Summer Loving (5 page)

* * * *

Over the next half hour, they moved faster. Summer kept hoping that through the next bush or around the next bend in the nonexistent trail the dogs were leading her down they’d see someone. At this point she’d even settle for Red Riding Hood or one of the seven dwarfs.

The growling, snarling, and snapping caught her attention first. Pushing her way between yet another pair of bushes, she gasped as she stepped into a small clearing and into chaos. A trio of smaller dogs circled her wolfhounds, obviously defending the rights to their bounty which sat out of reach, high on a huge boulder on the other side of the clearing.

The little girl had her legs pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around them as she watched wide-eyed as the one then another charged her mates. Each time the big dogs chased their opponents back. Thankfully, the wild dogs were so focused on fighting that they didn’t notice her.

Summer stepped backward through the bushes again and slowly made her way around the clearing, trying to keep out of sight of the dogs that were growing more and more furious. When she had circled around so the boulder was between her and the fighting animals, she found an opening and stepped back into the clearing. Looking up, she couldn’t see the little girl they’d come to rescue.

“Havan?” She called softly, not wanting to draw attention to herself. “Are you Havan Fellows?”

“Are you here to take me back to my parents?” Havan looked over the edge of the boulder down at her.

Summer was taken at the dainty features and long dark brown hair before meeting the little girl’s eyes. They, too, were dark brown, but a gold ring right around the irises glinted. Havan waited for her to respond.

“Yes, honey, that’s exactly why we’re here,” Summer answered. “How did you get up there?”

“I’m really good at climbing. When those bad dogs showed up, I found some grooves in the rock over there and climbed up here.” Havan pointed to her left. “Are the brown dogs yours? They’re really big.”

Summer moved to where Havan had pointed and found what she’d been talking about. They were perfect for a little girl to use as a ladder, but too small for her hands and feet. “Yes, they’re all mine,” Summer said, a warm pride glowing in her heart.

The sounds of the angry dogs increased. There were several yelps of injured dogs and a rustling of bushes before silence descended on the clearing. A moment later Cole and Dawson appeared, panting and looking like they could use a rest.

“Havan, can you climb down now? The bad dogs are gone, and we need to get back before it gets dark,” Summer asked.

“Okay,” the little girl said.

As Havan climbed down the rock, Summer pulled collapsible water bowls out of the dogs’ packs and splashed water into them from one of the bottles in her pack. Then she pulled out four power bars. After giving one to Havan, she broke the others up, and she and Havan fed the pieces to the dogs while they shared another bottle of water.

“Are you ready to hike back?” Summer said as she and Havan cleaned up and repacked everything so they left no signs of their visit to the little clearing.

“Yes. I bet Mom and Dad are really upset,” Havan said as she took Summer’s hand, and they followed the dogs out of the clearing and back the way they’d come.

The return trip was slower, but Havan was a trooper and refused to ride one of the dogs, though she would have been no burden for them to carry. Summer tried using the cell phone several times before finally getting enough of a signal to call the staging area and let Gage know that they had found Havan and were on their way back.

After turning Havan over to Gage, Summer praised her dogs and they easily climbed into the back of the Hummer. She climbed into the driver’s seat and drove away before any of the crowd that had gathered realized they’d ever been there.

Several miles down the road she stopped the truck and looked in the backseat at the men who were struggling to pull on their clothes. “Are you two okay? No wild dog bites, scratches, or anything that needs stitches?”

“No, baby, we’re fine,” Dawson assured her.

Cole said, “You did beautifully. You kept Havan calm and moving and you didn’t freak out when you saw those wild dogs.”

“Yeah, well, somebody had better come up here and take over driving because I’m not sure I’m going to be okay for very much longer,” she said, fighting unexplainable tears that were pushing for release.

“Sure thing, baby. Why don’t you come back here with Cole and rest while I drive?” Dawson opened his door and climbed out.

He was around the car and opening her door before she could unfasten her seat belt. When she slid to the ground, her knees refused to hold her weight and buckled. Dawson caught her and swung her up into his arms.

He kissed her and hugged her close. “I’m so proud of you, baby,” he whispered as he stepped around the back door that Cole opened.

As soon as he set her down and released her, his brother moved in, pulled her onto his lap and kissed her as well. Summer didn’t fight to sit on the seat. She just relaxed into Cole’s embrace as Dawson climbed in and started driving. She didn’t pay attention to the surroundings as she listened to them talk quietly, and didn’t contribute to their conversation. She perked up when the subject turned to weddings, specifically their wedding and whether or not they should put it off until they were more settled in their lives together.

Lifting her head from Cole’s shoulder, she said, “If I get a vote, let’s go find a preacher right now.”

Her announcement stunned her mates into silence for a moment before they both turned to look at her.

“Are you sure, little one?” Cole asked. “We’d be fine getting married the day after tomorrow along with Spring, Winter, and our brothers, but we don’t want to push you into anything if you’re not absolutely certain.”

