Unraveling Midnight

by Stephanie Beck

  The phone rang and, feeling a little loose from fatigue, her long shower and wine, she knew she shouldn’t answer. She picked up her cell and looked at the caller name. Scott. She really should let it go to voicemail.

  “Hello, handsome.”

  “I love how you say that,” he said and she settled deeper into the uncomfortable kitchen chair to listen to him talk. “Are you feeling all right, honey? I know today was a little weird and I wanted to see…”

  “See if I was crying in my graham cereal?” she offered.

  “Or drowning your troubles in Riesling.”

  She laughed. “I’m just finishing my second modest glass of a very delightful vintage with plans of heading to my bed very shortly. I’m fine, though, I promise.”

  “Not still down about the shop or out to tackle anymore shewolves?”

  “Well, I’ll be down about the shop for a while, but I got a message from the cleaning company. They should be finished by the end of the week, so that’s encouraging. I think the not knowing was getting to me. Having more of a plan in mind helps me focus. And wolves… I’m thankful she didn’t jump me in the parking lot.”

  “Aw, I’d have protected you, darling. And you let me know when you need help getting the heavy things done at the shop. Me, Jessie and the boys are looking forward to helping you get everything back up and running. Greg is hoping for some new socks for Christmas and figures you’ll need your shop back together to be in the mood to knit again.”

  She’d make him all the socks he wanted. Some really nice blue yarn she’d passed over the day before came to mind. She’d been too out of sorts to buy it, but she could make another trip with a clear head. Making the kind, thoughtful boy another pair would be an honor.

  “That’s incredibly thoughtful. You’re a wonderful father, Scott. Tell the kids I said goodnight.”

  “I will. They all said to tell you goodnight and invited you to stay over again whenever you want. Their dad seconds that last request.”

  Lucy took the last sip of her wine and couldn’t stop the sappy feeling bubbling up inside her. “I’m sure I’ll find my way over before long. I mean, you do have my favorite tea and cereal over there now and all of my favorite people happen to be there too... Those are some strong incentives to visit.”

  He was quiet a long moment and Lucy hoped he took her words the right way. He was one of those favorite people. She was about to say so when he cleared his throat.

  “This happens to be my favorite place too, with all my favorite things and foods and smells and people. All but one anyway. The sooner you’re back, or at least the sooner we’re all together again, the better. I’ll let you get to bed though. Take some Tylenol so you don’t wake with a headache.”

  “I will,” she promised. “Sleep well, okay? Maybe have a nice wolfie dream about me? One that gets your paws twitching?”

  He laughed and she smiled. They didn’t need to end every conversation on a heavy, thoughtful note. In fact, she hoped they could end every conversation laughing and wanting more.

  “Yes, ma’am. And you feel free to have one of those dreams about me too. Goodnight, Lucy.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Chapter 13

  It was so empty. The shop, her home away from home, embodied none of the wonderful feelings she’d once garnered within its walls. Lucy tried to bolster her heart with positive thinking so it wouldn’t break. The cleaning crew had done a fantastic job, but the yarn had been unsalvageable.

  The equipment had also retained the scent of chemically burned yarn, so they’d taken the wooden shelves out as well. Insurance covered the loss with only a minimal deductable, so she knew the shelves would be replaced and beautiful yarns would one day sit on them. In the meantime, her beautiful shop was nothing but hardwood floors and barren metal racks.

  “Knock knock.”

  Lucy turned at the voice and bit back a sigh. She’d hoped to indulge in a pity party, at least a little one, but Carol and Susan were smiling and Lucy forced one as well.

  “Hi, girls. Well, as you can see, the shop is a bit out of stock at the moment, but I’m happy to see you as always.”

  “Oh, Lucy.” Carol hugged her tight, the older woman surprising her with the embrace. “I am so sorry this happened to you. This seems so tiny now compared to what you have to replace and do here, but Susan and I brought you something to maybe get things going again.”

