Authors: Vanessa Devereaux
“Hope
you like chili.”
“I
love it.”
“Okay,
see you then.”
“Sure.
Oh, and Nick?”
“I
had lots of fun last night.”
“Yeah,
me too.”
He
put
the phone down. Fun. Yeah, he hadn’t
let his hair down like that before.
****
Ava’s
stomach rumbled as she got into Nick’s car and smelled the chili in the slow
cooker he’d placed on the floor behind her seat.
“I
think I could dive into that right now,” she said as they drove along.
“You’d
be in big trouble from Maisey. She and Lucas love this stuff. In fact, I think
they might ask me to make a huge batch of it for their wedding dinner.”
“Is
Lucas a nice guy? I hope so because Maisey’s so sweet.”
“He
really is a great guy. Hard worker and her perfect mate.”
“Glad
to hear that.”
There
was a sudden silence. “About what I said last night. I don’t want you to think
I’m the sort of woman who becomes overly obsessed after I’ve slept with a guy.”
“I
didn’t think that at all. I needed time to think. I’ve been on my own too
long.”
“And
why is that?”
“Lone
wolf I guess.”
She
turned to look at him. Had he just referred to himself as a wolf?
“Just an expression, you know what I mean?”
She
nodded and didn’t know why but she suddenly wanted him to know what happened to
her and that she had a son.
“I
guess I’ve been leery of good-looking men since high school.”
“You
had a bad experience?” asked Nick.
“I have a son.
He
looked at her and she hoped that didn’t make a difference.
“
His father
was the high school jock. Quarterback on the football team.”
“And
you dated him?”
Only in my
dreams.
“No,
I like every other girl in the school was madly in love with him. I guess I
should have known something was up when he called me over to walk with him
after one of the games. Romantic that I was, I thought maybe he didn’t care
about what a person looked like on the outside, he liked me for what was in
here.” She touched her chest. “He seemed really nice, talked to me, started to
kiss me and then before I knew it we were on the ground having sex. Me having
sex with the guy every girl wanted. I was naïve and a virgin and when it was
over…”
Ava
squeezed her eyes shut because she could still remember those awful minutes
after he’d pulled out of her and began laughing. She’d never forget that sound.
Nick
reached out and put his hand on hers and squeezed it. She opened her eyes and
looked at him.
“When
he was done, he took my panties and said he’d need them as proof that he’d gone
through with his dare.” She bit her lip. “Fuck the fat girl and do your best
not to throw up.”
“Bastard,”
said Nick.
She
nodded as a tear splashed from her face and fell onto her lap.
The
next shock for her had been the pregnancy.
“My
father hit the roof when I told him I was having a baby.”
He’d
thrown her out and made her go live with her aunt. It had been her who’d held
Ava’s hand while she’d given birth to Jake. She’d never revealed to her father,
to anyone, including Jake, the identity of his dad. Maybe it was wrong to keep
a secret like that but she was scared he’d go looking for him and in some way
that monster would corrupt her perfect son.
“What’s
your son like?”
“He’s
a foot taller than me which isn’t surprising because his father was six three.
He’s also a great football player like his father. He’s a junior at the
University of Florida, doing very well and I think he’s probably going into law
which will mean more schooling. He also has a very nice girlfriend. My fear is
he’ll marry and make me a grandma at the ripe old age of thirty-seven.”
“You’d
make the sexiest grandma I’ve ever seen.” He squeezed her hand again.
Yeah,
her son would fly the nest for good one day and she’d be all alone. She took a
deep breath glad that she finally told him about Jake. Best thing was he didn’t
seem to care.
“We’re
almost at Maisey and Lucas’ place,” said Nick pulling onto a driveway of a
townhouse on the outskirts of town.
They
got out and Nick carried the slow cooker to the front door and rang the doorbell.
Maisey answered, dressed in jeans and a sweater.
“Come
in and I’ll take this for you,” she told Nick. “Lucas just called to say he’s
on his way and not to eat all the chili before he gets home.”
“Too
late we ate it on the way here,” said Nick.
“You
wouldn’t dare,” said Maisey. “Come on through to the kitchen. Take your coats
off, and make yourself at home.”
Ava
followed Nick and Maisey through to the back of the house. She stopped to look
at the photos on the wall.
“Are
these your parents?” she asked looking at one of a couple standing by a lake.
“Yes,
that’s the folks.”
They
looked an older couple and Ava guessed they’d had her later in life. She looked
at the next one of them; her dad was holding a cello, her mother a violin.
“Do
you parents play?” asked Ava pointing at the snap.
“Yes,
in the Montana Symphony Orchestra,” said Maisey.
“Wow,”
said Ava.
“They
were also university professors,” added Nick.
“Really?
What subjects?” asked Ava.
“Dad
taught physics and chemistry, Mom,
math
and statistics. And yes, they hate that I own a yoga studio and follow in
neither
their academic or cultural pursuits.”
She
knew what it was like to try and live up to your parent’s expectations. Her
father had been in his grave close to a decade but she was still trying to fill
his shoes, doing things that she knew he’d approve of more than she actually
wanted to do herself. Maisey was proof you could break free.
“In
fact, why don’t you come with me tomorrow. It’s Charlotte Renner’s baby shower
and her sister-in-law Lilly is throwing it. My mom will be there and I’d love
you to meet her.”
