by Jane Jamison
She was busted. “I do. I guess I’m hoping for more than just a hot brew.” She jerked her head toward her car, only now noticing that the torn-off roof and window had been laid against the car. “Did you see what happened to my car?”
Milly pretended that she hadn’t, but Christy didn’t buy her act. How could she not have seen it?
“Wow. That’s something, all right. I guess we had some strong winds last night.”
Strong winds? Milly had to know better. So why was she lying? “This crazy man ripped my roof right off my car. Who can do that?” She’d go that far to tell Milly what they’d done to her car. As for the other? That terrible experience would stay locked inside her.
“Really? Beats the hell out of me who could do that.”
Milly clammed up and it was obvious she wasn’t going to give her any help. She needed to try a different tactic of getting information. Maybe a more indirect approach would work.
“Come on. Let’s get that coffee.” Milly opened the door wide and waved her inside, obviously keeping her attention away from the battered Bug. “I’ll do my best to give you whatever else you need, too.”
Christy settled on a stool at the counter while Milly moved around the place, putting her purse away and switching on appliances. She went into the kitchen area for a while, then came back out with a cake plate piled with doughnuts.
“I don’t know if you’re a healthy eater or not, but I love a good doughnut in the morning. That along with a mug of strong coffee. Until it’s ready, though, how about we dig into the sweet stuff?”
Christy tried to eat a well-balanced diet, but if there was ever a time for a little comfort junk food, this was it. She took a glazed doughnut, hesitated, then pinched a chocolate-covered one, too. “Please don’t think I’m a pig.”
“I won’t if you do the same for me.” Milly pulled out four doughnuts, took a huge bite of a powdered sugar one and moaned. “I swear, if there’s anything better than sex, it’s one of Mack’s doughnuts.”
“Mack?”
“He’s my cook. Or at least he usually is. He left last night with his ma—wife on vacation. The man works like a dog and has never taken off for more than a day or so. I finally had to kick his butt out to get him to take a break.”
“So are you doing the cooking today?”
“God, no. I’d have to have every customer sign a release form stating that they wouldn’t sue me when they came down with food poisoning. Nope. Leggy Lucy’s going to man the grill.”
“Leggy Lucy?” Christy took her first bite and almost forgot what she’d asked. The doughnut melted in her mouth, the chocolate coating her tongue. It tasted like sin and heaven all at once. “Oh, mamma, but that’s good.”
“It is, right? Mack makes the best doughnuts, but you’ve got to eat a slice of one of Lucy’s buttercream cakes. I swear it’ll make your knees go weak. And believe it or not, but she can eat her cake all day without gaining an ounce. It’s almost too much to bear that she can eat that way and still stay tall, slim, with legs that go on from here to the Canadian border. That’s why the men around here call her Leggy. I just wish she wasn’t so damn nice so I could hate her because she’s beautiful.”
Christy took another bite, then a third. “You shouldn’t have let me taste these. I’m going to gain ten pounds by the time I’m done.”
“Girlfriend, sometimes ya gotta give your body what it’s cravin’. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Be back in a sec.” Milly hurried back toward the commercial coffeemaker and filled two cups. “Let me guess. You like milk or cream in yours. Am I right?”
“I shouldn’t, but yes, cream please. And none of those fake creamers, either. How else do you think I filled out my jeans?”
Milly laughed and set the steaming cup in front of her. “From the way the men were checking you out yesterday, I’m thinking the way you fill them out is just fine.”
“Are you talking about Grant, Duncan, and Lance?”
A smile, one that was all too knowing, lifted the corners of Milly’s mouth. “Among others. So tell me. What’d you think of them?”
She took a sip, trying to stall her answer, then set the cup back down when the liquid burned her lip.
“That’ll teach you to try and dodge my question.”
Milly was a smart lady and one she didn’t want to try and fool any longer. “I think they’re amazing. I’ve never met anyone like them.”
