by Tasha Black
Something in her body awoke in protest. Her muscles ached and her stomach roared for sustenance.
A savory scent trailed across the municipal parking lot, and her stomach twisted in response. Her eyes followed the path of the smell until she saw welcoming light spilling from the windows of the Tarker’s Hollow Fire Station.
Why would the fire station smell like food?
Her bladder signaled her next.
Oh, brother.
Well, the fire department was a public building and so she was pretty sure they had to let her use the bathroom.
One more handy thing she’d learned on the road. Evangeline was deeply grateful for the libraries, police stations and other public buildings whose facilities had given her simple dignity while on the run.
She headed for the light, trying to explain to her stomach that they had to let her use the bathroom but there was no way they would feed her.
The bear inside her shook her hide as if to dismiss her offending words, and lifted her snout toward the delicious aroma.
Evangeline hadn’t shifted since she’d run away, but the animal was becoming more insistent. Earlier tonight in the moonlight she’d stopped to drink some water and found herself shaking from the effort it took not to shift, her bear crashing into the bars of the mental cage that held it at bay.
The snow was falling faster now, flakes coming down in swirling clumps. She wasn’t going to make it all the way to the farm tonight at a decent enough hour to knock on Kate’s door. So maybe no meal until tomorrow, unless she could find a way to earn one.
She worried the change in her pocket, desperately trying to imagine who would hire her for an odd job in the middle of the night during a snowstorm.
Across the town square, a streetlight went suddenly dark. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and her skin tingled like a mild electrical current ran through her.
Something moved in the shadows, but vanished as Evangeline tried to focus on it.
A searing pain blossomed on the inside of her left wrist. She pulled back the cuff of her sleeve, sure something was burning her skin, but found nothing. Just a dark smudge that looked like an old, forgotten bruise. With her shifter healing, they usually didn’t last long.
“It’s nothing,” she whispered into the wind as the pain faded. “Just your mind playing tricks on you.”
Unconvinced, she headed to the firehouse.
When she reached the door, she took a moment to smooth her tangled hair behind her ears and practice a friendly smile. It felt unnatural, so she let go of the attempted smile and simply knocked.
A long time passed and she was almost ready to knock again when the door opened, letting out the most incredible aroma.
A man stood in the doorway. He was tall to the point that Evangeline had to tilt her chin to look up at his face.
When she saw it, she nearly gasped.
Ethan. Ethan Chambers.
“Hey there, what can I do for you?” he asked pleasantly, clearly not recognizing her.
Get in a time machine with me and take us back to high school.
“I, um, I just needed to use the facilities,” she murmured.
“Oh.” He smiled down at her. “Sure, absolutely. Follow me.”
He was just like in high school - handsome in a golden way. His hair was still longish and the sandy color glowed platinum under the lights. His lean, muscular body was big but graceful. Even the rhythm of his walk expressed the easy confidence Ethan had always exuded.
But he’d made himself dear to Evangeline’s heart, not for his looks, but because in spite of his wild popularity with the rich kids from Tarker’s Hollow, he’d preferred hanging out with the Harkness kids at the farm to anything else in the world.
Clearly, she hadn’t made such a big impression on him.
Evangeline had been a chubby fifteen-year old sophomore the year she lived at the farm. Ethan Chambers and Derek Harkness were inseparable then, they were both juniors and seemed so mature.
She followed Ethan up the stairs to the firefighters’ lounge, and through the kitchen to the restrooms.
“Here you go,” Ethan said, gesturing to the door of the ladies room, his warm smile sending her heart beating faster, as if she were fifteen again.
“Thanks,” she muttered and went in.
She relieved herself and then washed her hands.
Evangeline had never enjoyed looking in the mirror at the best of times. But now, an unrecognizable woman stared back at her from the glass. When had her dark eyes become so haunted, her cheekbones so hollowed out?
She’d spent her chubby girlhood wishing to be slender, and now all she wanted was to know where her next meal was coming from, her next hundred meals.
The animal flashed in her eyes, making the dark brown look amber for a moment. At least some things never changed.
She slid her hands over her belly and studied herself in profile. Though she must be three or four months along now, she didn’t really see any difference.
A loud clatter from the kitchen startled her, and she turned off the light and left the bathroom.
3
Ethan cursed inwardly as the pan he’d been cleaning slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor. He hoped he hadn’t startled her.
The woman was obviously in some sort of trouble. She looked anxious. And why would she be out at night in the snow, needing a public bathroom if everything was alright?
He’d hoped she would take her time, warm up. Maybe he could even convince her to stay a while and see if he could coax enough information out of her to be able to help. He had a feeling it was more than car trouble.
Something about her was… familiar. He had the oddest feeling of déjà vu, but couldn’t place it. Clearly he’d never met the woman before. Tarker’s Hollow was a tiny town, he would have remembered her. But something about those beautiful eyes tugged at him.
The bathroom door opened and she slipped out. He looked her over again, trying to place her, but came up short. Must have been his imagination.
