Her father had always been far too astute about reading her moods, and Winter wasn’t surprised by his insightful demand. She was also pretty sure their early-morning ride was not a coincidence.

“He sort of scares me,” she whispered. “Not in the sense that he might physically harm me, but in my…in my insides. Oh, I can’t explain what I mean. It’s just that there was something about him that bothered me yesterday when he walked into my gallery,” she said in disgust. “When he looked at me with those dark golden eyes, I wanted to give him every painting in the place.”

“Ah, lass,” Greylen said with a chuckle. “You just found yerself caught in the spell of human chemistry. It happens to all of us eventually, and usually when we least expect it.”

“Chemistry? That’s it? I turned into a blathering idiot just because I thought the man was gorgeous?” She snorted and started Snowball walking again. “It was more than chemistry, I tell you.

There was something…well, something alarming about him.”

“So alarming, in fact,” Grey said, trotting to catch up, “that ye’re out here this morning because ye intend to take his commission.”

This was not the reaction she had been expecting from her father. Why wasn’t he demanding she not see Matt Gregor again? Why wasn’t he getting all protective of his baby girl!

“Winter,” he said, reaching out and pulling on Snowball’s reins to stop her. “This is something ye should be discussing with yer mama. Grace could explain it better than me, how ye can walk past a thousand handsome men, but how only one of them will suddenly stop ye dead in yer tracks. What ye’re feeling is natural, lass, that this particular man caught yer eye. What ye do about it, however, is for ye to decide. Ye’re twenty-four years old, Winter. It’s time yer heart raced over a man.” He leaned over, kissed her cheek, then straightened and started his horse walking again.

Snowball automatically fell into step beside him.

“From the time ye could crawl, I’ve been encouraging ye to follow yer own path,” he continued. “And I’ve always known that someday that path would lead ye away from me and into the arms of another man. It’s a papa’s worst nightmare and our greatest hope.” He looked over at her and smiled. “This Matt Gregor may or may not be that special someone for ye, Winter, but that is something only ye can decide.” He stopped his horse again and frowned at her. “I do intend to have Robbie use his old military connections to look into Gregor’s background, though, but only for my own peace of mind. If Gregor is nothing more than the businessman he appears to be, I will simply stand aside and let ye two work things out for yerselves.”

Winter frowned at her father. “Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? I only said that he bothered me. For all I know, I didn’t have any affect on Mr. Gregor.”

Her papa let out a soft chuckle. “Trust me, ye bothered him, lass. The man dropped over six thousand dollars on two of your paintings, and all but demanded you spend time with him hiking his land.

Aye, Gregor was bothered all right; he took one look at yer beautiful face and found the surest way to see it again.”

Winter’s frown turned into a scowl, and she started Snowball walking down the tote road at a brisk pace. Her papa, still chuckling, trotted to catch up. They rode in silence until they finally came to a fork in the road and stopped again.

Greylen looked around in the strengthening light. “Call in yer pet,” he told her. “That I might have a word with him.”

“What makes you think he’s near?” Winter asked.

“Because he’s been stalking us since we left Gù Brath.”

Winter put her fingers to her lips and gave a sharp, single-note whistle that cut through the crisp September air.

Gesader stepped out of the shadows not ten feet away.

Gesader showed his large white teeth in a snarling smile, and her papa dismounted, allowing his nervous warhorse to skitter away. Greylen walked up to the panther and got down on one knee to hold out his hand. Gesader moved straight into his palm and ducked his head to get his ears scratched. Winter slid down off Snowball and watched her papa continue his conversation with her pet.

“I’m wanting yer opinion on this Gregor fellow,” he told the panther. “One good sniff should let you know if his intentions toward our baby girl are honorable or not.”

“Do you truly believe he knows what you’re saying?” Winter asked. “You talk to him as if he were human.”

“So do ye,” Greylen reminded her. “And if Gesader were human,” he said, standing up and turning to face her, his smile reaching all the way to his evergreen eyes, “I certainly wouldn’t have let him sleep in yer bed these last two years.” He looked down at Gesader. “Though Megan could use his company at night right now.”

“Gesader has spent a lot of time with Megan since she came home,” Winter said while absently rubbing his ear. “He goes with her when she walks the woods, and I’ve caught him in her bed some nights. It’s like he knows when she needs a good cuddle.”

“Animals have a way of sensing our moods,” Greylen agreed. He walked over to his horse and mounted back up, turning it to face her. “Keep yer wits about ye when ye deal with Gregor. Try not to turn into a ‘blithering idiot’ the next time ye see him. Enjoy the thrill, lass. If ye’re blessed, it will only come along once in yer lifetime.”

His instructions given to both of them, Laird Greylen MacKeage reined his horse up the path leading to Daar’s cabin, giving a wave over his shoulder as he disappeared into the dense forest.

Winter looked down at Gesader and ruffled the fur on his powerful shoulder. “You may come with me, but remember to keep out of sight. There have been more rumors going around town of a large black cat in the forest, and your safety depends on your staying only a rumor. Hey,” she said with a gasp, getting down on her knees and taking his neck in both hands. “What happened to you?”

She pulled her right hand away and rubbed her fingers together. “That’s dried blood,” she said, pushing his head to the side so she could see better. “It’s your blood,” she added, running a finger over a crusted cut on his neck just above his shoulder. “What have you done to yourself? Did your dinner last night fight back?”

Winter knew Gesader hunted his own food, even though she always kept plenty of meat available for him at Gù Brath. When Robbie had given him to her as a tiny cub, both he and her papa had repeatedly warned Winter that her new pet was a wild creature, and that once he grew up his instincts would likely take over.

“I’m taking you to see Tom,” she told him, standing up and brushing her hands on her jacket.

“We’re not supposed to let anyone know you really do exist, but we can trust Tom. He can tell us if that cut needs stitching. Come on,” she said, going over and gathering up Snowball’s reins. “Let’s get going.”

Gesader let out a low rumble from his throat and padded off into the forest as silently as he’d appeared. Winter used a nearby old stump to mount up and headed toward Bear Mountain.

Chapter Three

“T om. Are you home?” Winter called out as she rode into the small clearing on the east shore of Pine Lake. “Tom!”

She dismounted and led Snowball toward the one-story cabin nestled in the trees at the back of the clearing, where it sat safely out of reach of the powerful storms that sometimes blew in off the lake.

The precariously leaning structure had to be over a century old, its vertical logs weathered to a shiny gray patina, its oversized roof eaves nearly touching the towering pines on either side.

Every time she came here, Winter couldn’t help but smile. The cabin’s crooked stovepipe wafting smoke, two tiny front windows, and narrow wood door gave it a magical air, and she always expected to see a gnome come strolling out to greet her instead of Tom. She’d said as much to him once, and Tom had simply smiled his endearing old smile and told her to be careful what she imagined, as she might be surprised one day when something even more unbelievable greeted her.