Saving Scarlett by R. E. Butler Read Free Book Online

he just wanted to get to King and get settled, the sooner the better.  But Scarlett’s stomach had been growling for the last hour and they’d decided that they could all use a little break.
    Wes was standing in front of a row of vending machines and he looked at Ray.  “Coffee?”
    “Yeah, thanks.”
    “There’s not much selection here for breakfast.  We could look for a restaurant.”
    “I don’t want to waste that much time stopping. We can eat when we get to Dad’s.”
    Wes nodded and fed money into the vending machine.  A moment later, Scarlett strode out of the restroom and right into Ray’s arms.  He hugged her close and when she tilted her face up, he kissed her.  She made a soft sound in her throat, and he fought the urge to push her roughly against the wall and find out what other interesting sounds she could make.
    “Hungry, love?” he said against her lips, kissing the corner before lifting away.
    “Absolutely.”  Her eyes danced.
    He frowned, staring into her pretty eyes.
    “What?”
    “I swear your eyes were brown, Scarlett, but now they’re blue.”
    She blinked slowly.  “Blue?  No, they’re brown.”
    He shook his head.  She left his arms and walked back into the restroom.  He heard her exclamation of surprise even through the closed door.  She walked back out with a puzzled look.  “Maybe because I’m stressed out?  I’ve always had brown eyes, just like my mom.”
    “You never noticed before now?” Wes asked as he joined them.
    “No.”  She exhaled loudly.
    “Well, they’re beautiful no matter what,” Wes said, kissing her cheek.  “Do you want coffee?”
    Her nose wrinkled.  “Soda.  I’m not a coffee girl.”
    They walked to the machines and after she’d perused all six, she settled on a package of crunchy granola bars, a bag of corn chips, and a soda.  He and Wes chose coffee and packages of mini chocolate donuts.
    When they were on their way, Wes and Ray talked about their dad and uncle, the town of King, and being mountain lions.  Ray thought it was interesting that Scarlett was the daughter of a wolf but would never shift, but he didn’t want to talk about her family since she’d declared it was an off-limits subject for now.  In all the weeks they’d been missing her, he’d felt emotionally connected to her, but by the time they passed through the city limits of King, he felt like they’d known each other their entire lives.  She was surprisingly candid about her romantic history, which amounted to little more than occasional dates and one-night stands because she wasn’t allowed to date seriously or have a boyfriend.  She had gone to college to study art, because she loved to paint and sketch, and had wanted to be a teacher but her father had only allowed her to go for her bachelor of arts and wouldn’t allow her to get her teaching certificate.
    Ray pulled his truck down the long driveway to his father’s home and parked behind the carport so the vehicle was hidden from the street.  Not that he thought anyone had followed them, but they were planning to remain completely hidden until they knew that Scarlett would be safe.
    “You can get your teaching certificate,” he told her as he turned off the engine.
    Her eyes brightened.  “Really?”
    “Sure, sweetheart,” Wes said.  “We want you to be happy, and if teaching art to kids will make you happy, then we’re all for it.  There’s a community college outside of Ashland, and as a matter of fact, Rue’s son, Domino, is going to take art classes there, too.”
    “He carved a horse statue for me. I wish I hadn’t had to leave it behind,” she said.
    “When we’re ready and you’re safe, we can go back to Bent Creek and you can get your things,” Ray said.
    “Or we could ask Christian to pack for you and make sure he gets the statue,” Wes suggested.
    She looked at Ray seriously.  “I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to go back to Bent Creek.  Even if my father