“I would like to,” she whispered. “Is that okay with you?”
“You had me at tip,” he teased.
“Catherine!” she gasped. “You just reminded me of her. She must be looking for us.”
“She’s been enjoying herself, trust me.”
Gracie smacked his arm.
“No, really. I could hear Joshua’s headboard smacking against the wall.” He pointed at his ears. “Human, only better, remember?”
She smiled and reached out to tug his ear. “Don’t know why I’d be worried anyway. There’s no safer place to be than in the arms of a Grizzly Bear.”
Gracie caught up with Catherine an hour later in the herb shop. Catherine’s hair was a knotted mess, but the smile on her face was priceless.
“Your cheeks are so rosy right now,” Gracie said, hugging her tightly.
“I’m floating,” Catherine giggled. “That was soo…”
“Unbelievable. I know. Been there.”
They drove to Oak Grove with the mistletoe bounty crammed in the back of the Wagoneer. This time the trip was far from silent. The sisters were practically drunk with excitement.
“I’m dreaming of a Grizzly Christmaaas,” Catherine sang at the top of her lungs.
Gracie laughed at her and sang along, thinking all the while that a move home to Oak Grove might not be such a bad idea after all. The three sisters sat around the table that night, clipping the mistletoe and tying red ribbon around each stem.
“Remember, you’re always an O’Reilly,” Gracie said, reaching across to grab Paige’s hand.
Catherine piled both her hands on top of theirs. “We’re like those giant tumors full of teeth and hair that seem to pop up out of nowhere.”
“So gross, but I couldn’t agree more.” Page laughed while trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t know why I’m so emotional.” She fanned her eyes with a sprig of mistletoe. “We’ll always be here for each other, right?”
“Unless we end up dating shifters and Dad disowns us and … Ouch! Dammit, Gracie. I thought we talked about the kicking.”
“Wait,” Paige whispered. “You’ve gone up there? I knew you guys were up to something.”
Gracie shook her head while Catherine nodded up and down. “We didn’t want to lie to you, Paige, but you know Dad will be pissed,” Gracie explained.
“Uh-huh, but how was it?”
“Amazing,” they said in unison.
“I knew it. I never thought all that evil shifter mumbo jumbo added up.”
“Good, because you’ll have a few at your wedding,” Catherine mumbled.
“Oh shit, Dad is really going to fucking kill you.”
“We knooow. That’s why it’s ixnay on the iftershay alktay,” Gracie whispered.
“I always sucked at Pig Latin.”
“Just trust us,” Gracie said. “We will all live to fuck another day.”
“Whoa! You fucked them? Already?”
Gracie looked at Catherine and froze. “Don’t you have a pile of apples to knock over somewhere?”
“Yeah, instead of judging us,” Catherine added. “We’re older and we have needs.”
“I suddenly feel the need to lock you in your room again,” she said, crossing her arms.
“I have been infiltrated by Grizzly Bears.” Gracie stood up and flexed her muscles. “I would rip it right off the hinges.”
“Easy, Grizzly groupies, your secrets are safe with me. No growling at my wedding, please.”
“Deal.”
Chapter 3
Gracie and Catherine spent most of the next few days in Mistletoe Hollow. Paige threw their parents off the trail by providing a fake list of wedding errands. When the two sisters weren’t being ravaged, they helped box up mail order packages for Kind Herb and Apothecary. The men did not disappoint with their physical displays of gratitude. Truman often couldn’t wait for Gracie to even take her coat off. As soon as her feet crossed the threshold, the Closed sign went up as fast as her legs could open. They would gradually fuck their way over to his cabin before collapsing for a long nap.
Truman’s favorite move was to pick her up and bend her over one of the merchandise counters in the back room. Her legs would dangle as he yanked her jeans down to her ankles and entered her, pumping away until her center was full of his cum. Gracie loved these moments. Yes, she enjoyed the snuggling, kissing, and caressing. But there’s something about a burly man hoisting you up and having his way with you that sends your body into a tailspin of lust and ecstasy. The fairy tales left this bit out.
