Lone Wolf (First in Lone Wolf Series)

Chapter Three

Dawn was really settling in to her life in this small frontier town. Her baked goods were a big hit and she had plenty enough orders to keep her busy.

She was just pulling three loaves of bread from one of her wood burning ovens when the bell chiming above her door signaled someone entering. Quickly she sat the hot pans on the stone counter, wiped her hands on her apron and then walked into the entry room of her bakery, where she had cookies, cakes, pies and breads on display in glass cases that had been here when Dawn had inspected the building.

Grange had informed her that the cases were here because the man that had owned the building before had sold weapons and kept the nicest ones in these cases.

She saw Grange looking at the cases and rubbing his stomach. She shook her head when she heard his stomach growling from where she stood nearly twenty feet away. The man always seemed to be hungry, though she had no idea where he put it all seeing as how he didn’t have an ounce of extra meat on his entire body that she could see.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Michaels.” she said with a warm smile. She really liked Grange. There were days when he would laugh and joke and tease and then there were days when he was moody, distant and indifferent. But he had been her biggest fan and biggest help since she’d come to town. It was because of him that all the work had gotten done so quickly on the building and her upstairs apartment, and it was because of him raving about her cooking skills that so many people had already begun to order from her and give her business.

“My name is Grange.” he grumbled. Dawn sighed. It was going to be one of those days.

“Grange, are you hungry?” she asked patiently. Dawn had never had much in the way of patience but something inside of her was different when it came to Grange Michaels. She was able to overlook and even accept his moodiness most of the time.

She was drawn to Grange. And it was more than just his physical appearance. Dawn had never been the type to want a man as either a husband or a lover. She had always had bigger hopes, bigger dreams. But Grange?

Grange tempted her.

There was something in his presence that gave her peace while at the same time exciting and tempting her. His mere presence made her feel safe, protected, cared for. And there were times, when he didn’t expect to be caught, that she would turn to look at him and find those piercing blue eyes on her.

It took her breath every time. The way they would stare at her as if she was a treasure. As if she was beautiful. As if she was the single most tempting thing he had ever seen.

Dawn had never been looked at that way before.

“Of course I’m hungry.” Grange replied to her earlier question with a grunt. “I’m always hungry.” he added.

“I have some sugar cookies in the back that I just frosted, would you like some of those?” she asked. She knew he liked the ones with fresh soft frosting better than the ones that had been sitting for a day or two. Grange nodded and Dawn walked back into the kitchen.

She put several cookies into a cloth lined, woven basket that she had made herself and as she was covering them she heard the bell chime again.

Quickly she put the handle of the basket on her arm and stepped back into the main room, only to find another man standing inside her store. This man was young, probably only around twenty. He was handsome enough, though too boyish and very much a child compared to Grange.

Dawn was about to greet him when she heard that strange animalistic growling coming from Grange that she had heard several times over the last month or so. He was standing with his back to her, almost as if shielding her from the newcomer and he was tense. Every muscle in his body was rigid beneath his black tunic and buckskin pants. His fists were clenched at his sides.