“Oh no.” I pushed away the coffee. “No manipulating me. On principle I can’t invite him now.”
“Come on, Nancy. You’re being ridiculous.”
“No, you are.”
“I’m deleting the ad.” He picked up his phone. “Are you happy?”
“Not happy, relieved.”
“I really did think you’d see the humor in it. You usually laugh at these kind of things.”
I sighed. “Maybe one day.”
“When you’re having babies with Norm.”
“I’m not inviting him.” I buttoned up my coat.
“Leaving already?”
“I can’t stare at that coffee any longer without drinking it.”
“Then drink it.” He pushed the cup closer to me.
“Nope. Can’t. Have a safe flight.” I turned on my heels wishing I wasn’t already starting to forgive Leif. If he was right and the emails were only being forwarded, then there was no harm done. On the steps down I checked my email. There were a few more messages, but they were from earlier. I refreshed and no more showed up. At least it seemed as if he’d actually taken the ad down. I had to celebrate the small wins.
6
Norm
I flipped through the radio stations looking for something other than Christmas music. I never understood the need for every station to switch over. The option of one or two? Fine. But even the rock stations were filling the hours with holiday tunes, or at least the stations that were coming in as I drove the Interstate up toward Philadelphia.
“Why are you driving us, Uncle Norman?” Langdon asked from the backseat of my truck. I glanced at him in the rear view mirror. His red and blue baseball cap was halfway covering his face, but some of his dark hair spilled out the sides.
Alex shifted in her seat and looked back at him. “Langdon. I told you Uncle Norman is keeping us company while Daddy works.”
“No, he wants to see Nancy.” Langdon’s voice didn’t change at all. He spoke calmly.
Alex laughed nervously. “Why would you say that?”
“Because I heard Daddy and you talking.”
I glared at her out of the corner of my eye. Did they have to make things awkward for me with my nephew too?
She returned my look with a smile. “Your uncle and Nancy are good friends.”
“She’s pretty.”
Another look in the rear view mirror revealed he’d pulled out some action figures from his backpack.
“She is.” I couldn’t argue with that. “Beautiful.”
“Are you going to marry her? Then she can be my aunt.”
I laughed nervously. “I’m sure she won’t mind if you called her aunt.” Nancy loved the kid. Although she’d have never admitted it, she’d been disappointed Alex and Langdon had moved to Forest Ridge.
“But she wouldn’t really be my aunt.”
“So can you believe it’s almost Christmas?” If there was one conversation change that could work with him, that was it.
“Yes! And we are all going skiing! Daddy says you like to snow bot.”
“Snow board,” Alex gently corrected.
“I do.” Although I hadn’t had time to in years. “It’s lots of fun.” My conversation change had worked.
“Can you teach me?” Langdon was all excitement.
“Sure, when you’re older I will.” He didn’t know it, but I’d gotten him a set of skis for Christmas already. It was easier to learn to ski first, then move to snow boarding.
“Why not now?”
I knew better than to emphasize his age. He, like most little kids, wanted everyone to think of him as big. “Because I’m not going with you guys.”
“Why?”
“That’s a great question.” Alex turned to me. “Why not?”
I let out a slow breath. “Because this is for your family.”
“You are my family. Did you forget? My daddy is your brother.” Langdon spoke so much more clearly now. It made it even harder to pretend I didn’t understand.
“I know we are family, bud. What I mean is your immediate family.”
“But your daddy’s brother.”
“Alex, a little help here?” I glanced at her.
She shook her head. “Nope. You are on your own.”
I should have known this would happen. I was suspicious she was the one who’d put him up to it to begin with. “I need to stay in town and make sure everything runs smoothly for your dad.”
“Daddy said he has other people to do that.”
“Did he now?” Yup. Langdon was definitely put up to this. He’d probably been promised a treat or something.
“Well, I couldn’t go anyway. I have some plans I can’t cancel.” Alex wanted to throw this on my lap? I’d give a response she couldn’t argue with.
“Plans that are more important than me?” Langdon gasped.
I resisted the urge to laugh at his response. That wouldn’t go over well with him. “I have to go to an important event with Nancy.”
“You do?” Alex’s jaw fell open.
“Yeah, you know the ball.” I kept my voice as casual as possible.
Alex grinned and clapped once. “I didn’t know you’d agreed to go with her! That’s fantastic.”
“Yup.” It would have been fantastic if she’d actually wanted me to go with her.
“I can’t believe she finally asked you. I really didn’t think she would over the phone. Now I feel bad making you drive up with us today. You’re just going to have to come back again so soon.”
“It’s not a problem.” The drive wasn’t, but getting out of this lie was going to be a problem. Still, it solved the immediate issue of answering Langdon.
We fell into silence for a few moments until Alex exclaimed, “Oh!”
“Oh no. What did you just think of?” I was all about her being happy, but not when it involved me and Nancy.
She swatted at my arm. “You can’t have that reaction before I even open my mouth. My suggestion is a good one. How about I drop you off at Nancy’s, and I’ll come get you after Langdon’s appointment?”