“I don’t want the wedding to happen,” he whispered in her ear during post-coital snuggling.
“That’s a terrible thing to say! You really don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I’m sure I can find a new date in two days,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” he said, pulling her in tighter. “After the wedding, you’ll return to your old life in the big city and I … I was sort of getting used to having you around.”
She turned to face him, throwing one leg over his hip. “I was sort of getting used to being around.”
“I wasn’t referring to just the sex either,” he clarified.
“Oh, I was,” she said with a straight face.
He grinned and quickly rolled on top of her, pressing her arms against the mattress. “I can give you plenty of that.” He kissed her forehead and each cheek before pausing to stare at her. “I just want you to consider moving back here. It may seem fast to you, but it isn’t for me.”
“Is this the man or the Grizzly speaking?”
“Both. My gut and my animal instincts are never wrong.”
“You’ve never heard of the O’Reilly juju jinx, though.”
“This I’ve gotta hear.”
“Only the Irish gypsies have it … and the occasional leprechaun.”
“Neither of which you are.”
“Shhh … the juju jinx doesn’t like it when Gracie is interrupted.” She pushed up and squeezed her legs until she had him flipped onto his back. “The jinx’s first name is Patrick and … he’s my father. And he hates anything remotely shifter related.” She collapsed on his chest and sighed.
“I forgot about him. You know, you’re old enough to make your own decisions,” he said, lifting her chin. “You decided to disobey and come up here in the first place. You got out of the box. Why would you want to go slinking back inside with your tail between your legs?”
“Not all of us have tails, just F.Y.I.”
“Can you be serious for once? Tell me you don’t feel anything for me and I’ll never bother you again. I’ll be your date to the wedding and we can part ways with a handshake.”
She hesitated and squirmed before finally covering her face with one hand and blurting out, “I feel something! I have since the first time I linked my arm with yours. There, are you happy?”
He wrapped his arms around her, nearly squishing the air out of her. “You have no idea how happy! I will do whatever it takes to get your father’s approval.”
“Let’s just move slowly and not shock everyone.”
“I’ll move slowly, and sideways, and deeper,” he said running his hands along her skin. “I have some magic of my own. Moves you haven’t seen yet.”
“Can’t wait to pick my own favorite,” she said, rolling onto her back. “Surprise me.”
They engaged in their carnal shenanigans to the point of exhaustion. Their usual nap extended further and further into the night until Catherine’s frantic knocking woke them up.
“Fuck! It’s almost midnight! Gracie, wake up!”
Gracie shot straight up. “Oh shit, oh shit.” She raced around the room collecting her clothing from their various strewn positions. “Babe, we won’t have time to swing by tomorrow. We’ll see you on Christmas Eve. Look nice,” she said, hopping up and down to get her jeans on.
“If ‘nice’ means ‘nothing like a Grizzly,’ you got it.”
He helped her put on her coat and planted a kiss on her lips. “Drive safely, Sweet Gracie.”
She wouldn’t be driving that night, however. Catherine had gotten impatient and snatched the keys as Gracie groggily made her way from the cabin.
“Let’s go, Slowpoke,” Catherine called from the driver’s seat, revving the engine for emphasis.
“I came so hard my equilibrium is off. Leave me alone.” She hopped into the passenger seat and wrestled with the seatbelt. “I forgot to fix this,” she said, smacking her forehead. She gave up trying to buckle it and let it dangle by her side. “Just drive slowly. You’ve got precious cargo seated to your right.” She slumped in the seat and shut her eyes, resting her head on the side panel.
Catherine sang one of her made up carols as she drove. “Grizzly bell, Grizzly bell, Grizzly bell rock…”
She glanced down at the clock and felt a sense of panic rising in her chest. Her body responded by pressing on the gas pedal a little harder. Catherine had never driven the road between Mistletoe Hollow and Oak Grove, riding instead as Gracie’s passenger. She didn’t have a feel for the winding curves ahead of her and thought nothing of reaching down to twist the radio dial in search of a station. A split-second is very often the difference between a regular day and catastrophe. This time, it would be the latter.
