Wolf on a Mission: Salvation Pack, Book 6 (6 page)

“Can we go down to the creek?” he asked.

Sue knew she was going to have problems with Billy because of his meeting with Sage and Reece. When she’d arrived at Mrs. Beecham’s, she’d discovered her son had been regaling her with tales of the doggy he’d met.

She was just grateful he hadn’t told Mrs. Beecham he’d met a wolf. That would have led to all sorts of problems. Thankfully, Sue had been able to deflect concern by assuring Mrs. Beecham it had simply been a man, his nephew and their dog camping in the area.

“Doggy.”

Sue turned at Billy’s shout. Sure enough, Reece trotted down the path with Sage right behind him. Elias brought up the rear. Both men were carrying fishing poles and gear and Elias was also toting a cooler.

She didn’t know if she was happy or dismayed to see them.

Billy took off running toward Reece. Before she could warn him not to charge at the animal, Reece sat and allowed Billy to practically tackle him.

“Billy. You have to be gentle. You don’t want to hurt, Reece, do you?” Not that she thought her young son was capable of hurting such a large, powerful creature. No, her goal was to try to teach her son some caution.

“Sorry.” Billy released Reece and carefully petted the wolf’s head. Darned if the animal didn’t seem to be grinning at her.

“What are you doing here?” She didn’t mean to be quite so short, but she’d just gotten home from work and was tired. She also had to make dinner for her and Billy.

Sage frowned and then motioned to the cooler. “We’ve been fishing and thought you might like some. To say thank you. You know. For the cookies.”

Really, it wasn’t fair the way Sage could melt her heart. Maybe it was because she had a young son, but she could easily picture Sage at Billy’s age, and just as easily imagine her son as a teenager.

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you.”

“You just got home from work, didn’t you?” Elias was frowning as he addressed her for the first time.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry,” Sage added. “I didn’t think about that.” He turned to his uncle as if seeking answers or assurance.

Elias shrugged. “I didn’t stop to consider that either, and I should have.” He held up the cooler. “I can leave your share of the fish with you if you’d like. Or—” he glanced toward the yard, “—you have a barbecue. We can clean and cook the fish for you.”

Billy tugged on the hem of her skirt. “Please, Mom.”

She knew she was being manipulated, but she was too darn tired to care. She also couldn’t help the small spurt of joy that welled up inside her at seeing Elias again. Plus, there was no denying the joy that being around Reece gave her son.

“Okay. Tell me what you need and I’ll get it.” She still wasn’t comfortable inviting them into her home. “I need to get changed out of my work clothes.”

“Foil wrap, salt, pepper and some lemon, if you have it.”

“I can handle that.” She took Billy by the hand. “Come on, champ, let’s get everything we need. I’ll put some potatoes in the microwave too.” Considering they were cooking and had provided the fish, it was the least she could do.

“Sue.” Elias waited until she met his gaze. “We can leave if you want us to. I didn’t mean to intrude on your life like this.”

He might not have intended it, but he had invaded her life in a big way. Fortunately for all of them, she didn’t mind. At least not too much.

Ignoring the voice in the back of her head that warned her she was getting too involved with a stranger who would be gone in a few more days, she headed toward the house. “I won’t be long.” Suddenly, she wasn’t feeling nearly as tired as she’d been only moments before.

Chapter Six

Elias frowned as he watched Sue enter the house. She looked tired. He realized he had no idea about her life, what she did for a living or what problems she might be dealing with. It was unfair of him to use her as a distraction from his own problems.

“Should we go?” Sage asked. Elias read the concern in the boy’s face.

He shook his head. “No. We’ll make them a nice meal and we won’t overstay our welcome.”

Sage nodded and took the cooler from him. Reece stayed close as they headed toward the barbecue. Elias took one last look at the closed door and followed. Sage already had the cover off the barbecue and had turned on the gas to allow it to heat.

Elias set the cooler down and opened it. A dozen fish were waiting to be gutted, filleted and cleaned. They’d filled the cooler with water from the stream to keep the fish cool and fresh.

He pulled a knife out of his back pocket, opened it and began the process of getting the fish ready to cook. Sage sat on the ground beside him and watched.

“You can help, if you’d like,” Elias offered.

“No, that’s okay. You’re doing a great job.” Sage grinned and shoved Reece aside as the large wolf crowded next to him.

“Smartass,” Elias muttered, but he couldn’t deny the spurt of happiness inside him. It was so unusual for Sage to kid around with him, especially since the death of his parents. Elias took it as a good sign.

He finished cleaning the final fish and set it with the others on the cover of the cooler. “I’m going down to the stream to get rid of the fish guts and wash out the cooler.” He stood and headed off. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”

“Why do you always feel the need to tell us that every time you leave?”

“You figure it out.” He grinned as Sage’s laughter followed him down the path.

Sue yanked off her skirt and blouse and pulled on a pair of walking shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt. It wasn’t that she was getting dressed up, she assured herself. She was simply changing into something more comfortable.

“Hurry, Mom.” Billy stood by her bedroom window, peering out into the backyard.