Milly put her hand over hers. “Oh, hon, you don’t know anything yet. Let me give you a rundown, okay?”
“Sure.” She took another sinful bite.
“Okay, Grant Harkness has owned the Crescent Moon Ranch for as long as I can recall. He’s an honest man and one you can count on to be there when you need help. If there’s anything wrong with him, it’s that he can be a little uptight at times. A stickler for keeping to a plan. He bends, but not without a lot of pushing, if you get what I mean.”
She wasn’t certain she did, but she was too busy eating another delicious doughnut to say so. The horrors she’d experienced at the hands of Merle and Gabe seemed less awful with each bite.
“Lance and Duncan are cousins, but they’re more like brothers, if you ask me. Duncan’s the more impulsive of the two, but Lance is no stick-in-the-mud, either. They both work hard and they play hard, too. If you’re looking for two men who’ll keep you on your toes and laughing about it most of the time, then the Thorne cousins are the men for you.”
“For me?” Was that the impression Milly had? That she was looking to hook up with them? “Hey, I’m just passing through. I’m not looking for anything temporary or permanent.”
“Uh-huh.”
There was that knowing smile again. “Anyhoo, if I hadn’t already found my men, I’d give them more than a second thought. Between the cousins’ blue eyes and Grant’s steamy presence, a girl could find it hard to think straight. Hard being the primary word in that sentence.”
“You can say that again.”
Milly took a bite and swallowed it whole. Christy would’ve never said so, but the woman ate like a trucker. “No one would blame a girl for letting go, especially if she let go with men like them.”
“Milly, I don’t know what you’re getting at, but—”
“Okay, okay. I’m not trying to convince you of anything. If it’s right, it’s right. No prompting necessary.”
“Uh-huh.” She threw back a knowing smile of her own.
“I’m just saying that they’re great guys and a girl would be lucky to get them, separately or together.” She winked. “Of course, together is always the better deal.”
If Milly was talking about long-term, then it didn’t matter. Once her car was repaired, she was back on the road. Yet even as the idea came to her, she felt a knot in the middle of her stomach. Of course, if Milly was talking about having all three at once for one wild night, then that brightened her mood. A lot. She’d never been one for one-night stands, but if any men could change her mind about that, it was them.
Besides, she’d never had a threesome, much less a foursome. If that was what it was called.
A group of young people entered the diner, waved at Milly, and took one of the largest tables in the place. They laughed and joked as they settled into their chairs.
“The usual, guys?” called Milly.
“That sounds good to us.” The man, a youth really, gave Milly a thumbs-up. “Milly, did you hang around for the fun last night?”
“Hell, no. I left the diner in Dan’s hands and even he decided it was best to close up shop early.” She slid her gaze toward Christy. “After he made sure that everything was secure.”
Christy must’ve let something show on her face by the way Milly tensed up. “It was secure, wasn’t it? Please tell me you didn’t go out last night. Oh, hell, you must have. That’s when you saw your car getting torn up.”
Christy kept her gaze down as though her coffee was the most interesting thing in the world.
“Christ
y? What happened?” She shushed the youngsters with a wave of her hand. “Y’all can wait a minute. Lucy’s not even in yet, but I’ve got the grill firing up. If you want your usual steak, then it’ll only take a sec to heat up. Now shush.”
“From what I heard, she had a close call.”
Christy jerked her head up at the pretty brunette taking the stool next to her. She was only a little older than her, but her eyes were wise beyond her years.
“Hey, Emma, how’s the family?”
“Same as usual. Thanks for asking.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Emma Rand-Carr. You must be Christy Smith.”
Small towns were notorious for their gossip mill, but she hadn’t expected her arrival would cause much talk. “Nice to meet you, Emma.”
“Jackson got a call from Grant this morning.”
“He did? So Jackson Carr is related to you?” She’d like to meet Jackson after all she’d heard about him, and she definitely wanted to hear whatever Grant had to say about her.
