Hearts Aflame Collection IV: 4-Book Bundle

by Melissa F. Hart

  Nicolette pursed her mouth as she studied her friend’s face for a moment. “Something’s changed.” Her eyes widened as the realization hit her, and she leaned into Jade’s ear and whispered, “You’ve seen him!” It was a statement, not a question.

  “Not here, Nicky,” Jade pleaded. “Later, okay?”

  At that moment, Harlan came over and put an arm around Nicolette. “You want to help me make some sandwiches? Word’s getting out, and people will start showing up to express their condolences. Of course, a ton of food is going to show up with them, but we should still offer visitors a sandwich and a cup of coffee.”

  “Food equals love.” Nicolette smiled sadly. “The small town response to every situation.”

  Carson joined the cluster in the kitchen. “Seems I’m going to be teaching third grade until Evelyn is ready to go back.” He seemed pleased to be making a contribution in light of circumstances.

  Jade tried to lighten the mood of the group. “I can’t wait until the kids wash that potty mouth of yours out with soap.”

  “Now, Jade, I don’t always cuss,” Carson countered.

  “Not always, Dad, just most of the time,” Harlan teased.

  “We better get back to the office, Jade,” Dougie called from the doorway. “Wilson is going to want all the details.”

  “I’ll see you all later.” Jade gave Carson a peck on the cheek. “If you teach third grade the way you survive explosions, those kids are going to have a hell of a good time.”

  ***

  By the time Jade got home, it was already 8:30. She was starving, but when she opened the refrigerator, nothing inside had any appeal. She closed the door, pulled the hairband out of her ponytail, and flopped on the couch. Maybe a few minutes of mindless channel surfing would clear her head, she decided, as she reached for the remote control.

  Before Jade could click the television on, she heard a light rap on the backdoor. She froze for a second. Conall! How could she have forgotten he was coming to see her!

  She looked down at her rumpled deputy’s uniform and knew she probably didn’t have a trace of make-up left on her face. Her hair was a tangled mess and the big toe on her left foot jutted out of a hole in her woolen sock. Oh, and there was the matter of the threadbare and faded long underwear she had on underneath. Jade stood up with resignation; if he was expecting a hottie to greet him at the door, he was going to be sorely disappointed.

  To Jade’s surprise, though, it wasn’t Conall at the door. A slender woman with a mass of flowing red hair and piercing gray eyes stood on her stoop. She was beautiful in an otherworldly sort of way, with a creamy complexion and delicate features.

  “Are ye Jade?” the woman asked, her Irish accent even stronger than Conall’s.

  “Do you mind telling me who you are?” Jade responded in her politest voice as she eyed the woman.

  “Me name is Aoife.”

  It sounded almost as if she had said ‘Eva,’ but Jade unconsciously repeated it as the woman pronounced it, “Ee-fa.”

  “Aye, Aoife, I’m the sister of Conall’s dead mate, Riona.” Her voice had little emotion as she reported this fact.

  “What can I do for you, Aoife?”

  “Ye can stay away from Conall, that’s what ye can do. He sent me to tell you that he won’t be coming tonight or ever.”

  “Conall doesn’t impress me as the kind of man who would send someone else with such a personal message.” Irritation bubbled up within Jade. She didn’t appreciate the arrogant manner in which Aoife delivered her message.

  “He may not be that kind of man, but he is that kind of wolf. Ye think you know him, but ye know nothing. According to the laws of our clan, he will become my mate when his mourning is over.”

  “His mourning for his daughter?”

  “Aye, his daughter, Claire, and for his mate Riona. So ye should stay with your own kind and leave him alone as, in a little more than a month, he’ll be mine for life.”

  Jade rubbed her forehead. Was she really having this conversation? She closed her eyes and the kiss she shared with Conall earlier that day came back to her, the passion and longing that it contained. Had it been a good-bye kiss?

  “Conall trusts ye to keep our secret, and we ask you to please bring Claire’s body back to our territory so that we can send her to the next world properly. Can ye do him that one last kindness?”

