by Kasey Belle
“No. You could hear a pin drop in the arena. The silence as they say is deafening.”
Everyone in the packed arena stood silently―some praying―as they waited. The camera’s zoomed in and she leaned closer to the screen. Nikki couldn’t take her eyes off the motionless, crumpled figure on the ground. Her poor mate. The video ended when the EMTs stepped into the arena.
Chapter 7
Jim ducked inside the barn and his heart sped up as he watched Nicolette and Casey make their way to Dakoda’s. The little girl held her mother’s hand and chattered on about something that―judging by the smile on her face―obviously amused her. Every now and then Nicolette nodded, responded verbally, or laughed. Jim knew she wasn’t faking her interest. He’d witnessed their interactions enough to know Nicolette paid attention and listened when her daughter spoke.
They turned the corner heading for the steps to Koda’s front door. Casey let go of her mother’s hand ran to the door banging on it with great flourish. Nicolette shook her head and followed at a more sedate pace. Damn, the woman could work a pair of jeans. Nicolette Hendrix had a spectacular ass, especially for such a tiny woman. His dick throbbed to life, again. It pulsed with every beat of his heart, begging for relief, as usual. He glanced around then adjusted himself when they disappeared from sight, but relief was non-existent. He was in a constant state of arousal. Seriously, Jim was afraid of permanent damage to his nether region if he didn’t get some relief soon. He’d heard you were supposed to seek medical attention for an erection that lasted longer than four hours. If the cause was a sexy ex-Army nurse named Nicolette Hendrix instead of a tiny blue pill, was that still the case?
Jim wanted to bang his head against the wall. Why? Why did he have to think of her as a nurse? The mere word conjured images of naughty role-play costumes and erotic sponge baths that were so not helpful to his current physical state. Was it possible to die from a case of blue balls? Jim had a feeling he was about to find out.
Had it only been seventy-two hours since the lovely Lieutenant stepped out of her car and into his heart? Jesus. Was love at first sight even possible? Obviously, it was. But was it normal? And did he care if it wasn’t? Maybe and nope. Did Nicolette feel the unwavering pull as well? That was a question he couldn’t answer, nor did he want to in case it wasn’t in his favor. He knew she found him attractive. She’d blushed when he shook her hand and he’d caught her ogling his ass the first day they met, but lust and love were two different animals.
Jim stepped into the sunshine and checked on Lady Grey in the paddock. She saw him and came over to the fence most likely looking for treats. He was not ashamed to admit he always kept a sugar cube or two in his shirt pocket for her. The mare deserved to be spoiled after all she’d been through. He fed her the sweet treats and gave her a little love before heading to the medical building.
The front door to Dakoda’s cabin slammed shut and Jim turned to see Casey skipping down the steps with her ever-present sidekick Vinny. The pup had taken quite a shine to the little girl.
Casey noticed him watching her and smiled. Her long blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail. She was a skinny little thing, all arms, and legs. Jim figured she grow into a tall woman. Today the little girl wore khaki shorts, bright pink top, and camel hiking boots. She was an adorable child with impeccable manners and a bright sunny disposition.
“Hi, Mr. Jim.” She called out with a wave.
“Hey, Squirt.”
“Can I bother you again today?” She stood next to the cabin wearing a hopeful expression as she poured on the charm. He was doomed if she ever found out how thoroughly she already had him wrapped around her little finger. She toed the dirt with her boot while she waited for his answer.
Jim rolled his eyes. Like he could say no to that face. He gave a jerk of his head. “Sure. Come on.” He sent a text to Dakoda letting him know Casey was with him asking Koda to pass the message on to Nicolette, so she wouldn’t worry.
“Yay!” Casey pumped her fists in the air. She and Vinny ran over. “What are we gonna do today? Brush Lady Grey again?” She pointed at the horse inside the circular fenced area.
“Not today. Your momma staying inside with Ms. Ella?” He hid his disappointment when Casey nodded.
“Ms. Ella wasn’t feeling well. Momma is checking her over.” She paused and looked around. “You want to know a secret?”
This ought to be good. “Sure.”
