“And this bride doesn’t need a stripper. I can get Archer to do that for me and I’d enjoy it far more. But I do want a bachelorette party, just not the normal run of the mill type. Come up with something good.”
“Oh, I will.” Dixie rubbed her hands together. “No strippers, no normal party.”
“You said you had something for Penny. Why don’t you show her now?” Leslie waved at Ethan.
Ethan rose and left. He returned with a bright purple box and handed it to her. Dawson lifted her plate away as Griffin took her glass. She put it down and ran her hands over the cool, smooth paper.
“Open it.” Chloe rubbed her hands together.
Penny smiled. She slid her finger under one corner of the paper and opened one end before tearing the paper. Her heart beat faster as she ran her fingers over the smooth tape on the top of the box. What did they have in here?
She found an edge and freed the tape. Her heart pounded. She opened the flaps. An envelope sat on top. Ethan plucked that off.
“Look inside first.” He held the card and looked down at her.
She peeled back a layer of tissue paper and bubble wrap and pulled in a deep breath. Light glinted off green glass. She touched the cool surface of emerald glass. Her breath caught. So pretty. It had been so long since she’d done any glass work. She dug further into the box. Red, blue, purple, yellow. She had her very own rainbow.
“I know you have more in storage, but you should have something you love to do while we’re here. Dawson remembered the brand of cutter and we found a lot of what you needed.” Ethan handed her the envelope.
Penny swallowed around the lump in her throat. So thoughtful. With the stalker, she’d hadn’t touched her glass in months.
“Now, you’ll be able to start creating again.” Chloe frowned.
“I do love it. It helps me relax.” She opened the envelope.
She pulled two white cards from it. The front had her name on it. She flipped open the first.
We love you, peaches.
So you can be as comfortable in our new home as we are. This card entitles you to six room changes without prior notice or any yelling from us. Nesting instances do not count. Show us the card and we’re good.
Warmth swelled through her. She blinked away tears. They loved her.
“I love you, too.” She reached out and ran her hand over Ethan’s cheek. “You three are so getting lucky tonight.”
“What’s it say?” Leslie leaned forward.
“You can read it, but I need that back.” Penny handed her friend the card and flipped open the other.
Penny, what you like is important to us.
When we get around to the plans for the house, a craft room will be on the list. But we’re still negotiating about the pool.
Penny laughed. “I think the plan about the slide from the treehouse is a good idea. Perhaps, we could build a hot tub inside a pool house. Your gym has a great indoor pool that we can use during the winter.”
“Hot tub, indoor pool?” Chloe raised a brow.
She held up the card and waved it in the air. “They’re giving me a craft room in the new house and we’ve talked about a pool recently.”
“An indoor pool has some benefits.” Dixie pursed her lips. “You’ve got some keepers.”
“I definitely do.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Penny took a sip from her water bottle as she stopped next to the reception counter. “What’s next, Angie?”
“You’ve got a puppy in room three for its first shots, check up, and it will be staying for a neuter.” Angie looked down at the screen. “There’s a cat in for yearly shots and we have a dog coming in to check on if his leg is set properly. The cat I’ll put in four. Dog number two hasn’t arrived yet.”
Penny nodded. “All right, I’ll head to room three.”
Penny took a deep breath. Another long day almost finished. Freaking Durwood. No one made him sell a partnership in his practice. Why did he have to make it difficult for everyone? Finding a vet to hire would take a while. She couldn’t offer a chance to buy into the practice as incentive. And who knew when the wolves would find someone for their part of the practice.
She straightened her shoulders and headed for room three. Smile and look energetic. She brushed her hand down the leg of her scrubs. All right, let’s get on with this so I can go home with Dawson.
“Good afternoon.” She glanced down at her tablet. “I understand Puddles is here for his shots, checkup and neuter.”
The brown-haired man looked up and smiled. “Yes.”
The thin, brown-haired man lifted a carrier onto the examination table. He opened the gate and pulled out a small black dog. He put the pup on the table.
“Well, hello, Puddles.” She glided her hand over the dog’s back before she pulled out the stethoscope to check his heart and lungs.
She ran her fingers through the pup’s hair and frowned. Gray hair dotted the muzzle. The man shuffled and his shoes clicked on the tile. She looked up.
The man stepped around the examination table. She let go of the dog. What the hell is he doing?
He lunged for her. One of his hands brushed her shoulder. The other hit her throat. The force pushed her back against the counter. Her heart slammed into a faster beat. Oh, fuck.
He gripped her throat with both hands. Her chest tightened and dots flashed in front of her eyes. The pressure increased. Her heart raced and a surge of energy slammed through her. Claws burst from the tips of her fingers. She scored them across his shoulders and chest. He yelled and stumbled away. She drew in a gasping breath.
She grabbed a glass canister from the counter and lobbed it at him. It smashed against the wall near his head. Dog treats littered the floor along with bits of broken glass. “Bastard!”
The man ran at her again. He shoved her against the counter. The edge dug into her back. Pain flared up her back. She slashed her claws down his arm and shoved him back. He stumbled, but came at her. His fist swung at her head. She flinched back. His knuckles slammed into her chin. Light exploded in front of her eyes. She stumbled and hit the cabinet.
