Tropical Lynx's Lover (Shifting Sands Resort 4)

“I’m looking forward to seeing you later,” he said, when he finally released her lips.

“Me, too,” she said breathlessly back.

He stole one final kiss, then turned his back decisively and marched away down the path, glancing over his shoulder to find that Jenny was walking backwards so she could smile after him. She gave him two thumbs up and mouthed “Great ass!” before turning and scampering up the steps towards the top of the resort.

Chapter 18

Jenny was smiling and watching her feet as she wandered up the steps and steep paths towards the place where Scarlet’s office perched at the top of the resort.

The building was empty.

Jenny waited a short while in the green, shady courtyard, wandering between the plants and reading the little tags that were in with each one. She fingered one of the flowers, but remembered Travis’ warning about picking anything, and left it in peace.

After a while, she wandered back down to the bar deck, where Tex was polishing each of the bottles to a sparkling luster. Jenny walked to the railing to look below.

Magnolia waved at her from one of the deck chairs, and she waved back with a shy smile. The only other person on the deck was a man built like a small tank, who looked up over his sunglasses when Magnolia waved.

“Where’s Laura?” she asked, returning to the bar and sitting on one of the bar stools. She’d rather go find Travis, but was hesitant to interrupt his work more than she already had. Despite his assurances, she suspected that laying tile was a tad more complicated than she was up for and knew she’d only slow him down. She waved off Tex’s offer for a drink; she didn’t want to freeload at the resort any more than she had to.

“Lydia is taking the week off, because the incoming storm has scared some of the guests off, so Laura offered to help out in the spa,” Tex said. He showed her on the brochure where the spa was, circling it with a pen.

“Thanks,” Jenny said, and she slipped off the stool to find her sister. She paused and turned back around. “Thanks for… being great for my sister.”

Tex gave her a soft, crooked smile. “She’s everything to me,” he admitted without shame.

“I can tell,” Jenny said thoughtfully. “And she adores you, too.”

“Much like you and Travis,” Tex said gently.

Jenny gazed back at him. She and Travis hadn’t said anything about love, but she wondered if he felt it as deeply as she did. Tex seemed to accept it as foregone, but was it, really?

“Thanks again,” Jenny said, taking the brochure that Tex had marked up.

She breathed deeply, wondering if she was imagining the strange feeling of pressure and rain in the air. It was sweltering hot and clear, and the path to the spa was steep, like most of the walkways in the resort, but a stiff breeze had sprung up.

Footsteps crunching swiftly in the gravel behind her made her turn curiously and find the hulking man from the pool deck following her. He didn’t look like a good candidate for the spa, but they did animal grooming as well. Maybe he was going to get a good brushing. Jenny nodded politely and turned back to the path in front of her, scooting over so that he could pass her, as he seemed to be in a hurry.

Her otter screamed a warning at her too late for her to dodge the crushing blow that came from one of his large fists, and Jenny’s world went to blackness.

Chapter 19

Travis was kneeling in the work area, splattered to the elbows in grout and cutting one of the tricky corner pieces when Lynx yowled inside him, all claws and panic.

He dropped the tile, not even caring that it broke, and leapt to his feet.

Lynx couldn’t lead him, only knew that something was wrong, that his mate was in trouble, that they had to do something. So Travis went to the bar, and he came in the back entrance just as Laura came sprinting from the side entrance. Not for a moment did he think she was Jenny.

“Something is wrong,” he said, fighting down Lynx’s blind panic.

“Something is very wrong,” Laura agreed, eyes wild.

Tex put his guitar down. “What is it?” he asked, looking from one to the other in growing alarm.

“Jenny, she’s gone.” Laura tapped the side of her head.

“She’s hurt,” Travis added. Lynx snarled and Travis could feel him pacing anxiously.

Tex came out from around the bar. “I told her you were at the spa, love,” he told Laura, reaching out for her hand. “Ten minutes ago, maybe fifteen.”