Eddie’s Prize

by Maddy Barone

  “Let’s get these dishes washed up so we can get going, wife.”

  * * * *

  It was a beautiful morning, chilly enough that Lisa was glad she had her jacket, but sunny. She was so happy she couldn’t stop smiling. Mentally she listed the things she was looking forward to today—she was going to see the baby horse, get a new dress she could show off in public, and then see Carla again. Best of all, Eddie was walking close beside her, holding her hand and swinging it lightly between them as if they were kids. They were back to how they were before he saw those stupid magazines. For a moment her mind lingered on the anger and jealousy he’d displayed that day, but she shook her head, forcing those memories back. The past was past, and it should stay in the past. That’s what her therapist told her. Lisa focused on the warm clasp of her husband’s hand. It was going to be a perfectly wonderful day.

  All three of the Packard men, father and sons, were in a broad, grassy, fenced yard right off the back of the stable. Lisa admired the way Eddie swung himself over the fence with the grace of a leaping cat and let him help her over the rail. Her eyes fixed immediately on Alexander cavorting on spindly legs near his mother.

  “Ooh, what an adorable baby horse!” she cooed. “Make him come play with me!”

  “Colt,” Eddie corrected.

  She made a face at his mock-superior tone. “Colt. Can you go get him?”

  One of the teenaged Packards came to her side. “No, ma’am, it’s best to try to tempt him over to you with a treat.”

  Lisa warmed under his expression of awed admiration as he gazed at her. Yes, this is going to be a perfect day, Lisa thought, rewarding him with a smiling glance flicked from under lowered lashes.

  The smile was jarred off her face by Eddie’s hand clamping over her upper arm and jerking her away.

  “What?” she began, looking around frantically. She expected to see something dangerous, like the mother horse charging them to protect her baby, but there was nothing. She opened her mouth to scold Eddie. His face stopped her voice. He hardly looked like himself, as if the rage had shifted the bones subtly under his skin.

  “Eddie?”

  He growled, ignoring her. When Mr. Packard hurried over, Eddie jerked her back another step, his nails biting into her arm even through her leather jacket.

  “Eddie!” she said again. “You’re hurting me!”

  He wheeled around, crushing her to his chest and burying his face against her neck. Her back hit the fence. Her breath came out in an “Oof!” that stirred Eddie’s hair where it lay over her face.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured into her shoulder, holding her tightly. “I’m sorry.”

  She brushed a hand over his back. Each muscle under her fingers was clenched. His tension made her stuff her impatience deep inside. “It’s okay. Eddie, what’s going on with you?”

  He didn’t answer, didn’t lift his head. “I’d never hurt you.”

  Lisa heard the furtive guilt edging his tone. “Okay.” Helplessly, she glanced over his shoulder at Mr. Packard, whose glare was fixed on his son. “Are you going to let me go?”

  “In a minute.”

  Lisa waited, resisting the urge to shift her weight, until he finally lifted his head. His face was calm now, the muscles of his shoulders almost relaxed. Lisa stroked her fingers through his hair. “Okay?”

  Eddie nodded and turned to Mr. Packard. Lisa saw the two boys going into the barn. Mr. Packard was cautious, but his voice was firm.

  “Eddie, I know a newlywed man is protective and jealous of his wife, but do you really think my boys have designs on Mrs. Madison?”

  Lisa jerked in a breath. All the craziness was because Eddie was jealous?

  “They were flirting,” Eddie said stiffly. “Jasper and my wife were flirting.”

  Lisa jerked in another breath to protest, but Mr. Packard beat her to it.

  “That’s not what I saw,” he said bluntly. “It looked to me like a case of an older woman being kind to an infatuated boy.”

  Older woman? Lisa touched an alarmed finger to the corner of her eye, searching for crow’s feet. She wasn’t an “older woman”!

  “Jasper’s past sixteen,” Eddie snarled. “He knows better than to flirt with a married woman.”

  Mr. Packard dug his hands into his pockets. “Son, didn’t you ever have a crush on an older woman?”

  Lisa couldn’t see her husband’s face, but his shoulders stiffened. “Once or twice. But I sure didn’t flirt with her!”