“Sorry about that,” he said, “I’m a klutz.”
“Are you cooking something?” she asked.
“Oh yeah,” he laughed. “Three alarm chili - want to be my taste tester?”
A sunny smile flashed across her face, and suddenly she looked familiar again.
“Sure,” she said.
He led the way back out through the kitchen and into the lounge area. There was a sectional sofa that overlooked a bank of windows with a view of the little town. The back wall displayed dozens of pictures of the fire station, trucks and firefighters over the last hundred years. A big plank table close to the kitchen served as the dining area. There was a hole in the floor for the pole, a TV installed on the side wall, and of course the 911 dispatch radio front and center at its own little desk.
“Sit down, warm up,” he said, gesturing to the table. “I’ll bring you out a bowl.”
He found himself watching her, afraid she might dart away the moment he turned his back.
But she sat down quietly, her back to the window, looking as if she would sit in that very spot for the rest of her life if necessary.
Satisfied she wasn’t going anywhere, he dashed off and prepared a generous bowl of chili for her. He’d offered a taste, but something told him the woman needed a bit more than that.
When he came back, she was sitting right where he’d left her. He felt a sense of relief, though he wasn’t sure why he’d thought she would leave in the first place.
“Thank you.” She smiled up at him.
“Sure,” he said with a gruffness that wasn’t his usual way. What was getting into him?
He sat down across from her and watched as she pulled the bowl close. He half expected her to cup her hands around it, seeking the warmth, but somehow, even after being out in the snow without a coat, she didn’t seem to be cold.
Instead, she lifted her nose to inhale the fragrant steam from the dish, a sli
ght smile curving her lips.
It pleased him, and oddly reminded him of his friend, Derek, and the way he always smelled his food before eating.
“It’s not done yet,” he cautioned her. “I mean, obviously I browned the meat before I put it in, but the peppers might still be a little firm and it hasn’t stewed long enough for the flavor to mature.”
Before he had finished explaining she was eating.
“Mmmm,” she moaned appreciatively.
Wow. He’d have thought it would be too hot to eat that quickly.
The girl didn’t seem to be fazed.
“I’m Ethan, by the way,” he told her.
He paused, hoping she would share her name and why in the world she had been wandering around out in the snowy night.
She was focused on her meal though, so he continued, hoping that chatting a little might help her open up.
“We don’t get too many fires in Tarker’s Hollow nowadays,” he explained. “Back in the old days, when everyone used candles and wood stoves, there were a lot more.”
The girl nodded.
He looked at her bowl. It was empty.
“Let me get you some more,” he offered.
“I’m fine,” she demurred.
But she didn’t argue when he took her bowl and headed back to the kitchen.
He loaded it up and this time thought to grab the loaf of homemade cheese bread Kate Harkness had sent over with him. He grabbed some butter and a plate and knife and dashed back out to the girl.
Again, she was right where he’d left her. A smile lit up her face when she saw the steaming bowl in his hand. God, he loved a woman who wasn’t afraid to enjoy a good meal.
“A friend gave me some cheese bread,” he told her. “It goes great with the chili. And if you don’t help me with it, I’ll end up eating it all.”
She was already too busy with the fresh bowl of chili to acknowledge him.
He gaped at her for a moment, wondering when she’d last eaten. Then he remembered his manners and cut her a thick slab of cheese bread, spreading sweet farm-churned butter on it before sliding the plate her way.
The spoon hit her bowl with an indelicate clatter.
“Is that - who gave that to you?” she asked, staring at the bread.
He half-expected her to gobble it up before he could answer.
Instead she gazed down at it, as if it were more precious than gold.
“It’s from a local farm,” he told her. “My best friend’s mom makes it. The butter’s from another local farm.”
The girl lifted the bread to her nose, eyes closed in ecstasy, and inhaled. Then she smiled and placed it gently back on the plate.
A thunderous knock at the door surprised them both.
Before Ethan could react, the girl had leapt up from the table, catching the chili bowl with her elbow and upending its contents all over herself.
“Hey, Ethan,” a loud voice boomed as the door swung open.
“Hey, Dale,” Ethan yelled back as the man entered the room.
Dale Evans was one of the Tarker’s Hollow police officers. He was getting up there in years and didn’t hear as well as he used to. He was prone to shouting, and knocking much louder than necessary, as though the rest of the world shared his affliction.
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked the girl.
She stopped cowering when she saw Dale, then looked down at herself and bit her lip hard. That shy quirk sent a fresh jolt of recognition through Ethan, but he still couldn’t say where he’d seen her before. Dale’s presence made him hope it wasn’t on one of the wanted posters in the police station. He’d hate to be accused of harboring a fugitive. He wasn’t sure if feeding a hungry person was considered harboring. And besides, he didn’t think that was where he knew her from anyway.
“Oh, hey there, young lady,” Dale boomed. “I didn’t know Ethan had company. Dang, that’s gonna stain.”
“Hey,” the girl nodded.
