Carroll: Morgan’s Leap – Leopards Shapeshifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “I’d like to blame this all on you and that Morgan person, but that would just be stupid. Rachel had been told to lose weight and to watch what she ate. She, of course, thought she was smarter than a doctor. She might well have been—she sure told me enough that she was.” Blanche laughed a little. “I don’t know what to feel right now.”

  “Understandable. Did she have any family aside from you out there someplace?” Blanche told her she had a daughter, as well as a son. “Do you know if they kept in contact with her? Or you, for that matter since you would be their aunt.”

  “No. I’ve only seen them a handful of times. I doubt very much they’d care that Rachel was dead either. I think they might have written her out of their lives before they left home all those years ago.” Blanche asked her if her death had been quick. Hanna told her it had been. “Good. For as much as I didn’t like her, I don’t think I would have wanted her to suffer. She and my brother weren’t well suited. But that’s water under the bridge, I suppose. What happens now?”

  “I don’t know, to be honest with you. Nothing can be done until we notify her next of kin. Even if what you say is true, they’ll need to be told their mother has died.” Blanche nodded. “There are a couple of other things I need to inform you about. First of all, your home has been condemned. Not my doing, but because of the black mold that has grown through it. It’s a wonder, the inspector said, that neither of you got seriously ill from it.”

  “We knew that too. Rachel would get into some breathing issues, and the doctor at the emergency room told her that she was breathing it in. We fobbed him off like we do most other people telling us we’re doing something wrong or whatever. I guess you can understand that we don’t care for people in general.” Hanna told her she got that about the two of them. “Yeah, I guess you would. I guess you’re going to tell me I’m going to have a court hearing about shooting at Morgan.”

  “We found the bullet you fired at her and missed. The evidence is very telling that you are the one that loaded the gun. Rachel’s prints were on it too, but you fired it last.” She said she had. Hanna didn’t understand this. Blanche was being nice. Sort of what she’d think an elderly woman would be like. “What’s going on here? Why are you calmly taking what I’m telling you and not calling me names like you did yesterday? You didn’t suddenly have a change of heart, have you?”

  “No.” She laughed again. This time it seemed to be sort of manic. “When you told me that Rachel had died, I sort of half expected that I guess. She gets all fired up and then has to sit for a spell to get her heart to slow down. But after that, I realized that other than her kids, I got no one to mourn my passing when I go on. After that—it was like every bad deed I did just flashed before my eyes. Do you suppose that’s what people mean when they say that? That all your misdeeds flash by, not your whole life?”

  “I don’t know.” Hanna thought if anyone was going to have a lot of bad deeds to flash before her eyes, it would be this woman. Just skimming her mind, she could see that she’d killed before. “They’ll allow you to go to her funeral if you want. Like I said, we have no plans as yet until we talk with her kids.”

  “There is a number for the girl. Her name was…let me think a minute. But there is a phone number for her on the desk in her room. I don’t know how you’re going to get it with the house being closed off like it is. I think there is an email address for her son too, but I couldn’t tell you if that is right either.” She put her finger to her head and closed her eyes. “I can almost see that girl’s name. Nothing like her momma nor me. Either of them, for that matter. Allison. That’s it. Named after my grandmother. The boy’s name is Butch. Nickname, I think, but I don’t know for sure. They’d be in their twenties by now, I guess. Not kids at all.”

  Without going to the home, she had all the information she needed. But Hanna didn’t get up and leave just yet. She had a feeling there was more to this with Blanche than she was letting on about. When nothing more seemed to be forthcoming, Hanna started to dig deeper when she spoke again.

  “I have a daughter too.” That wasn’t at all what she had expected to hear and asked her if she could contact her. “You can try. It’s doubtful she’ll care either. I’ve not thought of her in decades. She’d be about fifty now, I guess. I had her when I was nothing more than a kid myself. That’s why she would be so much older than her cousins. Meredith was already in high school when my brother started having kids. But I raised her right up until she decided I was holding her back from life. Not sure what that meant even now.”

  Again, Hanna didn’t either but figured she’d work on finding her as well. After getting what she could from Blanche, she asked her if she needed anything. That brought tears to the older woman’s weathered cheeks, and Hanna wasn’t sure what she’d done.

  “After all I’ve done to that family of yours—I know that now, that they’re your family—you’d still ask me if you can help me. And you mean it too, don’t you?” Hanna told her she did mean it. “I thought you would. I have me some money in the bank. I’d like for you to make me some funeral arrangements. Whatever you think is the least expensive. I’m sure that’s what you did for Rachel. That’s good. It’s what I would have done even though I think there is some money from her insurance or something.”

  “I can do that. Do you have a place picked out where you wish to be buried?” She told her if she could, next to Rachel. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll come back here, Blanche, to let you know what I find out. And if I find your daughter, do you want her to come and see you?”

