You are so easily won over, Martha shook her head.
Hex is trying to keep us safe, her cougar told her other side. I think there is more to those dreams than he has told us.
Martha nodded. Her cougar might be right. Her heart melted a little and the tension left her shoulders. She also had not factored in the death of his father. Maybe the circumstances around his death made Hex overprotective.
“So, this is where you live?” Hilda looked through the windshield at the large house nestled among the trees. To the right was a large group of buildings where men were still working even as the snow fell.
“This is Winter’s Sawmill,” Hex said proudly. He clapped his hands together as he switched off the ignition. “Shall we go inside and get warmed up?”
“I am not going to argue with that suggestion.” Martha smiled softly at her mate. She had no wish to argue with him at all, but she did want to talk to him. However, coffee and food, and warmth took priority, if not for herself but for her mom whose face looked pale and pinched despite the warmth of the interior of the truck cab.
“I’ll come around and help you out, Hilda.” His eyes twinkled as he emphasized her mom’s name.
You deserved that, her cougar said.
I know. Martha opened the truck door and slid down into the snow which was now ankle deep. She hung onto the truck door as the cold air took her breath away and snowflakes flew into her face. Letting go of the door with one hand, she covered her nose and her mouth and took a step forward.
“Are you all right’?” Hex called as he rounded the front of the truck. The snow had already covered his dark hair, turning it white.
“Yes.” She stepped forward and let go of the truck door to give him room to help her mom.
“Go to the house.” He pointed at the front porch and she nodded.
Forcing each foot forward through the snow, which clung to her boots, she made her way toward the sanctuary of the house.
Reaching out, she grabbed hold of the porch railing and hauled herself onto the first step, then the second. The shelter of the porch kept the worst of the snow off and shielded her from the wind. With a sob of relief, she took a deep breath and turned around to watch Hex as he half carried Hilda from the truck. He was so gentle with her but so strong as he climbed the porch steps. She could imagine him using the same gentle strength to carry their children and a wave of love hit her. He was a kind and caring man and if he had tried to make her agree to stay at home, it was because he cared, not because he thought she was weak.
As she watched, Martha sensed the presence of another person. A woman. Turning back toward the house, the door opened and a woman who resembled Hex beckoned them inside. “Come on, it’s freezing out there, you poor things.”
“Mom.” Hex grinned at his mom as he reached the porch and helped Hilda inside.
“I was so worried.” His mom stood back while the three of them walked wet slushy snow into the hallway.
“Sorry.” Martha looked down at the damp trail.
“Oh, I can soon clear that up. You don’t have three boys without getting used to cleaning up a trail of dirt.”
Martha stopped and removed her wet boots and coat and Hex’s mom hung them up to dry. Hilda had her coat off, but she was struggling with her boots. Martha crouched down and helped her undo the laces before easing them off her feet. “You’re frozen, Mom.”
“I’m okay,” Hilda put on a brave face but her teeth chattered as she stood in the hallway.
“Come through to the kitchen. I’ve made hot soup and the range oven keeps things nice and toasty in there.” Hex’s mom turned away from them and they followed her through to a large kitchen with a huge scrubbed wooden table in the center. “Sit. Sit, I’ll get the bowls.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Martha offered as she helped Hilda into a chair.
“No, you all sit down, it’s all ready.” Hex’s mom laughed. “I’ve spent the last hour fending off Mac and Joey. They could smell the soup and you know how boys like their food.”
“I’ll get the coffee,” Hex offered, moving around the kitchen and fetching mugs, pouring coffee into four. Then he stopped and hesitated before he took down two more mugs.
“Your brother is on his way in?” Hex’s mom asked.
“Yep.” He transferred the six mugs from the counter to the table before he did the same with a large loaf of fresh bread. “And Joey. He’s one of the guys who works here.”