  “Yes…of course.” Jade felt off balance, unsure if what Aoife was conveying was the entire truth or not. It seemed pointless to get into a fight with a stranger standing at her door, but the one thing she knew for certain was that she would only believe that things were finished with Conall when he told her to her face.

  Aoife’s face softened a little. She seemed relieved that Jade had not put up an argument. “Good night and good luck to ye then.” She started to leave, then paused and turned back, as if something had just occurred to her. “That Boomer fella, he’s a good man for ye.” Then she slipped into the night and was gone.

  Shutting the door, Jade didn’t know what to feel. Earlier that day, she’d been looking forward to her date on Friday night with Boomer, but now she was sad and angry and confused—all at the same time. And how had Aoife known about Boomer? Maybe all these wolf people could read minds. But at least now she knew what to have for supper and retrieved a pint of ice cream from the freezer. It was times like this that she truly wished she had a pet, but watching an old movie while eating mint chocolate chip under the quilt her mother made her would have to do. She couldn’t even call Nicolette to tell her about it. Feeling too dejected to even cry, Jade finally admitted there really was a wolf problem, but it was far closer to home than she ever dreamed.

  ***

  “How long before we get the coroner’s report?” Jade spun her desk chair to face Dougie.

  “Not until sometime early next week, but Doc Edmo called and said he’d be able to take a look at the wolf today.”

  Doc Edmo was a young veterinarian, a Shoshone who had grown up in the tough atmosphere of the Wind River Reservation. Jade had recommended him for the job, knowing he wouldn’t find her wish to deal with the wolf’s body respectfully overly strange. Plus, he was an excellent vet.

  Jade pretended to yawn as she stood up and reached for her jacket. “I’m getting sleepy and stupid sitting here. I’ll check in over at Doc Edmo’s and bring back lunch if you guys want.”

  “I’d take an Italian sub,” Tim said cheerfully.

  “Five bucks please.” Jade collected money and sandwich orders and headed over to the vet’s office.

  Doc Edmo’s receptionist took in Jade’s uniform with a glance and quickly ascertained why she was there. “Go all the way back, deputy. Doc is in the surgery.”

  Pushing through the door, Jade scanned the sterile-looking room. Doc was adjusting a large light over the operating table.

  “Hey, Jade. I was just getting started.”

  The dead wolf, which Jade couldn’t quite bring herself to think of as Claire, lay on the cold stainless table with a light cotton drape covering her. Doc had on turquoise-colored scrubs, and his long, black hair was braided down the center of his back. He wore a rather jaunty-looking surgical cap printed with a design of various paw and hoof prints.

  “Thanks for doing this for us.”

  “Glad to help. I don’t really like the wolves getting a bad rap—especially if they happen to be innocent.” The vet snapped on some latex gloves.

  Jade sat down on his rolling examination stool, leaning forward with her hands clasped, her elbows on her knees. “I don’t know anything for a fact, Doc. But my gut reaction to the scene was that this wolf didn’t touch Duke Minton.”

  The vet went about his business for some time, taking measurements and thoroughly examining the wolf’s body. After some minutes, he straightened up.

  “Well, the first thing I can say with certainty is that this wolf was killed from a distance with a high-powered rifle. There aren’t any other wounds on the body, no b
ruising or scratches or anything to indicate a struggle or attack.”

  “So, could you testify in court that this wolf was killed from a distance greater than twenty yards?”

  “Absolutely. And I don’t see any evidence of flesh or blood in its teeth. I’ll swab for DNA, but we’ll know more after looking at the stomach contents. You aren’t going to get squeamish on me, are you?”

  Jade shook her head, but she wasn’t entirely sure.

  “The good news is that I can just make one incision; I don’t see any need to dice her up more than that.”

  “Thanks.” Jade tried to smile at Doc, but Conall’s voice saying the word ‘daughter’ kept echoing through her head. Why hadn’t Conall come to explain things to her? How could an entire community of shapeshifters have kept their secret for so long? Jade deliberately refused to entertain the word, ‘werewolf.’ Werewolves were inventions of fantasy tales, creatures that turned into bloodthirsty killers every full moon. Werewolves did not help you rescue your friend, or make love to you, or…have laws and clans and mates for life; werewolves didn’t have daughters.

