He still hadn’t moved and she finished loading the dishwasher. Audra was going to be upset with her—she’d told her a million times that she liked cleaning up after them—but Jack was nervous. And when she was nervous, like she was right now, she tended to want to keep her hands busy.
“I will need startup money to make this work.” He nodded and continued to stare at her. “A lot. Like nearly ten grand before I can even open my doors.”
“I figured four times that, but it’s there for you. More actually.” She asked him what he meant. “As in, as soon as you tell me the name of your company, the account can be opened.”
“And it’s all mine to do with as I please for the company.” He nodded. “You trust me that much? You trust me with forty grand?”
“I trust you with my life.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to him about that so said nothing. He stood there for several minutes, what seemed like hours, before he moved toward her. The dishwasher ran quietly behind her as she waited for him to say something to her, like he was joking. Jack had a feeling he wasn’t going to, and she found that she was excited about having what she needed to start up the business. She stood very still as he stopped just shy of touching her.
“I put a hundred grand in the bank for you.” She looked up at him and started to protest, but he kissed her quiet. “You’ll need it until you have your own income. There is payroll to consider, stationary, paints, and other stuff I have no idea of, and other things you’ll need as you grow. I want you to do this right. That way when I retire from being mayor, you can support us both.”
“I’m terrified.” He nodded. “You have that much faith in me? What if I fail from the start? What if…I don’t know, I get sued for missing a deadline?”
“You’re much too detailed to miss a deadline. And you won’t fail simply because you want to make this work. And I hope you’re afraid. When you’re a little afraid, you’ll make sure that every detail is covered, all your contracts are met, and that you work hard for your client. And don’t tell me again that you’ll fail. Failure is not something you do. You make it work.”
“Your dad said the same thing to me when I started to panic at the meeting. He told me I was an Emerson and Emersons did not fail, nor did they act like babies with their thumbs in their mouth when things got tough. I love him for that.” Luke nodded. “How did you get so smart? From him?”
“No, my mom. She was the smartest woman I’d ever met when I was younger. She knew just the right thing to say, how to say it and when to say it. She told me when I mentioned I wanted to be an attorney that if I wanted to be a good one then I’d have to make sure that I stayed small enough to satisfy my clients, yet big enough to keep my dream alive. Then I met Slone.”
“Slone is scary put together. I’ve never met a woman who can come into a room and make everyone notice her without saying a word. And she can get you to do things….” Jack shivered. “She’s really nice but scary.”
“At one time she was as timid and terrified as you are. More so.” Jack remembered what she’d read about her as Luke continued. “She’s come a very long way in a short amount of time. You and her had a great deal in common, I think.”
Jack took it as a compliment to be thought of as her friend. As Luke held her she thought of all the things that were going to happen this week, and she couldn’t make herself get all that in a hurry to get things rolling. Being in Luke’s arms was like being bathed in the most wondrous warmth.
“I thought you’d like to know that Osborne Construction is out of business. As of this morning. The guys in my office found out all kinds of things the guy was into. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be gone for a long time, if not forever. Most of his employees are going to jail as well.” She wanted to ask him if anyone had asked about the men that Steward had taken out but didn’t. Jack listened as he told her about what things they’d found. “Slone, as the person he stole the most from, will get first dibs on whatever he had. He and his company owe her over ten million in unfulfilled contracts. She’s thinking of taking it all and paying what she can to the city for time and trouble.”
“I suppose your brother’s firm is going to take over the construction projects that were never finished.” He said they were already starting on them. “I’m glad. I’ve been thinking about the library and how much it needs to expand. Slone said that she’d put in for the enlargement of the building several years ago.”
“She did. Along with a few other things.” He continued to hold her. “I’d like very much to have a child with you. I know you want to wait and so do I, but not too much longer. I was thinking maybe by next Christmas, we could try.”
Jack knew nothing of children. She’d never changed a diaper for one, fed it a bottle, nor had she held one. Just thinking about it made her body tense up. But if he noticed, Luke never said a word.
“I guess we can. Maybe we can adopt.” He laughed. “I guess we’d have to adopt a cub or something, right?”
“No. We have human babies.” She hadn’t known that and it took a great deal of pressure off her mind. “I had thought that you’d ask about it instead of letting your mind make up all kinds of things that scared you.”
“I have no idea what to ask, much less who to ask.” He told her she could ask him anything. “Okay, Mr. Know-it-all. Because I’m not really a wolf, what will our kids be?”
“Children of ours.” She liked what he said, but it didn’t answer her question. But he continued before she could ask him again. “They might be half wolf and half human, just like you are. But maybe a little more wolf. I don’t know. Sometimes a child could be born and be as wolf as their sire. Or sometimes, not often but enough, they can be born as simply human. It’s rare but it happens.”
“So I have a fifty-fifty chance of just about anything.” He laughed and said that was right. She wondered if he really knew or was making shit up as he went along. The man could drive her nuts sometimes.
“Are you going to tell me?” She looked up at him when he spoke. “The name of your company. Are you going to tell me or do I have to wait for the sign to be printed?”
“Oh.” She was somewhat embarrassed by the name. She loved it. Jack had thought long and hard on it, but hadn’t told anyone yet.
“I thought Howling Advertising.” She watched his face. “I have the logo all set up to do. I have to get Hunter’s permission, of course, but I’m very tasteful about it.”
He still said nothing but stared at her. Jack pulled away and went to the notepad she’d brought in when they’d come down here for a late dinner. Handing him the drawing she’d thought to use, she told him where she’d gotten the idea for the picture.
“You and Hunter were running the other day. I was just coming out of the house and I watched you wrestle around for a bit before you sat down and bayed at the sky. It took me a few seconds to realize that you weren’t howling but baying. And at the moon.” She ran her finger over the small crescent moon that was just behind the head of the lone wolf. “You gave me so much that I wanted you to be a part of this if I could make it happen.”
“It’s beautiful.” His voice was soft, almost reverent. She wanted to ask him if he’d change it in any way, but she knew that he’d tell her no. Looking at the paper, she wondered if he saw what she’d done. Saw the small cubs, two of them tumbling around in the grass beside him. When she looked up at him, he leaned down and kissed her. Jack had never been loved before and was so glad that, after all this time, she had him as her first and true love.
“I love you.” He nodded and picked her up. “Are you going to toss me away? I got news for you. I’ll come back at you.”
“I’m in love with you too. And I’m going to take you to our room and show you. Several times. All night long.” She nodded and smiled at him. “And in the morning, I’m going to marry you. Right there in city hall where anyone who wants to come can join us.”
“I’d like that. Very much so.” He carried her up the stairs. “And so you know, I already invited Allen.”
He stopped moving and looked at her. Then he did the most extraordinary thing. He tossed her over his shoulder and ran up the stairs. She was already wet and ready for him before he threw her onto the bed.
Life was going to be a grand adventure from now on.
About the Author
Kathi Barton, author of the bestselling series Force of Nature, lives in Nashport, Ohio with her husband Paul. In addition to writing full time Kathi likes to spend time with her eight grandkids, three children and three children-in-laws. She writes to relax and have fun.
Her muse, a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Hugh Jackman brings them to life for her readers in a way that has them coming back time and again for more. Her favorite genre is paranormal romance with a great deal of spice. You can visit Kathi on line and drop her an email if you’d like. She loves hearing from her fans.
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