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Petting Them: An Anthology of Claw-ver Tails

Page 55

by Tate James


  What the fuck? Pull your horses back. You don’t do that shit anymore.

  “I have to say, I like what that smile promises.” The words slipped out as though a moron had taken control of his brain, and he winced as that very smile fell away to be replaced by a cold glare.

  Then she took another breath, placed the smile back on her face, inclined her head, and turned to Sally. “Hi. I’m Annabeth Lorrie. I purchased some acreage out along FM 495 a couple months ago and moved into the farmhouse recently.”

  The words were smooth, professional, and completely lacking in any regard for Carter, who now stood there like a fool. Even Sally didn’t bother to spare him a glance.

  “Of course! Ed was telling me to be on the lookout for you. Did you really end up doing all that work on the house yourself?” Sally cut a telling look at him.

  The women’s words registered and he realized this must have been the new neighbor that Ed had asked him to check up on. Moron. Yes, I am definitely a moron. I should start listening to Ed when he says I should be neighborly.

  As soon as the thought came, he shoved it away. Even if this was one instance where he wouldn’t have minded getting to know the new neighbor better, there was a reason he and his brothers stuck to themselves. Charming clients or flirting with Sally for permits was one thing, slipping on polite smiles and gritting his teeth when he should be able to relax in his own home, on his own time, was another.

  “It wasn’t too much,” Annabeth was saying. “I managed to get the last of the porch painted and the swing hung just yesterday.” She kept her shoulder turned slightly away from him, and he was able to study her profile. It was clean, elegant, and just a bit delicate.

  The type of woman who would expect to be cared for. Except, if what she just said was true, she could take care of herself just fine.

  Carter snorted, shaking off the confusion she’d brought raging into his mind. “And what do you need with my Sally?” he asked, leaning toward her instinctively.

  A faint flush darkened the office manager’s cheeks under her light layer of foundation, and she tsked, flicking her fingers in his direction. “Don’t mind him, honey. But do tell, what can I do for ya?”

  Annabeth tilted her head a slight couple inches toward him, putting her face into a quarter profile view. There was a freckle just below her left eye, and he found himself searching for any more he could find.

  “I just wanted to come in and say hi. I’m going to be doing some work out on the property, actually. Not right away, I still need to sort out the details, but I want to open a shelter, and eventually a wildlife refuge. Nothing too wild, or too big.” She ran her hand over her head and gripped her ponytail before pulling the length over her shoulder. “I know there’s a lot of pieces that need to go in place, and was wondering what you recommended I start with?” The soft smile appeared again, and Carter watched as Sally’s smile brightened. An evil twinkle entered the older lady’s eyes.

  “Well now, I would recommend you get this big oaf to help you, honey. Carter here is the best contractor in the county. But you probably already know that if you met Jake. And if Carter puts his mind to it, he can help you talk around any neighbors who may protest what you’re trying to do.” Her gaze flicked between the two of them as Annabeth sighed and Carter leaned in another couple inches.

  “I was afraid you’d say that,” she murmured, the words barely reaching him. Then she turned to him again. “Actually, I’m going to be stopping by your place tonight to talk with Jake about taking on my project, and hopefully meet Andrew. I’ll need the advice of a vet as well, and it would be perfect if the two of them agreed to take me on together.”

  Shoving aside the images those words brought to mind, and taking tight hold of his tongue, Carter considered his next words. If she was showing up at their place tonight, that meant Jake had invited her without talking to either of his brothers, and that meant Jake intended to help her, even if he hadn’t said so outright.

  And despite himself, Carter wanted to see her again, and not as a client or a lay.

  Finally, he extended a hand. “Let’s start over, shall we? Carter Peterson, best contractor in the county, animal lover, and sometimes asshole.”

  His words earned him a real smile this time, and he stared. He had a bad feeling he’d do damned near anything to see it again.