“He’s like a replacement son, since one of mine has gone off backpacking around the world for a few months.” Sue glanced at Hex, but Martha could not read the look they shared. All she got was a sense of there being more to Hex’s brother going away than a desire to see the world.
“That sounds exciting,” Hilda said as she warmed herself next to the range.
“Beck always had a desire to travel,” Hex told Hilda. “A quiet life here never seemed to be enough for him.”
As he worked, Martha pushed her senses out further until she located the two men who were on the porch. Then they were in the house. Nerves fluttered in her stomach as she turned around to greet Mac. She couldn’t remember if she’d made a good impression on Hex’s brother when they met yesterday, it had all been a bit of a blur.
“Martha. And Hilda.” A tall, broad-shouldered man walked toward them a big smile on his face. “Joey, this is the woman who is going to tame my brother.”
“Hey!” Hex said. “Since when have I needed taming?”
Mac gave his brother a wicked smile. “I guess you have settled down lately, but oh, the stories I could tell.”
“Don’t!” His mom shot Mac a stern look and he closed his mouth while Hex glared at him. “Did you only have one child, Hilda?”
“I did,” Hilda replied.
“You’re a lucky woman,” Hex’s mom glanced around at her boys. “Maybe I should trade a couple of you in for a new horse to haul the logs down from the mountains.”
“You know you love us just the way we are,” Hex slipped his hand around his mom’s shoulders and kissed her cheek. “But if you had to choose, you’d choose me.”
Laughter erupted around her as Mac and Hex traded words. This was what Martha had to look forward to if they had a brood of children.
We cannot wait, her cougar said.
And she was right.
Chapter Fifteen – Hex
“That was delicious, Mrs. Winter.” Martha stood up from the table and helped Mac’s mom clear the dishes.
“Call me Sue, please.” Sue beamed at Martha. “I am so glad you and your mom are going to be joining this family. I have been outnumbered by boys for years.”
“It’s so great to meet you all.” Martha looked over her shoulder to where Mac and Joey were listening to Hilda talk about life in Cougar Ridge. “You have a lovely home. And you’ve raised a couple of good men.”
“I am proud of them.” Her face flushed pink as she watched her sons with pride. “Especially this one.” She beamed at Hex as he set the dishes down on the counter next to the sink.
“I don’t know Mac that well, and I can’t wait to meet Beck. So I’d have to agree that Hex is my favorite.” Martha leaned into Hex and he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“I’m happy you feel that way, I think,” Hex told her. “My mom has had to put up with a lot. I’m sure that raising three boys has been a challenge.”
“And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” Sue’s smile faded. “Since your father passed, I don’t know what I would’ve done without my children. You really pulled together to make things work.”
“So having three boys is a good thing.” Hex lowered his head and whispered in Martha’s ear. “Maybe we should try it?”
“I wouldn’t change a thing about my sons,” Sue told Martha, before she added, “I would’ve loved to have had a girl, though.”
“I don’t know that I’ve been easier to raise than your sons. I’ve given my mom plenty of t
rouble.” Martha took one more look at her mom who looked relaxed and healthy.
“How is she?” Sue asked quietly. “Any news from the hospital?”
“No, they think the infection should clear up in the next couple of days, but they couldn’t figure out the memory loss and confusion. Maybe the blood tests will give them more of an idea.” She gave a tight smile, but her mouth curled down at the corners.
“Oh, honey. We’re here for you.” Sue placed her hand over Martha’s. “And we’re here for your mom.”
“Thanks, it means a lot to have someone there.” She wiped away a tear.
“I don’t think you have to worry about your mom too much.” Hex glanced over his shoulder as Mac and Joey burst out laughing. “She’s got them eating out of her hand.”
“Mom certainly seems to be back to her old self,” Martha admitted. “I’d just love to know what was going on with her. The first night I could have put it down to the fever, but not last night.”
“Some things will always be a mystery.” Sue switched on the hot water and filled the sink. “We don’t always have the answers.” She glanced up at Hex as she spoke. “I can do this, why don’t you two go and spend some time alone.”
