Snippet Saturday – Secondary Character

Welcome to my first Snippet Saturday! This week's theme is Secondary Character so I've chosen Dale from my Coyote Hunger series. Dale appears in three of the coyote books but it's the latest book,  Coyote Whispers  that gives us more insight into this character. The section I've picked is in Coyote Whispers hero's POV but we get a glimpse of something or someone that could possible bring this brooding big man to his knees. Enjoy.

Book three in the Coyote Hunger series.

"Doc" Gordie has tried to keep Steve McKenna at arm's length, but the sexy coyote shifter is under her skin, in her blood and in her heart. No matter how much she fears what he makes her feel, she can't bear to stay away. After he rescues her from a vicious attack, Gordie is helpless to deny the sizzling attraction burning between them.

There hasn't been a day Steve has not wanted Doc in his bed, but bruised and bloody is not what he had in mind. The need for revenge is riding his coyote—almost as much as his aching desire to finally claim Doc as his own. But that will have to wait. He must first convince Doc the safest place for her is by his side. When a second attack draws them together, suppressed needs explode, leaving no doubt where they both belong. But danger is never far behind and Gordie is forced to make a fatal decision that could destroy all they've worked so hard to discover.

*****

As he approached the living room, he could hear raised voices. They got louder the closer he got and he quickened his pace, determined to stop them before it became a yelling match.

"Hey, keep it down, you'll wake Doc."

The sight before him amused and confused him. Dale stood with the pint-sized Tatum right up in his face. For someone who'd barely functioned a few minutes ago, she'd made a swift recovery. She'd backed the sheriff up against the wall and had a finger prodding him in the chest. Both turned toward him as he entered the room.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Doc is here?" Tatum stepped away from Dale.

Dale grabbed her by the arm. "I told you you weren't seeing her tonight."

"And I told you to stop manhandling me." She tried to pry his fingers from her skin. "I'd hate to see how you treat criminals if this is how law-abiding citizens are handled."

The sheriff dropped her arm like it was a hot rock. "Tatum."

"Sheriff."

Steve watched as they stared each other down and much to his surprise Dale broke away first. He watched the sheriff close his eyes and run a hand down his face. "Tatum, Doc is resting. She had a…scare earlier and isn't up to seeing a patient."

"I'm not a patient. But you haven't given me two seconds to explain myself so it's no wonder you've jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"Tatum, what were you doing out on the road?" Steve asked.

"I came up here after I called in at the café. The woman behind the counter said Doc and Kat were here and she thought Doc might need me," she explained.

"Need you?"

"I'm a nurse. Doc's nurse, actually, but I'm not due to start until after the fifteenth of next month." She walked over to the couch, one hand pressed to the small of her back making her pregnant belly stick out more. Slowly, she lowered to the cushions. "Damn, I must have pulled something trudging through the snow."

"You walked up here?" Dale barked.

"No, stupid. I drove, but I slid on some ice about ten minutes down the road and ended up in a ditch. I walked the rest of the way but then it started to snow and I got colder by the second. I'd just popped the lock on the cop car out front when you two came to my rescue."

"You broke into my car?"

Steve smiled. Tatum didn't seem like such a law-abiding citizen right now. She ignored Dale and kept on with her story.

"Look, I know this is strange but the woman at the café made it sound as if Doc had been hurt and I couldn't just go on over to Gramps' house without checking she was all right." She slumped back against the couch with a sigh. "By the time I reached the end of the driveway my legs were shaking with exhaustion as well as the cold and I was worried I'd collapse in the snow. I thought if I could flip on the siren someone would hear."

"I'm sorry Wendy worried you and put you in danger, but Doc isn't hurt," Steve said.

"Um…Steve?"

"What?" He turned to look behind him at Kat.

"How many bedrooms does this place have?" Kat asked.

"Four. Why?" He glanced past Kat and through the windows running the length of the room. "Oh shit."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Kat said.

He walked over to join her. On the other side of the glass he could see the deck, along with the rapidly accumulating layer of snow covering it. More snow fell in a thick blanket that blocked out the view of the timber railing twenty feet away, never mind the forest beyond.

"Damn. Doesn't look good." Brogan stepped up next to him. "Does anyone know what the weather's supposed to be like?"

"Yeah, we're due for a storm tomorrow. Looks like it moved in early," Dale answered.

"Jesus. I guess I'll go drag out the extra bedding." Steve turned from the window. "How many of us are there?"

"I can share with Kat if she's all right with that and it makes things easier," Tatum said.

"I'm fine with that but don't you dare have that baby in the bed next to me." Kat glared at her.

Tatum laughed. "It's babies and they're not due for another three months."

Dale made a choking sound next to him and Steve turned to see a red-faced sheriff.

"Three months? You look like you're ready to pop now." Rowan sat on the couch next to Tatum. "So you're about four months ahead of me then. And El's pregnant too, but only just. Looks like there'll be lots of new babies next year."

"Tatum, can I have a word please?" Dale walked over and reached for her hand. "In private."

Steve thought he saw her hesitate but then she placed her hand in Dale's and allowed him to pull her to her feet, quickly disengaging their hands when she was steady. His friend seemed lost for a moment and Steve realized he had no idea where to go to have their talk.

"Down the hall, first door on the left is my office. You can use that if you like," Steve offered.

"Thanks. I'll bunk on the couch tonight. Just toss some blankets out and I'll fix it up when I'm ready," Dale said.

"No need. The sofa in the office is a pull-out. Everyone else can take a bedroom."

"Oh, okay. We'll be back in a minute." Dale gripped Tatum's elbow and all but dragged her out of the room.

Steve couldn't help think there was more going on with that pair but he couldn't see how when Tatum hadn't been in the mountains for years and was obviously pregnant with someone's babies.

*****

Don't forget to check out the rest of today's snippets.

Lauren Dane

Eliza Gayle

Selena Robins

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Vivian Arend

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shelli Stevens

Shiloh Walker

Leah Braemel