  Annabeth took his hand. “Nice to officially meet you, Carter Peterson, sometimes asshole. I’m Annabeth Lorrie, once-upon-a-time in marketing, currently unemployed, also an animal lover, and often enjoy smashing assholes into the dust.” Her smile turned into a grin and he found himself matching it. “Politely, of course.”

  Oh, she was trouble. She was going to be trouble for all of them. “Of course,” he said, running his thumb over the back of her hand before releasing her. He noted with a bit of relish that there was color in her cheeks and her grin was falling away, but not in anger. “Well, I’ll be seeing you tonight then, Annabeth Lorrie. I look forward to it. I’ll just leave you and Sally to the rest of your chat.”

  With that he stepped away and headed out the door. He needed to get out of there before the moron emerged again.

  And he was looking forward to tonight, though he wasn’t sure he was actually happy about that fact.

  6

  interlude

  Margie, are you sure your lady’s the one? The first pup, only just starting to grow into his paws, looked up from the bone he was gnawing on and fixed his attention on the spirit dog. He’d seen others around, but this was the first he’d talked to. She’d come by last night, from the new neighbor lady’s place. Harley’d not seen the new lady, but he’d caught her scent when the wind was just right. His man didn’t like people coming to the house, so smells were often all Harley got. But that was okay, because smells were what he liked best.

  Of course I’m sure, the golden said. The spirit boy was beside her, and Harley wished again that the boy was able to throw the ball for him, but they’d already tried that.

  Minnow stumbled around the corner and headed straight for Margie, flying through the spirit and out the other side. You’re back! You’re back!

  Moron. That was Midas, who was way too similar to his own human, the one who preferred to draw on papers and sit in front of the flat box thing all day long.

  You settle down. Margie’s tone didn’t invite an argument, and Minnow ducked his head and tail, hurrying to lie down next to Harley. Now, the golden continued, my Bethie is coming over here tonight, and you’ll get to meet her for yourself. You’ll see I’m right soon enough.

  Midas settled on the other side of Harley. The soul leashes did shift.

  Harley’s brother was right. Their humans were different from the others for some reason. Most of the two-leggers didn’t have a soul leash, because they didn’t need one, they were complete in themselves. Harley’s human, though, his soul was split. Or maybe it was Minnow’s human’s soul that was split. Or even Midas’s. Harley didn’t know, but he did know that the three brothers needed each other to be complete, and they were tangled together with the soul leashes.

  Then about the time the new neighbor lady came, the soul-leashes… shifted. They… reached out, which hadn’t happened in the time Harley’d been living here.

  I’m still not sure about this, the boy said.

  Hush, you. Margie was definitely the alpha for that little pack. I’ve already explained, you can’t see what we do. The golden swung her head toward Midas. Yes, the connection is there. It’s good fortune those boys adopted you three. Not all breeds can see the connections.

  Minnow sat up, his head lifted high. My human says we’re special, that we’re one of the few truly native breeds.

  Margie swatted at his head and Minnow ducked. Now, she said, my Bethie is coming over tonight and I want you boys to be polite, but do what you can to get them together. Shouldn’t take much, they’re meant to be, but we should help it along. My Bethie deserves some happiness, finally.

 
Minnow’s puppy eyes went wide. What happened to her?

  Harley’s ears perked up at this, and even Midas gave his full attention.

  It was the boy who answered. I died. Mom and dad… broke. His little head turned away and he swallowed before continuing. Then she met a bad man, only he didn’t seem bad at first. He didn’t hurt her body, but he hurt her heart. And…

  That’s enough, Adam. They’ll find out soon enough, I’m sure of it.

  All three pups stared with eager eyes. You’re not going to finish the story?

  No, the golden said, turning away. Charm it out of her, if you want to know. I’m sure she’ll talk to you.

  Then the spirits were gone, and Harley couldn’t wait to meet the neighbor lady.

  7

  annabeth

  Annabeth pulled off the drive and parked next to a dark blue pickup. On the other side of the drive were two more trucks; one red, the other gray and equipped with a canopy.

