Wild Men of Alaska 04 - Wild Men of Alaska - Four Book Bundle

animals.”
    He took the one-two-punch like a prize fighter.
    “I’m not ready for this.” She splayed her hands wide. “All of this . It’s too much. I’ve only been in Alaska for a month, and I’ve been chased up a tree by a moose, stabbed by the same tree, swept out of a canoe into a freezing river, eaten by mosquitoes, had my undergarments stolen and paraded around town by the same stalker moose, and held at gunpoint. Now you say you’re falling in love with me. In my book, that means marriage and me agreeing to live here, permanently. It’s too much, Lynx. I might not survive next month.” She paused to breathe. “I need time to decide what I really want. I’m sorry, Lynx, but would you please leave.”
    He swallowed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s my house.”
    “What?”
    “You’re in my house. Let me walk you home.” He couldn’t give her a ride in his truck. The reminder of Pete would probably be that last straw that would send her packing.
    “Oh.” That seemed to take the steam right out of her. She glanced around the log cabin. “Okay, I’ll leave, and I’ll walk myself home. It’s daylight, what can happen?” She laughed, the sound a little hysterical.
    “Eva,” Lynx called her name when she opened the door. “I never figured you for a coward.”
    Her spine shot straight as a broomstick. He’d just thrown down a dare. That’s how he’d gotten her to go canoeing after he’d stood her up. He hadn’t forgotten either.
    “That won’t work with me this time. Not over something this important.” She walked through the door and quietly shut it behind her.

    Eva followed the path to the clinic from Lynx’s cabin. She shouldn’t have crashed at his place. But after Lynx had left her last night with one quick, hard kiss and a, “We’ll talk when I get back,” she hadn’t wanted to wait for him at her place. The clinic wasn’t home, not after being invaded by Pete who’d threatened to rape and kill her. Lynx’s cabin felt more like home. Or was it because Lynx lived there?
    She was so confused.
    What did she do with what he’d told her? Her logical brain was telling her to pack and get the hell out of here, but her heart wanted to believe everything Lynx had said.
    When BW had her trapped, she’d done her best to scare him away and gotten nowhere. All Lynx had done was talk to him, and after what looked like an affectionate nudge, the moose had moseyed off into the woods. She glanced around the dense forest hoping not to come across BW or any other wild animals. She picked up her step.
    Could Lynx be telling the truth?
    And if he was, then what?
    Alaska was like another planet, and she hadn’t even seen a winter yet.

C HAPTER T WENTY

    It had been two days, and Eva hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Lynx. Boy, did that saying have more meaning living in Alaska. Fox and Raven had stopped by to check on her and invited her to go shopping in Fairbanks. She’d enjoyed herself even though she’d figured Lynx had called his sister and asked Raven to keep an eye on her. It made her heart hurt knowing he was thinking of her even though she’d basically called a halt between them.
    Her patient load had been heavy, but a lot of that had been townsfolk wanting to get to know her better now that she’d “proven” herself a member of the community by taking down a bad guy. After half a dozen patients, she’d closed the clinic, taped a note on the door of where she’d be, and showed up at the lodge to tell her story over many Ugly Moose drinks so that they all could get back to business. The sharing had been mutual, and she felt more accepted in the small town.
    One thing she hadn’t been able to ask anyone was if Lynx had been stringing her along or not. She didn’t want to voice it, and she didn’t want to “out” him in case everyone wasn’t privy to his animal talking abilities.
    When she returned to the clinic, she’d found her lavender bra hanging from her doorknob. She picked it up and glanced around. She knew BW hadn’t left it for her. There had been no sign of him the last few days either. Lynx probably told him it was okay to return to the Refuge now that the poachers had been caught.
    What was she saying? She was starting to believe him.
    And if she were to believe Lynx, the return of her bra was a good indication that he could talk to animals. How else would he have gotten her bra off of BW’s antlers? She had been out of her mind trying to