Summer smiled up at Cole then turned to Dawson. “I’m sure. I know we’ve only known each other a day, but this is right. I want to marry you both. I just hope Spring and Winter don’t get angry because they have to share their special day with us, too.”

“It will be our special day, too, baby. And I’m sure they won’t mind. After all, they’re mated as well, so they’ll understand.”

“My parents are going to shit purple puppies,” Summer said as she settled back against Cole’s chest. “Two daughters and a son all mated to shape shifters? Yep, purple puppies.”

The brothers laughed before Dawson said, “If they’re wolfhounds we’ll keep them, otherwise, your parents will have to take them home when they leave.”

Summer giggled. “Of course, all this is just talk until someone actually asks me to get married. I am not the kind of girl who will get married without a proper proposal from someone,” she said in a haughty Southern belle tone.

The brothers exchanged a glance and then began to laugh. “We’ll think about it,” they said in unison.

By the time the Hummer’s headlights illuminated a “Welcome to Sanctuary” sign, Summer was fighting to stay awake and was having a hard time sitting still. In addition to needing to pee and to find something to fill the yawning chasm her stomach had become, she couldn’t wait to see her new home. The thought of meeting the rest of her mates’ family brought a feeling of anxiety rather than excitement. She hoped that with Bridget on her side, the rest of the family would accept her easy enough.

Dawson parked next to the big green van. “Welcome to Sanctuary, baby.”

“Yes, little one, welcome to your new home.”

Summer gave Cole a quick kiss before crawling from his lap. A minute later she jumped from the backseat. Once on the ground, she began to bounce, nature demanding she answer its call ASAP. Cole and Dawson followed her out of the Hummer, then moved to the trunk.

“Everyone will no doubt be in the Wash House, so go on up. We’re going to toss these in the van and will be right behind you,” Cole said with an encouraging smile as he pulled the two dog harnesses from the back of the Hummer.

Summer nodded then turned and started up the wide, well-marked path.

* * * *

Once she was out of earshot, Dawson looked at his brother. “So, how are we going to do it?”

“Do what?” Cole asked as he opened the back of the van and climbed in.

“Propose to Summer. She wants a proper marriage proposal. What the hell do we know about proposing?” Dawson handed the harnesses to his brother, who stowed them in the built-in cabinet with the others.

“I think we should let her stew for a bit. Anticipation will make the proposal special no matter how much we might screw it up,” Cole said as he climbed out of the van and closed the door.

“Huh?”

“I’ll explain it to you later. For now, our mate is waiting for us,” Cole said as he picked up one suitcase and a large shopping bag.

Dawson picked up their bags and followed his brother up the path.

* * * *

Summer looked around, impressed at the wide variety of the architecture that this little valley held. The first house she passed was an ornate peach-colored Victorian with dark green, blue, and white trim. Its wraparound porch and three-story circular tower were detailed with gingerbread trim. It brought to mind some of the historic houses she’d seen in Savannah and Charleston when she’d worked there for a short time just after college.

The next building was a three-story red barn type of building that reminded her of the modern hunting lodge in the mountains of France where she’d spoken to a conference on world hunger. She’d spent the entire time in meetings and never got to walk the grounds or see what other amenities the lodge offered other than a spacious conference room, room service, and her small guest room with Internet connection so she could keep her boss informed of her progress.

The sign on the front of this building declared this to be “The Wash House.” Stopping on the wide deck to wait for her mates, Summer turned and studied the rest of the buildings built along the path that circled around a huge flourishing garden to end up back at the parking lot.

There were three log cabins with wide front porches. The first was silvered with age as if it might be the valley’s original homestead. The other two were twice as large and looked decades newer. These log houses looked like they actually belonged in this mountain hideaway.

The last building sat further away from the others and seemed completely out of place. The two-story stone castle with a flat roof and four squared turrets brought to mind some of the stone keeps and small castles she’d seen in Ireland and Scotland on the last long vacation she’d taken just before starting her current job. The big difference between this one and those were the satellite dishes and antennas that topped one of the turrets. In a moment of whimsy, Summer thought the castle looked like a squat silver and gray alien.

“So, what do you think?” Dawson asked as they joined her on the deck.

Summer took one last look around before facing her mates. “I think I understand why the first Sullivan men settled here. It’s beautiful, peaceful and everything a home should be.”

Her men smiled their approval of her assessment before Cole opened the door. “Time to meet the rest of the family, little one.”

“Is there somewhere I could clean up and pee?”

“Sure,” Cole said as he put down the bags he carried. “We can sneak in the back door and use the locker room before the rest of the clan realizes we’re here.”

Taking her hand he led her down off the deck then around the big building. The backside of the building faced the forest. A third of the way down the building, Cole stopped at a door in the wall. It turned silently, and he pulled the door open with only a slight squeak of the hinges.

“Just inside on the left,” he said, kissing her temple as she passed in front of him.

“Thanks.” She paused to turn and return the kiss. “I shouldn’t be too long.”