  The older man’s face creased as he clenched and unclenched his jaw. “It’s just part of growing up,” he said with an edge in his voice showing the frayed edges of his patience. “I’ll have a word with my boys, but I’m telling you, it was innocent.”

  “You do that,” Eddie snapped. “Come on, Lisa, we’re leaving.”

  “But…” Lisa glanced at the little horse frolicking by his mother on the far side of the yard. “I wanted to see the baby h—colt.”

  “Now, Lisa,” Eddie said sternly, as if she were a toddler dragging her feet about going to bed.

  Lisa gritted her teeth when his hand snapped out to snag her wrist. She walked with him only to avoid an ugly argument in front of Mr. Packard. As soon as they had gone through the barn and were back on the street, she jerked her wrist out of his hold. “Eddie, that was rude. I don’t appreciate being embarrassed like that.”

  He didn’t look at her. “And I don’t appreciate watching my wife flirt with another man!”

  “I wasn’t flirting!” Lisa shoved a tiny flare of guilt down. Why should she feel guilty? Eddie had no right to go off like that. “He’s just a kid. He reminded me of my baby brother.”

  It was not quite a lie. She hadn’t really been flirting, and the boy did remind her of Derek as he had been ten years ago.

  “Eddie, this jealousy of yours is ridiculous.”

  His hands clenched at his sides. “I’m sorry you were embarrassed.”

  He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded pissed off.

  Lisa counted her steps until she had a firm grip on her anger. “I thought you said you would try to control your jealousy.”

  Eddie marched faster and then slowed. He watched the sidewalk beneath their feet, and his voice dropped to a tone which dripped deep misery. “I know. The monster slipped out before I could stop it.”

  She was trying to have a serious conversation, and he was making jokes? “Really? The green eyed-monster slipped out? Eddie, be serious.”

  A startled expression crossed his face. “I don’t know what color its eyes are.” His lips firmed as he looked at her. “It would be easier, though, if you wouldn’t smile like that at other men.”

  “Eddie.” Some of her anger was washed away by impatient pity. She forgot sometimes how naïve he was even at twenty-six. “I smile at other men to be polite and friendly. It doesn’t mean a thing. Nothing at all. I don’t feel anything for them, but I feel so much for you. You told me you’d try to control your jealousy. I expect you to keep your word.”

  His hand slipped down to clasp hers. “I’ll do better next time. I swear. Forgive me?”

  What choice did she have? It wasn’t like she could run home every time they had a fight. She squeezed his hand. “Okay.”

  Her smile must have looked convincing. Eddie gave her a gentle kiss before hurrying his steps. “Come on. I want to see you in your new dress.”

  The idea of a new dress banished the lingering remnants of her anger. Nothing cheered her up like new clothes. Maybe that made her shallow, but she’d take her happiness where she could. She was careful to avoid Nate Martin’s eyes when they got to his shop, but it wasn’t too hard since Hannah came out and rushed her to the back room before the bell over the door stopped ringing.

  “I think you’ll like what I’ve done with the dress,” Hannah said.

  A few minutes later Lisa turned this way and that to admire herself in the full length mirror against the wall. The simple, buttoned up shirt dress was mad
e from mid-weight cotton in a flattering blue whose princess seams curved over her bust, fitting perfectly.

  “I like it,” she announced to Hannah.

  Hannah released a breath. “I’m so glad. It looks like it fits.”

  “Like a glove,” Lisa agreed. She twirled once, letting the skirt flare and settle. “I might need more clothes.”

  “Oh, yes. Have you thought of what you’d like to wear to the mayor’s New Year Gala?”

  “The what?” Lisa’s mind went to evening gowns and elegant parties.

  “Every year, Mayor Madison hosts a party.” Hannah’s voice bubbled with excitement. “It’s called the New Year Gala, but it’s actually at the end of January. It starts in the afternoon and goes until after dark. The mayor provides hogs and cows to be barbecued, and everybody brings their best side dish. Girls want to show off their cooking and their clothes. People come from all over to eat and dance and exchange news. Men take advantage of this one day a year to be able to flirt with girls. Lots of engagements get announced afterward. And lots of people get married there too.”

  Flirting? The word made Lisa’s stomach cramp. “Wow,” Lisa managed. “That’s different than how I’ve celebrated New Year’s. There’s dancing and elegant finger foods and champagne at midnight.”

