Lover Beware

another might have gotten bitten by a tick.” She paused, a wicked little grin playing around the corners of her mouth. “Maybe a lot of ticks.”
    “What have they done?” Inez asked, lowering her voice as if she’d joined a conspiracy.
    “They tried to break into Damon’s house. Jonas has all the information we could give him. He was going to check the hospital and clinic.” She’d turned over the tranquilizer gun to him, too. “If someone spots them, or mentions them to you, would you mind giving me a call? And maybe it would be good to call Jonas, too.”
    “Now, dear, you know I don’t believe in sticking my nose into anyone’s business, but if you really need me to help you, I’ll be more than happy to oblige,” Inez said. “There are always so many tourists but we should be able to spot a man with something wrong with his jaw.”
    Sarah leaned over to kiss Inez affectionately. “You’re such a good friend, Inez. I don’t know what we’d all do without you.” She turned to look at the three customers. “Irene, I hope you don’t mind me bringing Damon when I call on you and Drew this afternoon.” She wanted to assess Drew’s condition before she brought her sisters over and raised Irene’s hopes further. “We just want to visit with him a few minutes,” she added hastily. “We won’t tire him.”
    Irene’s expression brightened considerably. “Thank you, Sarah; of course you can bring anyone you want with you. I told Drew you might be dropping by and he was so excited. He’ll love the company. He rarely sees even his friends anymore.”
    “Good, I can’t wait to see him again. Now don’t go to any trouble, Irene. Last time I came to visit, you had an entire luncheon waiting.” Sarah rubbed Damon’s arm. “Irene is such a wonderful cook.”
    “Oh, she is,” Inez agreed readily. “Her baked goods are always the first to go at every fundraiser.”
    Irene broke into a smile, looking pleased.
    The warmth in Damon’s heart rushed to his belly, heated his blood. Sarah spread sunshine. That had to be her secret. Wherever she went, she just spread goodwill to others because she genuinely cared about them. It wasn’t that she was being merely tolerant; she liked her neighbors with all their idiosyncrasies. He couldn’t help the strange feeling of pride sweeping through him. How had he gotten so lucky?
    Damon pushed his sunglasses onto his nose as they meandered across the street. He saw they were heading toward the colorful gift shop. “Are you really going to sort some woman’s garbage, Sarah?”
    “Of course not, I’m just popping in to say hello. Maybe our intruders will buy a memento of their stay or possibly a gift for someone. You never know, we may as well cover all the bases,” Sarah replied blithely.
    Damon laughed. “Sarah, honey, I hardly think kidnappers are going to take the time to buy a memento of their stay. I could be wrong, but it seems rather unlikely.”
    Sarah simply grinned at him. She took his breath away with her smile. She should have always been in his life. By his side. All those years working, never thinking about anything else, and Sarah had been somewhere in the world. If he had met her earlier, he might have retired sooner and…
    “Do you have any idea how perfectly tempting your mouth is, Damon?” Sarah interrupted his thoughts, her voice matter-of-fact, intensely interested.
    “Sarah! Sarah Drake! Yoo-hoo!” A tall woman of Amazonian proportions and extraordinary skin waved wildly, intercepting them. An older man, obviously her father, and a teenage boy followed her at a much more sedate pace.
    The clouds, gathering ominously over the sea, so far away only minutes earlier, moved inward at a rapid rate. The wind howled, blowing in from the sea, carrying something dark and dangerous with it. Icy fingers touched Sarah’s face, almost a caress of delight…or challenge. She watched Damon’s face, his body, as he accepted the weight, a settling of his shoulders, small lines appearing near his mouth. He didn’t appear to notice, already far too familiar with his grim companion.
    She moved closer to Damon, a purely protective gesture as the two men approached them in the wake of the woman. The welcoming smile faded from Sarah’s face. A shadow moved on the walkway, slithering along the ground, a wide dark net casting for prey. “Patsy, it’s been a long time.” But she was looking at the older man. “Mr. Granger. How nice to see you