  “No. No, I’d not want that. I’m sure she’d not want it either, but no, she doesn’t need to come see me. If you find out she’s been long dead, I’d not want to know that either. Just knowing she’s out there, it does give me a little bit to think about.” Nodding, she told her she’d do that. Her daughter wasn’t dead, but she wasn’t in a good place in her life either. It seemed to her that the daughter was much like her mother in that she didn’t like people, nor did she have any friends. “I don’t want a big marker either. Just a stone or something that says I died, and my name. Nothing fancy is what I mean. Just a little bitty stone that tells the person reading it that I died.”

  “I can do that.” She would too. Even for Rachel, if the kids didn’t. “I have to get going, Blanche. Is there anything I can do for you? Something I can make sure you get?”

  “No. I don’t want you to be expecting me to be like this the next time you visit me. I’ll have time to get my dander up again, and I might well blast you apart. But for now, I wanted to tell you thanks for coming around. And for telling me about Rachel.” Hanna told her it was her pleasure. “I’m sure it wasn’t, but again, I thank you for that.”

  Hanna made her way to the building Carroll and his brother were working on. The house was cleaned up now, and it smelled like lavender. The smell of death had been taken away by the magic from the faeries. As soon as she saw him, Hanna hugged Carroll and found that with his arms around her, she felt better than she had in a couple of days. He didn’t say anything but continued holding her.

  “Blanche took it well that her sister-in-law was gone.” He told her that was good. “She asked me to get some money out of her account and to set up her own funeral. I told her I’d do that too. I have a couple of names I need to contact. They both had children, did you know that?”

  “I think I remember Rachel having a child, but not Blanche.” She told him what she’d found out. “No. I didn’t know there was a son either. I’m assuming you’re going to call them?”

  “I am. To let them know that she’s gone. But according to Blanche, they won’t care all that much.” Carroll nodded and said that Blanche and Rachel had been trouble since he could remember. “This magical thing. It’s coming in handy. I can trace things like people too. I didn’t know it would be this helpful, but I’m getting a kick out of using it. I need something fun to do with it, howe
ver.”

  “Mom called here about an hour ago, looking for you. She said Venetia has her memory back and wants you to talk to her about it. She was spying on her boss and his partner, and they figured it out. She’s not human, did you know that? I’m not sure she even knows.” Hanna asked him how he’d figured that out. “I can smell it on her. You more than likely can as well, but since you’ve not had much practice at it, you might not have noticed. Also, the people that hurt her, they’re being watched over by a group of faeries that will report to me anything they’re doing.”

  “Do you think they’re going to figure out she’s alive and has her memory back?” Carroll told her what he’d done at the bar last night. “All right. That should make them stupid enough to try and remedy their issue of her being alive. We’ll protect her, right?”

  “Yes. I’ve also sent my brothers to the house to see if she’s their mate. Leslie is the only one that hasn’t been to see her yet. The others feel they need to protect her, but they aren’t her mate.” She looked up at him and asked why Leslie wasn’t checking her out. “He told me he didn’t know why, but he has a feeling she’s not his mate. I don’t know why he’d think that, but he told me he’d go and see her after we’re done here. Mom is having us all over for dinner tonight as well. You up for it?”

  “I am. I love having all this family.” She laughed. “By the way, I’ve given my notice at the office. So, since I had all this vacation time coming to me, they’re going to pay that to me if I don’t come back. I expected that, but it was still sort of painful to think they didn’t even try to keep me on.”

  “To me, that’s a win-win. You’re going to be here with me all the time, and you are going to be happy not having to go to work again. Not that this place doesn’t keep us hopping, but you are helping so much.” She thanked him. “Also, before I forget to tell you again, we’re officially married according to the paperwork that was filed yesterday. When we talked the other night, you said you didn’t want any sort of wedding. I’m hoping you still don’t.”

  “No. I have all I need right here, and inviting people I barely know to come to see me hitched up with you seems sort of a waste of time and money.” Carroll kissed her, pulling her body close enough to his that she could feel his erection. “You sure do know how to make a girl feel wanted, don’t you?”

  Laughter rang around the room they were in. Kissing her again, Carroll turned her, so she was facing the door when Leslie walked into the room they were in. He smiled, but it didn’t seem to reach his eyes. She asked him what was wrong.

  “This house isn’t nearly big enough for what I thought I could use it for. There is the barn out back, but I was hoping to use the house.” She knew his idea was a good one and asked him if he planned on being there all the time. “No. I mean, I was just going to set it up so people could call and make an appointment to come and see the things we’d have. Why? What did you have in mind?”

  “Hire someone to come here and live that needs a good home. Have that person show the things that are needed by a customer.” Leslie asked her where he was supposed to put the things they had. “In the barn. I’m sure there is power to the place. Even if there isn’t, that’s an easy fix. I’m thinking an older person would love to be able to live here and talk to people that come around. Mr. Hewitt comes to mind. He and his wife are in their fifties, I think. They’ve been living in that rental so long I’m sure they’d like to have something of their own.”

  “You mean give them the job and the house? That would be all right with me.” She corrected him in what she was thinking. “I like that even better. Make it a part of their payment until they can purchase it and the business from me some time. Yes, I know the couple you’re talking about. You’re right. I think they’d enjoy this a great deal. Thanks.”