When Catherine looked back up, the curve was on them. She swerved only to be met with another curve and then another. The car tipped over an embankment, rolling once and bouncing out of control until it slammed to a stop against an enormous tree. The sound of the impact echoed through the air, but was no match for Catherine’s screams that soon followed.
“Gracie! Gracie!” She felt the empty passenger seat next to her, fanning the smoke and dust from her eyes. “Gracieeeee!” Catherine fumbled for her seatbelt clasp in the dark, unhooking herself, but unable to get the door open. She rammed her shoulder against the twisted door, smearing it with the blood now trickling down her forehead. When the dust settled a little, she finally noticed the gaping hole in passenger side of the windshield. Gracie had been thrown from the car. Catherine was making her way to the jagged opening when her door was suddenly ripped off completely.
“Catherine! I’ve got you, Sweetheart. Just hold onto me.” It was Joshua. The sound of the impact had made its way to the cabins. The door had been no match for his strength and he easily carried her from the wreck to a nearby log.
“Gracie. I think I killed my sister,” she said, sobbing uncontrollably.
“She’s over here!” Truman called out from the dark.
“Just sit here and try not to move,” he told Catherine before running towards Truman’s voice. “How bad is she?”
“Bad. She’s hardly breathing.”
“Bite her. Quick or you’ll lose her.”
Joshua helped turn her, exposing the flesh of one hip. Truman shifted in an instant, clamping down gently on her flesh until his teeth broke through the skin. He held his jaws steady until he was sure his Grizzly saliva had entered the wound and seeped into her bloodstream. He shifted back before bending down to cradle Gracie in his arms.
“Come on, Baby. Don’t leave me.” He rocked her softly, pressing his lips against her forehead. “I love you, Gracie. Please come back to me.” He held her for close to an hour, humming softly in her ear.
“Why aren’t we calling an ambulance?” Catherine said, collapsing next to her sister. She grabbed her hands and brought them to her face, kissing them softly.
“She would never last the drive,” Joshua said, standing behind her. “Let us try our way.”
Catherine nodded, crying softly as she looked around and noticed various animals gathering around them. She saw deer, rabbits, and wolves. There were even glowing eyes peering out from the dark spaces. None of them seemed afraid. They just stood guard as if their energy might somehow help Gracie.
“Grizzly bell rock,” a voice whispered softly.
Truman looked down and watched her mouth. “Gracie?”
“That’s the last thing I remember,” she mumbled. “Grizzly bell rock.” A smile came over her face. “Such a silly song.”
Catherine fell forward on her knees, leaning in to press her cheek against her sister. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
“Sheesh, such a mush,” she teased. “I love you, Catherine Louise O’Reilly.” She then looked up at Truman, lifting her hand to stroke his face. “And I love you too,” she whispered.
“I knew you heard me,” he said. “That was too close.” He reached up with his finger and tried to hide the tear now trying to run down his face.
“It’s okay, I’m here. I’m still here.” She turned back and examined the wrecked car. “No wonder I have a splitting headache. How did I walk away from that?”
Truman chewed his lip as he tried to choose his words. “I had to bite you,” he blurted out, pointing at her hip.
“Bite me?”
He nodded and pulled down the waist of her pants to show her. “I had no choice. You’d be dead right now.”
“What does that mean? Do I need a tetanus shot?”
Truman shook his head and swallowed hard. “It means you might be able to shift one day.”
“I’m part Grizzly?”
“You have my antibodies in your blood. It doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed shifting abilities, but you’re definitely able to heal faster.”
“Where the hell was I for this?” Catherine asked with a confused look on her face. “I fucking miss everything.”
“I’m a Grizzly in training,” Gracie said, forming claws with her hand. She tried to growl, but released a tiny squeak instead.