  She took a moment to gather herself. She’d had two encounters with the Peterson brothers already that day, and if she was honest with herself, she’d not handled them well. There was something about the both of them that set her just slightly off balance, and had her alternately wanting to slide in close and hold onto their firm bodies, or smack them. She eyed the tin foil wrapped platter of brownies sitting on her passenger seat. Why had she made them? This wasn’t a social visit, and she wasn’t their friend. She was a potential client.

  Don’t kid yourself, Bethie. You need them more than they need you.

  Convinced she would somehow later regret bringing them, she slid her purse over her shoulder, picked up the brownies and the box of puppy-treats she’d picked up during her errands, and opened her car door.

  The Peterson’s place was done in the same farmhouse style that seemed to prevail in this part of the county, though it was half again as large as hers and had a full wrap-around porch. The siding was a warm cream color, while the trim was a dark charcoal. They even had shutters for the windows, most of which were secured open. A light flicked on in what she had assumed was an attic dormer, and a large silhouette appeared.

  She paused, something about the sight pulling up a vague longing in her. The dull sense of missing a vital piece of herself balled in her chest, and the brownies wobbled in her hands, the box of puppy treats balanced on top nearly falling.

  Pull yourself together, Bethie. You have a plan, remember?

  She knew what this sensation was, and what she was missing. It connected back to the part of her life she refused to think about, and the person she refused to name.

  Just as she was steadying herself, the front door opened, and either Jake or Carter stepped out onto the porch, three half-grown pups rolling out behind him. They were half-way across the yard, their golden fur red in the fading light, when the man gave a shrill whistle.

  “Harley, Midas, Minnow. Sit!”

  Two of the pups obeyed, but the third continued on towards Annabeth. She braced herself, but the pup pulled up short just before crashing into her knees. He sniffed her feet, moving around her in a slow circle, his tail whipping back and forth hard enough to pull his butt into a wiggle dance only dogs seemed to be able to perform.

  Then the other two dogs were beside him, giving her the same treatment. They tumbled together in a tangle of cute.

  Maybe her first impression of the Petersons was wrong. How could they be that bad if they had such lovable and happy pups?

  “I’d apologize for them, except they wouldn’t know the difference.” The man was there before her, wearing Jake’s face but…

  “You’re not Jake or Carter.” Triplets? Really? And why had no one mentioned this to her?

  He gave her an easy smile. “Nope. I’m Andrew.” He leaned over and grabbed the first pup by its collar and pulled it away from her. After a few seconds of straining against his hold, the pup settled down on its haunches. “Harley, Midas.”

  Andrew’s tone was firm, deep, and the pups responded immediately, coming to sit beside the one she had to assume was Minnow. They kept their gazes trained on her, though, eyes wide and mouths open in eager doggy smiles.

  “There, they should give you some space now. So, what can I do for you?”

  The setting sun fell across his face, giving his eyes a faint golden cast. His hair was also a touch longer than either of his brothers, showing her the curls they had only promised. Also unlike the other two, he was neither showing her disdain, nor throwing cheap lines at her.

  “Annabeth Lorrie.” She lifted the platter in her hands. “I’d offer to shake, but…”

  His gaze fell to her burden and his eyes widened as a faint blush grew on his cheekbones. Then he turned on his heel and headed back to the house, leaving her standing there with brownies, puppy treats and puppies who continued to eye her like they may just decide she should be their newest playmate.

  Yup. They are all definitely brothers.

  But… while annoyed to be left hanging, she wasn’t really upset. In fact, it was kind of cute. Despite the awkwardness, she didn’t sense anything actually mean or callous about this third brother and his abrupt departure. If anything, he’d seemed… embarrassed.

  Raised voices from the direction of the house had her and the pups craning their necks to see what was going on. Then Andrew was back, striding across the loose gravel path that lead up to the porch. Just as he was about to reach her, one of the pups darted in front of him and he stumbled, trying to dodge the little body.