  The little girl beside her mother had two big gift bags in her hands and a shy smile on her face. “I’m really sad about the shop. I hope it’ll be nice again.”

  Lucy ruffled her hair. “It will be very nice. Now what did you bring me? As you can see, whatever you happen to have is something I’m sure to need.”

  “I hope you like it.” Susan handed her the bags.

  They were surprisingly heavy and when Lucy set them on the only remaining surface, her miraculously unscathed checkout counter, her breath caught.

  “Oh, Carol. They’re gorgeous.”

  “Well, I remember you had prints on the wall of Monica’s work,” Carol said, obvious joy on her face. “And last month I took her on as one of my clients. When I told her how much you love her stuff and how you’d lost everything, she made these special, just for you.”

  Lucy pulled the paintings out with shaking hands. They weren’t very big, but they were beautiful. Mauves and cranberry colors mixed with browns to depict the charming painting. A woman and young girl were knitting together, the child on the woman’s lap, with a warm fire in the corner. It resembled a print she’d hung on the first day she opened the shop, only this was hand-painted and original. It was more than Lucy had ever imagined would grace her walls.

  “Check the other one too,” Carol said. “I gave Monica an idea of what you liked and what you were like and she came up with the second one. I was blown away. I am so happy to give it to you. I’m having her paint another to go to prints.”

  She’d never felt objects deserved tears, but when Lucy pulled the tissue paper away from the second painting, her eyes burned. It was so detailed and charming and even though the artist had never been to her shop, she’d added details that embodied her space.

  The wooden tables and happy faces warmed the canvas. Projects of all colors and sizes were lovingly set in baskets, waiting for the people in the picture to return to them. Across the back wall, clotheslines were stretched with different items pinned up, like she’d done and planned to do again. And there was green. Monica didn’t use the tone often, but Lucy loved to knit with all shades of it. Grass green socks and dark forest green sweaters hung on the lines, their knitted detail amazingly done in paints.

  “Oh, Carol. I can’t… I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love these.”

  “We can’t tell you how much we’ve appreciated everything you’ve done for us,” Carol said and when Lucy looked up, there were tears in her eyes as well. “Susan and I were drifting apart before we found your class. You didn’t let us separate and you made us sit together and be quiet together as much as you had us talk. I know it was only knitting classes but, Lucy, there is something about you and your patience that makes them something more and I hope you’ll be in a place to offer them soon.”

  She’d never once thought about her knitting class as so important. If it meant so much to Carol and Susan, then for sure it would be one of the first things she started again. She looked at the paintings, already picturing how they would look on the walls between her new shelves and baskets.

  “These are so beautiful and I promise I’ll have the class back up and running as soon as I’ve got chairs and yarn.”

  “Good.” Carol hugged Susan to her side, both smiling. “And in the meantime, we’ll keep working on our last projects. We’ll be expecting something spectacular for the Christmas season.”

  “I’ll add that to my list,” Lucy promised. “Something special to knit for two lovely ladies. I can’t thank you enough for these.”

  Carol waved her hand.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you like them. Now, we’re off to do some grocery shopping. I know a few other artists, so let me know if you need more paintings or anything. I can get them for you at a really good price.”

  “You’re wonderful. Thanks again. And thank you too, Susan.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Lucy waved until the mother and daughter duo passed from view and then she ran to the paintings. They were unbelievable and she already had the perfect places in mind. She’d loved her knitting prints, but these, they were so pretty. She automatically reached under the counter to grab her toolbox, but it had been thrown out, the metals of the tools corroding in the chemical fog. Not deterred, she grabbed her phone instead.

  “Hello, pretty lady.”

  “Hi, Scott. Is there any chance you and the kids could come by the yarn shop tonight and help me put a few things together? Pizza’s on me.”

