by Terry Spear
Aidan looked relieved, and as Holly said hello to Jade, they headed out to the car.
“I wanted to know if there’s anything special you’d like to eat while you’re here,” Jade said.
“If you have chocolate on hand, I’m good to go.”
Aidan smiled at Holly as they got into the car with his bodyguards and Nick.
“Now, I don’t want you to feel in any way that I mean for you to get us any Christmas gifts, but you and I could run into town and have a ladies’ day out if you’d like, see all the Christmas decorations, have lunch at a Victorian tearoom, and shop, or window-shop.”
“I’d love that.” Holly had wondered how she was going to be able to get away to shop for everyone for Christmas. This would truly be special.
“Great. The guys can entertain Toby, and we’ll entertain ourselves. I can’t wait to meet you.”
“Same here.” Holly really hoped she liked Jade and Rafe—in the event they became family.
Chapter 22
On the plane ride to Montana, they all slept, even Ted and Mike. They wanted to be well rested by the time they arrived at Bigfork. Holly hoped Paul and Lori’s pack didn’t overwhelm Nick at first, but then again, maybe he needed to be shown that other wolves would love to have him in their pack. She kept thinking Ronald should be embarrassed that other packs would see him for what he was. He thought he was better than them, his blood purer, far superior.
She expected just a small welcoming committee at the airport, not the crowd of wolves waiting near the private hangar. Half a dozen kids were holding up a sign welcoming Santa Claus, and another twenty or so adult wolves were smiling and cheered to see them.
Nick was smiling, all misty-eyed. He did look like a thinned-down version of Old Saint Nick, even without the red suit.
Holly’s eyes watered at the sight of the lovely welcome he was receiving. She ran her hand over his back and whispered, “See, they love you already.”
He chuckled, and she knew he was thinking it was because they saw him as Santa Claus, but who wouldn’t want to take in a widowed wolf who was as kindhearted as he was?
His gaze switched from the kids to the adults and locked onto a group of older women, none of them accompanied by mates. He smiled.
They were all wearing cheerful expressions, dressed to impress, looking as though it was killing them not to move forward and personally welcome him. Holly knew then he was going to feel right at home here.
“You may need our protection,” Ted said softly to Nick.
He laughed, a belly laugh, just like Old Saint Nick.
If the women didn’t fight over him too much, Holly thought he was going to be the life of the party. Not that he wouldn’t think about his beloved mate, but maybe he could make another widowed wolf happy and they’d be content in their remaining years.
Holly half expected the women to spirit him away, but the pack leaders waited for him to crouch down and greet the kids with hugs first—which brought tears to the adults’ eyes—and then they escorted him to an SUV. If Ronald’s name hadn’t been mud with this pack before this, it was now. They could see the kind of person Nick was, not some old ogre who created havoc for a pack.
Paul’s SEAL buddy and diver friend and his diver mate, Allan and Debbie, joined them, along with Aidan, Holly, Nick, and Aidan’s bodyguards.
Paul pulled out of the parking area to take them to Lori and his cabin on the lake. “We’ve opened a pack-size clubhouse and lodge that has bedrooms, kitchen, living area, bathrooms, and a deck with a view of the lake. It’s right next door to our cabin, just through the woods. If you’d prefer staying with one of the other families instead, everyone is eager to say they were lucky to have you stay with them. Either way would be fine with us.”
Lori handed Nick a list of the widowed ladies who were eager to open their homes to him. “All the widowed women but one have put their names on the list, Nick, if you’d care to stay with one of them until you decide what you would like to do permanently.”
“Thank you, and I understand,” Nick said.
“All the families are also eager to have you spend the time with them. Bachelor males too. Or you can stay with us. Or at the lodge.”
“Or with us,” Allan said. “We have a place on the mountain, no view of the lake, but beautiful views of the forests and mountains.”
“I’m overwhelmed.”
Not much overwhelmed Nick, but Holly could tell he was really touched because his voice was rough with emotion.
“Understandably. We have a friendly pack, and everyone is willing to help everyone. Or, if you feel you’re not up to it and want to stay at the lodge, you’re welcome to. It’s entirely up to you,” Lori said.
“We’d like to stay at the lodge,” Aidan said, “since my bodyguards go wherever I end up. And Holly’s not leaving my side either.” He smiled down at her.
She squeezed his hand. “I teamed up with him to work on the longevity issue.”
“Good show,” Paul said. “Two heads should be better than one. Have you learned anything more?”
Aidan explained about the Gray family’s blood and Nick’s too.
“That sounds like something could come of it,” Lori said.
“I sure hope so,” Mike said, “since I’m the docs’ first test subject. I’d love to feel I’ve had a positive part in this.”
They talked about what Aidan would do next if he found that Mike’s cells were not aging as they would normally for the next several months.
Nick suddenly asked, “Can I call the little lady who didn’t want me to stay with her?”
Holly was surprised he’d want to stay with someone who hadn’t offered her home to him, but he was always into lost causes, giving special attention to children who held back and weren’t practically fighting to reach him. Not that this woman was a lost cause, but Holly suspected that her reluctance had intrigued him.
