Clay's Hope Read Online Free PDF

see
her, I didn’t want her to see me. Not yet.
    Quietly, crossing through the yards, I made
my way to the end of the block where Sam’s exhaust already clogged
the air. I crossed the street then cut between yards, putting
another block between Gabby and me. I didn’t want to chance her
spotting me. Sitting in the front yard of an empty house, I waited,
listening for Sam’s truck again.
    I imagined it would take some time to move
her things in and for Sam to talk to Rachel to ensure Gabby would
be safe there. But it wasn’t long before the truck rumbled to life
once again. The distant noise made my pulse jump, and I took a
steadying breath. It was almost time. I was nervous as hell about
approaching her.
    After a moment, Sam’s truck passed. He
nodded to me, and I nodded back.
    Take care of her. It wasn’t a command
from an Elder, just a request from someone who cared.
    I will.
    I sat in the shade, impatiently waiting for
the right amount of time to pass. I wanted her to settle in, to
feel comfortable.
    A car zipped past me, and I did a double
take at the passenger. Gabby.
    Damn it.
    I caught a glimpse of Rachel’s animated face
before they sped out of view. Where were they going? Sam had barely
left. What was Gabby doing? Rachel had seemed excited about
something. What? A sick feeling settled into my gut. What if Rachel
had taken Gabby somewhere she could meet other men? Human women
seemed to do that a lot.
    I pulled my lips back in a silent snarl. I
could try to follow them but knew I’d lose their trail with all the
traffic in town. So I turned and made my way back to the house.
    For three hours, I paced their backyard
before I heard a car slow near the house. I darted behind the shed
and waited.
    The sound of Gabby’s voice as she laughed at
something Rachel said made my insides twist. Then I heard Rachel
say something about sunbathing. Gabby agreed and followed Rachel
inside. I frowned. They weren’t leaving again, were they? Nothing
was going as planned.
    The building frustration fled as I realized
what I’d just heard. Gabby didn’t talk to women her own age. In the
weeks I’d watched her, she’d avoided them. Why was she talking to
Rachel? Something about Rachel was different. But what?
    A few minutes after they’d disappeared
inside, Rachel reappeared with towels in her arms. The breeze blew
her scent toward me, and I lifted my nose. Excitement added a hint
of sweetness to it. I watched her shake out the towels and lay them
on the deck.
    My idea had been to approach Gabby once
she’d settled in so she’d know I was there to join her. I had on
the tags I’d made to help drive home that point. But maybe
approaching Gabby wasn’t the best course.
    I silently stepped out from behind the shed,
trotted across the yard, and up the steps before Rachel noticed me.
With her back to me, she settled onto the far towel. If I’d been in
human form, I would have wiped my sweaty palms on my pants.
Instead, I took a fortifying breath, then lay down next to her.
    She squeaked and jolted away from me as she
turned to look at what had brushed against her.
    Her face was inches from mine. She didn’t
scream as I’d half-expected. With a grin, she offered her hand.
Mentally sighing, I dutifully sniffed her. She grinned wider when I
finished, then she reached out and scratched behind my ear. It
actually felt pretty good. Better than scratching it myself.
    “Where did you come from, handsome?” she
said softly. Her hand brushed down my neck—it made me slightly
uncomfortable—and ran over the rope holding my tags.
    “What’s this?” Her fingers hooked under the
line, and my tags jingled. I wanted to grin as she brought the
piece of metal around to read it.
    “A good home, huh? I wonder if Gabby likes
dogs.”
    Probably not. I sighed, laid my head on my
paws, and gave Rachel my best woeful look.
    “Aw, I’m sure she does. Look at you. What’s
not to like?”
    My thoughts exactly.
    Just then, Gabby stepped out