“Jackson’s my man and he kind of handles problems in Forever. Grant said you had trouble with a couple of men named Gabe and Merle. Is that right?”
The grapevine of Forever was a fast one. The town gossips probably already knew the whole story, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to tell a stranger about Merle and Gabe. Still, if Jackson was the unofficial law of the town, then maybe she should. If only to keep the awful men from treating another woman badly.
“Yeah, it is. Did you see the roof of my car? They did that. And they wanted to do a lot more. To me.”
She didn’t want to look at either Milly or Emma. In a weird way she felt partly to blame. If she’d listened to Milly’s warning, nothing would’ve happened.
“Don’t you go there, Christy. None of what happened was your fault.”
Funny how Milly could guess what she was thinking. “I know. You’re right. But if I’d stayed inside…”
“Yes. You should’ve done what Milly said. But that doesn’t make it your fault. Those two animals are just plain bad.” Emma put her hand on Christy’s arm. “I just wanted to know that you’re all right. And to let you know that they won’t be back to bother you or anyone else. Grant and Jackson will make sure of that.”
Instead of annoying her that Grant believed himself to be in charge of her well-being, the idea of his worrying about her made her feel special. It’d been a long time since she’d felt that way.
“How did Grant find out? I haven’t told anyone. Not even Milly.”
Emma shrugged, but it was a deliberate move. Her gaze shifted away. Christy frowned, knowing that it was Emma who was holding back now.
“What can I say? It’s a small town.”
It was time to get a few answers. “I come from a small town in Indiana, and trust me, I’ve never seen anything like what went on last night. What was that? People were going crazy and doing things in public that—” She paused, unsure how graphic she could be with the teens nearby. “Well, things that most folks don’t do in public.”
She followed the direction of Milly’s look and saw that the youngsters were silent and hanging on every word they said.
“Y’all can either get out while the adults talk or you can mind your own business.” The slamming of the back door didn’t stop her. “There’s Leggy now. Should I tell her to get your food together? Or are y’all heading out?”
The same boy, as though he was their leader, spoke up. “We’ll hang. Come on, guys, let’s move to the farthest table so we won’t hear anything our tender ears can’t handle.” He laughed as Milly wadded up the counter towel and tossed it at him.
“Now, where were we? Oh, yeah, you two were about to explain last night to me.”
“I already told you, Christy.” Milly pulled out another towel and started wiping down an already clean counter. “It’s a celebration of sorts. One that you’d best stay out of.”
Emma squeezed her arm then turned it loose. “Please listen to her. No matter how curious or whatever you get, stay out of it.”
Whatever? As in horny?
“I’m kind of stuck here, aren’t I? At least until my car gets fixed.” She was growing more irritated with answers that didn’t really give her any useful information. “What I saw last night was like something out of a movie. Like where people go crazy and start doing whatever they want. And then, there were those two guys that tried to hurt me.”
“And Jackson’s taking care of them today.”
“No, you don’t get it. One of them ripped the roof right off my car. What kind of man can do that?”
“Gabe and Merle are very strong.”
“Really, Milly? They’re that strong? My car went from being a hardtop to a convertible in a matter of minutes. Were they on drugs? Doped up on adrenaline?”
“That’d be one explanation.”
She couldn’t help glaring at Emma. “Yeah, it would. So that’s it? The town’s hopped up on steroids or meth or whatever gets rid of people’s inhibitions and makes them super strong? Because I’m thinking that’s not a good thing.”
“The people who live here are honest, hardworking people. Don’t judge them by last night.”
“I’m sure they are. And, other than those two apes that came at me, people left me alone. It’s just that I’ve never seen anyone behave like that.” Did she dare go on? “Or look like that.”
That was a lead-on statement if she’d ever heard one. She expected them to ask how they looked different and was surprised when they didn’t.
