Free Haunted Hearts by Tanya Stowe Page B

shock.
    “I was afraid you were going to say something like that.” Her tone dropped to a near whisper. “But…but you did see it, right?”
    “Yes, I saw it.”
    Now it was the woman’s turn to sag in relief, giving Scott the chance to study her. For the first time he noticed a red overtone burnishing those upswept strands of brown hair and a sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose. A bright pink abrasion on her right cheek needed to be cleaned. She also had a nasty cut on one knee where her running suit had snagged and torn open.
    Apparently noticing the direction of his gaze, she reached for the tear in her pants but immediately winced in pain.
    “Ouch!”
    Scott took both her palms in his hands and turned them up, revealing a number of angry, rock-and-dirt-embedded gashes. “That was a pretty nasty tumble you took. We need to get you checked out.”
    Rising to his feet, he gripped her elbows and lifted her.
    “Wait—we can’t go. We have to look for that…that—”
    “Ghost?”
    She stiffened and looked up, once again rendering him a little stunned by the full power of those wide, green eyes.
    “It’s not a ghost.” She gave her head a firm shake. “I don’t believe in ghosts.”
    Scott gave a short laugh. “I hope you’re right. Ghost or not, we need to get you home. Where do you live?”
    “At Heart’s Haven.”
    “That’s a good two miles back down the trail. It’s a little late to be out that far.”
    She shifted and looked away. Her uninjured cheek took on a pink tone bright enough to rival the other one. Why was she embarrassed?
    “Well, my place is closer,” Scott said when she didn’t offer an explanation. “Let’s go there, and then I’ll drive you home.” He gestured in the right direction.
    She tried to take a step, but her knee buckled.
    “I was afraid of that,” Scott said. “You came down hard on that side. Probably bruised it pretty badly.”
    In one sweeping movement, he scooped her up.
    “You can’t carry me all the way back.”
    Getting a close look at the perky hairstyle, those wide eyes and freckles, Scott said the first thing that came to his mind. “You don’t weigh more than a pixie. We’ll make it OK.”
    He walked toward the forest, and she peered back over his shoulder at the clearing. “Are you sure we shouldn’t investigate this a little bit more? Maybe just look around.”
    “No need,” he said with a shake of his head. “We’ll investigate next time.”
    “How do you know there’ll be a next time?”
    Scott sighed. “Because your ‘not a ghost’ has been haunting me every night for the last month.”
     
     
     
     

2
     
    Suzy couldn’t believe she was actually in her Rochester’s arms…and he was carrying her across the forest like a real hero.
    Be still my heart.
    She tried not to stare. She really did. But he was every inch as gorgeous as she’d imagined. His eyes were hazel, leaning toward the brown side. His chin was just as strong as it had seemed across the clearing. Only now, no dark stubble shadowed it. He’d shaved—and his hair seemed lighter. Surprise flitted through her.
    “You cut your hair.”
    “Yeah, it was starting to look…Hey, how do you know that?”
    Warmth flooded her cheeks, and the one with the scrape tingled. She almost reached for it, but that would only draw attention to her blush. She clamped her fingers shut and looked the other way. “I see you walking all the time. You’re the only one out there…at the same time…every day…with me.”
    The minute she’d stumbled through the words, Suzy regretted them. They sounded so personal, almost intimate. She was making a fool of herself.
    “Funny. I’ve never seen you before.”
    Not so funny , Suzy thought. It’s the story of my life. Little Miss Suzy, the “blend in with the landscape” brown mouse.
    “Yes, well, this is the first time I’ve seen you with your companion.” Her tone sounded almost accusatory.
    Scott paused. “Please