  “This is weird.” Doc held a kidney-shaped stainless pan, peering at the contents as he moved things around with a long pair of tweezers.

  “What is it?”

  “Must have been looking for easy pickings behind a restaurant or something. This girl’s last meal was spaghetti and meatballs.”

  Jade wrinkled her face up. “But it definitely wasn’t Duke Minton?”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Thanks, Doc, that’s good news.”

  “How’s that?”

  Jade backpedaled, trying to explain away her odd remark. “I guess I’m a fan of the wolves. And I’m tired of people blaming any bit of bad luck on them.”

  Doc shrugged. “No offense, but it’s kind of the white man’s way—always trying to blame, rather than taking any personal responsibility. Of course, we’ve got our share on the rez who have learned that way too.”

  Jade acknowledged his point, nodding silently before she stood up.

  “I’ll send over an official report, but this wolf did not attack Duke Minton, or anyone else for that matter. You can take her now—I can help you put her in your vehicle.” Doc carefully wrapped up Claire’s body in a sheet. “You know, the Shoshone believe that in the time before time, wolves could walk and talk as men do.”

  “What else do the Shoshone say about wolves?” Jade asked.

  “My grandfather used to say that wolves were very smart and observant, that they were very brave, but very secretive. He said that wolves were helpers, and if a wolf appears to you in a dream, you should definitely follow whatever they show you. And he believed they have the power of telepathy. Wolves know our hearts and because of that, we should honor them.”

  “What do you believe?”

  Smiling kindly at Jade, Doc paused thoughtfully before he responded. “I believe the Elders knew a great deal that we dismiss as legend.” Doc picked up the bundled form. “What are you going to do with her?”

  “I’m taking her back to her clan.” Jade said it plainly and directly, and Doc simply nodded in reply.

  ***

  “What did Doc Edmo say?” Wilson asked, in between bites of his meatball sub.

  Jade looked at the greasy sandwich. “You know, Peggie will skin you alive if she catches you eating that trash. I should have gotten you a turkey with lettuce and tomato, no mayo.”

  “She’ll have to catch me first, and since she’s still on crutches, I can definitely run faster.” Wilson took another bite. “Doc Edmo,” he prodded.

  “He says he’s 100% sure that this wolf didn’t attack Duke, or anybody else for that matter, and he’s willing to testify to that fact.”

  Wilson wiped his mouth with a wad of paper napkins. “So do you have a theory about what happened to Duke?”

  “I think someone shot Duke, then shot the wolf and sliced his throat open to cover it up.”

  Dougie shook his head, as he rearranged the tomato slices on his ham and cheese. “Why would anyone want to kill Duke Minton, beloved husband, father and Sunday school teacher? We need motive.”

  Jade pouted a little. “I haven’t gotten that far. So what’s your big idea?”

  Tearing a little foil pouch of mustard open with his teeth, Dougie shook his head again. “I have no idea. Just keep the magic formula in your head: means, motive and opportunity.”

  “Maybe it was an accident,” Jade hypothesized. “Maybe someone was trying to kill the wolf and they unintentionally shot Duke. They panicked, and tried to cover their tracks.”

  “Maybe,” Wilson replied. “But why is Duke Jr. so adamant about it being the wolf that attacked his dad?”

  “Are you saying we need to be looking at Duke Jr.?” Jade asked, a little incredulously.

  “Can anyone alibi him for the time he was supposedly gone retrieving the fencing tools?” Wilson asked, in his matter-of-fact way.

  “That’s a little cold, don’t you think?” Dougie added. “The guy was clearly shaken up.”

  “Grieving son, guilty son…they can look a lot alike,” the sheriff said bluntly.

  “Can we at least wait until the funeral is over on Saturday before we interrogate him?” Jade implored. “Rosie will never forgive us if we upset Evelyn any more before Duke even gets in the ground.”

  “Look, I’m not telling you two how to run your investigation, but I am saying you have to stay objective. It’s easy in a place like Broken Wheel to miss something because of our rose-colored glasses.”