“It isn’t that she didn’t want you to stay with her,” Lori clarified. “Just that she was afraid if her name was added to the list, you wouldn’t choose to stay with her.” She gave Victoria Snow’s phone number to him. “She’s an Arctic wolf.”
“Arctic wolf.” Nick immediately got on his phone, and Holly was proud of him. “Hi, this is Nick Cornwall. I was wondering if you could put me up for a few days, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble. I don’t snore, and as long as I can get some milk and cookies, I’m easy to live with.”
Holly chuckled. He sounded just like their good old Santa.
Nick laughed. “Okay. As long as it’s not too much trouble,” he repeated. “I don’t want to put you out none… All right. Don’t worry about getting ready for me. I’m easy. Really…” He smiled. “Okay, then we’ll be over…” He looked at Lori to confirm a time.
“We can make a detour to her place. It’ll take us about half an hour. More time if she needs more.”
“Half an hour unless you need more time.” Nick sighed. “We’ll see you then. And don’t put yourself out for me. I insist. See you soon.” He pocketed his phone.
Everyone was silent as they drove to Victoria’s home.
Then Lori said, “Thank you. She’s really a sweet woman, rather shy, but she loves to bake, so she’ll have a plate of hot cookies ready for you in a jiff.”
Nick laughed and rubbed his stomach. “I like to keep in shape, so it just means extra runs, but if she’d like to get out and run with me, that works for me.”
Holly was praying they’d find kinship and mutual interests.
They pulled up into the driveway of a one-story, gingerbread-trimmed Victorian house with a white picket fence and a wraparound porch. A light-pink house trimmed in white fretwork. Maybe that’s why Victoria had been reluctant to offer her house for his stay, afraid Nick would feel it was too feminine for his tastes. Scalloped shingles; louvered, shuttered window
s; arched openings to the deck; cornices; three window dormers in the roof; steep turrets; and all with lacy trim work welcomed guests to visit. Sparkly lights trimmed the inside of each window and all along the roofline, the pillars, and the railings on the steps leading to the brick front walk.
Fresh snow covered the yard, gingerbread Victorian birdhouses hung from a tree out front, and lighted candy canes lined the walkway. A golden candle glowed at each of the windows. Smoke curled from the chimney, making anyone feel welcome, Holly thought.
She didn’t know about Nick, but she loved the house.
He didn’t comment. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t say anything negative about the place. He was too kindhearted for that. Not that he didn’t have his growly moments. When it came to Ronald and the way he led the pack, Nick had no reservations about making his feelings known.
A woman opened the door, her white hair all pulled up into a bun on the top of her head and a white lace-trimmed apron covering her blue dress as she dried off her hands on a red towel. She looked a little anxious but smiled when everyone began piling out of the car.
“Victoria, this is Nick, and, Nick, this is Victoria,” Lori said.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Nick said and took Victoria’s hand in his and kissed it, looking into her eyes the whole time as if he was already smitten.
Holly had seen him treat his wife in a loving way all the years before her death. It looked as though he was dealing with his grief well enough now. One thing she hadn’t considered, since both were widowed, was that Nick and Victoria had something in common to share and could talk to each other about how they felt about losing their beloved mates.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t like to stay here because…” Victoria’s cheeks pinkened. “Well…” She motioned to her house.
“It’s charming. I wouldn’t have felt quite at home anywhere else. I hate to drag all my stuff into your house though.”
“No, no, the house is all yours. I have four bedrooms you can choose from. I mean, I have five bedrooms.” She blushed terribly again. “But four you can choose from.”
He laughed. “I’m sure one of them will be perfect.”
Everyone began hauling his stuff inside the house, and Holly smelled sugar cookies.
“Boy, do I smell something good,” Nick said.
“Lori and Paul planned a pack gathering and a feast tonight at the clubhouse. I baked some sugar cookies just for you. I mean, for everyone. For your welcoming party.” Blushing further, she led him into the kitchen.
“Which bedroom do you want to use?” Ted asked.
“He can have the one near the end of the hall. It’s the largest.”
“You can just put the camping gear in the…garage?” Nick waited for Victoria to say where it could go.
“Yes, there’s room in the storage area of the garage. Would anyone else like milk and cookies?” she asked.
“No, we’re going to the lodge to get settled in,” Aidan said. “But thanks.”
“Thanks for bringing me here,” Nick said, shaking the guys’ hands, then giving Holly and Lori hugs. Then he sat down to eat his cookies and drink his milk.
“We’ll see you at the lodge tonight,” Lori said. “Don’t you two forget.”
Nick winked at her.
This time, Lori blushed.
They left the house and climbed into the car, and Lori said, “Ohmigod, he’s a real charmer.”
Holly was delighted to see that everyone loved him. He truly was lovable. “Believe me, I haven’t seen him that cheerful in months. It appears this could be a good move for him.”
“He’s adorable,” Lori said. “I’m sure we’ll love him to pieces. I can’t believe Victoria moved him to the bedroom next to hers. She’s been widowed for five years. If there’s a mating and wedding, will you all return for it?”
