitter. When a baby goat or lamb loses its mother, Molly takes care of them. And she’s different than most dogs. If you look close, she has one blue eye and one brown.”

Turning his face more so he could see the animal with both eyes, Joey stared down at the dog dancing in the light from the lamppost.

While Mac held Joey, Eve stepped closer. He could smell her subtle fragrance between the few inches separating them. When his body tightened in response to her nearness, he shifted away.

Molly stopped dancing and sat, her ears perked, tongue lolling. The animal’s long coat was a mix of black, brown, silver and white smeared and spotted in a unique pattern.

The odd-colored eyes made some people think she was strange and maybe dangerous. But Mac knew there wasn’t a vicious bone in the dog’s body. “She may look mean, but she’d give her life for her family.”

Eve looked up into his eyes. “And family’s important to you, isn’t it?”

Her words shot straight to his gut, reopening old wounds, exposing him to her intense stare. Caring for someone had only left him vulnerable. Before he could think too much about his mother, his father and the troops he’d let down, he raised the shield around his heart. “You better get him home. He’s all done in.”

Even with the dog standing in front of him, Joey was falling asleep in Mac’s arms. His body felt warm and soft. Soft was something Mac couldn’t afford to feel or be.

Without another word, he handed Joey to Eve. “If you’ll wait just a minute, I’ll walk you home.”

“No need,” she said a little too quickly. “I’ll be fine. It’s only a few blocks.”

Apparently, he made her as uncomfortable as she made him. But the thought of her walking alone with some killer animal that close to town made his skin crawl. “Wait here. I’m going to walk you home. But first, I need to make sure Daniel follows me with my mount so I’ll have a way to get back to the ranch.” He tipped his hat and ducked back into the building. He’d walk her home despite his internal warning bells telling him to stay clear of this woman.

EVE DIDN’T WAIT for Mac to return. She could be halfway to her house by the time he rejoined her. Before she’d gone a block, Joey was fast asleep on her shoulder, deadweight in her arms. The rain remained only a promise, for which she was temporarily thankful. But the cloudy skies kept any hint of moonlight from illuminating her path. And, as she was learning was typical of small towns, streetlights were nonexistent.

With care for uneven sidewalks and pavement, she made her way toward her house at the end of Main Street.

When she passed the fence with the rottweiler, the dog followed them along the fence line, sniffing like he had before. Almost at the end of the row of slats, the dog snarled menacingly. Eve held her hand over Joey’s ear to keep him from waking to the sound. When she’d cleared the fence and hurried on, the dog slammed against the boards. His maniacal barking stirred Joey from his sleep.

“It’s okay, Joey, go back to sleep,” she said, picking up the pace to increase the distance between her and the crazed dog.

Then the rottweiler squealed like a scared pup, and quiet resumed.

Eve breathed a sigh of relief, wondering why the dog shut up, but more interested in getting Joey home than finding out.

Two blocks away from the house, she heard a twig snap. She’d been walking on the street to avoid the ups and downs of the sidewalk in the dark. And the street was clear of all sticks and leaves. A shiver shook her body from the base of her neck to the small of her back. Had the dog gotten loose?

Eve spun around, fully expecting to come face-to-face with an angry canine. In the little bit of light from the windows of nearby houses, she could see nothing. No dog, no bogeyman, only deep, menacing shadows. She really needed to get a grip on her overactive imagination.

The story about Mac’s mother must have shaken her more than she cared to admit. That, coupled with Mac’s warning to watch out for Joey, gave her the creeps. He’d said the animal stalking the community’s livestock might be nocturnal. Surely it wouldn’t venture into human territory, like right here on Main Street. She lengthened her stride, just short of a jog. Home never seemed so far.

Another twig snapped and leaves crunched behind her.

Eve stopped dead in her tracks. If there was a wolf or coyote out there, she still had to get to her house. Should she go back to the center and wait for Mac or continue on? If she went back, she’d have to pass in front of the rottweiler. Was the animal still behind the fence? She stomped her foot when she realized she’d left her walking stick back at the Community Center. Not that she could have held it and a sleeping Joey at the same time.

Where Eve stood, the houses lining the street were dark. With no moon and no other lights available, Eve hesitated in the gloom debating her next move.

A low rumbling stirred the air. Too near for thunder and too much like a growl.

Straining her eyes, Eve stared into the shadows, clutching her son tighter. Nothing. No movement, no eyes staring back. Then the rumbling sounded again, deeper and more drawn out.

The second repetition was enough. Eve spun on her heel to race back to the Community Center. But she hadn’t gone two steps when she plowed into a brick wall with sufficient force to jolt Joey awake. Eve sucked in enough breath to fill her lungs twice and opened her mouth to scream.

Chapter Four

Mac staggered back a step to absorb the full impact of Eve, armed with Joey, barreling into his chest. He grabbed Eve’s shoulders to steady her as she stumbled backward.

Her mouth opened, but she looked up into his face and the scream died before it was born. “Oh, thank God.” She collapsed against him.

Squashed between the two adults, Joey whimpered and glanced around, blinking. When he spied Mac, he reached out.

Mac tucked him against his side, holding on with one arm. The other wrapped around Eve’s shoulders and pulled her close.

Beneath his fingers, he could feel tremors shaking her body. He pressed her face to his shoulder, stroking her hair. “It’s okay. Shh. I’ve got you now. Everything will be okay.”

She didn’t pull away, but rested her cheek against his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt.

Almost as shaky as Eve, Mac willed his heart to slow to a normal pace. When he’d exited the Community Center and she hadn’t been there, he’d had the closest thing to a panic attack he’d ever admit to. The same gut instinct that told him he and his men were walking into a trap hit him with enough force to knock him back a few steps before he could get his feet moving in the right direction. He couldn’t be too late this time. He couldn’t let Eve and Joey down like he had his troops.

When she’d walked right into his arms, all he could do was press his face against her soft hair, inhaling the scent of herbal shampoo. She smelled like spring, a sharp contrast to the dry, sandy heat of Fallujah. Thank God she was all right.

As soon as his heart returned to normal, his protective instinct warred with past experience. What right did he have to hold this woman and promise her things would be fine? Though he’d found her unscathed, hadn’t he proven he couldn’t take care of those he loved?

Without opening his eyes, Joey nestled his face into Mac’s neck and fell asleep, his head tucked beneath Mac’s chin.

Eventually Eve stopped shaking and rested in the circle of his arm. She lifted her face and smiled, her bottom lip trembling. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” She stared down at her fingers knotted in his shirt. A moment later she released her grip and stepped back. “The stories, your warning… I don’t know. I started hearing things and the next thing you know, I’m running back the way I came.”

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