Ava
saw Nick give Maisey a sly glance. Did he not want her to hang around their
mutual friends in case she got ideas that the two of them were getting involved
or what was the deal here?
“No,
really. I don’t know them and I’d be imposing.”
“If
you come along with me then it’s the perfect way to get to know everyone,” said
Maisey raising her eyebrows and looking at Nick.
Something
was going on between these
two,
but she
wasn’t quite sure what.
“Okay,”
Ava finally said.
“Great,
I’ll come by and pick you up around nine a.m.”
“Oh,
and I’m not at the same motel now. I moved.” She looked at Nick.
“You
didn’t like it or what?” asked Maisey.
“Too
many complaints about noise.”
She
wasn’t going into too much detail, but now it was her, not Maisey who glanced
slyly at Nick.
“Well,
just let me know where it’s at and I’ll be there.”
The
door opened and in walked a
tall,
dark-haired
man around the same age as Maisey.
“Hi,
sorry I’m a bit late. Did some overtime and I’m starving,” he said, taking off
his jacket.
“Lucas,
meet Ava. Ava my fiancée.”
Ava
put her
hand out
to him. He shook it and
she detected a similar musky odor that she had on Nick. Same aftershave
perhaps?
“Okay,
you guys, after Lucas has cleaned those dirty paws of his, let’s eat,” said Maisey.
****
Nick
had been on tender hooks during the entire meal. He hadn’t thought this a great
idea. One little slip could cost them everything. And taking Ava to Charlotte’s
baby shower was in his opinion walking on thin ice.
“You
worry too much,” said Maisey when they were alone in the kitchen rinsing out
the slow cooker and Lucas was talking to Ava in the living room.
“Just
warn everyone to be careful what they say. Like you earlier mentioning Lucas’
dirty
paws
.”
“She
probably thought I was messing around.”
“But
think first, talk only after.”
“Yes,
sir. Now grab those plates and the chocolate cake because it’s time for
dessert.”
“You
know you’re not supposed to be eating this sort of thing.”
“Lucas
is going to take me running after so I’ll burn off the carbs.”
“Just
don’t scare us again.”
Maisey
had been diagnosed with diabetes just before Christmas and was being looked
after with the utmost care by
Charlotte,
who pretty much took care of all the shifters now. They even had their own
hospital that Lucas had helped build and they’d recruited a couple of shifters
who happened to be doctors from outside the area. Things were almost perfect
for the group which was why Nick didn’t want anything to go wrong. He followed Maisey
into the living room where Ava was drinking coffee and looking at more photos
on the wall.
Shit,
it was Maisey and Lucas as their wolf halves. It was a shifter tradition to
have a photo taken like that after an engagement was announced. There was also
one of Maisey and her parents after she’d graduated high school. And yet
another of her parents on their wedding day. Another shifter tradition.
“You
guys must love wolves,” said Ava.
He
didn’t say
anything,
either did Maisey or
Lucas.
“I
mean you have so many photos of them. Not paintings or drawings, but actual
photos.”
“I
love them,” said Maisey.
“Did
you take these photos? I mean it looks like the wolves actually posed for you.”
Maisey
looked at him, then at Lucas, and then back to Nick, who wanted to mouth
I told you so.
“Yes,
there’s a sanctuary nearby and you can go visit them and even take photos.
They’re very tame,” said Maisey. She’d turned red and was stumbling over her
words. She was about to give them away. He sensed it down deep in his wolf
bones.
“Maybe
you can take me there one day. I mean, I think
wolves
are fascinating animals. I’d love to see some up close, even pet one.”
Oh, you’ve
already done that and a hell of a lot more.
“So
what do you guys think of taking them off the Endangered Species list?”
continued Ava.
Shit,
she wasn’t going to let it rest. He might have to go over to her and kiss her
just to shut her up and take her mind off what she’d seen.
Nick’s
heart beat faster. He could hear both Maisey and Lucas’ picking up too.
“You’ll
get lots of differing opinions about that around here,” said Lucas.
“I
would imagine with so many ranches in the area,” said Ava. “You always think of
them as dangerous beasts.”
Had
she just referred to them as beasts?
“Cake
anyone?” asked Maisey holding up the cake stand.
“I’d
love some,” said Ava.
Well done, Maisey.
Nick
finally blew out the air he’d been holding in his mouth during that
brief
but
tension-filled
conversation. They sat down and Maisey cut four slices of cake and put them
onto the plates, handing one to each of them.
“While
Maisey and Ava are at the baby shower we could go running,” said Lucas.
“Great
idea. You want me to swing by and pick you up around noon?” asked Nick.
“I’ll
be ready and waiting,” said Lucas.
“No
wonder you guys are in such good shape. You run all the time,” said Ava. “I’m
definitely going to do that with you one of these days. I should do it tonight
after eating this delicious cake.”
“My
mom made it,” said Maisey.
“It’s
almost sinful,” said Ava. “So when’s the big day for you two?”
“First
Saturday in June,” said Maisey.
“She
insisted on being a June bride,” said Lucas swirling his fork around to get the
last of the chocolate frosting from his plate. “Did you know that Nick is going
to be my best man?”
“No,
no I didn’t. Have you guys been friends for long?”
“Only
since November,” said Maisey.
Oh
no, don’t go into too much detail. Like Lucas and I both picking up your scent
when you were near your heat cycle and having a threesome.
“We
sort of ran into one another close to where Nick has his cabin,” continued Maisey.