The door burst open. Dawson rushed into the room. His eyes locked on the man and he leapt. He slammed into the man. After they crashed to the floor, the man squirmed away.
Dawson grabbed the man as he scrambled to his feet. His fist slammed into the man’s jaw. A low growl rolled through the room. The man’s clenched fist jabbed into Dawson’s ribs. Dawson’s breath whooshed out, but he slammed the man onto the ground.
Fuck, I should do something. She clenched her fists. Getting into the middle of the fight would cause more trouble and distract Dawson. She pulled out her phone. She could call for help and if that man hurt Dawson, she’d rip him apart.
“What’s your emergency?” A female voice droned out on the phone.
“A man’s attacked me. I’m at Animal’s Plus Veterinary Clinic.” Penny stepped back as the men rolled over toward her.
“Is he still there?” the woman asked.
“He’s fighting with Dawson.” Penny eased around the examination table. I need to stay out of the way. If I fall on them, it might distract Dawson.
Dawson flipped the man onto his back and punched him twice. The man collapsed onto the tile floor. A small noise at the door drew Penny’s attention. Angie stood in the doorway, a hand over her mouth.
“I think Dawson just knocked him out.” Penny clutched her phone.
“Do you know the man who attacked you?” the operator asked.
Penny frowned and leaned over the table. “No, I can’t remember seeing him before today.”
“That’s your stalker, Penny. His scent was in your house and our house.” Dawson straightened, but he remained close to the man.
“Dawson says the man is the one who’s been stalking me. His scent is the same.” Penny balled her free hand into a fist. Even though it was him, she still knew nothing.
“Did you file reports on thos
e instances?” the operator asked.
“Yes, we did.” Penny glanced at the unmoving man. Far too many reports. How many of those had he done? The women had been responsible for at least two.
“Good,” the woman said. “Officers are on the way.”
Penny took a deep breath. Fuck. Is this really over?.
Penny stayed on the phone with the woman until the police arrived. Once they did officers secured the scene and separated her, Dawson, and the stalker. The clients and staff were taken out of the office after the dog the man had used to get into the office was put in a kennel in the back. They’d taken pictures of her neck and her hands.
She stood by the cop car and waited to be interviewed. Her hand clenched. Is this all over finally?
“Hi, Penny, how are you doing?” John strolled up to her.
“A little nervous, a little afraid to believe it might be over, finally.” She took a deep breath and looked up at him.
“It’s him. Why don’t you tell me what happened?” John leaned a hip against the car.
“I thought he was a client. Well, a real client. He brought in a dog that he said was a puppy to get his first shots, check up, and neutered.” Penny exhaled. She looked at the clinic. Why had he come in person this time?
“You don’t think the dog’s a puppy?” John frowned.
“There were a couple signs. The dog had gray hairs on its muzzle and his eyes have a clouded look usually seen in older dogs. Not to mention the face itself looked a little adult for a puppy. He could have an eye condition, but with the gray hairs and the lengthened muzzle, I started to wonder. By that time, he came at me.” Penny shuddered and reached up to her throat.
“You’ve got a nice bruise there.” John nodded. “Ethan and Griffin will be pissed about that.”
“They might not if this is really the end of the stalker situation.” Penny grimaced.
“It’s the one who broke into your house, but we’ll have to connect some dots and make sure he wasn’t working with anyone else.” John looked down at his tablet. “Do you know the name Tom Collins.”
“Other than the cocktail, no, I’ve never heard of him.” She shook her head.
“Do you know of a company by the name Total Tech? It’s some kind of computer company.” He touched his tablet.
“That I know. Doctor Durwood had a contract with them to service the computer equipment here.” She drew in a deep breath. So, that’s where she came into contact with the stalker.
“Yeah, you probably encountered him here.” John nodded. “Tell me the rest and I’ll let them send Dawson over before he tries to go through my officer.”
She glanced over and saw Dawson looking at her. “He came at me and choked me. I clawed him and he wrenched away. I threw a jar at him and yelled at him. He came at me. I pushed him, dug my claws in, and hit him. Then Dawson was there. He tackled him. They rolled around and Dawson finally knocked him out.”
“All right, I’ll be in touch when we learn more about this. This is good news, but don’t fully relax yet.” John lifted his hand.
Dawson ran over to her. He wrapped her in his arms.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Everything’s set. All we need to do is wait on Penny and let her shower and change before we take her back to the room.” Ethan nodded.
“I called and she said she’d be on her way home soon.” Griffin smiled. “While she’s in the shower, Dawson and I will close the curtains in the room and light the candles.”
“It shouldn’t be difficult to get everything plated up and in the room before she’s out. I’ll wait in the bedroom for her after I bring those in. When I’ve talked her into the blindfold, I’ll bring her.” Ethan nodded. “And Minnie?”
“Shouldn’t be hard. She’s usually cooperative.” Griffin walked around and sat in one of the chairs. “Minnie’s in the den. She’s engrossed with her new catnip toy.”
