His Foxy Lady_A Howls Romance

by Kasey Belle

  “He’s not there anymore.”

  “You think that―pardon my language― asshole is here in Sanctuary?” His body tensed, and he looked ready to slay dragons on their behalf. It was ten kinds of hot.

  “Casey told you about him?” That was a shock. Casey never mentioned her father to anyone but her.

  Jim nodded. “Said he was mean to her mom and tried to get custody of her.”

  “Huh.” He cocked his head in askance. “She’s usually not so open about him. Anyway. I’m sure I am being paranoid. Tall, blonde men are a huge part of the population, right?”

  “There are a few here in Sanctuary. One even works for Koda.” He grinned putting her mind at ease.

  She relaxed and took a sip of her soda. There was no use worrying about something she was probably wrong about in the first place.

  “Did Casey tell you about the puppies in medical?”

  Nikki snickered. Casey had been angling for one of the little fuzz balls the past few days. “She did. The terms so cute and adorable have been used several times.” She rolled her eyes.

  Jim laughed. It had a nice deep baritone to it and made her heart flutter. His smile was one of his best features, not that the rest of him was anything to sneeze at. Jim was a sexy man. “She said they looked like Vinny. She wanted to see pictures of him as a puppy. Did she happen to ask you about them?”

  “Not that I can remember.”

  “She wanted to see some before pics of him. There are some on The Sanctuary’s website. I didn’t think she should look at them without your permission. They are pretty graphic and nothing like he looks today.”

  Jim’s consideration warmed her. He didn’t have to do that. He could have either shown them to Casey or told her no outright, but he didn’t. She pulled out her phone to look up the website when Casey slid into the booth. Nikki placed the phone in her purse. She’d look at them later. If Casey brought it up in the future, at least she’d know whether to approve her request or not. “Did you wash your hands?”

  Casey scrunched up her nose. “Of course. Who doesn’t?”

  Nikki shared a look with Jim. She’d be surprised at the number of people who didn’t take the few moments to do that very thing.

  “So, what do you ladies have planned for the rest of the day?”

  “We’ve gotta go grocery shopping.” Casey frowned and stuck out her tongue “It’s not my favorite thing unless the sample people are there. Then it’s not so bad. What about you?”

  “I’m heading back home. I’ve already picked up the supplies we needed.” He pointed to his truck parked in front of the diner. The bed was loaded to the hilt with bags and boxes. “I figured I’d grab a bite to eat first. I’m glad I did.” He winked at Casey.

  “Can I go back with Mr. Jim, instead of to the store with you, Momma?”

  “Casey,” she scolded. “It’s not polite to put Mr. Jim on the spot like that?”

  Casey lowered her eyes. “Sorry, Mr. Jim.”

  He reached across the table and patted her little girl’s hand. “That’s alright, Squirt. For the record, I don’t mind if you want to hitch a ride with me. If it’s okay with your momma.” He quickly added.

  Shopping alone without listening to your child groan or asking how much longer it would take was a dream come true for any parent. Nikki didn’t even think twice. “It’s fine with me.” She leveled Jim with her gaze. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “I’m positive. However―” He looked at Casey. “―somebody has to help me put the supplies away.”

  Casey nodded enthusiastically. “Okay. I don’t mind. Sounds a whole lot more fun than hiking around the grocery store and then standing in line forever. My feet hurt just thinking about it.” Her sigh was so dramatic she should win an award.

  When they were done with their meal, Jim grabbed both his bill and Nikki’s as he climbed out of the booth. He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to argue. “My treat. Please. The company was surely worth it.”

  Nikki sighed before she could catch herself. Jim grinned and shot a glance at Casey then looked back at her. He cocked an eyebrow. Yeah, she knew exactly where Casey got her flare for the dramatic and now so did Jim. Great.

  Chapter 9

  Nikki sucked down the last of the yummy iced mocha she’d bought at the only coffee shop in town and bopped her head to the music as she drove toward the sanctuary. When the straw pulled in nothing but air, she frowned at the empty cup. Damn. She should have purchased two.