  He’d known she was going into the shop for the first time after it was completely cleaned and he’d confessed to being worried about her. He hadn’t wanted her to go alone, but she’d needed to. With her determination renewed, she was ready to take the next steps in making the yarn shop better than it ever was. Putting it together with him and the kids seemed like the perfect first step in starting over.

  “We can do that,” he said slowly. “You’re doing okay?”

  “I’m doing great. I’m going to make a few calls and get shelves here for tonight and baskets and I need to get internet access back and bring my laptop in so I can order online too.”

  He laughed. “Okay, so you are doing fine. What, besides the kids, should I bring?”

  “You know what? I feel like celebrating. If you wouldn’t mind grabbing a bottle of wine, I’ll get some juice boxes for the kids. Oh, and tools. Could you bring your tools?”

  “Champagne and tools, I can handle those.”

  “Good. Then I’ll see you soon.”

  She hung up after their goodbyes and looked around the room with new eyes. The yarn shop would never be the same, but it could be better.

  Chapter 14

  “Daddy. I smell him.”

  Scott froze. He’d smelled the bastard who’d burned Lucy’s shop for two blocks, but he hadn’t expected any of the kids to notice. Holding his hand, Jessie stared at an apartment across from the yarn shop. They’d had to park on the other block because of moving trucks, but he’d thought to use the time to get a bead on the robber He held tight to his daughter as new energy hummed from her tiny body. He’d had plans of returning after dark. His little girl, with her amazing nose, had covered a big portion of his hunting plans by finding their prey.

  “He’s in the building across the street, isn’t he, Jess?”

  She nodded, her eyes narrow with anger. “Yep. I wanna tear his throat out.”

  He held tight to her hand, not expecting her to run, but not discounting the possibility either. The first time instinct struck so hard, it could be impossible to resist.

  “We’re not going to do that.” He kept his voice very calm. The boys must have finally realized something was happening, because they stopped moving around and stared at the building across the street as well. “All of you are going to come with me and we’re going to have dinner with Lucy, remember?”

  “He pulled her hair.” Jessie tugged once against his grip, but not hard enough to break his hold.

  “And I’m going to take care of him later,” he promised, taking a step to the side so he could grab Greg if he needed to. “You know I will, guys. Your instinct to help Lucy is great, but you’ve got to let me handle it.”

  “Are you going to rip his throat out and throw it on the floor?” Jessie asked.

  He bit back a grin, liking how bloodthirsty his baby was when it came to someone she saw as family. She loved Lucy and would never see her hurt. It wasn’t her time to do the ass-kicking yet. As the head of the family, Scott would happily do the dirty work for her.

  “I will make him sorry he ever hurt Lucy. Some things are better left to grownups. I know Lucy will appreciate your hugs and help with her shop. Let’s do those for her and I’ll see to him and make sure no one hurts Lucy ever again.”

  It took a long moment, but Jessie nodded and Scott let out a relieved breath. Dealing with a six-year-old werewolf had its ups and downs. This hump wasn’t so bad, really, and he loved her devotion to those she cared for. And what a nose—he was going to have a lot of fun training her when she was older.

  “Come on guys.” He herded the kids together so they could let the situation go for the time being. “Let’s go see Lucy and help her get the shop in order.”

  “And have pizza, Dad?” Ross asked. “We can eat pizza and help while you plan kicking that guy’s teeth in right?”

  “Right. Pizza, helping and planning. But let’s not mention the last one to Lucy.”

  Chapter 15

  “Where are you going?” Lucy asked.

  The bedroom was dark and cool, perfect for sleeping. They’d had a wonderful night together at the knitting shop, but after Lucy fell asleep, Scott had snuck out on his mission. He’d nearly made it back without incident, but nearly only counted in horseshoes.

  “Scott?”

  He cursed. He’d hoped to slip back into bed after his ass-beating excursion without notice.

  “I’m coming back.”

  “Where were you?” she asked, more awake than he’d thought, and the high he’d had since breaking the bastard’s leg started to ebb. “I woke up and you were gone.”

