“They were definitely jerks,” I agreed, my lip curling with distaste when I remembered the way Al looked at my wife. “The gross dude in charge wanted to take a bite out of you.”
She snorted. “I don’t think you have to worry about me letting anyone bite me but you.”
“Yes, well, I can’t help myself.” I gave the back of her neck a light squeeze. “You happen to be my favorite person in the world.”
“What about Sami?”
“I love Sami.” I meant that with every fiber of my being. “She’s only ours temporarily, though. I mean ... she’ll always be our daughter. We’ll always be a part of her life. But once she’s an adult she’ll go her own way and find her own favorite person in the world. If she could wait until she’s thirty, that would be great.
“You, however, will always be with me,” I continued. “We’re going to grow old together. We’re going to yell at kids to get off our lawn together. We’re going to have matching rockers and eat dinner at four in the afternoon together. You’re always going to be with me.”
Zoe was so quiet I thought she’d lost interest in the conversation. However, when I turned to look at her, she was watching me in a way that sent shivers down my spine.
“What?”
“You’re my favorite person in the world, too,” she said after a beat. “That was really sweet. Sometimes I forget how romantic you are.”
“I’m a romantic fool,” I agreed. “At least when it comes to you.”
Impulsively, she leaned close and gave me a hug. It wasn’t particularly sexy, but it was emotional. I returned the embrace and watched her for signs of what she was feeling.
“I love you.” She beamed at me as the words caused the weight resting on my shoulders to lighten. “I think you should let me do the talking this time. I understand women better.”
My eyebrows drew together. “You don’t get along with women,” I challenged.
“That’s not true. I have Kelsey and Paris in my life and get along fine with them.”
She was referring to her two college roommates, both of whom put up with her even though they needed frequent breaks. “I have more female friends than you.”
“You’d better not. You know I get crazy jealous about that stuff.”
I poked her stomach and caused her to grin. “I think I should do the talking.” I meant it. “She’s a wolf. I can smell it from here. She needs to be approached in a certain manner.”
“And you think you know that manner better than I do?”
“Yes.” I answered without hesitation, even though I recognized it would agitate her. “You tend to say whatever comes to your mind without taking time to read a room. I think I would be better asking the questions in this particular instance.”
“Oh, well, fine.” Zoe’s tone told me she would seek retribution later. “You’re in charge. Go get her, you big, strong wolf.”
Ugh. She was going to be a pain about this. I just knew it. Rather than dwell on it, I strode toward the front door and knocked. At first I thought the house was empty, but my sensitive ears told me that someone was inside.
“Mrs. Stewart,” I called out, knocking again. “My name is Aric Winters. I need to talk to you about your ex-husband.” I felt a presence and knew she was close to the door. “We mean you no harm. We simply have questions about your ex-husband and what happened to him.”
To my utter surprise, the door flew open quickly and a tiny woman — much smaller than a normal wolf — stood in the doorway and fixed me with a hard look. She had blond hair, although it was duller than Zoe’s, and sharp green eyes. “What happened to Ralph?”
I hadn’t considered the fact that she’d yet to be informed of his passing. “Oh, well ... .”
“He’s dead,” Zoe blurted out, causing me to stiffen. “He was found on our property last evening. I’m sure the police will be making official notification soon. If you were his current wife instead of his ex-wife you probably already would’ve heard. Sorry for that.”
I slid her a sidelong look that promised we would discuss her big mouth later. “Um ... .”
Maggie sucked in a breath. “Ralph is dead? Are you sure?” She didn’t look particularly surprised or crestfallen. There was something going on behind her eyes that piqued my interest.
“We’re sure.” I pressed my hand to the small of Zoe’s back to keep her on point. “We’d really like to talk to you.”
Maggie lifted her nose and scented the air. “You’re a wolf.” Her eyes landed on me.
“I am.”
“You’re not.” Her gaze shifted to Zoe.
“Definitely not,” Zoe agreed.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” I offered. “We simply need information. Your ex-husband was found on my land. The only reason we found him is because we were out looking for another individual who has gone missing, Franklin Horton. We need some information.”
This time I was certain she jolted. “Franklin?”
Suspicion dropped over me like a heavy blanket. “Do you know him?”
“I ... .” She looked uncertain as she gripped her hands together in front of her. “I guess you’d better come in. Talking out of turn isn’t usually my thing. but there’s something you need to know.”
MAGGIE LED US TO HER clean and comfortable living room, gesturing toward a small couch that Zoe and I shared while she took the chair across from us. She looked shaken, as if she couldn’t quite wrap her mind around what was happening. I found it interesting that she was only moved to cooperate after mention of Franklin.
“What do you want to know?” she asked as she rubbed her palms over her knees. “I’m not sure what help I can offer.”
Zoe, proving she was more observant than she sometimes got credit for, started talking before I could form words. “How do you know Franklin?”
“I ... what makes you think I know Franklin?”
“Because I have eyes.” There was no edge to Zoe’s voice, which I was thankful for, and she appeared calm.
Maggie blinked several times in rapid succession before letting loose a sigh. “I knew this would come back to haunt me.”