“Where are my manners?” Dale wondered aloud. “I’m Dale Evans, police officer. And you are?”
“Um, Angie,” she replied. “Nice to meet you.”
Angie. Huh.
For sure Ethan didn’t know an Angie, or an Angela.
“Nice to meet you too,” Dale said. “Ethan, do you have anything this young lady can change into? It would be a shame not to wash out that stain before it sets.”
“Sure, Dale,” Ethan replied, “I’m sure there’s something here of Dot’s.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Dale told him. “I just wanted to let you know my shift is ending here shortly. Dylan’s coming on after me. I’m liable to leave as soon as he gets here. Lana worries about me driving in this weather.”
“No worries, Dale,” Ethan assured him. “Anything goes wrong while he’s catching up on the log I’ve got him covered.”
“Merry Christmas,” Dale said loudly, including Angie in his farewell.
“Merry Christmas,” Angie replied softly.
“You okay?” Ethan asked, as soon as the door shut behind the older man.
She nodded solemnly, but looked miserable.
“Come on. Let’s find you something to change into. We’ve got a shower and everything in the bunk room upstairs.”
He took off for the stairs without waiting for her to agree, intuiting that she wanted that hot shower and change of clothes, but might have a hard time accepting it.
Sure enough, after a moment he heard her soft tread on the stairs behind him.
He got a warm feeling in his chest and wondered at the sensation. It was like happiness and relief all at once.
The staircase ended in a room with a vaulted ceiling. Skylights normally let in the moon but they were covered in snow now, giving the room a cozy feeling. Both walls were lined with bunks.
The bathroom was against the back wall.
“Here you go,” he gestured to the bath. “I’ll grab you something to wear.”
“Thanks,” she said, rushing for the bathroom like she was afraid he would change his mind.
He stared after her for a moment, even when she had closed the door.
Shaking his head, he walked back to the lockers against the front wall. Surely Dot had some clothes here. They would be too big for Angie, but they would be clean and warm.
Somehow, his heart throbbed at the idea of protecting the fierce young woman.
4
Evangeline stepped into the steaming shower. It took real discipline not to groan with appreciation. The warmth embraced her and the beast inside stretched and wriggled with delight.
Then it nudged her gently, as if checking the lock on its cage.
Sorry, girl, she told it inwardly.
Instead of settling down, the bear nosed at her again, this time more insistently.
She wondered if the pregnancy were making the animal restive. Surely she wasn’t far enough along yet for it to feel crowded out or uncomfortable. Evangeline didn’t think it really worked that way anyway. But she really didn’t know much about being a shifter.
She examined the dark spot on her wrist she’d noticed outside. If anything, it was even darker now, taking on a more defined shape, although she couldn’t tell exactly what. As she watched, the dark shaped moved, rippling along the surface of her skin like something trying to get out. She slapped her hand atop it and stifled a scream at the thought.
When she dared look again, it was back to the way it had been before, a dark, formless, definitely unmoving shape, like an inkblot. A Rorschach test that only looked like trouble.
What was wrong with her?
She finished quickly and then stepped out of the shower, where Ethan had left a fluffy towel.
“There are clothes on the bed,” he yelled to her from behind the door. “They’re a little big, but they’re warm and dry.”
“Thank you,” she called back.
She waited until she heard the bunk room door close again, then slipped out to find the pile of clothes.
&
nbsp; A hooded Tarker’s Hollow Volunteer Firefighter sweatshirt and a pair of matching sweatpants awaited. Just her size.
She slipped them on before she realized that they weren’t just her size, not anymore. She rolled up the waistband of the sweats and tried not to think about it.
She put on the thick cotton socks that were at the bottom of the pile, and padded downstairs to the scent of cooking chili.
“Feel better?” Ethan asked.
He was sitting at the dining table looking more handsome than ever. The simple glass fixture hanging from the beamed ceiling lit his hair up like a halo.
“Yes, much better,” she said. “Thank you.”
There were a couple of metal bowls in front of him as well as two cutting boards and two knives.
“I put your other clothes in the washer so you’re stuck with me a little longer,” he smiled. “Did you have car trouble out there or something?”
Shoot.
“Um, yeah,” she hedged.
“Sorry about that,” he said sincerely.
He waited then, as if expecting her to tell him her life story.
As things were, she didn’t like lying to him about a car she didn’t have, and didn’t want to add more lies to the mix.
She also wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him the truth about who she was. It would be complicated and awkward to explain that they knew each other.
And she certainly couldn’t tell him where she’d been.
“Want some help with that?” she asked, deciding to volunteer her efforts instead of her information.
“I was hoping you’d ask me that.” He smiled broadly, and gestured to the seat across from him at the table.
“What should I do first?” she asked, sitting.
“Pick your poison,” he said. “It’s all going in eventually.”
“Are those tomatoes?” she asked, studying three oblong yellow vegetables.
“Yeah, Amish Gold. Ever tried them?” he asked, passing the tomatoes down.