  Mug Shots was by far Nikki’s favorite new discovery. She’d driven past it on the way to Casey’s school. The name and tagline on the sign ‘Coffee… because nobody looks good in prison orange’ immediately caught her attention. She just had to stop there after dropping off Casey because she knew whoever owned the place must be a genius.

  Mug Shots had everything from pastries to Ethiopian coffee. Who needed a national chain when you had a sweet and quirky woman named Rainbow making your coffee. She soon discovered Bow, as she requested Nikki call her, was also a single mother and her son Stevie was in Casey’s class. Nikki loved her personality and had a feeling they would become great friends. She made a mental note to ask Ella about scheduling a play date slash lady’s only afternoon for the three of them. Nikki jolted when the significance of the thought hit her. For the first time since Betsy’s death, Nikki was excited about making friends. Look at her actively creating her own little skulk of sorts.

  “I’ve always hated that word,” Fox grouched. “Skulk. Sounds like a disease. I’m sorry Miss Hendrix, you have a raging case of skulk.”

  Nikki laughed out loud. “It is what it is. That’s what a group of foxes is called.”

  “No. It’s what humans named a group of foxes.”

  “You don’t know that for sure. It could have been a werefox or a shifter who came up with it. Would you prefer leash or earth?”

  “How many times have we had this conversation, Nicolette?” Fox asked impatiently. “Leash is too ‘man’s best friend’ and earth is dirt.”

  “Too many times to count and yet it never ceases to amuse me,” Nikki bantered back. “At least, whoever came up with the terms made sure female foxes are known as vixens.”

  “Preach.” Fox gave her a mental paw to fist bump. “Come up with a better term, please. You’re the only fox in the group.”

  “Fine. How about tribe? It sounds kick ass, don’t you think? Very Amazonian?”

  “Says the tiny vixen,” Fox mocked.

  “Whatever. Tribe or skulk. Pick one.”

  “We’ll need to make the humans honorary foxes. A tribe of vixens does sound pretty badass. Nikki?” Fox’s voice was soft.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m think we’re finally starting to heal.”

  “Me too. Baby steps, right?”

  A black car turned onto the road and headed toward her from the opposite direction. Nikki frowned. It looked an awful lot like the one she’d seen outside the diner Saturday. Then again, black cars were a dime a dozen. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t try to get a look at the driver when it passed her. She slowed down as the car drove by. The driver was indeed a man, but the ball cap he wore obscured his face. Shit. Nikki shook her head. She was being ridiculous. Mark was not in Montana. Violating parole was a one-way ticket back to prison and even he wasn’t that stupid.

  She glanced in the rearview mirror watching the car move further away from her. Maybe she’d flash his photo around town the next time she was there. Better safe than sorry. She snorted. She could just imagine what she’d say. Have you seen this person? I see him everywhere I go. I’m not paranoid. I swear. Sure, lady. Here’s your straight jacket. Yeah, not.

  Nikki parked in front of her cabin and decided to walk down and see if Jim was around. She and Casey drove to Missoula to do a little shopping yesterday, so she hadn’t seen Jim since Saturday. It was crazy how much she missed him. He lightened her soul.

  “He’s our mate. Spending time together
at the diner increased the effect of the mating pull. Plus, he’s a genuinely nice guy and a joy to be around.”

  “Another baby step.” Nikki dropped her purse just inside the door and headed for the barn.

  ****

  Jim walked through the barn. Checking to make sure Max completed his chores before he headed to school that morning. Not that he worried the kid didn’t do his job. Max was responsible, but things can and did get missed whether intentional or not. Lady Grey’s stall was clean and fresh hay covered the floor. The same applied to the stalls belonging to Hal’s Gelding Spirit and Jim’s mare Cruella. The beasts had been fed and watered.

  Jim headed to the tack room to pull out the equipment he wanted Max to work on after school. When he passed an empty stall, he heard an unmistakable sound. He took a step back and glanced into the open doorway. A big daddy rattlesnake was coiled in the corner ready to strike. He slowly stepped back and once he was out of sight, rushed to the office and grabbed the .22 off the rack.