If Emma and Milly exchanged another telling look, she’d scream. “What’s going on? Tell me the truth.” It was stupid, but it was all she had left. She couldn’t bring herself to outright ask if a few of the town’s citizens had fangs and glowing amber eyes. Instead, she asked a different question. “Is it the amber moon?”
She would’ve sworn she’d hit them right where they hadn’t expected it. Milly started rubbing the counter again while Emma clasped her hands in her lap. Neither one of them spoke for a while.
“One of you has to tell me.”
Emma stared right at her, making Christy wish she hadn’t demanded to know. “What do you know about the amber moon?”
“Not much. It’s about supernatural beings and how the moon turns amber and makes them go wild.”
“That about sums it up.”
“But that’s ridiculous.” She pushed her coffee cup away. “Fine. If you two want to play games, then have at it.”
She slid off the stool. “Milly, thank you again for letting me stay at your place. I promise I’ll get out of your hair as soon as I can leave. And I’ll write you a check for everything. Okay?”
“I’m not going to take any money from you. I’m happy to help.”
Christy nodded, fully intending to leave a check on the coffee table before she left. It wouldn’t do any good to argue with Milly. She pivoted and headed toward the door. Coming to the diner hadn’t gotten her anywhere.
“Christy?”
She turned back to Emma. “Yes?”
“Please. Stay inside the apartment tonight.”
She couldn’t promise that she would. As dangerous as it might be, she had to get answers. Instead of agreeing, she strode out of the diner.
* * * *
“Grant’s going to skin us alive when he finds out.”
Duncan pulled into a parking spot across from Milly’s diner. Lance was right, but at that moment, he didn’t care. “Are you backing out? If you are, that’s fine with me.”
They’d already talked about it and had made the decision to see Christy.
“’Course I’m not. I’m just saying, is all. As long as we get her back before sundown, we should be okay.”
At least that’s what they were banking on. The effect of the amber moon was still on them during the daytime, but it was less than it had been last night and less than it would be later tonight when it was at its most powerful. Since they were able to resist her last night, then they should be abl
e to keep their hands off during the daytime.
Neither one of them mentioned the kiss in the apartment yesterday.
“As long as Grant’s occupied in Shatland with Jackson, then we’re good to go.” He didn’t like going behind their friend’s back, and if Jackson hadn’t called to enlist Grant’s help in talking to the werebears, they wouldn’t have come up with their plan to see Christy. Either that, or they would’ve included Grant in it. As it was, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“Get moving, man.” Duncan was out of the pickup and headed across the street to Milly’s diner. He was in a hurry to see Christy. After scaring off Gabe and Merle the previous night, they’d waited around outside in the alley until the lights had finally gone out in the apartment.
“Hey, I want to see her as much as you do.” Lance fell into step beside him.
Their excitement, however, didn’t mean that they wouldn’t stop beside her car. They’d leaned her roof and window against her car to get it out of the street.
“I wish we would’ve ripped their heads off last night.” Anger flashed through Duncan. The damn werebears hadn’t caused many problems lately so he guessed it was about time for a couple of them to stir things up, but that didn’t make it any better.
The fact that they’d chosen the time of the amber moon wasn’t a coincidence. Knowing the bears, they’d thought they could take advantage of a female werewolf while she was under the influence. Then Christy had shown up at the wrong time and the wrong place. And if there was anything a werebear liked better than hassling a female werewolf, it was troubling a human female. They’d thought they’d have easy pickings with her until Grant, Lance, and he had seen them and shifted, ready to give them the fight of their lives. If Gabe and Merle hadn’t backed down, the incident could’ve started a war. Still could, if the leaders of the werebears didn’t punish Gabe and Merle for their actions. But that was up to Jackson and Grant to sort out.
“I feel the same way, but that would’ve been a hell of a thing for her to see.”
“We should get her car out of sight.” Duncan whacked the hood of the car, making the unattached metal rattle.
