by Beth Alvarez
* * *
“Turn a little? No, no. This way, dear.”
Felicity shuffled the opposite direction, biting her lower lip and silently hoping none of the pins Regina jabbed into the muslin fabric found their way into her flesh. “Not too snug. I want to be able to breathe.”
“Honey, breathing won’t be a problem. Believe me. When we’re done, this dress will fit you like a second skin.” The older woman grinned at her, pulling the side of the test garment a little tighter before pinning it close.
Lifting her arm out of the way, Felicity craned her neck to watch. “How long do you think it’s going to take? To put the whole thing together, I mean.”
“The dress itself won’t take long. It’s all the lace and beading that’ll take a while. I can help with lace, a little, but my hands aren’t what they used to be and neither is my eyesight, so I’m afraid you’ll be doing most of the delicate stuff by yourself.” Sitting back, Regina inspected her handiwork. “Yes, that should do. Turn around, I’ll unpin the back so we can get you out of there.”
Felicity obeyed, wiggling out of the muslin with a grin. “I just hope I have enough time to finish what I want to do. I may have to recruit help.”
“I’m sure Penny would be happy to lend a hand. She’s good at fine details.” Regina folded the fabric and draped it over the sewing machine on the table.
Her smile faltered, but Felicity was quick to mask her concern. “Maybe so.”
The doorbell interrupted.
“Maybe that’s Penny now,” Regina said. “She’d mentioned wanting to help, if Nick didn’t need her. More hands make for lighter work.”
“Well, I wouldn’t complain. I’m starting to think I should have delegated a bit more of this wedding stuff.” Even with Regina and Gertie, there weren’t enough hands to lighten her load. There were still flowers to order, invitations to address and stamp, decorations for the barn they were to borrow, catering, and never mind the cake. Felicity made herself breathe deep on her way to the door, exhaling slowly and willing the mounting stress to go with it. She opened the front door and froze.
The man on the front porch could have been Kade in a different life. The same snapping hazel eyes and dark hair, the eerily similar shape of his face, down to the hint of a dimple in his chin.
Except he wore a suit—something she didn’t think Kade even owned—and was clean-shaven, his dark hair gelled back. Fine lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth marked him as older, as did a fine peppering of silver at his temples.
His brows drew together. “Are you... Filly?”
She held the edge of the door. “Yes. May I help you?”
He cleared his throat and then offered his hand. “My name is Owen Colton. My, ah... my brother told me to find you.”
That explained the similarities. Felicity clasped his hand. “Oh! It’s nice to meet you. Why don’t you come inside?”
Owen offered a strained smile. “That would be great. Thank you.” He slipped into the foyer when she stepped back, eyeing the reception counter at the foot of the open staircase with mild curiosity.
She shut the door behind him, straightening her hair. She wasn’t dressed for company, wearing only leggings beneath a t-shirt dress—the only things she had that would allow a comfortable fitting over the top—but she reminded herself he probably didn’t care. Especially if he’d just gotten into town.
She stood beside the counter, unsure if she should offer him a room or a cup of coffee first. Instead of either, she opted for small talk. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect to see you until the wedding.”
A muscle in his cheek twitched.
Felicity hesitated. Didn’t he know? “We haven’t sent out the invitations yet, of course. We’re a little behind on things.”
“I see,” Owen said, a sudden air of awkward discomfort filling the air.
“Your father did mention our engagement?”
“Oh, of course.” He nodded, looking around again. “He just didn’t say much about you. When he told me Kade was living the small town life in Texas, I guess I didn’t expect old-fashioned bed-and-breakfasts and the like. This is a lovely place.”
“Well, thank you.” She smiled, motioning toward the living room. “Would you like to sit down? I could get you a drink. Water? Coffee?”
“Coffee would be wonderful, actually. But I just got into town, so I’d prefer to stretch my legs for a bit.” He followed her through the living room and into the kitchen, peering curiously at all the sewing supplies spread out across the table.