  He ran back to the stall hoping the rattler was where he left it. The last thing they needed was that damn thing on the loose and biting Casey or one of their animals. He breathed a sigh of relief when he spied the bastard. He took aim and fired grinning when he hit his mark. A wail of distress caught his attention. He jerked around and found Nikki huddled just inside the door with her arms protectively covering her head.

  Shit. He hadn’t seen her. He knew what was happening. Him firing the rifle within earshot triggered an episode. Damn it all to hell. He made his way over to her careful not to spook her. He didn’t think she was even aware of his presence, but he took the precaution, anyway.

  He saw Koda run down his porch steps and toward the barn. Jim held up his hand to stop him. Jim shook his head and glanced down at Nikki then looked back at Koda. Koda edged closer and peered around the doorway. His mouth flattened, and his expression turned grim, but he didn’t attempt to reach out to Nikki. Koda shoved his hands in the pockets and nodded at him seeming perfectly content to let Jim handle the situation.

  Jim leaned the rifle against the wall and squatted down in front of her. Seeing her rolled into a little protective ball broke his fucking heart. She didn’t react when he placed a hand on her head and ran at over her hair. He gentled his voice and tried to break through the haze of the memories bombarding her. He told her she was safe, she was at home in Montana, over and over again. He begged her to come back to him from wherever her waking nightmare had led her.

  Eventually, her rigid body relaxed and breathing evened out. He glanced over at Koda only to find him gone.

  Nikki slowly lowered her arms and met his eyes looking mortified. “Shit.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  Nikki scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Right.” She nibbled on her lower lip as she glanced around. No doubt checking for an audience. “How long was I gone?”

  “Not long,” Jim assured her. “A few minutes. Doesn’t matter. It was my fault.”

  “Hardly.”

  “It was. I didn’t see you and I used the rifle to kill a rattlesnake that had gotten into the barn.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” She jumped to her feet. Jim reached out to steady her when she swayed. “A rattlesnake was in here? Where Casey spends most of her time?”

  “This is a barn. Mice love to try and get into the feed. Where there are mice there will be snakes. Most of them are harmless and disappear when us humans show up. One of us checks the place every morning for vipers. This is the first time I’ve seen one in here in a year. I would never suggest allowing Casey in here if I didn’t think she’d be safe.”

  Nikki ran a shaking hand through her hair. “I can’t even think about that right now. I–I’ve got to go.” She turned to leave then stopped. She glanced back at him over her shoulder. “Thank you for…” She waved a hand toward floor where she’d been huddled before rushing away.

  He sighed as he watched her practically run home. He wished there was some way to help her. He took the rifle back to the office before heading to the stall to clean up the dead snake. That’s where Koda found him.

  “Is she okay?” Koda’s familiar expression said he already knew the answer but wanted Jim’s take on the matter.

  Jim shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably not. Hearing about the snake didn’t help. She was edgy and didn’t stick around.”

  Koda nodded. Jim figured he knew how Nikki felt. Koda was plagued with his own PTSD issues. “Maybe you should go find her.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think she wants that. She was embarrassed as hell.”

  “I understand. Been there. Done that. Still do. Even now, it bothers me if I have an episode around Ella, as ridiculous as that sounds. PTSD is treated as a dirty secret best kept in the dark until we somehow magically ‘get over it and ourselves.’” Koda snorted. “Fat fucking chance. It took me a long time to accept that the only way to deal with my PTSD and the trauma behind it is bringing it into the light. Laying all your shit on the table.”

  It still amazed him how far Koda had come in a year. The man he knew before Ella stole Koda’s heart would never be caught dead sharing his feelings. Hell, having a conversation that consisted of more than a handful of words would have been a miracle not so long ago.

  “She’ll never be cured.” Koda eyed him carefully. “You know that right?”

  “I know. I don’t care.” Jim shot him a sheepish grin. “There’s just something about her. I want to hold her, protect her, and convince her that nothing bad will ever happen to her as long as I’m around.”

  “Sounds like you found your woman.”