  “Point taken,” Dougie admitted. “But I’m with Jade, let’s get through the funeral, and read the coroner’s report before we rake Duke Jr. over the coals.”

  “In the meantime, I want to take a walk up in the BLM land, to see if there’s anything that might lead us to a shooter,” Jade announced.

  “And I’m going to pull phone records and financials on both Duke Sr. and Duke Jr. and see if anything strange pops out,” Dougie added.

  Always one to enjoy the last word, Wilson closed the loop. “Then stop your jawing and get to work.”

  ***

  The trip up to the BLM land gave Jade the perfect chance to return Claire’s body, and, she hoped, an excuse to see Conall face to face. The more she pondered the strange visit from Aoife, the more she felt her temper rise. Did Conall really have so little regard for her that he would send another woman to tell her they were finished? She had to remind herself, though, that she and Conall had never really started. One night of sex, no matter how transcendent it seemed at the time, did not make a relationship. And where had he been for these last weeks? Clearly not engaged with her.

  The sound of crickets chirping interrupted her gloomy reverie. She glanced at her phone lying in the seat next to her, and the caller ID window displayed “Boomer” in huge capital letters. Boomer. He was probably calling to finalize the details of their date the next night.

  She stuck in her ear bud and tried to sound cheerful. “Hey, Boomer.”

  He laughed. “I can never get used to the fact that caller ID makes a preemptive strike. I think I liked it better in the old days when one could hide behind a cloak of anonymity.”

  “I took your call, didn’t I?” Jade laughed in return.

  “Yes, you did. How’s your day going?”

  “Ever been to a wolf post-mortem?”

  “Can’t say that I have. Interesting?”

  “Well, some of it was.”

  “Speaking of interesting, you want to go into Jackson tomorrow night?”

  “Well, Jackson is definitely more interesting than Broken Wheel.”

  “Pick you up at seven?”

  “Sounds like a plan. See you then.”

  “Bye, Jade.”

  Jade pulled out her ear bud. The last ninety seconds of her life had been entirely normal. Wasn’t that what she wanted? A normal guy, a normal date? Someone who could bring stability to her life? Someone who cared about how her
day was going and with whom she could share the ordinary happiness of her world? She had almost had that with Harlan, and for a time, it had truly seemed preferable to the drama that seemed to come with the Irishman. And knowing what she knew now—that Conall had at least one daughter, pup, offspring, who had fur and a tail—how could she square that with normalcy?

  A ribbon of smoke was coming from the chimney on the old cabin that Conall had taken over. His jeep was parked out front, and the combination of the two gave Jade hope that he was home. The Bronco rolled to a stop, and Jade climbed out slowly, more than a little aware of the butterflies in her stomach. She swallowed hard and stood a little taller as she knocked at the door of the cabin. To her dismay, though, it wasn’t Conall who answered, it was Aoife.

  Trying to smooth the shock out her face, Jade automatically went into her polite deputy mode. “Is Conall home?”

  “No, he is not. Have ye brought Claire?”

  “I have.”

  Aoife stepped outside. She was wearing a heavy cable knit sweater, jeans, and boots. The wind picked up her curls, swirling her hair around her in flaming corona. She was beautiful, and Jade wondered how she could begin to compete with a woman that attractive who could also, apparently, turn herself into a wolf.

  Automatically, Jade walked to the back of the Bronco, opening the tailgate. Aoife followed, and Jade caught her wiping away tears, whether the lash of the cold wind or emotion caused them, she couldn’t be sure.

  “The vet’s Shoshone; he respects wolves, and he was very careful with her. And he can testify that this wolf…that Claire didn’t attack Duke Minton.”

  Aoife nodded. “We are grateful to the both of ye then. We don’t want any more trouble.” Lifting Clair easily in her arms, Aoife turned to Jade. “Our kind has run from trouble for centuries. Did ye know that there are no wolves in Ireland?”

  “No wolves in Ireland?” Jade repeated, puzzled.

  “We abandoned our homeland long ago, coming to the new world to keep the clans alive, but even here, wilderness has disappeared, and there are few places where we can live safely.”