"So, now that you two have gotten everything settled," Steffi began with a smile. "Got any plans for this afternoon?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Ash said cautiously. "Why?"
"While you were sleeping, Justin and Elle set up a fund-raising dinner for the Ornelas family at Justin's new place in town. Ticket sales start at 3:00 p.m., and there's going to be an auction at 4:00 p.m., followed by a Texas-style BBQ dinner."
"I didn't realize that his restaurant was open yet." Ash sounded surprised.
"Well, tonight was supposed to be the grand opening, and Justin had already stocked the kitchen and hired staff, so it was easy to make it a fund-raiser instead," Steffi explained. "Do you feel up to coming?"
"Of course," Ash replied without hesitation. He squeezed Nika's hand. "Will you come with me? I want to introduce you to the rest of my family and friends, and this sounds like the perfect opportunity."
"Yes, I'd love to!" Nika said, then added, "If it's okay with Dr. Jacobsen."
Ash grinned and released Nika's hand in favor of putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Cool! It's a date!" he said, triumphantly, sounding just like the Ash that Nika had known last summer.
Chapter 8 – Trust
Nika had just finished telling Ash and a fascinated Steffi the entire story of her seven-month ordeal, ending with her panicked flight from Seattle, when Dr. Jacobsen arrived at the house.
"That eager to get your physical out of the way, son?" The wolf shifter physician looked at Ash, who was still clad only in a damp bath towel, and smiled. "How are you feeling?"
Ash laughed and rose from his seat on one of the living room's big sectional sofas. He put his mug down on the long, strikingly beautiful coffee table made from the trunk of a tree sawn lengthwise, polished, and topped with a thick glass surface. "Never better."
While Nika was telling her story, he'd made a fresh pot of coffee for Steffi and himself and a big mug of herbal tea for Nika.
"I feel ready for action, so all I need is your blessing," Ash continued.
"And some clothes, presumably," Dr. Jacobsen shot back, still smiling. "It's good to see you up and talking, Ash. You gave us all a fright."
"Do you mind if I observe while you examine him?" Nika asked them both, a little shyly. "All of my hospital rounds so far have been with Ordinary patients. I haven't had the chance to work with shifters at all from a medical perspective."
"Fine by me," Ash said.
"I bet they don't teach you in medical school about how stubborn and downright reckless most young male shifters are," Dr. Jacobsen said. "In time, and once you're in practice somewhere, you'll see that there's generally a low incidence of illness in the shifter population, but a lot more broken bones and soft-tissue injuries."
"What can I say? Most of us like to lead active lives," Ash interjected, walking towards the master suite. "Steffi, hang tight for a bit, will you? Once Dr. Jacobsen is finished, we have work to catch up on."
"Sure thing, boss," Steffi said, plucking her phone out of her purse. "I'll catch up on the e-staff inbox while you're being poked and prodded back there."
"Promise you'll come rescue me if you hear any screams of agony," Ash teased, and Nika felt a pang of…well, not quite jealousy, but longing for the easy camaraderie shared by Ash and his sister-in-law.
Had she forfeited her chance to have the same easy relationship with her mate? And what would happen if Ash refused to come with her? Could she really leave him behind to face the wrath of the Medved clan on his own?
But if she stayed, would she be putting their baby at risk?
Three days, Nika reminded herself. I promised to stay for the next three days. I should worry about all this stuff later.
Absorbed in her thoughts, Nika followed her mate and Dr. Jacobsen into the master suite.
Dr. Jacobsen's examination was quick but thorough.
As the doctor thumped Ash's chest, felt the area where his patient's ribs had been cracked, and checked Ash's reflexes and pupils, he kept up a running commentary on shifter physiology versus Ordinary humans, especially where reflexes and musculature were concerned. Nika paid close attention and wished she had something with her on which to scribble notes.
Once Dr. Jacobsen was satisfied that Ash was indeed completely recovered, he slapped his patient on the shoulder and stepped back.
"Okay, I'm clearing you to resume normal activities," he announced, then added, "Though I think your mother and I would both appreciate it if you stayed off rooftops for a while."