“Yeah, but Penny might not want a blindfold. We might have to settle for me putting a hand on her eyes.” He lifted a shoulder and carried the food into the kitchen.
“She probably will. She’s been in a good mood since the last news from John about her stalker.” Dawson leaned a shoulder against the kitchen door. “The conviction is almost a lock, especially on the stalking and breaking and entering charges, because of the video he took.”
“Don’t remind me. The bastard didn’t even have to work to get in our home. Our security system was easy pickings for someone with his skills.” Ethan clenched his fists. It hadn’t even taken the man five minutes.
“He’ll be going away for a while. Hopefully, long enough to get over his obsession with Penny.” Dawson took a deep breath. “Fucking asshole took one look and was obsessed.”
“Calm down, Dawson. She’s safe and free to do as she wants while the asshole will pay.” Ethan walked over and patted Dawson on the shoulder. Best to get this discussion under control. “Let’s get everything ready so we can give Penny a wonderful night.”
Around five minutes later, a key scraped in the door. He stepped into the hallway as it opened. She strode into the room, carrying bags over one shoulder and her purse in her hand.
“Hey, peaches, let me take your bags. Dinner will be a little while. You can take a shower and change into something comfortable.” Ethan held out his hands and waited. Would she question the offer?
She smiled. “A shower sounds wonderful. A dog puked on me today and, even though I changed scrubs and cleaned off, I still feel dirty. Something smells good.”
Ethan took her bag and purse. She strode down the hallway toward their room. He put her bag in the closet and took her purse to the room. She’d be in the shower for a little while. He could get things ready. He went into the closet. She probably grabbed some clothes before she got in, but he’d like her to wear this thin strapped, blue dress.
He carried it into the bathroom. Steam rolled from the shower. He lifted the nightgown off the counter and took it with him. She’d probably say something, but without it, she’d feel a little underdressed.
He left the bedroom and went to the kitchen. Wine first. He carried the wine into the spare room where they’d set up the table. Silverware and wine glasses had already been placed. He put the food on plates and carried it in, before placing it on the table. Where had Griffin found all those plush colorful pillows to go with the low table? They certainly hadn’t been lying around the house. And the candles with those clear globes. Those definitely hadn’t been here.
“I’ll get her. Better light the candles.” Ethan glanced around. When they turned the light off, the thick black out curtains would block the light, wrapping the room in the flickering glow of the candles.
“Everything will be ready.” Griffin nodded. He and Dawson lit the candles placed around the room.
Ethan walked down the hall. When he strolled into their bedroom, the patter of the shower had stopped. She was definitely out. He strolled over to the door. She tugged the dress into place and glanced up.
“You know, if you planned something, all you had to do is say, but changing out my clothes is pretty much a dead giveaway.” She grabbed a brush.
“We didn’t plan on completely surprising you, though there are a few things that might keep you in suspense a little.” Ethan leaned in the doorway.
She brushed through her hair. The purple and blonde strands shown. She eyed him as if she could read his intentions by looking at him. Unless she developed the ability to read minds, he was safe.
“Are you ready to show me your surprise?” She folded her arms across her chest. “Since this thing is sleeveless, I assume that we’re not going outside.”
“No, we’re not going outside. Will you wear this until I get you where I want you to go?” He held up his hand, dangling the blindfold.
“You want me to put on a blindfold? In our own house?” She looked at the little mask and back to him.
Curious, but cautious, such a very cougar move. “Yes, I’d like you to w
ear it. I want you to see something when you’re in the best position.”
She took a deep breath. “All right, let’s put on the blindfold and you can lead me.”
“Good. I won’t let you fall.” He tied the blindfold over her eyes. “You’ll like this.”
“I know you won’t let me fall.” She reached back and touched him.
He tugged the knot. Secure enough to hold until they got to the room. He put his hands on her shoulders.
“It won’t be long before this is off.” He squeezed her shoulders.
“Okay, guide away. I’m in your hands.” She relaxed.
“Walk forward, peaches, the door is open. Once we’re in the hall, I’ll give you more instructions.” He relaxed his fingers. If she seemed to stumble or go too far, he’d stop her.
She strode forward slowly. In the hallway, he stopped her.
“Turn left and walk forward. I’ll tell you when to stop.” He remained right behind her.
“So any hints here?” She paced down the corridor.
“No, you’ll see soon enough. And you’ll like it.” He patted her shoulder.
“Is that some kind of signal?” She halted.
“No, just enjoying the opportunity to touch you. Move forward. Only a little farther now.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over the curve of her neck.
She eased forward. Three steps later, he stopped her.
“Peaches, wait right here. I’ll be right back.” He tightened his fingers.
“Not going to try to walk the house in blindfold.” She shook her head.
He eased around her, opened the door, and peeked inside. Candles flickered on the table, two nightstands, and the buffet they’d brought in to hold the extra bottles of wine and the ice bucket for the champagne. Everything was ready.
“All right, I’m moving behind you again. A few more moments and I’ll take that off.” He sidestepped by her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Now, I’m curious.” Her hand grazed his leg.
“You’ll see soon.” He patted her shoulder. “Take four steps forward and then turn to the right.
Staking Their Claim Page 27