“Are you sure she’s home?” I wanted a chance to talk to Nancy before I was confronted with my fabricated excuse. I didn’t know her schedule, but it was a week day. Hopefully that meant I’d get a reprieve.
“She has the whole week off. She should be home. Anyway I have an extra key. She wouldn’t mind if you waited for her.”
She would mind. My little fib was about to get me in even more trouble. “I don’t mind sitting in the waiting room while you have your appointment. It’s not a problem at all.”
“It’s going to be awhile. There’s no reason for you to sit there.”
“Whatever you say.” I wasn’t going to win this argument. Hopefully Nancy would understand my little fib. Maybe she’d have done the same thing.
I pulled up in front of Nancy’s place. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
“Nope. We’ll be back when we’re done.” Alex hopped out and came around to my side.
I reluctantly handed over my keys. “See you in an hour or so.”
“Not going to tell me to be careful with your truck?”
I gestured to the back window. “The cargo inside is more important than the truck.”
She pulled me into a hug. It took me a minute to respond. “And that’s why you’re the best brother-in-law ever.”
“Ok.” I patted her back. “I think the pregnancy hormones are showing.”
“No.” She wiped a tear off her face. “I’m just grateful.”
I held open the door for her. “Drive safe.” I looked in to the back. “Take care of your mom.”
“I always do.” Langdon grinned.
“Tell Nancy we’ll be over here as soon as we can.” She was about to close the door but stopped. “Wait, here’s her extra key in case she’s not home. We need to go if we’re going to make the appointment.”
Likely story. Alex always built in ext
ra time for appointments. She wanted Nancy and I to have time alone. “Go ahead. I’ll see you guys later.”
She closed the door, and I waved as she pulled away from the curb. I wasn’t ready to face Nancy. It wasn’t just about the ball. It was about everything. Maybe it would be better to get my feelings aired though. Things were going to be awkward anyway.
I started for the door when I sensed I wasn’t alone. It wasn’t Nancy. This someone was a shifter; I just wasn’t sure what kind yet.
The most important thing was to make sure Nancy was safe. I needed to know if she was home. I moved closer to the house. Nothing. There was no human around. It was only the other shifter and me. Relief flooded me. I could handle whoever it was.
I waited, using myself as bait to lure him out. It didn’t take long. He jumped out of the shadows, but I was ready for him. I shifted, shredding my clothes as I reached out for my wolf and let it take over, feeling the strength surge through me as my vision tunneled.
I let the mountain lion make the first move. He lunged for me, and I quickly sidestepped avoiding his attack. Before the mountain lion realized his mistake, I charged into his side knocking him off his feet onto the frozen ground. I then jumped onto his chest, pinning him to the ice.
I could have ripped him apart—but that wasn’t going to help. I needed answers, and I wasn’t going to get answers from a dead shifter. Luckily my size alone was enough to knock him down on the ground. I shifted back to my human form and lashed out with one solid punch to make him easier to deal with.
I dragged him inside, closing the door behind me.
7
Nancy
Of all the things I expected to find upon arriving back home, Norm standing over the unconscious body of a mostly man wasn’t one of them. Thankfully a shirt tossed over him covered his most personal bits, but that didn’t do anything to rid me of the surprise.
I closed the front door, and Norm glanced over at me with a forced smile. “Nancy, hi.”
“Nancy, hi?” I stayed right near the door.
“I can explain.” Norm spoke so calmly, and that just made the weird thing I’d walked into seem worse. Yet I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t running out of the house back to my car. Strange. I was losing it.
“Explain which part? Why you’re in my house? Or why there’s a half-naked guy on the floor of my living room?”
“He isn’t human.” Norm pointed to the unmoving body on the floor.
“I assumed that much by his lack of clothes.” At least he wasn’t under the Christmas tree or anything. There was only one half-naked man I wanted under my tree, and he was the one standing. Of course I’d never tell him, nor anyone else, that. To be fair Norm was half-naked too. His bare torso was as appealing as I remember as my eyes swept over him. That’s when I belatedly noticed the blood on his shoulder.
“Wait. Are you okay?” I hurried over, momentarily forgetting about the mostly naked guy.
“Fine.” He stepped away, almost as if flinching. “It will heal quickly.”
“I can still help.” I was a bookkeeper and not a nurse, but I knew basic first aid.
“I’ll clean this up, but first I need your help figuring out who he is and what he’s doing here.” His gaze returned to the guy.
“My help?” I raised an eyebrow. “You have to be kidding.”
“He was here for you, not me.”
“How do you know?” There was no way this had anything to do with me. I’d never interacted with shifters until Alex pulled me in to help Langdon. Aside from a few visits to Forest Ridge to see them, I’d had no other contact with shifters since. At least I didn’t think I had. Shifters could blend in most of the time. That is unless they ended up mostly naked on your floor.
“Because until an hour ago, I wasn’t supposed to be here.”
“Which brings us back again to why are you here?” My door didn’t appear to be broken, which means he had another way in. Besides, this was a long way from Forest Ridge to just stop in.