"I'll do my best," Ash said solemnly, but Nika noticed that he didn't actually promise anything. "Now that you're finished poking and prodding me, could you take a look at Nika? She mentioned that she hasn't had a formal prenatal exam yet."
Dr. Jacobsen raised his brows. "I swear, medical professionals always take the worst care of themselves."
Ash bristled. "It was due to some circumstances beyond her control," he said, just as Nika said defensively, "I've had exams, just not a sonogram."
"Oh, a sonogram. That's different," Dr. Jacobsen said. His gaze shifted to Nika, and his blue eyes were warm. "I don't have the right equipment in my office, but if you call Steele Memorial up in Salmon, they'll be able to schedule an appointment for you with an OB/Gyn."
In three days? Nika thought but didn't say. For all his gruff kindness, Dr. Jacobsen was a stranger, and Ash probably didn't want his personal life discussed outside of his family.
When the doctor had departed, leaving Nika with the name of a shifter obstetrician in Missoula, Ash got dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt before heading back out into the living room where Steffi was still reading email on her phone.
"You ready to hear about our beta program enrollments for the upcoming release, boss?" she asked without looking up.
"In a few minutes," he replied, heading for the phone charger that held the cordless handset for his landline. "I have a few calls to make first." He glanced over to Nika. "Remember how I told you that there are a lot of shifters living in this county?"
She nodded.
"That includes law enforcement. Bill Jacobsen—he's a relative of Dr. Jacobsen—is the town's sheriff, and most of the officers who work for the Bearpaw Ridge PD are shifters too. You know what that means, right?"
"That they won't think you're crazy for asking them to keep an eye out for any bear shifters from out of town…other than me, of course," Nika said, feeling relieved and grateful.
Ash grinned at her. "Got it in one."
Nika remembered something. "Dane mentioned yesterday that he was going to contact Sheriff Jacobsen and tell him to look out for my relatives."
"Good old Dane," Ash said. "I'm also going to call Mark and Evan and ask them to keep an eye out for any strangers. Evan and Steffi spend their winters living in town, in an apartment right above Annabeth's bakery."
"She's leasing her really nice loft to us," Steffi confirmed. "It's huge and comes with all of the pastries and coffee I want, just a short walk downstairs. That's why I don't mind driving all the way out to the ranch to work…I'm just removing myself from a dangerous source of temptation."
"Except when you show up here with a big bakery box," Ash teased. "Not that I'm complaining. Anyhow, Mark's got his law office right on Main Street. Dane lives here on the ranch, but when it's not calving or round-up season, he usually finds an excuse to drive into town at least once a day and visit Annabeth at the bakery."
True to his word, Ash spent the next half-hour on the phone, relaying warnings about the Medveds to his various contacts, fleshing out the story that Nika had told them with the additional details she had provided to him.
Satisfied that Nika's relatives wouldn't now be able to arrive unnoticed at the ranch using the highway or the town's small airport, Ash excused himself.
He and Steffi retreated to his home office and spent the rest of the morning working to catch up on those important business matters that had gone unattended while he was in a c
oma.
As she headed for the shower, Nika overheard him grumbling that maybe it was time for Grizzly Creek Games to hire a professional CEO so that he could have more time to do what he really loved—developing new versions of his best-selling game.
Ash had told her last summer that his company was growing beyond his wildest expectations. He and Steffi worked out of his home at the Grizzly Creek Ranch, with the rest of his developers, testers, and sales team scattered across the country in what Ash called a "virtual startup environment."
But as Grizzly Creek Games added more and more employees, Ash was having to hire more and more managers and human resources staff, and he was spending more time these days doing managerial things rather than the technical software and game development that he loved.
Once Nika was showered and dressed, she curled up on one of the big sofas in the living room and finished reading a novel she had started on the long, long bus ride from Seattle to Bearpaw Ridge. After days on the run, she luxuriated in the feeling of being in a safe place for short while.