“Take your time, little one.”

After answering nature’s call, Summer looked in a mirror and gasped. She looked rumpled and windblown, like she’d just walked out of the back country after roughing it for months. Washing her hands and then her face, she realized that’s exactly what she’d done. She’d spent months without a mirror or makeup other than sunscreen and never missed it. As she ran her fingers through her hair to try and comb some order into it, she wished she had something available to help her show her men that she wasn’t the plain-Jane woman they’d seen for the last two days.

But they’d seen her, claimed her, and had talked about marrying her without the benefit of artifice, so why did she want to start now? After all, she never really had gotten the hang of putting on makeup so that it looked flawless and natural. Better to just go as they’d begun, fresh-faced and with a smile.

Running her fingers through her hair one last time, she giggled as a leaf floated to the floor. “Oh yeah, you’re a real prize,” she told the woman in the mirror. “But it doesn’t matter. They’re going to love you anyway.”

Finally, having done everything she could to make herself look presentable, Summer left the safety of the large, airy locker room. Cole waited in the hall just outside the door, looking a little nervous.

“You okay?”

“I’m tired, hungry, and would like another shower, but I’m fine,” she answered before turning and heading down the short hall to the main room, once again overwhelmed by curiosity.

“Well, let’s go find something for dinner,” Cole followed closely, bumping into her when she suddenly stopped to look around. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling on her face.

The corner by the front door was what appeared to be a library. Bookcases lined two walls and were filled to capacity with books. Several comfortable-looking chairs in burgundy and navy waited for someone to curl up on them and spend the afternoon reading. Each chair had a small table next to it with a reading lamp.

The center of the room contained what looked like a bar, but when she got closer, she recognized the tools of a fully stocked coffee bar, complete with everything that would make any coffee drinker happy.

The kitchen sat at the opposite end of the huge room that took up the entire main floor except for the two locker rooms where they stood. The kitchen was separated from the dining area by a counter with a half dozen stools. There was a dining area with a long table in the center and a half-dozen tables around the edge of the area with a black and white tile floor. The large dining table was painted black while the smaller ones were painted a deep barn red.

Next to the dining area was a living room. The floor was covered with dark gray carpet, with several couches, recliners, and overstuffed chairs in gray and blue denims. All the seating was angled to face a large flat-screen television that covered the wall over the fireplace. Since it was summertime, the fireplace stood empty.

To her right stood a line of stainless-steel washers and dryers with tables for folding laundry. The area just to her left was curtained off.

Looking up, Summer found the ceiling in the center of the room soared up two stories above her head. Taking three steps into the room, she saw second and third floor balconies that ran around three sides of the room. She counted ten rooms on each floor.

“Wow, it’s got everything,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder at Cole.

“We like to think so. And whatever it doesn’t have that you might want, we’ll figure out how to bring it here for you. We want you to be happy here, sweet Summer. Now, are you ready to meet the rest of the family while we eat dinner?”

Summer took a deep breath, but the vultures flying around in her stomach were making her nauseous. Shaking her head, she looked up at him. “Would they think us horrible if we didn’t join them? I’d rather be alone with my mates right now.”

Cole wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gave her a hug. “Whatever you want, little one. The family can wait until morning to meet you, but you need to eat something.”

“What’s wrong?” Dawson asked, moving in to press gently against Summer’s backside.

“She’s tired and hungry and needs her mates, not a family dinner. Can you get something from the kitchen for dinner while we go upstairs and get a shower?”

Dawson nodded. “I’ll take care of everything.”

“Thank you,” Summer said, looking over her shoulder. “And if you could bring some juice, too?”

Dawson brushed a kiss at her temple. “No trouble, baby. You and Cole get cleaned up, and I’ll be up with food in a few minutes.”

With that, Dawson walked away and Cole escorted her to the third floor. By the time they reached it, Summer’s pussy overflowed, though her entire body was telling her that jet lag had caught up with her.

Once they were in a bedroom with a king-size bed, Cole stopped and looked at her. “You’re exhausted,” he said, cupping a hand around one side of her face.

Summer nodded as her lips trembled. “I’m sorry. I want you, but…”

“But jet lag has caught up with you, and we pushed you way too hard today with shopping and then a long hike in the woods,” Cole finished when she couldn’t.

She nodded again and was surprised when he stepped close and hugged her. “It’s okay, little one. We have the rest of our lives to worship your delicious body.”

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

He stripped them both and led her to the shower. She was surprised when he washed her quickly and completely, ignoring the erection that occasionally brushed against her. He then quickly washed himself before getting them out and drying them off. Grabbing a clean T-shirt, he helped her into it before leading her out of the bathroom.

Dawson was waiting for them with a plate of sandwiches and three glasses of orange juice. They settled on the bed and ate without talking, but it was a comfortable silence. Afterwards, while Dawson jumped in the shower and Cole carried their dishes back downstairs, Summer curled up in the middle of the bed and fell asleep.