  “You keep this up, and my brothers will be coming to you for advice all the time.” Hanna told Carroll she could live with that. “I thought you’d say that. And I’m glad too. I’m not sure what Leslie’s plans were about being here off and on, but I think you just made it easier for him to set this up then walk away when it’s complete. He’s hired someone, and there is someone living here to keep people from stealing from him.”

  Making her way home again, she thought about the other projects she had going on with Morgan. There was plenty to do all the time, and she was sure it had been like this since her parents had died. Morgan had wanted the place to be better than it had been, and she thought the woman had gone well beyond that. She was her hero in so many ways.

  ~*~

  Carroll stretched out. His cat had needed a run all day, and he was glad he’d been able to get away for a little while. He’d not even asked any of his brothers if they wanted to run with him. He needed just a little time to himself. However, if he could have convinced Hanna to come with him, it would have been so much better. Smiling to himself, he thought of them making love last night. Christ, the woman was wearing him out. Not that he minded all that much.

  She’d been in bed when he got home late. He was as disappointed as he’d ever been. Since she’d been with him yesterday afternoon, all he’d thought about was having her naked beneath him. Finding her sound asleep made him want to cry, but he knew she was getting used to the longer hours the rest of them worked.

  Going to his office, he was surprised by all the notes on his desk from her. They were progress reports, he supposed you’d call them, on what she’d found out about Venetia. She had family around, but she didn’t think the younger woman knew it. The next note was about Rachel’s children and that she’d finally found them and was going to call them in the morning. But she doubted anyone would come to the funeral. He thought that was about the saddest thing he’d read in a while. He worshiped his mom.

  The next note was a little more difficult to read. She’d written something, then crossed it out. Then crossed that out. He laughed when she noted on the note that she was going to start over on another sheet. He could see her thinking she needed to explain what she’d done. The note he read told him what else she’d figured out about Venetia.

  “She has a sister. Older than she is by a few years. Apparently, she was spending the night with her grandparents or something and wasn’t home when the baby was taken. I’m still trying to figure out what happened to make it so he was able to take the baby. And you were right, she is magical. But I don’t know if you’d consider witchcraft as being non-human. Her father was some kind of big deal in that world. I’m not up on my witchcraft lingo. However, I’m thinking he isn’t dead, as I first assumed. Nor is her mom. But as I said, I’m looking into that. Venetia is going to be staying with your mom for a while. They’re getting along well. I hope she’s Leslie’s mate. I like her too.” He had picked up the last note. “If you’ve gotten through everything, then I believe you should get your ass upstairs and wake me up screaming out a release. I need it as much as you do.”

  He was naked by the time he entered their bedroom. Hanna was sitting there in the middle of the bed, as naked as he was, waiting for him. Moving toward the bed, he had to smile. There was nothing about this woman that could be considered normal, and Carroll thought he’d have it no other way.

  “You certainly took your time.” He said he’d had to read all her notes. “Well, I guess I did leave you a lot. One thing I forgot to tell you is that I love you very much. I should have just put that on a lot of the notes and nothing else.”

  “I like that you leave notes to me. Especially that last one.” He got into the bed with her, and she curled around him. “This makes things so much better, don’t you think? Having someone in the bed when you get there. You’re the very best snuggle person I’ve never known.”

  She sat up and looked at him. Thinking about what he’d said, he grinned at her. Pulling her down for a kiss, she stubbornly held fast to just staring at him. When she started to move off of him and the bed, he pulled her back to him.


  “I’m thousands of years old.” She didn’t say anything. “I had to practice on a few women so I’d be perfect when you came to me. But I will swear to you on my mother’s heart that none of them meant anything at all to me. It’s been you all along that I’ve waited for, and you will forever be the only person I ever, ever snuggle with from here to eternity. I love you, Hanna, and only you.”

  “Good save.” She laid her head down where he knew she could hear his beating heart. Carroll had thought about telling her it only beat for her, but he might need that one for some other time. “Are you going to keep thinking up excuses for me not to bash your head in, or are you going to make love to me?”

  “Carroll?” Carroll pulled himself from his thoughts and looked at his brother. “Where the hell were you? I’ve been saying your name for the last five minutes. I think if you’re going to stand there looking like you’ve just won the lottery, you should share those good vibes.”

  “Not on your life.” It took Scout a moment to understand what he was talking about before his face turned a dark pink. Laughing at him, he asked him what he’d needed. Scout told him why he’d been looking for him. “I don’t have any idea what the value of gems would be, but I do know a way we can find out. The Internet more than likely has a lot of information about their worth.”

  “I thought of that, and Hanna cautioned me on it. She said if we start searching that sort of stuff, people would figure it out. Something about cookies. I know what they are, but I had no idea any of the computers in our home could be used in that sort of thing.” Carroll said he did know the answer to that one. “Good. I never realized, by the way, how a person can think like a criminal and not be one. Hanna is wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but she’s scary when she starts spouting off things that bad guys will do. She can be both the good guy and the bad without much effort in trying to outthink herself.”