Read Desert Bound (Cambio Springs) for Free Online

rough. “Yeah?”
    “The tacos are really good today. I’d have those.”
    “That sounds good.” He stretched his neck and sighed in relief when it popped. “You busy this weekend?”
    Hadn’t they just talked about being friends? Or was he reconsidering it now?
    Shit. She had no idea where his head was at.
    “I’m around. Why?”
    “I was going to ask Jena if I could rent one of her Airstreams. Need to get out of my folks’ house.”
    “I can’t blame you for that. I imagine living with the general must be interesting.”
    The corner of his mouth lifted in a lazy grin. “He was a sergeant, not a general. But yes. My own space would be good.”
    She nodded toward Kathy. “Talk to Jena’s mom. Those are hers to rent out, but I’m pretty sure two are empty right now.”
    “Think you and the girls would have time to help me move a little stuff? Maybe do a barbecue after? Ollie won’t be able to come, but how about you?”
    Ted nodded, trying to come off as casual. It was exactly the kind of thing that friends did all the time. Just like Sunday dinner at Jena’s, which they all went to. 
    “Sure. I’ll talk to Jena and Caleb. You talk to Allie.”
    “Cool.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Gives me something to look forward to other than work.”
    “Talk to Kathy, let me know. You’ve got my number.”
    “Mmmhmm.” He was trying to suppress a smile when he caught her narrow eyes. “What? You’re right. I have your number.”
    “See you later.”
    The double meaning didn’t occur to her until after she was back at her office.
     
    Sometimes, it was good to be a cat.
    Even if that cat was a one hundred pound predator who scared the piss out of her more domestic sisters. Ted was between appointments, during the slow hot drag of afternoon when the kids had left school and the sun was high, baking the western windows of her office and making her drowsy.
    She’d gone through the rush of morning appointments, but wasn’t expecting anyone that afternoon. People from the Springs tended to stay indoors when the weather got too hot. Her practice was feast or famine. She was either really, really busy, or lonely for days on end. Slowly, word about her clinic was starting to drift to some of the more rural desert residents, which meant she had a few people from outside town who were choosing to come to her instead of driving into Indio or Palm Desert for appointments. When the resort opened, she imagined it would get even busier. But that afternoon?
    Snooze city.
    Why fight it? Ted slipped out of the scrubs she wore to work and shifted, curling into a sunbeam that crossed the couch in her office, letting a low purr rumble from her throat. She had better instincts as a cat. No one would come into the building without waking her.
    And about forty-five minutes later, someone did.
    “Will you stop and just—”
    Ted lifted her head at the scuffle that sounded out in the waiting room. She only hired a girl to work in the office half days, so after lunch, she was on her own.
    “Ted?”
    What was Alex doing here? She lifted her head, but didn’t shift.
    “Hey Ted, are you in—oh hi.”
    She let her lion curl her lip.
    “Yes, you’re very ferocious. Will you shift and come out here? One of my guys is hurt.”
    A voice came from the waiting room. “I am not that hurt, dammit!”
    “Marcus, your forearm has a right angle in the middle of it!” Alex yelled. “You’re not shifting until it’s been set.”
    Alex turned back to her. “So… you’re not busy, right?”
    She just stared at him. If he thought she was shifting with him in the office and the door open, he was nuts.
    “Oh!” He shook his head. “Sorry. Yeah, I’ll just…” He looked from her toward the waiting room, then back again. “I’ll be out here. With Marcus. And I’ll leave you. Alone.” She heard him mutter something under his breath that sounded like “naked Ted.” If she wasn’t in car form, she probably wouldn’t have