She motioned for him to lean in, so he did. “Mr. Koda is acting a little crazy. I think Momma is protecting Ms. Ella from him,” she said in a loud stage whisper.
“Why do you think that?” He hoped she didn’t think Koda would hurt Ella. All men were not abusive fucks like her sperm donor. It wouldn’t bode well for him if she believed they were.
Casey covered her mouth and giggled. The light carefree sound loosened the knot that had formed in his gut. Jim let out the breath he’d been holding. She continued, oblivious to his inner turmoil. “He threatened to throw Ms. Ella in the car and take her to the emergency room. Ms. Ella said he’s overreacting and needed to chill. Mr. Koda wasn’t amused. He looks a little freaked out about the―” Her face scrunched up as if she were thinking really hard. “Bracky hickies?”
“Braxton Hicks.”
She shot him a wide toothy grin. “That’s it. Braxton Hicks. I don’t know what those are―” She shrugged as if it was inconsequential. “―but Momma rolled her eyes at Mr. Koda. So, they can’t be a big deal.”
Jim wasn’t about to add his two cents that he didn’t blame the man. He had a feeling he’d act just like Koda if he were in the same position. It was one of the reasons God left that job to women. Women were by far the stronger gender as far as he was concerned. Men were giant woosies when it came to pregnancy and birthing, or pretty much anything pain related.
“So, what are we doing then?”
“We are going to check on a few of our newest residents over in the medical building.”
“What’s wrong with them? Are they sick?” Casey’s brows crinkled with worry.
“Some of them are. Others just need loving care and attention.”
“‘Cause people were mean to them?”
“Yes.”
“Hey, who’s that?” Casey pointed at the tan and white wolf hybrid staring at them from the fenced area next to the building.
“That’s Zeus. He’s a shepherd/wolf hybrid. You’ll usually find him along the fence. He’s nosey, but he’s also more wolf than dog. You stay away from him okay?”
“Yes, sir. I don’t want to get bit. He sure is pretty though.” She blew Zeus a little kiss. The hybrid who cocked his head in return.
When they reached the large steel building Jim placed his hand on the door knob but didn’t attempt to open it. “Some of the animals are pretty bad off right now. If it bothers you to see them or if at any time you want to leave, tell me and we will. Your mother would never forgive me if I scarred you for life.”
Casey beamed at him. “Okay. Vinny can come inside with us, right?”
“He sure can.” He opened the door and ushered them in. “This was Vinny’s first home.”
“Really?” She glanced into the open doorways as they made their way down the hall. “Because of his leg? Was he sick, too?”
“Yes, to both. He wouldn’t be with us if it weren’t for Ella and Koda.” He gave her the abridged version of how Vinny came to be at the sanctuary. He kept the gorier details about his condition to himself.
Vinny stuck close to Casey as they entered the exam area. Jim had no doubt the pup remembered the place. Jim left them standing by the metal table and went to the cabinet. He retrieved the files on each animal they had to feed.
“Is that an owl?”
“That’s Mr. Owl to you, Squirt,” he teased in a snotty tone.
Casey playfully stuck out her tongue. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He has a broken wing. Ms. Ella fixed him up. The people from the bird sanctuary
in Bozeman are coming to pick him up tomorrow.”
“He’s pretty. I like his eyes. They’re cool. Are we feeding him?”
“Uh, no.” The last thing she needed to witness was the owl tearing into a little mouse. He could just imagine the nightmares that would give her.
Casey let out a little squeal when she spied the occupants of the next cage, or cell as Hal liked to call them. “Puppies!”
The six hybrid pups had been entrusted to their care last week after law enforcement raided a backyard breeder upstate. Their mother unfortunately hadn’t survived. “Hybrid pups. Ella guessed wolf and Siberian Husky.”
“Will they all get to be someone’s pet when they’re bigger?”
Jim knew what Casey was hinting at. He wasn’t about to open the can of worms that came with the loaded question. He wasn’t a rocket scientist, but he wasn’t a stupid man either. He wanted to endear Nicolette to him, not piss her off.