“No, we should help with the dishes,” Martha insisted.
“It won’t take me a minute to wash these and your mom is being entertained by Mac and Joey.” She lifted a soapy hand out of the sink. “Go. Mom’s orders.”
Hex grinned, kissed his mom on the cheek and took Martha’s hand. “I am an obedient son.”
Sue chuckled. “When it suits you.”
Hex winked at Martha. “Don’t listen to her, I’m always good.”
“No, that I do not believe, and you know you are not supposed to lie to your mate. Ever.” She wagged her finger at him as she followed him out of the kitchen and into the large family living room. “You have such a big house.”
“Mac has such a big house.” Hex went to the fire, poked it with the poker before adding more wood, while Martha looked at the photos on the wall. “As much as I love it here, we are going to need somewhere to live.”
“And as much as I love my childhood home, I want to live somewhere like this.” She peered out of the window at the snow-covered trees. “Somewhere out of town.”
“I’m not going to argue about that.” He stood up and came to stand next to her as she continued to stare out of the window.
“There is a dragon out there.” Martha pointed out of the window at a dragon carving. It was sheltered from the worst of the weather by the overhanging roof of the wood drying shed, but it still wore a cloak of snow.
“I carved it.” He put his hands on the windowsill and leaned forward, staring at the carving. “I used to carve wood with my chainsaw.”
“Used to? You don’t anymore?” Martha asked.
“Not really.” He shrugged. “I used to enjoy it but after I carved the dragon, nothing ever seemed worthwhile.” He glanced up at Martha. “But that might have changed, I would love to carve a cougar.”
She giggled nervously. “I don’t think I’ve ever modeled for anything.”
“I’m good,” Hex boasted, because who wouldn’t want to impress his mate? “The dragon is very lifelike.”
She punched him lightly on the arm. “What did I just say about not lying to your mate?”
“It’s the truth, his name was Rohm and he passed through here a few years ago. He worked in the sawmill for about a year. That’s when I carved him. Although, he was probably three times the size of the carving.”
“You’re joking.” Martha folded her arms and her heart beat rapidly.
Hex stood up and faced her. “No, it’s the truth.” He locked eyes with her wanting her to know he would never lie so openly to her, even in jest.
“Dragons are real?” her face paled.
“Yes.” He chewed the inside of his cheek. “I figured I should tell you now since there’s another dragon shifter who works a couple of shifts every once in a while.”
“He works here. At the sawmill?” Martha looked incredulous.
“Yes, you’ll meet him, I’m sure. Which is why I thought I’d tell you.” He reached out and touched her face. “There is magic in the world. That’s what I thought every time I saw the carving of the dragon or saw a dragon shifter. Now, it’s what I think when I look at you.”
“Smooth.” She slid her hands up his chest and laced her fingers together behind his neck. “Very smooth.”
“That’s a first.” He lowered his head and claimed her lips. Warmth spread through his body and he slipped his hand around to the small of her back and pulled her close, wanting to feel the nearness of her, the heat of her. And then he wanted to be closer to her to warm her body with his. Preferably in his bed.
But it was too early for bed. So he’d have to make do with stolen kisses.
His hands roamed her body, touching her, pressing his fingertips into her flesh as he pushed her arousal higher and higher. She clung to him as their kiss deepened and the world around them faded away. It was as if they were wrapped in a blanket of snow, albeit a warm one.
When the kiss finally ended, he was breathless and wanting more. “Maybe we should sneak upstairs.”
“I can’t leave my mom alone for too long. Your Mac and Joey have been great talking to her, but I’m sure they have work to get on with.” She slid her hands down onto his chest and rested her head against him. “Why didn’t you want me to go out in the snow?”
“What do you mean?” Hex asked before he recalled their earlier conversation in the truck. “Oh.”