“You mean other than to save your life?”
“Save my life?” I put a hand to my chest. “Right.”
“Well, to be fair he might have been here to kidnap you rather than kill you, but who knows.”
“You’re crazy. Absolutely crazy.” I’d made the right decision keeping my distance from him. I didn’t need that kind of crazy in my life.
“I’m crazy? How else do you explain this guy being here?” He pointed to the man who let out a small groan.
“You led him here for some reason.” And I didn’t appreciate it at all, unless it was to get him away from Alex and Langdon. I wanted that little boy safe at all costs.
“I don’t know him. He’s not from Forest Ridge.”
“So? You have enemies other places.” I didn’t know all the details about Norm’s pack, but I knew wolf packs had lots of disputes to deal with.
“He was here for you.” Norm’s eyes met mine.
“You can’t know that.” I returned his stare. “Don’t pretend you can.”
“So what? You want me to just leave?” He challenged.
“Not without taking him with you.” I could just imagine my phone call to the police. Yes, I want to report an unconscious guy in my house. No, I didn’t put him there; he just showed up.
“Where’s all the concern that was there a few minutes ago?” He lowered his eyes to his injured shoulder. Or what had been his injured shoulder.
“Where’s your cut?” All that remained was some dried blood. “Gone? You are pretty good at taking care of yourself.” I refused to let my feelings for him color my reaction. “Why are you here other than to lead crazy shifters into my house?”
“I drove Alex and Langdon up for his appointment.”
“Which was nice of you and explains why you’re in the area, but why are you in my house?” The mention of Alex explained how he got inside without breaking the door. She’d let him in for one reason or another. The two of us were going to have to have a talk about that.
“You were the one to text me asking for help. I am here to help.”
“Problem solved.” I puffed out my chest. “I don’t need your help.”
“Oh. Ok. Good.” He pulled a t-shirt out of a black backpack.
I tried not to notice the way his muscles flexed as he pulled the shirt on.
I shook myself. “So are you going to get this guy out of here?”
“First we need to find out who this mystery man is. You ready?”
“Wait.” I froze. Any thoughts about Norm’s muscular body disappearing. “You expect me to get involved?”
“What else do you want me to do? Carry him out and wait outside?”
“Alex has your truck?” No wonder I hadn’t seen any vehicle parked outside.
“Yes, she dropped me off. Thought we could talk.”
“She’s always meddling.” Truthfully I’d pushed her to find Ryder, but that was different. There was a child involved, and she loved him.
“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”
“Oh, you like her doing it?” I put a hand on my hip.
“It doesn’t matter what I like. What matters is finding out what this guy wanted. We need to make sure no one else is going to show up when he fails whatever mission he’s on.”
“And how are we going to do that?” I didn’t really want to know the answer, but the sooner the naked guy was out of my house, the better. My week off definitely wasn’t going as planned.
“Help me tie him up.”
“Tie him up?” I could feel my eyes widen. “You have to be kidding.”
“Why would I joke about it? We need to do it before he wakes up.”
The shifter groaned again, emphasizing Norm’s point.
“Ok.” I had to trust Norm on this one. Alex was married to his brother. Alex was one of my best friends and completely trustworthy. Besides, my gut was pushing me to believe him. Not to mention I was still standing there instead of running away. Either
I had completely lost my mind, or my subconscious knew it would be better to stay.
“I can do most of it myself.” He picked up his backpack and pulled out rope.
“You just happened to have rope in there?”
“I tend to travel prepared.” He zipped up the pack.
“So you did expect this kind of situation…” I wanted to believe this guy had nothing to do with me.
“No. The only thing I repacked were extra clothes. I never know when I’m going to have to shift.”
“So you’d have been naked in my house too?” I hoped my face didn’t portray what that thought did to my body.
“Yes. But I managed to get pants on before you came home.”
“Good.” And it was good. I wasn’t sure I could trust myself around a naked Norm, especially considering how long it had been since I’d been with a man and how many times I’d dreamed about the kiss we’d shared.
“Not a sight you wanted to see?” There was something teasing in his voice.
“Not like that.” I put a hand over my mouth. Had I really said that out loud? This was worse than the text. “Not that I want to later or anything.”
He smiled, and I could feel blood rushing to my cheeks.
Thankfully he dropped that line of conversation. “Do you have a wood chair, something sturdy we can use?”
“Yes. I’ll get one.” I hurried into the kitchen, glad to have something else to focus on rather than my mortification.
By the time I returned with the chair, Norm had the guy’s arms and legs tied up. I set down the chair, and Norm helped me pull the guy into the chair and tie him up. We made sure to keep him covered. I didn’t want an eyeful of what was hiding underneath the shirt.
“How do we wake him up?” I pointed to the closed eyes of our unwanted visitor.
“We wait.”
“What did you do to him?”
“Knocked him out, but he’s a shifter. He’ll come back around. You heard him groan. Shouldn’t be long.”
“So we are just going to wait here?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. Feel free to sit or do anything else you need to do. I’ll watch him.”
Full Moons and Candy Canes Page 4