  “It’s too soon to know that, don’t you think?”

  Koda chuckled. “Hell no. I knew Ella was the one the second I laid eyes on her. I was just too damn stubborn to admit it. Don’t waste time like I did. Go check on her.” He nodded toward the door. “Nikki needs to allow herself to lean on others for strength, it helps with the emotional crash. If you’re there, maybe she’ll lean on you.”

  “If I’m lucky.” Jim clapped him on the shoulder. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

  Koda waved him away. “We’ll manage until you get back. Just take care of Nikki. She and the princess are family.”

  He shared a fist bump with his friend. “Remind me to thank Ella for being such a miracle worker. You’re actually pleasant to be around now.”

  Koda scowled and flipped him off. “Go check on your woman, asshole.”

  His woman. Yeah, Jim liked the sound of that.

  Chapter 10

  Nikki made her way to the back porch needing fresh air and quiet. The thought of being in a closed space didn’t help her nerves. She sat on the top step and leaned against the post. Her episodes always left her raw. She didn’t bother to fight her tears. There was no use. They’d fall whether she wanted them to or not.

  “Nicolette, are you okay?” Jim’s compassionate voice interrupted her thoughts, and she stiffened. When she took too long to respond, he added, “I knocked on the door, when you didn’t answer I figured I check back here.”

  Shit. How the hell did he sneak up on her? Foxes were known for their exceptional hearing and binocular vision, but their senses of smell sucked. Her nose she could forgive, but her ears. Nikki shook her head. She’d been so intent on her own grief she hadn’t heard him banging on her front door or coming around the side of her house. Damn it.

  She quickly wiped away her tears before looking at him. She cleared her throat. “I’m fine.”

  “Might want to tell that to your face.”

  Nikki narrowed her eyes and growled at the sexy interloper. He shot her a crooked grin letting her know he wasn’t the least bit intimidated, and he wasn’t going to let her run him off. She huffed a breath and gave him her back. He walked over and plopped down beside her. Jim bumped her with his shoulder. “Want to talk about it? I’ve been told I’m a good listener. I’ll even curb my natural male instinct to attempt to fix it.”
/>
  She huffed a laugh. “Thanks for risking your man card for me, but you couldn’t fix this no matter how hard you tried.”

  “Perhaps. But, maybe getting it off your chest will help lighten the load a bit.” He ran a hand down her back. “I don’t like seeing you cry, Nicolette.”

  “Why do you call me by my full name?”

  “It’s beautiful.” He shrugged as his cheeks pinked with embarrassment. “Seems a waste not to use it.”

  “Talk to him, Nik. We’ve carried this burden alone long enough. The shrink said talking helps.”

  “Foxes are generally skittish and shy and prefer to avoid people at all costs, why don’t we do that instead?”

  Fox snorted. “Whatever. He’s our mate. Quit fighting the inevitable. Baby steps, remember? You know you want to lick that,” she sang. “I know I do. Yum!”

  “This isn’t the time. Nor am I in the mood, so chill the lust.”

  “We need some peace,” Fox whispered. “Talking to him will help. I know it in my heart. We can trust him.”

  “Are you suggesting we tell him what we are?”

  “Not yet. Start with Betsy first. We can’t go on like this,” Fox pleaded. “We came here for a fresh start. It’s time to make that happen. We’re forming a tribe for fuck’s sake.”

  “A fresh start was an illusion. What happened in the barn proved that. We’re like Humpty Dumpty.”

  “Yeah well, Jim isn’t one of the king’s men. He’s a cowboy.” Fox wagged her eyebrows. “Certainly, a man skilled with a rope can at least tie us up… I mean back together.”

  Fox always knew how to lighten her mood. Nikki fought laughter. She didn’t want Jim thinking she was certifiable.

  She sighed and met Jim’s eyes. He sent her a patient smile letting her know she could take all the time she needed. He’d sit there all day if that’s what it took. “You know I was in the Army, right? I ended up in Afghanistan.”

  He nodded. “I imagine the stuff you saw over there would stay with anyone.”