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might see her as a cougar, shifted into her human form, and fell asleep. I don’t think she realizes she’s in a cougar-run town. I’ve got her on an IV as she was dehydrated and malnourished. When she wakes, I want her to eat well.”
    “Hell, my stew,” Chase said, trying to get up, worried that it had burned up, but Kate grabbed his shoulder and eased him back into bed.
    “Dan ran by your place to drop off your rifle and lock it in your rifle cabinet, then found your stew simmering in the crock pot. He said he had to sample a little to ensure it was still all right.” Doc smiled.
    Frowning, Chase didn’t mind if Dan ate some, but he had hoped to “sample” some himself.
    “He said he left most of it in there for you. And he put the rest in the fridge for you. The stew will be there when you’re ready to return home. So, did you learn anything about the woman? Who she is? Where she’s from?”
    “No. She was in her cougar form the whole time, except right after I shot her.”
    The doc smiled a little and shook her head. “Not a great way to start a relationship.”
    He snorted.
    She chuckled. “See you later.” The doc left the room, closing the door behind her.
    He wasn’t certain if the doc’s closing the door alerted the she-cat that she was gone, or if it had just awakened her, but she turned her head in Chase’s direction, looked at him for a moment, then groaned and closed her eyes at the same time.
    “You,” she said under her breath. “What are you doing here?”
    He smiled. “You pounced on me and gave me one hell of a headache.”
    Her eyes remained shut, but she smiled a little. Then she frowned. “Why did you shoot me?” She looked at him then, her golden eyes narrowed.
    “Sorry about that. I thought you were a wild cougar,” he said.
    “I… am .”
    He laughed. “Yeah, I kinda learned that a little too late.”
    “Where are we, exactly?”
    “Yuma Clinic. It specializes in our kind. I’m Chase—“
    “Buchanan,” she said, running her hand over her forehead.
    “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, considering that you drugged me.” She sat up in bed and groaned, then lay right back down. “Dizzy. I guess I need to eat something. I couldn’t convince you to take me to your place and get a bite of that Irish stew, could I?”
    “They’ll be serving us something to eat soon here, Doc said.”
    “I’m fine. I’ll get something on my own.” She sat back up and started to get out of bed, then realizing she was hooked up to an IV, she removed it.
    “Whoa, where do you think you’re going?” He sat up quickly and wished he hadn’t as a wave of dizziness rushed through his brain.
    “Didn’t I already say that I was fine? Oh, wait, you want me to pay for a stay here that I didn’t authorize or need? Isn’t that against the law? Forcing someone to be a patient against their will? If that person had been awake enough to object?”
    “Town’s taking care of the bill. Let me give the nurse a call and see if she’ll get the doctor to release us.”
    “Just me . You probably need to stay here a while longer.”
    “I’ll take you home.” He tossed the cover off him and realized the gown had bunched up to his lap.
    She studied his legs and smiled.
    He got out of bed. “You can’t go anywhere until you have some clothes.”
    “Then give me yours. You can get some others.”
    He chuckled and shook his head, which was a mistake. The pounding had renewed as soon as he sat up in bed, then worsened as he stood.
    “I can use your coat again.” Then she shook her head. “Won’t work. You didn’t drive yourself here, did you?”
    She was bright. He’d give her that. “I’ll call the sheriff.”
    Her expression changed from playfully teasing to worried. She had to be on the run.
    “Listen, I don’t know what’s wrong, but I swear to you that you’ll be safe with me, with…” He motioned to the town. “With us. Trust me, all right?”
    Her expression said she didn’t