“We’ll need to work on that,” Truman said.
“I thought someone stepped on a squeaky pet toy,” Joshua teased.
“What do we do about the car? We need to get home.”
“We’ll take you.” Truman pointed at an SUV on the road above. “I can meet your father.”
Gracie and Catherine audibly gulped at the thought. They waved to the surrounding animals as the men carried them up the hill and belted them into their seats. The drive may as well have been twenty hours. It never would have been far enough away to quell the dread Gracie was feeling. Stay calm. You’re alive. All is well.
The door to their parents’ house flew open as soon as the headlights flooded the large window in the front room. Their mother shrieked as she saw her bruised daughters being carried up the driveway.
“What happened?” their father asked as he rushed towards them.
“I crashed the car, Dad. They saved Gracie.”
“What? Where?” He guided them into the living room and motioned for the men to place his daughters on the couches.
“It’s true, Dad. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for them.”
Mr. O’Reilly rushed forward, embracing Truman and then Joshua. “Bless you! Thank you! My girls are my world. I can’t thank you enough!” He ran his hand along Gracie’s face, examining a bruise on her forehead that had already faded during the drive. “Where did you guys crash the car?”
Gracie reached for his hand and held it, squeezing it gently between her palms. “Dad, we were past the bridge.”
“I told you, Mary Grace! I told you! Did those creatures hurt you?”
“No! They saved me,” she said, pointing behind her at Truman and Joshua.
You could have heard a pin drop as the reality sunk in. Mr. O’Reilly stared at them before taking a step forward. Don’t punch them, please. The women braced for a fight. Instead, he held out his hand, shaking both of theirs before retreating up the stairs to his bedroom. “I’ll get dressed,” he called down. “We should have them checked out at the hospital.”
“Holy shit. That went well,” Catherine said, her eyes wide from shock.
“We better head back,” Truman said. “Your parents have things covered. I think we’ve given them enough excitement for one night.”
“We’ll see you boys at the wedding,”
their mother said with a stunned expression. She kept looking at them over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs to join her husband.
“Yes, Mrs. O’Reilly. We’ll see you soon.”
“You outed us!” Truman said, stealing several kisses as he made his way to the door. “Tipping point!”
“You had me at tip,” she said, blowing kisses.
Epilogue
Except for a handful of stitches for Catherine, the sisters received a clean bill of health. The wedding was beautiful and went off as planned. Not a dry eye remained as Paige made her way down the aisle. The only slight hitch was the distraction caused by Gracie during the ceremony. She unconsciously leaned against one of the church pillars, scratching her back up and down like a bear on a tree. Her eyes were rolled back in ecstasy, so she didn’t notice the glare of death coming from Paige.
“Sorry,” she whispered as she waved to the amused guests.
The mistletoe and open bar made for an evening full of kissing and joyous celebration. Their father welcomed Truman and Joshua at the wedding. He owed them a debt a gratitude for saving Gracie and figured since he didn’t initially realize they were shifters, no one else would either.
Catherine returned to school, but remained true to her Joshua – with a shua. Gracie did move back to Oak Grove the following year and spends her evenings with Truman in Mistletoe Hollow. She can’t shift yet, but her growl is steadily improving. Mr. O’Reilly is slowly warming up to the idea that his daughters are dating shifters. The decision was made to NOT tell him about Gracie’s bite unless it was necessary, which hopefully meant never.
The river remains the dividing line, but more Oak Grove residents are slowly creeping their way into shifter territory for daily visits. When they end up in Kind Herb and Apothecary, Joshua and Truman still scare the shit out of them. That just never gets old.
About the Author
To follow the feisty O’Reilly sisters and meet the other shifters from Mistletoe Hollow, please be sure to join the Cynthia Fox Mailing List.
Cynthia Fox lives in Cow Town, USA. Sultry stories sustain her as much as air, water … and chocolate. Her conservative townsfolk would flip if they knew what she was up to. Shhh! Let’s not tell them.
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