Just as the clock was striking noon and her stomach was beginning to rumble with renewed hunger pangs, Ash and Steffi emerged from the office.
"You go ahead," Steffi was saying. "Now that we've got all the critical stuff out of the way, I can finish up the beta release program stuff. Why don't you take Nika out to lunch? I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on," she added with a knowing smile.
"That sounds like a great idea," Ash said immediately, his gaze lingering on Nika. She was wearing jeans and a knitted sweater. "Is that the only coat you have?" he demanded, jerking a thumb at Nika's hiking jacket, hanging on a hook on the mudroom wall.
"The winters in Seattle are mostly just rainy," she protested, not sure why his question made her feel defensive.
"That's it, then. We'll pick up some real winter clothing for you while we're in town," Ash said firmly.
* * *
They had lunch at Annabeth's Cinnamon + Sugar.
Though Ash and Nika were the only people seated in the café section, a heaped plate of sandwiches and a big pot of tea between them, Nika noticed a steady stream of customers coming into the bakery, ordering cappuccinos and drip coffees to go. Most of them left with a waxed paper bag containing a pastry or sandwich, too.
One of Ash's cousins was working the counter. Her eyes widened when Ash opened the door for Nika and ushered her inside.
"Ash!" called the dark-haired, hazel-eyed young woman, beaming at him. "I'm so glad you're okay! I heard you were in a coma!"
"I was, but I got better," Ash told her with a smile.
He leaned over the counter to give the young woman a peck on the cheek. She threw her arms around Ash, and Nika found herself instinctively bristling.
"Nika, I'd like you to meet my cousin Hannah," Ash said, beckoning Nika closer. "Hannah, this is my mate, Nika Medved."
"Nice to meet you, Nika." Hannah surprised Nika by giving her a quick hug. "Welcome to the family."
"Thank you," Nika said, trying to hide her surprise.
Why were all the Swansons being so nice to her? Didn't they know that she was the shifter who had tried to dump her mate?
Nika had been feeling a little nervous about being alone with Ash on the twenty-minute drive into town.
He didn't seem angry, but then again, Nika had spent years living in an environment where Mama looked and smelled perfectly calm right up until the moment when she exploded with frustration or rage.
To Nika's relief, Ash didn't grill her further about her reasons for separating from him. Did that mean he'd accepted her explanation? Did he believe that she'd only done it to protect him?
It seemed hard to believe. But Ash's questions held no hostility or resentment as he drove them both into town using one of the ranch's big white pickups. Instead, he had behaved as if this were a perfectly normal catch-up session between them. He had asked about her classes, and her clinical rotations, and her opinions on recent movies and TV series.
At first, she felt tense around him, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
By the time they reached Cinnamon + Sugar, though, Nika began to relax. Ash had never tried to ambush her in a conversation, and he had never set verbal traps or loyalty tests.
No, Mama was the only person in Nika's life who did that. Unfortunately, the toxic effects lingered, making Nika wary around almost everyone else.
They were just digging into the first sandwich on the stack, a delicious tuna salad on toasted sourdough with melted sharp cheddar, when Annabeth came bustling out of the back of the bakery.
She was dressed in a bright fuchsia chef's coat with matching hat today, and her smile was just as incandescent as Nika remembered.
"Ash!" she called, and rushed around the end of the counter to envelop Ash in a big hug. "Ohmigod, it's so good to see you, sweetie! And you look good as new!"
He had risen from the table at her approach, and returned the hug with enthusiasm.
Annabeth glanced over Ash's shoulder to Nika. "Hey, Nika! Great to see you again!" She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but Ash is my favorite brother-in-law."
Ash chuckled as he released the curvy pastry chef. "You know I can't pick favorites—Caitlyn and Steffi would murder me in my sleep. But you're definitely in the top four of my sisters-in-law!"
"You beast!" Annabeth gave him a playful smack on the shoulder. "You only have four sisters-in-law!"
"And you're one of them," Ash said solemnly, though Nika saw that his hazel eyes were bright with good humor.