Regina glanced up from marking the fabric where she needed to run new seams. “Oh, is he here to help us?”
Felicity stifled a laugh. “No, I don’t think so. Owen, this is Regina Foster. She’s helping me make my wedding dress. Regina, this is Owen, Kade’s brother.”
“I had it figured.” Regina chuckled.
“You’re sewing your own wedding dress?” Owen asked, the interest in his voice leaving Felicity uncomfortable.
She nodded anyway. “I think Regina’s going to do most of the sewing, but yes. I’d always planned to wear my mother’s dress, but she was a bit more petite than I am. There was no way it was going to fit, so we’re going to take all the beading and lace off Mom’s dress and put it on mine.”
“It’s the next best thing,” Regina added.
“Sounds like a lot of work,” Owen said, tucking his hands into his pockets.
Felicity retrieved a mug from the cabinet beside the sink, filling it from the nearby coffee pot. “It is, but I think it will be worth it. It’ll be the closest thing to having her there with me. Do you like cream and sugar?”
“Black is fine.” He held out his hand, murmuring a thank-you when she passed him the coffee. “So what’s Kade doing for the wedding? It sounds like your hands are already full.”
“As much as he can, I suppose. He’s supposed to get the venue ready. I guess I’ll make him decorate it, too.” She watched Regina stitch the pieces of the test dress together, scratching the back of one ankle with her toes. “He keeps busy, though. He does work twelve hours, plus what he does to help around the Hilltop House. And the bakery.” The last was an afterthought; Kade didn’t have any interest in her sweets, but he did help with cleaning, organizing, and restocking when he had time. She expected there would be more of that when autumn rolled around and the daylight hours didn’t stretch so long.
“You make it sound like he works hard.”
Something in his tone made Felicity prickle. “He always has.”
Owen frowned like he disagreed.
She raised a brow, but said no more.
Regina clipped threads and held up the reworked bodice. “All right, come here. Slip this on and see if it works a bit better.”
Felicity rounded the table, shimmying into the rough garment and turning so Regina could pin the back closed. “That does feel a lot better. I think that will work, what do you say?”
“I think so,” Regina agreed.
When Felicity glanced over her shoulder, Owen was staring into his coffee cup. She wiggled back out of the muslin, reaching for the seam ripper to start taking it apart.
He didn’t strike her as friendly, which was quite a contrast to Kade. He might have his secrets, but Kade had always been polite and amicable, endearing himself to a good number of people in Holly Hill even with his air of mystery.
“So are you in town for a while?” She pulled out a chair with her foot, sitting down to work while Regina tidied up their sewing space.
“Hopefully not.” Frustration grew thick in Owen’s voice. “Not that there’s anything wrong with this place,” he added quickly, “I just have a lot going on. I need to speak to Kade in the morning. He didn’t have time to talk to me tonight.”
“He’s always busy, isn’t he?” Regina deposited fabric scraps in the trash and dusted her hands together. “I think that’s all we’re going to get done tonight, Miss Felicity. I’d better get home and get Sam’s d
inner fixed. I’ll make sure Penny is free to help cut the satin for your dress tomorrow.”
Felicity beamed up at her. “Thank you, Regina. Do you mind letting yourself out?”
“Of course. It was nice to meet you, Owen. Have a good evening, you two.” Regina fetched her purse from the floor, waving good-bye on her way out.
A long, weighted silence followed.
Owen turned his cup in his hands. “So is this a family business?”
“It is. The Hilltop House belonged to my parents. Now it belongs to me, though my Dad still manages the place. I’m too busy running the bakery to do it myself, but I’ve also started hiring more help.” She allowed a tinge of pride to color her words. Even though she liked running Love Bites by herself, acknowledging that she had an employee of her own made her feel successful.
“Sounds like you do well for yourselves.”
“Well enough.” Felicity paused partway down a seam. “I’m sure our life here seems simple to you, though. Kade said you’re a big-time Californian lawyer.”