“Their eyes are like Vinny’s.” When he heard his name, Vinny gazed adoringly at Casey. She ran her fingers through his fur causing his mouth to curve into a big doggie smile. “Did Vinny look like them when he was a puppy?”
“After a while, but when he first came here, not so much. He had a skin condition.”
“Do you think there is a picture of him from before that I can see?”
There were before and after pictures on the website, however, Jim didn’t plan to show them to her. That was a decision her momma needed to make. “How about I mention it to Koda and have him show them to your mom, then she can decide if you should see them or not?”
“I guess,” she grumped. Casey frowned as she placed a hand on her cocked hip. “Although, I am very mature and smart for my age. Just so you know.”
“Oh, I know.” Truer words, out of the mouths of babes, and all that. Jim hid his grin. Damn, he loved her sass.
Chapter 8
“Momma, this place is cool,” Casey exclaimed as her eyes, wide with wonder, took in 50’s style diner.
“Hello, ladies,” the teenage hostess greeted them with a smile. She was wearing a pale pink sweater set and poodle skirt. Nikki glanced at her feet. Yep. She even had on bobby socks and perfectly polished Saddle Oxfords. “Just the two of you today?” Nikki nodded. “Follow me,” she said and pivoted on her retro footwear. Her skirt swayed as she led them to a booth by the window overlooking the street.
Nikki scooted into the seat and Casey crawled in next to her. The young woman placed a menu in front of them.
“Janelle will be your server. Enjoy your lunch.” She graced them with a bright smile before returning to her station.
The wait staff dressed differently than the hostess. The women had exchanged the poodle skirt for a pair of denim pedal pusher pants cuffed to just below the knee instead of skirts. Nikki assumed for functionality as well as safety. The men looked like greasers with black t-shirts, jeans that were rolled up at the bottom, and Converse All-Stars.
“Welcome to Maude’s.” Nikki smiled at the perky blonde standing next to their table. “My name is Janelle.” She told them about the special of the day. “Are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”
“I’m ready.” She looked down at Casey. Her little brows furrowed as she studied the kid’s menu. “What about you Casey? Do you know what you want?”
“Yes. I want the grilled cheese. Can I have a vanilla shake?”
“Sure.” Nikki glanced up at Janelle. “I’ll have the special and a diet soda.”
“Great,” Janelle said with a smile as she took their menus. “I’ll put your order in and grab your beverages.”
Nikki thanked her before Janelle turned to leave.
“Momma?”
Nikki looked up from reading an email on her phone and over at Casey. “What?”
“Isn’t that Mr. Jim?” She pointed out the window at a man making his way up the side walk toward the door to the diner.
Yes. Yes, it was. Mmm. Nikki’d know that ass anywhere. “Looks like it.”
Casey clapped. “He’s coming in here.” Her little girl leaned to the side and watched for him to step through the door. She began to wave then shouted, “Mr. Jim. Over here.”
His head shot around, and he smiled. Jim sauntered. That’s right, sauntered. The man didn’t walk. He moved with an easy swagger that dampened panties. He stopped at their booth and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Hello, ladies.”
Casey’s head fell back as she looked up at the tall man. “Are here to eat lunch, Mr. Jim?”
“I am.”
“Can he join us, Momma?” She shot Nikki a sly look from beneath her lashes.
What was Nikki going to do, say no where the man could hear it? “If he’d like”
“Like we would say no to our mate,” her fox scoffed.
Jim flashed a smile and slid into the seat across from them.
“We already ordered our food.” Casey chirped. “I ordered the grilled cheese with fries. I also got a vanilla shake. Momma got the special. It sounded good, but grilled cheese is my favorite.”
The young waitress who took their order came over. “Hey, Jim.”
“Hey, Janie.”
Janelle―Nikki refused to refer to her as Janie―placed Nikki’s soda and Casey’s shake on the table along with a couple of waters. “What can I get for you today, Jim? Maude’s meatloaf is the special.” Her cajoling flirty tone made Nikki want to growl.