“Yes, oh.” She stepped backward and looked up at him. “I can take care of myself.”
“I know.” Pain pierced his heart and for a moment he couldn’t breathe as water filled his lungs.
“Hex.” Martha took his hand and led him to the sofa where he sat down heavily. She sat beside him and rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. “Hex, what’s wrong?”
“The dream. My dream,” the words tumbled from his mouth.
“Where you drown?” she asked.
He inhaled deeply, fighting to control the panic inside. “I don’t think it’s me that drowns.”
Martha frowned as she looked at him. “I don’t understand.”
“I know. I’ll try to explain.” He sat up straight and wiped a tear from his eye.
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” She leaned into him as if trying to lend him her warmth, her courage.
Hex looked up at the family photos on the wall, searching for the picture of his mom and dad together, smiling as if they would always be that happy. Always be together. “My dad died when I was in college. He slipped and fell off a rock face. He’d climbed the same rock face so many times. It wasn’t even particularly high...”
“I’m sorry, I had no idea.” Martha slid her arm around his waist and hugged him. “That must have been extremely traumatic.”
She doesn’t understand, his bear told Hex. You have to tell her everything.
“Before it happened. For years before it happened...” Hex wasn’t sure if he could tell Martha the truth.
“For years before it happened, my mom had this recurring dream.” He sucked in air, forcing it into his lungs.
“Of falling?” Martha’s voice quivered. “She had a recurring dream of your dad’s death. Her mate’s death.”
“Yes,” Hex answered simply.
“Hex, we can’t live our lives in fear of something that might never happen.” Martha half-turned and cupped his face in her hands.
“But it’s so real.” He shook his head, wanting her to understand the pain and horror of drowning and yet hoping she would never, ever experience the sensation.
“It could just be a dream,” she tried to reassure him.
“It could.” He nodded. “Maybe if we just never visit the creek...”
“The creek. Do you mean Bear Creek? You know where it happens?” she asked in shock.
“I
know it’s the creek because as I go under the water, I can see the mountains above.” He took hold of her hand and sandwiched it between his own. “Sometimes I used to wonder if it would be better if I never met my mate. If I never met you then the dream could never come true.”
“How... How do you know it’s me?” she asked.
“Because...” Hex paused.
“Because of what happened to your dad?” Martha asked.
“Yes.” He nodded. “I know what you are going to say because Mac and my mom have had the same conversation with me over and over.”
“That if your mom hadn’t had a dream of falling and your dad hadn’t fallen to his death you would have written it off as just a dream?” Martha summed it up perfectly.
“Yes. I might have thought it was just a dream.” He frowned, it was hard to explain how, as much as he saw the dream as a curse, now that he’d met his mate it might be a blessing. “But what if it’s a warning, a chance to stop history from repeating itself?”
Martha stood up and dragged her hand through her hair. “This is...” She turned around to face him. “It’s easier to believe in dragons than it is to believe that you have relived my death over and over again.”
“I know. And I know this sounds crazy.” He hung his head, ashamed in some ways that he was putting her through this.
“No, not crazy.” Martha took hold of both of his hands. “I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I saw you die over and over again.” She pressed her lips together. “But I can’t live my life hiding away. Your dream is very specific. So what if I promised to stay away from the creek?”
Hex sighed and nodded. “Thank you.”
“In return, though, you have to stop thinking of me as a girl.” She nudged his stomach. “I’m as capable as you are. With most things at least.”
“Oh, I know,” He caught her in his arms and pulled her toward him. “But there is no way I can stop thinking of you as being a girl. Or a woman at least.” He pressed his lips to her neck, and she shivered in his arms. “Every time I look at you, I see the most incredible, the most beautiful woman.”
“You say the nicest things.” She turned her head and their lips met in a searing kiss that chased away the chill that had settled in his bones and in his heart as he spoke about losing her.
Hex Winter Shifter Seasons Page 11