“I wouldn’t say that. The big-shot lawyers you hear about are usually criminal defense attorneys. I’m not that kind of lawyer.”
She mustered a polite smile. “I see. I’m afraid I don’t know much about lawyers. I’ve never had to work with one. What exactly do you do?”
“Civil litigation. Courts and lawsuits. That sort of thing.” He shrugged.
“Why did you choose that?”
“It’s what Dad does. It’s a chance to help people. When I take cases, I always know I’m on the right side. Someone’s been wronged, had their rights or a contract violated.”
“Not so much the evil lawyer stereotype, then, huh?” She grinned, and was rewarded with a warm laugh from him.
“Definitely not,” Owen said. “I’d like to think I’m one of the good guys.”
The last few pieces of the dress mockup came apart in her hands and Felicity folded the pieces. “So you’ll need somewhere to stay for the night, huh? We’re the only hospitality venue in Holly Hill, but we’re not open for the season yet, so I can give you a room upstairs. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need. No charge for family, of course.”
He put his coffee cup on the counter. “We’re not family yet.”
“Don’t be silly. This is Kade’s house, too.”
Owen frowned deeply. “I see.”
Again, a note in his voice made Felicity uncomfortable. But she dismissed it, brushing her brown hair over her shoulder and motioning for him to follow her. “Come on, let me show you to your room. I’m afraid I’ll be busy most of the time, but you’re welcome to anything in the kitchen, and you can let me know if you need anything while you’re here. Me or my father. He’s running errands now, but he’ll be back soon.”
He trudged up the stairs at her heels. “I appreciate the hospitality. Hopefully, I won’t be in your way long.”
With the awkward air between them, Felicity couldn’t help hoping that was the case.
EIGHT
* * *
THE TRACKS IN the earth were old and obscured, almost impossible to make out. A few claw prints in the soil marked the front and a depression lingered toward the back, where the pad of the foot pressed deep. Kade twisted his head to the side, tracing the shape with a gloved fingertip.
That depression was the interesting part; the shape of the foot and the claws made it clearly canine, but animals bore their weight more evenly. The creature that left this mark behind rolled from the ball of the foot to the toes, more like a human walking on tip-toe than a beast.
“What’re you looking at?”
Kade adjusted his bandana to shelter him against the morning light. He didn’t look at Brady, instead motioning for the other cowboy to join him. “Tracks. Saw some in the pasture. Figured I’d scout around the fence lines for more.”
Brady crept closer, crouching beside him.
“Ever seen tracks like these?” Kade traced one with the tip of his finger.
“Looks like a dog,” Brady said. “Coyote, maybe?”
“You kiddin’? That track’s as big as my hand.” Kade spread his fingers wide, hovering his palm over the paw print to illustrate his point.
The other cowboy frowned, leaning closer. “What do you think it is?”
“Charlie said something about wolves bein’ reestablished in the southwest.” Kade dusted his hands against his jeans and stood.
Brady shifted, lingering near the ground. “How big do wolves get?”
“Big as a man, some of ’em.” Kade tugged at his bandana again. The pain in his sunlight burns had lessened overnight, but the healing process wouldn’t accelerate unless he got something to eat.
“You think they’d hurt the cattle?” Discomfort rolled off the man in waves, giving away the real question. What were the chances they’d have to deal with it?
The question was scarier to Kade, knowing what he really meant by wolf. He didn’t have any of the supplies he needed. He had his guns, but no silver bullets and no wolfsbane. Kade mulled over that for a while, then sighed. “Hard to say. I’m sure you already heard Marshall wants us ridin’ with our rifles. Better safe than sorry. Anyhow, I saw some larkspur along one of the fence lines. I tore it out and threw it over the fence, but y’all better clean that up and keep an eye open for more.”
“All right. I’ll tell Rico when I catch him. He’ll make sure the others know.” Brady pushed himself up, though his eyes lingered on the tracks.
Kade rubbed his nose, sniffing. “By the way, have you ever seen any monkshood growin’ around here?”