Jim rubbed his stomach. “Mmm. I do love her meatloaf. I’ll have that with a water and coffee. Thanks, Janie.” He gave the young woman a friendly smile. Janelle returned it with a suggestive one of her own complete with come-and-get me doe eyes.
Nikki kept her expression neutral while she fought the urge to gag. Janie. Blech. Her fox growled with jealousy. Janelle was practically a child. She had to be at least a decade younger than Jim.
Casey studied Janelle’s retreating form with a frown. Her high blond ponytail bounced and swayed as she walked away. “You know her, Mr. Jim?”
Nikki suppressed a chuckle at her daughter’s accusatory tone. Good to know she wasn’t the only one put out with the idea of Janelle flirting with her man. Okay, not really her man.
“The hell he’s not. I don’t care that we haven’t done the deed. He’s our mate. Period. End of discussion.”
“I do.” He sent them a knowing grin which Nikki refused to acknowledge. “Janelle is Maude’s niece. Maude owns the diner. I’ve known Janie since she was in diapers. Her oldest cousin Steve and I went to school together. Steve and I were pretty close friends growing up.”
“Are you still friends?”
“Yes. We’re still friends, but it’s different because we’re adults and our lives took us in opposite directions.”
“Oh.” Casey nodded. “So, Janelle is just a friend then, too?”
Janelle not Janie. Nikki hid her grin as she swelled with pride. Her daughter deserved a reward. She was going to buy Casey a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.
“Hmm.” Jim cocked his head to the side as if deciding how to frame his response. “Sort of. I really think of her as more of a cousin since I spent so much time around her family and changed her diaper. I was eleven when she was born.”
Casey giggled. “Yeah, after seeing her naked baby butt, being friends would be weird.” She motioned for Jim to lean in. He did. “You should probably explain that to her, because she was making googly eyes at you.”
Nikki choked on her soda nearly spitting it across the table. The kid had impeccable timing. Casey patted Nikki’s back while she attempted to catch her breath.
Movement out of the corner of her eye had Nikki glancing out the window. A man was getting into a black compact car across the street. From the back he could pass for Betsy’s ex Mark. Her stomach dropped. What if it really was him? No, it couldn’t be. The man was still on parole. She willed him to turn around, so she could prove to herself she was being paranoid.
“What’s wrong?” Jim asked pulling he
r focus from the man. She looked at their lunch companion. His eyes were filled with concern.
“Nothing.” She pasted a small smile on her face, from the frown on Jim’s she wasn’t very convincing. She shot a quick glance at Casey before meeting Jim’s eyes once again. A slight nod of his head let her know he got the silent message loud and clear.
“Momma?”
“Yes, little bit?”
“I need to use the bathroom.” She looked over her shoulder at the open doorway with the sign overhead indicating where the restrooms were located. “Can I go by myself since it’s right there?”
Nikki couldn’t see down the hallway from her vantage point. As if reading her mind Jim said, “I can see the door from here. She’ll be safe if you’re okay with letting her go alone.”
Casey’s expression lit with a bright smile full of hope. “Can I?”
Nikki thought over the variables, pros versus cons. If they were in a larger town or city, there was no way she’d let Casey go alone, no matter where the bathrooms were located. But, they were in Sanctuary, Montana. Population of less than three thousand people. Where everybody looked out for everyone else. Her fox didn’t sense a single threat inside the diner. Nikki’s nod earned her an excited whoop from Casey. As if she were afraid Nikki would change her mind, Casey scrambled from the booth and ran to the bathroom.
She and Jim shared a laugh at her daughter’s antics. “She’s a mess, that one,” Jim said with a grin. “You’ve raised a good kid, by the way.”
She never knew quite how to respond when people said stuff like that, so she went with the tried and true, “Thank you.”
He looked around then leaned forward placing his elbows on the table. “What had you spooked earlier?”
Nikki pressed her back against the seat cushion. His scent was driving her crazy. “I thought I saw someone I knew.”
“The town’s not that big. I’m sure you did.”
“No. Not someone from here. I saw a man who looked an awful lot like Casey’s father. Well, from behind anyway.”
Jim growled, and his head shot around. He scanned the area outside the window.