“What ‘this’ are you referring to?” I cajoled gently.
“Franklin.”
“What about him?”
“We were ... involved.”
“While you were married?” Zoe asked, intrigued.
“It’s more convoluted than that,” Maggie offered. “It’s a long story.”
“We have time.” I leaned back on the couch and collected Zoe’s hand in an attempt to keep her in check as Maggie talked.
“It started when we were teenagers,” she began. “We were sixteen. He was new in school. I liked him from the moment I saw him, but I never thought he would look at me.” She adopted a rueful smile. “You’re a wolf, so you know that pack females are usually taller than me. I fade into the background at gatherings. I thought it would be the same way forever, that Franklin would ignore me and that would be that.”
“Hold up.” Zoe shifted. “Are you saying that you’re less desirable because you’re short?” She was incredulous when she turned her eyes to me. “Is that really a thing?”
“Why are you looking at me?” I countered. “I didn’t even marry a wolf. I went for you.”
“And I’m shorter than most of the female wolves I’ve met,” she mused, thoughtful. “Huh. I never noticed that. You should’ve told me. Wait ... is that why you keep track of how tall Sami is on that wall in your workshop?”
Now wasn’t the time for this conversation, but I knew she wouldn’t let it go unless I answered. “I keep track of how tall Sami is growing because that’s what my father did when I was a kid. He still has a wall in his office closet that marks how tall I grew every year. It’s tradition.”
“Oh.” Slightly mollified, Zoe shook her head and focused on Maggie. “I’m sorry. Continue with your story.”
“Oh, may I?” Maggie rolled her eyes, but the sarcasm simply washed o
ff Zoe. “We started dating. It took me a bit to accept that he really liked me, but he did, and we were involved for two years. Unfortunately for both of us, we went to different colleges. He went to Michigan State University because he had really good grades, and I went to Covenant College.”
Zoe and I exchanged quick looks. That was our alma mater, but we didn’t know her. Maggie looked to be a good five years younger than Zoe if I was placing bets.
“I’m guessing you broke up due to the separation,” Zoe prodded.
“We made it a full two years before it got to be too much,” Maggie explained. “By then my parents were insistent on making a match, so ... it was doomed from the start.” She looked legitimately sad. “I didn’t want to lose him. I loved him. But my parents refused to even barter with his family, so he was never an option for me.”
Zoe slowly slid her eyes to me. “I don’t understand. Barter?”
“You know, like a dowry,” Maggie replied.
“So ... Ralph got money for marrying you?”
“His parents received a tract of land and my parents received status for the union,” she corrected.
Horror flooded Zoe’s pretty features. “You have got to be kidding me.” Her eyes were accusatory when they landed on me. “You didn’t tell me that!”
Ugh. This was not how I saw this conversation going. “It’s an antiquated practice,” I replied carefully. “Not all families participate. Mine does not ... although mostly because there’s nothing others can offer that my family needs.
“Besides that, once I met you I knew that you were the only person I wanted,” I continued hurriedly. “My parents weren’t happy when I shut them down. They had plans to introduce me to formal courting rituals, and soon ... but I refused to participate. My father thought I would outgrow my adamant refusal to participate until he saw us together. After that, he knew it was a losing fight.”
“I remember when word came down that you were being withdrawn from the rituals,” Maggie mused. “I was younger than you. There was a lot of whispering in small groups because it was unheard of. People were upset, thought you were being stolen from the pack. I thought you were brave.”
I smirked. “Bravery is a necessity when living with my wife.”
“Ha, ha,” Zoe intoned, rolling her eyes. “I still can’t believe this is a thing. If you think for a second that Sami is participating in that, well, we’re going to throw down.”
“Oh, trust me, I know Sami will never be a part of any of that.” Zoe wasn’t the only reason for that decision. I had no intention of putting my daughter on display like a pair of shoes. “We’re not here to talk about ourselves. We’re here to talk about Maggie and Franklin.”
“Fine.” Zoe blew out a sigh. “Continue.”
“I ended things with Franklin because I thought it was best for him,” Maggie explained. “After a bit, I knew my parents wouldn’t back down. They allowed me to date him because they thought I would outgrow the relationship before they had to exert control.
“They didn’t like his family. They said they were uncouth and low born,” she continued. “I didn’t care about any of that. I loved him. I even thought of fleeing the family and doing my own thing like Aric did ... but I was afraid. Ultimately I was a coward and couldn’t bring myself to run.
“So instead I followed my parents’ orders and attended various mating parties,” she said. “I met Ralph at the third one. He seemed nice enough, if boring. There was no spark. I wasn’t afraid of him. He seemed like a nice guy who wouldn’t spend all of his time bossing me around.”
“There’s the basis of true love,” Zoe muttered, obviously frustrated. “Did Franklin just let you go? I mean ... did he even put up a fight?”
I knew what she was really asking. The year we’d spent apart was hell for both of us. She thought I simply walked away when I hadn’t. Once she realized we were still fighting for each other, it was easier to reconnect. I vowed the day we reconciled that she would always come first and I’d never gone back on my promise. It was hard for her to understand why Franklin didn’t do the same.