  Hannah waved a dismissive hand. “Of course, there is beer and alcohol at the party, and there are always a few men who get out of hand, but Sheriff Paulson and Mr. Herrick and the other men take care of them. There are always extra men on duty. Every year there’s at least one fight too, but only fists. No one is allowed in with a knife or a gun.”

  “A fight?” Lisa tried to imagine a fist fight at any of the elegant parties she’d attended in New York or Los Angeles. “Why do they fight?”

  “It’s usually because more than one man wants to court the same girl. They get awful jealous sometimes.”

  Lisa’s head jerked back. “Men get jealous a lot here?”

  “Of course. Don’t they where you lived?” When Lisa just shrugged, Hannah said, “Well, we’ll need to make you something special to wear for the Gala.”

  From beyond the curtain, Eddie called, “Lisa, we need to get going to the library.”

  “We’ll get together sometime soon,” Lisa promised.

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “Men,” she whispered. Then she bundled up Lisa’s jeans and blouse. “You don’t want to carry these with you. I can hold onto them for you until the next time you stop by.”

  When the two women stepped through the curtain, Eddie looked Lisa up and down and smiled. Nate Martin whistled. Lisa flicked a smile his way before remembering Eddie’s idiotic jealousy. The smile froze on her face.

  “Mrs. Madison, you look terrific,” Nate said. “Hannah, you outdid yourself on that dress!” He gave his wife a smacking kiss on the cheek.

  Lisa shot a glare at Eddie, expecting him burst into jealousy again. His face was set in hard lines, but he didn’t look like he was about to explode. Maybe he was learning. “Thank you, Mr. Martin. I’m ready to leave anytime you are, Eddie.”

  *

  Eddie felt the claws of the beast scrabble at his fingertips when Nate made his admiring comment, but he forced it back. The look on Lisa’s face wounded him. He loved her. He didn’t want to hurt her. It was the monster inside that drove harsh words out of his mouth. He would need to talk to Packard and apologize for his asinine behavior this morning. He wasn’t sure what exactly he would say. He couldn’t explain he had a monster inside him, and it was insanely jealous of Lisa. Better to pretend it was the natural, if exaggerated, jealousy of a new husband.

  “You look beautiful, Lisa,” he told his wife. The dress was pretty, but Lisa was always beautiful, whatever she wore. “Ready to go?”

  “Sure.” She gave Mrs. Martin a quick hug. “Thank you for finishing the dress so quickly, Hannah. I’ll see you soon about the designs.”

  One of the many things Eddie liked about his wife was he didn’t have to shorten his steps for her to keep up. Her legs were as long as his, and she matched him step for step in spite of her high heeled boots. He held her hand as they walked, and a fresh wave of love and regret flooded him when he saw the stiff way she held her head and kept her eyes away from the men they passed, even when they politely wished her a good afternoon. He wanted to tell her why he overreacted to other men. Words crowded his mind, ready to spew out in a torrent of remorseful self-defense.

  But he couldn’t. It wasn’t his secret alone, and that secret was too well kept for too long for him to break. So he just opened the library door for his wife to enter ahead of him.

  “Eddie! Lisa!” said Mr. Gray, coming into the foyer to welcome them. He shook Eddie’s hand with a big smile. “Things won’t be getting started for another hour or so. Taye and Carla Wolfe should be here any minute.” The smile wavered slightly. “Did you know my granddaughter is Taye’s cousin? She’ll be marrying Neal Overdahl this summer. Neal and his brother, Dane, will be attending today.”

  Ice slid through Eddie’s belly, rousing the beast to hot awareness. An image of Dane sitting plastered to Lisa’s side burst into his mind. Lisa gasped when his hand clenched over hers.

  “Eddie,” she complained.

  “Sorry.” He loosened his fingers, forcing the beast back one tiny step. “Sorry. Give me a minute.”

  “Go to my office,” Mr. Gray offered.

  An offer? Or a command? Eddie wasn’t sure which, but he grasped for privacy as if it were a rope and he was drowning. He pulled Lisa down the hall, into the office, and closed the door with such care anyone who knew him would recognize how close to the edge he was. Lisa slipped her hand free and watched him with a wrinkle marking her forehead. Eddie drew in a deep breath and looked away. Scanning the familiar office would give him time to wrestle the beast back under control.