It was impossible to dislike Annabeth, who was safely mated to Dane, but Nika felt a pang like a spear through her heart.
Ash's family all seemed to genuinely like each other, and it seemed to her that they would all have been friends even if they weren't related by the bonds of mating and marriage.
It was the kind of warmth and ease that Nika had never known with anyone in her own family of origin, except for Dimitri. And even then, both of them had spent the majority of their childhoods together protecting each other from Mama's unpredictable temper.
After a bit more bantering, Annabeth returned to the back of the bakery when an oven timer began chiming insistently.
Ash and Nika resumed their seats and split the next sandwich, one of the delicious Gorgonzola, prosciutto, and grilled pear ones that Nika remembered from the previous afternoon.
"It's true, you know. I really don't have a favorite sister-in-law," Ash said quietly. "They're all great in different ways, and they're all smart and really nice." He paused. "I don't know Cassie that well, since she and Thor live in Denver, but I think she's the perfect mate for him. I did all the music for their wedding last summer."
Nika dropped her gaze to her plate as her face began to burn with guilt. Ash had invited her to that wedding as his date, so that she could visit to Bearpaw Ridge and meet the rest of his family. They had planned to announce their mating at the reception…but then things had gone so horribly, horribly wrong.
Ash reached across the table and took Nika's hand. A jolt of heat raced up her arm through her belly as he caressed her palm with his thumb.
"I like smart women," he continued. "So I'm really glad I snagged one for my very own."
Nika's face grew even hotter, but not with guilt. She turned her hand in his, and squeezed his fingers. "I'm so sorry that I screwed everything up, Ash. I—my family—" She swallowed hard. "I'll try to do better. I promise."
Ash's expression turned serious as his hand tightened around her. "You didn't screw everything up, Nika. When push came to shove, you came here. To me. I know you did it because you wanted to protect me, but now you're giving me the chance to do what's right and protect you like a mate should."
He raised her hand to his lips, and she felt his beard caress her knuckles an instant before his warm lips touched her skin. "I may not be able to shift, but I won't fail you."
"I believe you," Nika told him.
> Chapter 9 – Auction
After lunch, Ash took Nika shopping at several clothing stores along Main Street, as well as Wallace's Ranch & Home Supply, which turned out to carry everything from dog food and barbed wire fencing to clothing.
He made suggestions for winter wear and insisted on paying for everything. Without much cash left or any of her credit cards, Nika was forced to accept his generosity, though she felt guilty about it.
Nika chose to wear her new winter coat right away well as a pair of comfy and very warm sheepskin-lined boots. Ash put the remainder of the purchases in his truck.
Then, hand-in-hand, they headed over to the fundraiser at Justin's Wildcat Springs BBQ restaurant, which was located more-or-less across the street from Annabeth's bakery.
The afternoon was sunny and clear but really cold, and Nika felt grateful for her new coat, cashmere-lined leather gloves, and boots. Ash had taken her hand as they left Cinnamon + Sugar, and he hadn't released it except when Nika was trying on clothes.
During their shopping expedition, Ash had made a point of introducing her as his mate and fiancée to everyone they met, from the clerks at the stores to various friends and neighbors. Everyone had welcomed her to Bearpaw Ridge with what seemed like genuine warmth, even if her obvious pregnancy garnered a few puzzled looks.
After all the months of secrecy and hiding, Nika liked the feeling of being so publicly acknowledged as Ash's mate while at the same time worrying about being so open about it with the threat of her parents' displeasure hanging over their heads.
Nika had been smelling the scents of fragrant mesquite smoke, cooking meat, and baking cornbread since they arrived in town. Now she and Ash joined a stream of other people heading towards the source of the mouth-watering smells. Everyone was bundled up against the cold, and both sides of Main Street were lined with parked pickup trucks and SUVs.
They joined the line to enter a large brick-fronted building with a carved stone plaque reading "Built in 1914" placed over the doorway, and a pair of huge Grand Opening – Wildcat Springs Texas BBQ banners hung over each of the plate-glass windows.
Ash (Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters Book 6) Page 9