“He did for a bit, but there was nothing he could do,” Maggie replied. “My parents talked to his parents, and he was ordered to stay away.”
“Did he?” I was honestly curious. Had I been ordered to stay away from Zoe, I would’ve fought it. I couldn’t imagine ever giving up on her. Had she not forgiven me, accepted me back into her heart, odds were that I would still be pining for her.
“For a long time he did.” Maggie turned wistful. “I heard he was engaged at one point. This was two years after I married Ralph. My heart still yearned for him, but it wasn’t an unhappy marriage. There was no passion, but there was no strife either.
“Then, one day almost three years after we married, Franklin showed up out of nowhere,” she continued. “It was the eve of his wedding and he said he needed to see me before he could vow to share his life with another. He said he was miserable and wanted me back. He broke down and wept ... and that caused me to break down.”
Something about the story niggled the back of my brain. “You were with him, weren’t you?”
Maggie’s cheeks flooded with color. “I ... we ... .”
“It’s okay,” Zoe supplied. “We don’t care. Franklin was obviously your true love.”
“He was,” she agreed. “I was still married. Ralph and I were making a real go of it.”
“You still hooked up with Franklin, didn’t you?” I wasn’t disgusted as much as suspicious. There was something lacking about the story, but I couldn’t put my finger on what.
“I did.” Maggie bobbed her head. “We spent a glorious night together. I realized then that I still loved him and always would. But I couldn’t run away with him. I wasn’t strong enough to be cut off from my family.”
“So, what happened?” Zoe asked.
“I went back to my husband, and Franklin married his fiancée.”
“That’s it?” Zoe made a face. “That can’t be the end of the story.”
“It’s not,” Maggie agreed. “Four weeks later I found out I was pregnant. Eight months after that I gave birth to my son.”
“Who was the father?” I asked.
“I honestly don’t know. Ralph was fair and Franklin was dark. My son, Granger, looks a lot like Franklin.”
My heart sank. “Does Franklin know?”
“He didn’t for the longest time. Then, last month, he happened to be in town and saw me with Granger. One look at his face told me all I needed to know. He understood what I’d been keeping from him and freaked out. He’s with the council now, but several of the men he was with dragged him away when he tried to confront me. I haven’t seen him since.”
“Yeah, well, he’s back,” I said. “Not only that, but your ex-husband is dead and your child’s father is missing.”
Eight
“Are you sure that Franklin knows Granger is his?” Zoe asked the obvious question, fidgeting. She was clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. She wasn’t the only one.
“Sure? No. If you’d seen his face … .”
“Did something happen to him while he was here?” I asked, my mind churning. “You said he was dragged away. Why?”
“Because … because he was following Granger around.” Maggie turned misty. “I saw him outside the school watching from his truck. He looked … stricken. I wanted to talk to him, but Ralph was being difficult.”
“Difficult how?”
“Well … he knew about Franklin,” she explained. “I mean, we talked about it. The thing is, Ralph wasn’t a bad man. We simply had no spark. It took us years to talk things over, our problems, but he was in a similar situation as me and his parents insisted that our union was more important than his feelings.
“Believe it or not, we bonded after that,” she continued. “It was never really romantic between us. We became friends, though. He was comfortable letting me do my own thing, and I felt the same about him.”
<
br /> “Does that mean you both kept lovers?” Zoe asked, confused. I was glad she asked the question because I was uncomfortable doing it myself.
“No. I mean … I guess he could have, but that was never discussed. It was more that we both had outside interests. I joined a reading group and focused on Granger. He hung around with his own group.”
“The motorcycle gang,” I surmised, remembering the way the members looked at one another when we pressed them on Ralph being a member.
Maggie bobbed her head. “I wasn’t exactly a fan of the club. They call it a club, by the way. I don’t think they appreciate being referred to as a gang.”
“We could call them motorcycle douches,” Zoe suggested, earning a stern look from me, which she promptly ignored.
“Was Ralph involved with one of the women in the ‘club’?” I asked, something occurring to me. “I mean … you said you were friends. He might’ve decided to find romance someplace else if he wasn’t getting it from you.”
“I honestly don’t think Ralph was the cheating sort,” she replied. “He was a good man. When we decided to divorce, there was no animosity. We even stayed friends and went to Granger’s school functions together. We simply weren’t in love.”
“Did Ralph know about the possibility of Franklin being Granger’s father?” Zoe asked.
“I … .” Maggie broke off, uncertain. “I want to say no, but I’m not sure that’s true. Occasionally he made jokes about how Granger didn’t look like either of us. He knew I loved someone else at one point, but he never asked questions. To my knowledge, he had no idea who Franklin even was.”
“I think it’s possible he might’ve found out,” I countered. “Ralph is dead. Franklin is in the wind.”
“I don’t understand what that means.”
“Franklin came with a council contingency,” I explained. There were several men. While I was meeting with Brett Cavendish in my office, he was in the display area with the rest of the operatives. Somehow – and we’re still not certain how – he disappeared.
Wolf On the Job Page 7