  Mr. Gray’s office had been cleaned in the last few days. He had spent many hours in this office while he’d been growing up, sometimes because he was in trouble, but more often because Mr. Gray had given him extra schooling. Kearney’s schoolteacher had encouraged Eddie’s interest in the gadgets from Times Before. He, Mr. Gray, and Dane Overdahl had talked long summer nights away right here in this room.

  Dane Overdahl! That weasel wanted to steal his wife. Eddie’s back teeth ached with the effort to shove the beast down.

  “Eddie?” said Lisa’s hesitant voice.

  He made a supreme effort and was finally able to face Lisa with a forced smile. She was sitting on a pink upholstered loveseat Eddie had never seen before.

  “Are you okay?” she asked. “Do you have a tickle in your throat?”

  “What?”

  She wiggled her fingers under her chin. “You keep clearing your throat.”

  Had he been growling? He produced a fake cough. “It’s okay.” He sat beside her. “Lisa, let’s go home.”

  Her eyes widened. “Now? I want to see Carla!”

  “We can visit with her another time. Taye Wolfe said we would be welcome.”

  That beautiful face tightened. “No,” she said bluntly.

  “Yes!” he snarled. Or the beast did. Eddie found his eyesight sharper, his muscles moving with new strength and grace, and his sense of smell so fine he could smell the bacon from this morning’s egg bake on Lisa’s hair. He waited for the burning sensation of the change to take over, but it didn’t come. Thank God, he was still in control. He took her hands and drew her to her feet. “Lisa, I don’t want us to run into Dane. Me and him in the same place is asking for trouble.” He was proud of the quietly reasonable tone he managed. “I’m sorry you’ll miss your friend, but we should go.”

  “Eddie.” She stepped closer so her breasts brushed against his chest. Lust sent his arms tight around her. She squirmed to free her arms and cupped his face in her hands. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing Carla. This is the perfect opportunity for you to practice your control.”

  Control. It took a conscious effort to keep his arms loose and e
asy around her. He was a fool to demand his wife forgo something that gave her pleasure. The creature was stronger, wilder, since he had found his wife, and much harder to control. Why, he wanted to cry, why was he cursed with the monster? Lisa was his blessing. Did that balance it out? He brushed his lips over hers.

  He floundered under a sensory onslaught. Part of him wanted to snarl and drag her home straight to bed. Part of him wanted to lean into her and purr. Both came from the beast. Control. His hands petted over her round rear end and squeezed, and a moment later his enhanced sense of smell could detect the merest hint of her desire threading through her scent. An entirely human groan escaped his throat when she rubbed herself against his burgeoning erection.

  “Lisa-love,” he moaned. “You smell so good.”

  He didn’t need her whispered invitation to kiss her. His mouth devoured hers as he bent her into a desperate dip so he could get even closer to her. Her mouth was heaven, her tongue a device made for the most exquisite torture. An intrusion teased the edges of his senses. A smell? A sound? He ignored it in favor of his wife’s enthusiastic kiss.

  But the intrusion grew into something the beast inside him couldn’t ignore. A tiny sound and the pungent smell of dog signaled the arrival of strangers. Driven by the beast, Eddie jerked Lisa behind him and crouched, ready to defend his mate.

  Mate? Where had that come from? Eddie shook the thought off, glaring at the open doorway. Carla Wolfe stood there, smiling. The smile faded as she was pushed behind a wall of wolves in man form.

  Chapter 15

  Lisa almost stumbled from the shove Eddie gave her, but she didn’t take her eyes off Carla. Her only friend from her old life stood in the doorway with three men, none of whom was her new husband, but all of whom looked as protective as a Secret Service detail.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” said Carla uncertainly.

  Lisa wanted to yell at Eddie for shoving her behind him. Was this a heavy-handed attempt at gallantry? Did he think he was protecting her? Did he honestly expect any of the three men in the doorway to attack them?

  Apparently not. He straightened up and walked forward with his hand outstretched to shake Carla’s hand. The three bristling men made growling dog noises and tried to muscle Carla farther behind them as if protecting her from Eddie. Maybe Eddie wasn’t the only one to behave like a caveman.