His eyes were vivid, powerful. The same color and yet so different from her husband's. Brian's eyes had been cold and calculating, his gaze that of a man who liked to control. The blue of Jon's eyes was warm and inviting, even if the man himself appeared somewhat remote.
"You're right," he said, his voice lacking the hint of warmth it had held a moment earlier. "I have no right to try to protect you. A partnership, then. Together we'll track the bad guys and find the kids." He hesitated, then shrugged. "But that's all I'm offering, Maddie."
She saw the warning deep within the depths of his eyes. Don't expect anything more than tolerance, it said. Don't expect anything more than friendship.
As if she wanted anything more. "Fine," she replied stiffly, and tore her hand from his. "Are we going to start looking at cabins today?"
He nodded and patted his coat pocket. "I brought a detailed map of the area. We'll start looking at the old logging huts first and hope we get lucky."
The cabin in her dream had been old and made of wood. It took a long leap of faith to say it was a logger's hut, but they had to start somewhere.
"What about the police?"
"I'm hoping they're watching your truck, not mine." He tossed his keys in his hands, then gave her a somewhat grim smile. "Go out the back way. You'll find a small alley. Follow it. I'll meet you at the third cross street."
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Is that really necessary?"
He shrugged. "I have no idea if they're watching your truck, but we can't afford to have them tailing us. If I'm followed, I'll dump my truck and get rid of them before I come back for you."
"Just make sure that you do come back." She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and glared at him.
He returned her gaze evenly, giving nothing away. "A partnership won't work without trust."
Yeah, right. But he didn't really need her, did he? She nodded and spun away, heading for the back of the café. His gaze warmed the middle of her shoulder blades, but she didn't turn around.
The sun came out from behind a cloud as she pushed open the back door. She stopped and peered up at the mountains high above her.
Evan was up there somewhere. And so was the woman with the cat green eyes. She shivered and walked towards the street.
Her brave words to Jon only moments before were nothing more than a lie. She feared death, all right.
She'd seen its specter twice, now, and somehow had escaped its touch. And she'd seen it again through her visions, in the woman's odd gaze.
Something told her if she met Death a third time, she would not be so lucky. But she had to save Evan, no matter what the cost. She owed that much to the ghosts of the past.
Chapter Seven
"Absolutely nothing." Maddie sighed and sat down on the top step of the old hut. "We've found ten damn cabins that match my description and haven't found a sign of the kids."
And wasted entirely too much time doing it,Jon thought, sitting down beside her. The sun had disappeared behind the tree line, and the night's shadows were beginning to close in around them. A chill wind had sprung up with the onset of dusk, bringing with it the smell of rain. If they didn't leave soon, they'd get drenched.
Maddie shivered and rubbed her arms. He'd asked her several times during the day if she was warm enough, and her answer had always been yes. He had a feeling she'd freeze to death before she admitted anything else.
"We can't do much more here tonight. We'd best head back to the inn." He took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.
He saw the brief flash of indecision in her eyes, and realized she didn't want to be seen as a burden.
Didn't want to get in his way.
Maybe he was taking the bastard act too far if she thought the simple act of borrowing a coat would anger him in some way. "Keep it," he said softly. "I'm not cold."
She nodded her thanks and tore her gaze away from his. "I saw a couple of flashlights in the back of your truck," she said after a moment. "I don't mind going on."
Her stubborn expression made him smile. She was so tired she could barely lift her feet, yet she was willing to continue. "Well, I'm tired and hungry, even if you're not."
A touch of relief winged through her eyes before she pulled her gaze from his again. "I guess it would be stupid to stumble around in the dark. We could so easily miss the kids."
A wildcat snarled in the distance, and magic whispered across his skin. That was no ordinary cat out hunting an evening meal. It was a shapeshifter hunting them.
He rose to his feet and offered Maddie his hand. She hesitated, then accepted his help, her fingers cold and stiff against his.
"What are you going to do about the inn?" she said, studying the dark tree line intently.
"What I do depends on how Hank reacts." And whether Hank believed that his meeting with Maddie was only an accidental meeting of old friends. "Someone at the inn obviously suspects I'm here to find the kids. It might be Hank; it might not. I'm hoping that my sudden reappearance might force them into action and give us a lead."
Her gaze flicked past his and settled on some point past his right shoulder. "What if that reaction is trying to kill you again?"
He frowned. She was looking at anything and everything but him, and it was beginning to annoy the hell out of him. He might have warned her not to get involved, but he'd never said anything about not looking at him. He liked looking into her eyes, damn it. Liked watching the flow of emotions through their amber depths.
"They won't attempt it with an inn full of guests." Or at least, he hoped they wouldn't.
A gold-red curl had broken loose from her ponytail and flipped across her face. He reached out and tucked it behind her ear, allowing his fingers to trail lightly against her cheek. It was like touching satin.
Her gaze jumped to his, and he saw a flash of fear in them. Not fear of him. Fear of herself. He wondered why.
"Don't," she said softly.
He took a deep breath, then stepped away. But distance didn't dampen his sudden desire to touch her.
Hold her.
"We should get going," he said, more abruptly than he'd intended. "I can smell snow in the air."
She nodded and swung his jacket off her shoulders. He half expected her to hand it back, but she slipped it on instead.
"Lead on, then."
When he didn't move straight away, her look asked why he was standing there. He smiled and led the way back to the truck.
The inn felt like a furnace after the chill of the night. Maddie quickly stripped off the two coats and handed Jon his with a smile of thanks.
"Ah, Miss Smith. So good to see you again."
She jerked around at the sound of Hank's voice. He was leaning casually against the banister, his smile warm and lazy. Yet there was nothing casual in the way he watched them.
Maddie swallowed uneasily. "Evening, Mr. Stewart."
"Please, call me Hank." He pushed away from the banister and moved across to the desk. "I'm afraid there's been a terrible mix-up in the room bookings. We presumed Mr. Barnett had left and gave you his room."
"Oh." She couldn't think of anything else to say without giving away the fact that she knew why there was a mix-up.
Jon's shoulder brushed against hers as he stepped slightly in front of her. It was an oddly protective gesture that warmed the pit of her stomach. His fingers touched hers, and she clasped his hand.
"How unfortunate," Jon said. He squeezed her fingers gently, his touch warm and reassuring.
Hank's gaze narrowed slightly. "I'm afraid the inn is fully booked, but we're willing to arrange other accommodations for you, Mr. Barnett. At the inn's cost, of course."
She wondered if the other accommodations would include another nice, damp well.