  He could say he’d gone to check on the kids. He could say he’d gotten a drink of water, but lying, even in theory, felt wrong. He couldn’t do that to Lucy. He had to give her at least an edited version of events. A very edited version.

  “I ran out to find the guy who vandalized your shop.”

  “What? Why would you do that?” She sat straight up. They hadn’t gotten to consummate any mating, sex being the last straw of commitment in her mind

  He’d thought after working on the shop and the champagne, they might take the next step, but she’d crashed instead. Not that he’d minded because he’d still gotten to snuggle with her.

  “Why would I go after the bastard who tried to kill you and ruined your livelihood? Yeah, why would I do that?” he asked.

  “The police should have handled it, Scott. What if he’d hurt you?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Lucy, I’m a werewolf. There’s no way a piece of shit like him could hurt me.”

  “He hit you with a truck the last time you saw him.”

  “And this time he wishes he’d been hit by a truck,” he replied. “Don’t worry. He won’t be hurting anyone for a long time.”

  He also wouldn’t be eating solid foods or doing much beyond moaning in pain either. Lucy pushed out of bed and started pacing the floor. He’d hoped his actions wouldn’t come up, since they were, he figured he should be comfortable, so he sat on the bed and watched her. She was a thinker and when she was ready, she’d talk. He hoped she didn’t have to take his truck to do it this time, but if she did, his keys were there on the table and she knew she could go.

  “You can’t— It’s not— Scott, you can’t just go beat people up.”

  “I agree. And in the course of usual events, I rarely hurt anyone, especially intentionally. But when someone messes with my family and I feel they are a continuing threat that’s not being dealt with properly by authorities, I take care of it.”

  “If someone had hurt the kids, I could see—”

  “Shit, you still don’t understand where you fit in this family do you? That’s what this is about. I thought you were starting to understand, but I guess I was wrong.” He stood and stopped her pacing with his hands on her shoulders. “You are important, Lucy. I love you and meeting you brought everything I’d been missing my whole life. I love my kids, don’t get me wrong, but there’s more to life, more to family and I see it all come together with you. I can’t tolerate you being hurt. I und
erstand you’re not a werewolf and I’m trying really hard to respect that and not overwhelm you with everything. I knew you’d be upset if I killed him—”

  She gasped. “You didn’t.”

  “No, I didn’t kill him. I did beat him to within an inch of his life and called the cops so they know where to find him. And you know what? If I hear about him even looking at you again, I might kill him and, no, I won’t feel remorse. I love you, Lucy. I can’t see you hurt like you were ever again. Losing your shop broke a piece of your heart and that’s not okay with me. Physically, he touched you and tried to kill you. He’s damn lucky he’s even recognizable.”

  “I-I—”

  “No.” There was no room left for her to argue. He had to make her understand. “You need to start looking at yourself with more value than you do, Lucy. I’m sorry you were overlooked in your family, but you are so damn important to me. You’re worth any risk and I’ll do everything in my power to make you understand. I hope it’s not kicking ass very often, because obviously it bothers you. I’m going to show you how much you mean to me and this family every chance I get. Even after you finally get it, I’m going to keep making you feel important here because you are. You’re everything, Lucy.”

  “No—”

  “If you think that’s too much, let me put it this way.” He stepped closer and rubbed his palms up and down her bare arms. “Maybe you aren’t everything. You’re right, the kids are the center of my life, but the center is growing. Just by being the amazing woman you are, the wonderful woman I love, you make everything better.”

  * * * *

  She couldn’t believe him. First, he admitted to beating up her attacker and then he went on and on about family and what she meant to him. How he connected the two... Damn it, it made sense in a very primitive kind of way. What else could she expect from him, a werewolf with animal instincts? And how could she not be charmed and warmed to her heart with every word? He loved her. He’d told her before that he’d been showing her it every day and with the confession she remembered all those instances.