“Monkshood?” Brady repeated, looking at him oddly.
“It’s purple, grows in clusters like larkspur, but shaped different. Longer, kinda bell-shaped. Even more poisonous, but real pretty.”
The other cowboy shook his head. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen that. Why do you ask?”
“Thought Filly would like it. She wants to start workin’ on puttin’ in a garden out front after we’re married.” Kade shrugged. That wasn’t a bad idea, all things considered. If he couldn’t get what he needed from Thaddeus, starting a hunter’s garden of his own would be wise. Especially if any other monsters decided to encroach on his territory.
Brady adjusted his hat, scuffing the toe of his boot at one of the deteriorated paw prints. “You might ask old Miss Gertie. She knows just about everything there is to know about plants and herbs and such.”
“Does she?” That should have been no surprise. Old women always knew those sorts of things, especially growing up in rural areas. “I might stop by and give her a visit while I’m out and about, then. Thank you.”
“Welcome,” Brady said.
Kade turned to leave, making it a dozen paces before the cowboy’s voice stopped him.
“Kade, if you knew there was something dangerous out here, you’d tell us, right?”
The question gave him a chill and Kade turned slowly. “Now what kind of question is that?”
“Wasn’t even a year ago the rustlers out here tried to shoot you dead.” A doubtful look crept over Brady’s face. “There ain’t no reason to shoot somebody unless they’ve seen something they weren’t supposed to. Now, I made it a point not to ask any questions, but...”
“But now you’re askin’ them,” Kade said, stalking back toward him. “I’ve been honest as I can be with you, Brady. With all y’all. I saw their truck. Made them too easy to trace. Felicity found me with bullet holes through me and made sure I got patched up. And Grant...” He paused, licking his lips. He’d thought he could have been friends with Grant, one time, but the man had been in too deep with Drake du Coudray’s rustling ring. He still wondered what had happened to the man, but he supposed it didn’t matter. He’d never come back to Holly Hill. The rest of the Greenwood family still held out hope their search would bring him home.
“Grant knew things, too,” Brady murmured. “He used to get the creeps out here at night. But I don’t know, Colton. I
f he was with ’em, why did he act like he was just as scared of rustlers as the rest of us?”
Because he knew what they brought with them, Kade thought. “Maybe he was just good at bluffin’ and nobody ever caught on.”
“Maybe so,” Brady agreed reluctantly.
Kade turned again to leave. This time, he only made it half as far.
“Does wolfsbane really work?”
That question gave him as bad a chill as any midnight howl. Kade stared across the range, willing the shiver out of his spine. “Do what, now?”
“Wolfsbane,” Brady repeated. “Monkshood. Does it really keep wolves away?”
Kade turned his head enough to look at the tracks on the ground. “Don’t think so. It’s just a flower. Looks good in gardens, but not good for much else. Better off countin’ on your rifle.”
Brady swallowed hard. “Guess so.”
Nodding stiffly in goodbye, Kade jammed his hands into his pockets and trudged toward the ranch house, where his old red truck waited for him.
More than likely, it was just the tracks that made Brady uncomfortable. Kade couldn’t imagine a sighting of anything more threatening staying quiet in a place like Holly Hill.
Then again, what reason did a grown man have to be afraid of wolves?
* * *
After a long night in the saddle, a meeting with his brother was the last thing Kade wanted to deal with. He put it off as long as he could, stopping to buy a phone for Felicity before heading to the Hilltop House. The sight of his father’s Jaguar in the drive made Kade bristle. He lingered outside for a long while before deciding to use the front door. If Felicity was set up to sew in the kitchen, the front entry should be safe.
Unwilling to risk her ire, he stood on the front porch, tired and hungry and irritable, knocking on the front door of his own home.
Though he expected Emmett, Felicity was the one who came to the door.
Just the sight of her offered comfort and Kade swept her into a hug.
“Well someone’s in a good mood,” she giggled, wrapping her arms around his middle and giving him a squeeze. She pushed the door shut with her foot.
