Read Online Nightwind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charlotte Boyett-Compo
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Dialing Beth’s
number for the fifth time that morning, Louvenia listened to the steady ringing that went on unanswered.
“Where the blazes are you, girl?” Louvenia grumbled as she slammed down the receiver for the fifth
time. She heard the bell ring over the front door and drew in a quick breath. With any luck at all, it was
Beth.
She got up, walked smartly out her door and looked down the center aisle to see that absolutely
mouthwatering Syntian Cree looking at her from the doorway. She smiled.
“My goodness! Aren’t you the early bird this morning? And on such a vile day, too!” She barely glanced
at Lauren who stood next to the counter.
“My godson will be celebrating his twelfth birthday this coming Friday and I was hoping to pick up some
books for him.” Syntian was smiling at the older woman as she made her way toward him. “He’s rather
an avid reader and a big Michael Moorcock fan. He’s into all that sword and sorcery stuff.” He shoved
his hand into the pocket of his black jeans and pulled out a damp piece of notebook paper. Unfolding it,
he handed it to Lauren. “Can you help me find these books, Miss Fowler?”
Louvenia’s mouth tightened as her glance darted malevolently to Lauren. “Miss Fowler has been
promoted to sales clerk and I’m afraid she has quite a bit of company paperwork to fill out this morning.
But I would be happy to help you select some appropriate novels for your godson.”
A gleam of fire sparked in Syntian Cree’s face as he looked at the Yelverton woman. “I can come back
when Lauren’s free,” he said, gauging the effect his words would have on the older woman. “I prefer to
have the same clerk wait on me each time I patronize an establishment. It’s just good business, don’t you
agree?”
Louvenia tried to smile, but her lips felt frozen. “If you prefer,” she managed to say although she hoped
her tone told him she thought he was making a bad mistake. Her stare swung to Lauren. “You may help
Mr. Cree, if you will, Miss Fowler.”
Lauren’s lips twitched as she turned away. “Of course, Mrs. Yelverton.” She glanced at Syn. “The
science fiction section is over on the right side at the back, Mr. Cree.”
“You promised to call me, Syn, remember?” he admonished her, reaching out to pat Louvenia’s arm as
he passed. He wasn’t surprised by the older woman’s reaction. She smiled wistfully at him and nodded.
“That makes for good business, too,” she agreed and wondered why the hell she’d said such a stupid
thing. She was still wondering when the doorbell tinkled again and she turned away.
“This is quite a list,” Lauren said as she glanced over the book titles. She looked at him. “There must be
fifty books here.”
“Some are no doubt out of stock or in the store room, I would imagine,” he said. “My guess is it’ll take
you at least an hour or two to handle my order, don’t you?”
She stared at him. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
He grinned. “If things go the way I plan, Sweet Lady, you should just about be finishing up with the
order when it’s time for you to take your lunch break.” He grinned wickedly. “A lunch I intend to buy for
you.”
“Oh, you do, do you?” she laughed, loving the way his eyes crinkled at the corner when he smiled.
“With any luck at all.”
“Lauren!”
Lauren looked past him to find Louvenia Yelverton slumped in the arms of Sheriff Wiley Jackson. She
glanced at Syntian then pushed past him to hurry to the front counter.
“What happened?” she asked, worried. Louvenia’s face was chalk white.
“Can you call Reed?” Wiley asked as he struggled to keep Louvenia from slipping out of his arms.
“She’s just fainted, but I think she ought to go see Dr. Patrick.”
Syntian reached Louvenia just as Lauren turned to the phone. She saw him bend down and scoop the
unconscious woman into his arms, heft her effortlessly to his chest and spin around on
number for the fifth time that morning, Louvenia listened to the steady ringing that went on unanswered.
“Where the blazes are you, girl?” Louvenia grumbled as she slammed down the receiver for the fifth
time. She heard the bell ring over the front door and drew in a quick breath. With any luck at all, it was
Beth.
She got up, walked smartly out her door and looked down the center aisle to see that absolutely
mouthwatering Syntian Cree looking at her from the doorway. She smiled.
“My goodness! Aren’t you the early bird this morning? And on such a vile day, too!” She barely glanced
at Lauren who stood next to the counter.
“My godson will be celebrating his twelfth birthday this coming Friday and I was hoping to pick up some
books for him.” Syntian was smiling at the older woman as she made her way toward him. “He’s rather
an avid reader and a big Michael Moorcock fan. He’s into all that sword and sorcery stuff.” He shoved
his hand into the pocket of his black jeans and pulled out a damp piece of notebook paper. Unfolding it,
he handed it to Lauren. “Can you help me find these books, Miss Fowler?”
Louvenia’s mouth tightened as her glance darted malevolently to Lauren. “Miss Fowler has been
promoted to sales clerk and I’m afraid she has quite a bit of company paperwork to fill out this morning.
But I would be happy to help you select some appropriate novels for your godson.”
A gleam of fire sparked in Syntian Cree’s face as he looked at the Yelverton woman. “I can come back
when Lauren’s free,” he said, gauging the effect his words would have on the older woman. “I prefer to
have the same clerk wait on me each time I patronize an establishment. It’s just good business, don’t you
agree?”
Louvenia tried to smile, but her lips felt frozen. “If you prefer,” she managed to say although she hoped
her tone told him she thought he was making a bad mistake. Her stare swung to Lauren. “You may help
Mr. Cree, if you will, Miss Fowler.”
Lauren’s lips twitched as she turned away. “Of course, Mrs. Yelverton.” She glanced at Syn. “The
science fiction section is over on the right side at the back, Mr. Cree.”
“You promised to call me, Syn, remember?” he admonished her, reaching out to pat Louvenia’s arm as
he passed. He wasn’t surprised by the older woman’s reaction. She smiled wistfully at him and nodded.
“That makes for good business, too,” she agreed and wondered why the hell she’d said such a stupid
thing. She was still wondering when the doorbell tinkled again and she turned away.
“This is quite a list,” Lauren said as she glanced over the book titles. She looked at him. “There must be
fifty books here.”
“Some are no doubt out of stock or in the store room, I would imagine,” he said. “My guess is it’ll take
you at least an hour or two to handle my order, don’t you?”
She stared at him. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
He grinned. “If things go the way I plan, Sweet Lady, you should just about be finishing up with the
order when it’s time for you to take your lunch break.” He grinned wickedly. “A lunch I intend to buy for
you.”
“Oh, you do, do you?” she laughed, loving the way his eyes crinkled at the corner when he smiled.
“With any luck at all.”
“Lauren!”
Lauren looked past him to find Louvenia Yelverton slumped in the arms of Sheriff Wiley Jackson. She
glanced at Syntian then pushed past him to hurry to the front counter.
“What happened?” she asked, worried. Louvenia’s face was chalk white.
“Can you call Reed?” Wiley asked as he struggled to keep Louvenia from slipping out of his arms.
“She’s just fainted, but I think she ought to go see Dr. Patrick.”
Syntian reached Louvenia just as Lauren turned to the phone. She saw him bend down and scoop the
unconscious woman into his arms, heft her effortlessly to his chest and spin around on
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