“They’re not going anywhere,” she reassured him. Worry ate at her as she sat on the side of the bed and pulled on a pair of canvas sneakers. Billy was getting very attached to Elias, Sage and, most especially, Reece.

“Billy, come here.” She waited while he reluctantly tore himself away from the window. He walked over to stand in front of her. His blond hair was like hers, as were his eyes. He was growing up fast, was still so young, but life had already dealt him several horrible blows.

“You know that Elias and his nephew are only visiting the area, right?”

“And Reece,” he reminded her.

“And Reece. They’re going to go home soon.”

Billy scuffed the toe of his sneaker into the carpet. “Why can’t they stay?”

The underlying sadness in her son’s voice brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them back and swallowed several times. It wasn’t easy with the lump in her throat. “This isn’t their home. They’re only on a holiday.” She placed her hands on his thin shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. “That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends with them, but friends can’t always stay.”

“Like your friend Anny,” he added. Her son was way too wise for his tender years.

“Yeah, like Anny. She had to go away, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still love her.” Anny still remembered Billy’s birthday and every holiday even though she no longer lived there. Sue knew she could pick up the phone and talk to her friend, but it simply wasn’t the same. She’d been through so much the past two years. She’d needed her friend by her side, could have used the moral support. She didn’t begrudge Anny whatever peace and happiness she might have found in her new life. She’d been through a lot as well.

Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.

Billy nodded, grabbed her hand and tugged on it. “Can we go now?”

Sue laughed and tousled his hair. “Sure, buddy. Let’s get what we need from the kitchen.”

Billy raced to the kitchen with her following close behind. She’d washed and dried the potatoes and then tossed them into the microwave before she’d gone in to change, so they were already cooking. She got out a tray and put the salt and pepper shakers and a roll of aluminum foil on it. “See if we have any lemons.”

Billy opened the fridge and gave a crow of triumph. “Two.” He carried them over and held them up. She took the two lemons from him, bent down and kissed his nose.

“That’s great. Now close the refrigerator door.” Billy often forgot to do that, so she had to keep an eye out. With the produce drawer not closed all the way, the door wouldn’t shut.

While he hurried to do that, she washed the lemons. Billy stood at the back door and watched Sage and Reece while she thinly sliced both lemons. She couldn’t see Elias anywhere in sight and wondered where he’d gone.

Now that she was away from him, she could admit how handsome he was even wearing a pair of old faded jeans and a plain white T-shirt.

“Hurry, Mom.”

She had to smile at Billy’s impatience. Not much had excited her son over the past few months. “I’m coming.” She grabbed the tray. “Get the door for me, will you?”

Billy opened the door and held it wide while she carried the tray. The door slammed behind her when he released it. Then he bounded down the stairs toward Reece. The wolf stepped between Billy and the barbecue, almost as if he knew it was dangerous to an exuberant young boy. Honestly, she’d never seen a more intelligent animal in her life.

“I can take that.” Sage had the tray out of her hands before she’d even realized he was there. He set it down on the patio table in the yard.

“Thanks. Where did your uncle go?” she asked.

Sage glanced toward the path. “He cleaned the fish and went to get rid of the guts and clean out the cooler.”

Sue wrinkled her nose. “Sorry I asked.”

Sage laughed. “I’m sorry if we imposed on you. It was my idea. I just wanted to thank you for the cookies. They were great.”

She was touched by the gesture. “You’re very welcome. I appreciate the meal of fresh fish.”

Sage pulled out a large piece of foil and began to put two trout on it. He seasoned them and then added the lemon slices before wrapping them up. He repeated the process until all the fish were in foil packets. It was obvious he’d done this before.

“Do you camp often?” she asked.

Sage nodded. “Sure. We used to go with our folks all the time.”

The use of past tense made her hesitate to pry further.

He glanced her way and his eyes were sad. “They died.”

“I’m so sorry.” That had to have been rough on both him and Elias.

Sage put six foil packages on the barbecue and closed the lid. “Me too. They were killed in a car accident.”

Reece whined and walked over to stand beside Sage. Sue hadn’t realized that Billy was close enough to hear their conversation.

“My grammy and grandpa died too,” Billy offered.

Sage crouched down so he was more on Billy’s level. “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s tough, isn’t it?”

Billy nodded and stuck his thumb in his mouth. He’d started doing that after her mother died and only did it when he was under a lot of stress.

“They wouldn’t want you to be sad,” Sage said. “They loved you, so they’d want you to be happy.”

Sue wanted to hug the young man who was so wise for his age, so very giving and empathetic as well. She reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Reece broke the sad tension by giving a deep
woof
and trotting over to lick Billy’s face. Her son broke out in peals of laughter. That quickly, his sorrow was forgotten. She envied him the resilience of youth.

After the wolf scampered off with her son in pursuit, Sage stood once again.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” she told him again. “I never meant to bring up such a deeply personal subject.”

Sage nodded. “It’s okay.” He stared out into the trees. “From the sound of things, you know what it’s like to lose your parents too. Does it get any easier?”