  His arms flew up and he tumbled forward. Annabeth tried to avoid him just as he’d avoided the pup, but it was no use, and he crashed into her, sending brownies, treats and humans to the ground.

  With the breath knocked out of her she didn’t move immediately. There were heavy footsteps approaching from the house, and then a little puppy tongue was licking her cheek. And it may have been her imagination, but was that a glimmer of apology from the animal?

  “Damn, who knew Andrew was going to get to second base first?”

  This had to be Carter. Annabeth blinked, looked down, and sure enough, Andrew’s face was square between her breasts. He was frozen there on top of her, not moving, barely breathing it seemed. His hands were braced on either side of her waist, as though he’d tried to catch himself, or been about to push away.

  She’d come here hoping to convince these brothers to work for her, and instead here she was flat on her back, the exact position she’d promised herself she’d avoid. She laughed as the ridiculousness of the situation came crashing down on her. It started as a snicker, then grew until she couldn’t keep control of her body, and near curled in on herself. Except this third brother was still there, and she damn near smothered him with her boobs.

  The thought caused another round of laughter.

  Then Jake was there, pulling Andrew away and to the side, right into the spilled brownies. Annabeth rolled the opposite direction, right into a pile of puppies trying to get into the treat box, and was immediately engulfed in soft fur and licking tongues.

  Not the right kinds of tongues, though. Down girl. You’re hoping to hire these men, not ride them, or date them, or anything-of-the-sort them.

  As she rolled onto her back once more, an old memory tried to surface, of a man with hair darker than the triplets’, and artic blue eyes. The eyes should have been a clue. She knew now they reflected the iciness of that man’s soul. That’s why she was sticking to warm brown, just like the pups’, and just like the Peterson’s.

  Except you’re not sticking to the Peterson’s.

  Jake’s head appeared above her, and she met his gaze. His brows were drawn together in a slight frown, his expression half concerned, half annoyed. “Get him off the ground,” he directed over his shoulder as he extended a hand to Annabeth. “You all right?”

  After a pause she accepted the gesture, allowing him to pull her to her feet. “Fine.” She busied herself with dusting off the gravel and dried grass that now clung to her.

&n
bsp; Jake, one hand on her shoulder, half turned her. “Here, let me help.” His hand skimmed along her back in quick strokes. After a minute he seemed satisfied, and turned her back to face him. “You sure you’re all right?”

  Heat bloomed in her cheeks at his attentions. It was something she might have expected Carter to do, to maybe cop a feel, but not Jake. Already she felt like she knew these brothers, even with such limited interactions. “I really am fine. My tailbone might be a little bruised, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  His warm brown gaze searched her face then he nodded. “Why don’t you come on in. We’ll let Carter and Andrew clean up out here, and save the pups from themselves while we get started.” He stepped beside her and placed a hand on the small of her back, escorting her to the front door. As they passed the other two brothers, Andrew still on the ground amidst spilled brownies, she could have sworn Jake flashed them a smirk, there and gone in an instant.

  Why did she have a feeling that fall had changed everything?

  The interior of the house was the opposite of what she’d expected. From the exterior farmhouse style, she’d thought the layout would be similar to her own new home. Instead, she felt as though she was stepping into one of the more modern homes in the new developments in Houston. The kitchen, living room, and dining were all open to each other, forming a comfortable “L” shape that allowed easy access to any of the spaces. A hall off to the right looked to lead to bedrooms, or maybe an office, and to the left was a staircase. Opposite the entry was a wall of glass doors, looking out onto the porch and a neatly landscaped yard beyond that. It was a surprising contradiction from the plain and unmanicured lawn out front.

  Would her new life be filled with such contradictions? Brothers that alternately charmed and infuriated her. Urges she’d long buried coming to the surface with a glance or brush of a hand. What would be next? Would Jake suddenly break out into an a cappella version of “Like a Virgin?”

 

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