Just After Midnight: Historical Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

grumble whenever Queen spoke. “He seems harmless enough.”
    “Damon never could abide anyone but Brian. Your pa found him by the river and raised him up from a little tyke. He seems to have taken to you though. Maybe he knows you’re Brian’s kin. I don’t know as I’d trust him though.”
    Damon shifted and growled. Megan glanced down to find the animal now glared at Queen, hackles still up. Ignoring Queen’s advice, she patted the mammoth head. At the touch of her hand, Damon relaxed and sat, staring up at her with open mouthed devotion.
    “Maybe so, but what am I supposed to do with him?”
    “That’s up to you. Right now I’ve got to get back to work. You comin’?”
    After another glance at the wolf, Megan nodded and followed Queen inside. When she turned to shut the door, she saw that Damon was at her heels. “No, boy. You have to stay outside.” She knelt so she was at eye level with the animal. “Listen, if you stay here and behave, I’ll bring dinner later.”
    The animal cocked its head, his odd yellow eyes seeming to bore into hers. Then he trotted out and curled up against the wall, tucking his nose beneath his tail. Megan gave a sigh of relief and closed the door. Since the wolf had belonged to her father, she would have to do something with the creature.
    She followed Queen inside and stood with her at the rear of the dance hall. The sight of only a half-dozen men waiting for the show made Megan’s heart sink. She had been so hoping the crowds would improve as the miners became used to her.
    “Another bad night,” Queen observed.
    “I don’t want to hear about it, Queen. I just don’t.” Megan rubbed at the headache beginning between her eyes.
    Hours later, the headache was no longer just beginning but had become a living, breathing entity in Megan’s brain. She sat at her usual table near the back and watched the unoccupied dancers glare at her.
    “Well, missy, looks like business is really booming for you.”
    Megan’s head thumped at the volume of Ian McMurphy’s voice next to her ear and she groaned. “What do you want, McMurphy?”
    She was in no mood to be civil to anyone, least of all him. She might have been afraid of him on his last visit; now she was merely irritated. The impending loss of her dance hall made fear of anyone or anything seem irrelevant.
    “Just thought I’d stop by and see if the rumors were true. At the rate your business is going out the door, you’ll have to pay me to take this place off your hands.” He laughed.
    “You worry about your business and I’ll take care of mine.”
    “You’re doing a great job so far.”
    “Get out,” she said, though she didn’t bother to look at him.
    He grabbed her by the arms and yanked her to her feet, “Look at me when we’re talking business.”
    Though her feet now dangled above the floor, Megan looked into McMurphy’s angry eyes. “Put me down. Then get out.”
    He let her go and she dropped to the floor; but before she could step out of his way, he placed a huge paw upon her shoulder. “I’ll leave when I’m good and ready, missy.”
    “My name’s not missy ,” Megan snapped as she managed with no little difficulty to extricate herself from his clutches.
    A black flash at the edge of her vision caused Megan to turn quickly, just in time to see Damon lunge for Ian’s throat. McMurphy was quick for his size and managed to ward off the animal with a swipe of his ham-like forearm. The dog fell to the floor, then rolled up and into a crouch, growling, teeth bared, as he prepared to leap again.
    “Damon, no,” Megan shouted. The animal backed down, but the hair on his neck remained at attention as he trotted over to sit near her feet. He continued to emit low rumbles as he glared at McMurphy.
    Megan looked up to meet the speechless gapes of Ian and the small group of employees who had gathered around.
    “Only Brian could control him like that,” Queen said.
    Megan swallowed the lump in her throat.