“You bet,” Aidan said, tugging Holly under his arm as if he was claiming her before any wolves in Lori and Paul’s pack got any ideas. He got another call and pulled out his phone. Ronald. “Yeah, Ronald?” He put it on speaker so Holly could hear what Ronald had to say.
“What are the Grays going to do about their shop? They need to return there to take care of it. Their friends can’t watch it forever.”
“Some changes need to be made in your leadership.”
Ronald ignored his comment, and Aidan was surprised he didn’t act angry. Maybe he thought he’d better back down, attitude-wise, if he was going to get his pack members back. It had to have been a blow to his ego when they left without him having the chance to banish them. And Holly was a valuable asset he couldn’t afford to lose. “From what I understand, you’re resettling Nick, so that can’t be an issue.”
“We need to do some blood testing of your people to learn if there are changes in your blood now or in the future,” Aidan said.
“Holly already does that for us.”
“That’s good. But I need to see the results and compare them to see if she’s missed anything.”
There was a long pause. “You have plenty of test subjects. You don’t need to use my people for your research.”
“Neither the Grays’ nor Nick’s blood have changed. It’s possible no one in the rest of the pack will have an issue. But what if they do?”
“Holly will take care of it.”
“If she doesn’t return?”
“You can’t hold her hostage. She needs to be here for our people.”
Aidan patted her shoulder. “Maybe she has other plans.”
“I do,” Holly said. “I’m working with Dr. Denali on a cure. I want everyone in the pack who agrees to give blood samples to do so, then we can see if there are any changes. It’s up to you. Do you want to be the bearer of bad news if our people’s blood begins to change? If they could have learned this early on but didn’t because you wouldn’t cooperate?”
“You can do that from here and still take care of our people. You have an obligation to them and to my brother. Hell, you took off when he could have used some doctoring after Aidan and his bodyguard injured him.”
“It was his fault for entering Aidan’s territory and starting the fight. Mike wouldn’t have initiated it. Jared had planned a sneak attack on Mike. He had no call to attack him.”
“My job is to guard, not to serve on the offensive,” Mike said from the back seat.
She left out the part about her attacking Jared before he reached Mike. She wondered if Jared had told his brother what her part in all of that had been. She suspected not.
“I don’t have any obligation to your brother. In case you don’t recall, once he learned I wanted to speak with Dr. Denali, Jared said he wouldn’t consider mating me. Not that I was considering mating him either. Not only that, but after Jared bit me, I needed medical attention.”
Prolonged silence. “I said you can take the blood samples from our people from here and stay here.” Another significant pause. “Hell, all right. You can share the results with Dr. Denali, but that’s it.”
“I’m staying with the Denalis for Christmas. After that? We’ll see. There’d have to be a lot of changes in pack leadership. Open friendships with other packs. If wolves from other packs need medical attention when they’re in the area, I can take care of them. Outsider wolves can join our pack, and our people can freely come and go as they please. And, we welcome wolves into our territory when they show up, instead of muscle telling them to leave our territory pronto.” That was only if things didn’t work out between her and Aidan.
“How about we kick everyone out of the pack who agrees with you? For starters?” Ronald asked, obviously being his usual bristly self.
“We’ll take in whoever you want to banish,” Aidan said. “We’ll make sure they have jobs and homes. So do your worst.” Aidan hung up on him.
Holly frowned at Aidan, surprised he�
��d end the call without allowing her to have a final word.
“He’s the kind of pack leader that’s so hard-nosed, you have to be hard-nosed right back. There’s no negotiating with him. Maybe he’ll change his mind, but at this point, I doubt it. Anyone who sides with you and your family is the enemy.”
“You don’t think we should go back and try to pacify him, just to get his cooperation so I can get my people’s blood samples?”
“Hell no,” Aidan said, and Paul and Allan said nearly the same thing. “He might mind his p’s and q’s with you because you’re valuable to the pack, but anyone else? He’ll make them toe the line. And that includes your family. He might say he’ll allow some of the things you want, but when you’re back there?”
“He’ll renege.”
“There’s a good chance he will. He’s in charge, and he won’t like that you, or anyone else, is dictating to him on how to rule the pack.”
“I agree,” Lori said. “I wouldn’t trust him or his brother. What if his brother believes you should mate him when you go back?”
“She’s got too much invested in me,” Aidan said.
Holly chuckled. “You are so sure of yourself, aren’t you?” She got another call a few minutes later and figured it was Ronald calling her back to give her an ultimatum—to have the final word. Instead, it was Jared calling. Now what? “Yeah, Jared?”
“I apologize for biting you, all right? Hell, you bit me first! In the heat of the conflict, battle lines blurred, and I lashed out. I didn’t mean to bite you.”
Yeah, he did. He was angry she’d bitten him. He could have stopped himself before he bit her. He only regretted it after she told his brother what he’d done, most likely.
“If I’d been thinking right, I would have only snapped at you.”
“Apology accepted. I’m surprised you’re apologizing though.” She suspected his brother made him.
“So, no hard feelings and you’ll return to the pack, right?”
Yep, Ronald must have figured Jared’s actions had made her decide she’d had enough. “That’s what the apology is all about? I have other plans, Jared. My decision to leave the pack has been long in coming.”