She wished she knew what to say to make his pain lessen. “Honestly, I don’t know. I was lucky enough to have my parents longer than you had yours. My mom died of cancer. It happened fairly quickly. My father was never the same. He had a massive heart attack and died soon after. We lived with them, so it was hard on Billy.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Sage offered.

“And I’m so sorry for yours.” It was tough to imagine him losing his parents so suddenly on the cusp of adulthood. He might be bigger than her, but she couldn’t help the swell of maternal emotions she felt toward him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. “I’m glad you have your uncle.”

He leaned down and rested his head on top of hers. “Me too.”

Elias stood just out of sight but well within hearing. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the conversation had seemed so intense he hadn’t wanted to interrupt. He knew Reece was listening too. Sometimes it was hard to tell if their enhanced hearing was a blessing or a curse.

So Sue and her son had known great loss as well, and recently. No wonder she felt such deep empathy for Sage. Elias began walking again, making enough noise on purpose so Sue would hear him.

Sure enough, she pulled away from Sage just as he rounded the turn. Sage was more reluctant to let her go but dropped his arms back by his side.

“Fish on?” he asked.

Sage nodded. “Yeah, it won’t take too long.”

“I’m going to check the potatoes and get some drinks. I have lemonade, milk and water,” she offered.

“Milk, please.” Sage opened the barbecue, checked on the packets of fish and then closed the cover again. Sue nodded and hurried into the house.

Elias set the cooler down by their gear and went to his nephew. He rubbed his hand over the boy’s back. “You okay?”

Sage nodded. “Yeah.”

Knowing Sage didn’t want to talk about it right now, Elias left well enough alone. He felt bad for Reece. The boy could use some mothering and a hug as well, but he was stuck in his wolf form. Not that he was doing so badly. Young Billy had Reece in a choke hold he was hugging him so tightly. Reece didn’t look as though he minded at all.

“I’ll be right back,” he told Sage. “Keep an eye on things.”

“Will do.”

Elias nodded and went up the back steps, opened the door and stepped into Sue’s home. She was pouring drinks at the kitchen counter and frowned when he entered.

“Was there something you needed?” She stopped what she was doing and stiffened.

Elias held up his hands, wishing she trusted him more. And that wasn’t fair to her considering she’d only met him last night. “I just wanted to say thank you.” He motioned with his head to Sage.”

Her shoulders deflated. “You heard?”

“Yeah.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “It’s been tough on them.”

“Them?” she frowned.

Shit, he had to watch his mouth before he gave too much away. “Sage and Reece.”

Sue was still frowning, but she nodded.

“It was a multi-car pileup on slippery roads last winter. My brother managed to stop his vehicle, but the one behind him didn’t stop and drove him into a fuel tanker. The explosion killed them instantly.”

Sue went white and put her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.”

Elias wanted to go to her, wanted to take her in his arms. Not just to comfort her but to comfort himself. “It was so unexpected. Sage lost both parents at the same time.”

“That poor child.”

Elias winced, and hoped Sage couldn’t hear them. Because of the heat, the windows were open, so it was possible he was listening to everything. Elias cursed the lack of privacy.

“Yeah, anyway, I thought this trip would be good for them. For him,” he corrected.

“He’s lucky to have you.” Sue finished pouring milk into a glass. “What do you want to drink?”

“Water is fine with me.”

He waited until she was finished getting the drinks, dishes and cutlery together, then he helped her carry everything back outside. Reece and Sage were both playing with Billy. The young boy’s laughter rang across the yard. Elias went to the barbecue and turned off the gas.

“The heat will finish cooking the fish. How much longer for the potatoes?”

Sue checked her watch. “Not long. They’ll be ready when the fish is.”

“Time to play.” He went over to the boys and roughhoused with Reece before turning his attention to Sage and Billy. He slapped Sage on the back. “Tag, you’re it.”

Watching a grown man play tag with his teenage nephew, his pet wolf and her young son filled Sue’s heart to overflowing. It was the last thing she would have expected from a big, tough, handsome man like Elias, but it seemed so natural.

She wasn’t being fair to him, basing her assumptions of his character through the lens of her ex. William Walsh was handsome, but he was also self-centered and had no depth of character. She couldn’t imagine her ex playing tag with her son, or taking him camping and fishing for that matter. And she certainly couldn’t see him taking on the responsibility of his nephew after the sudden death of his brother and sister-in-law. No, Elias was nothing like William. There was a lot more to him than just his rugged, handsome looks.

Not that it mattered in the long run. He would be leaving soon.

Sue hurried inside and checked the potatoes. She poked several with a fork to see if they were cooked all the way through. They were cooked, so she pulled them out of the microwave and put them in a bowl. She hoped they would be enough.

Knowing Sage loved cookies, she pulled out the two-dozen she had in the freezer and set them on the counter. By the time they were finished eating the cookies would be thawed. She took the time to start a pot of coffee brewing before she gathered up the bowl with the potatoes and the platter with the butter and sour cream.

Elias was at the door by the time she got there. He opened it and took the bowl from her. “Is that everything?” he asked.

She nodded. “Time to eat,” she called out to the boys. She hurried to the table and set down the platter, desperately trying to hide her reaction to Elias. Honestly, the man looked good enough to eat.