There was also the small matter of all the other rare diseases Marshall had—or may have—been responsible for over the years, and so a major investigatory project had to get under way as well. Again, to be headed by Aubrey.
It took several weeks for clarity to appear through the mist and it did so when Aubrey woke up at her desk not knowing what day it was. Not only this, but she could hardly move. It was almost like she was suffering from the effects of the Cripple herself. Her condition was completely normal, however, and it was simply that she was completely and utterly exhausted. Jesse had told her as much on the phone, but now she knew it was true. She also knew it was making her unhealthy and was at last able to decide there and then that she needed to get out.
Joining up with Jesse had always been her intention, but initially this was supposed to happen when it was convenient. Sometimes it was okay to accept a type of defeat in order to reach a healthier playing field, and from that moment on Aubrey knew she had to think around the problem. Although she had dedicated her working life to helping shifters with rare diseases, it was fine to pass the baton on once her impact had been made, without shouldering the burden of every single decision. Very quickly this idea progressed in her mind from needing a vacation, and it led onwards to a decision that was surprisingly easy to make once she thought of it—that she was going to give up her job completely and find a new one closer to Jesse.
Once she could stand up, Aubrey marched straight over to the company director’s office and told him. She would not be able to leave straightaway, but knew what needed to be in place to make it possible.
The director was not someone she had dealt with often before and by all accounts was a fairly strict and no-nonsense individual, but in this event she found him supportive and amicable to deal with. The man had been spending the last few weeks managing an incredibly volatile media situation, which would inevitably involve many lawsuits. He had every reason to be very grateful for all the effort Aubrey had gone to, not to mention all the lives her quick and accurate work had saved, which his company might otherwise have been held responsible for.
As such, Aubrey was able to act as if she held a far more powerful position at the company. She insisted a promotion was not necessary, though she could certainly have demanded one. Instead, she asked to appoint her own team of four assistants, knowing that with the right caliber of individual she could have them up-to-date with the progress of her investigation into all the diseases Marshall might have been behind. Once this was done, a new, young and vibrant department of enthusiastic staff could continue the work she had started and chase down solutions for many of the under-researched viruses that shifters faced.
Her plans were approved, and the next fortnight felt like the longest in her life. At last Aubrey could see over the horizon and she cut down on her working hours a little, but her yearning for Jesse and new surroundings felt more painful now that it was very much achievable. Deep down she feared some bizarre twist getting in her way, but the plan went smoothly, and at long last the day came when she could pack up her stuff and set off once more for a view of the Colorado mountains and the love and friendship she had found there.
***
Arriving back in what felt like the landscape of a dream, Aubrey noticed a slightly cooler breeze warning of the autumn and winter just round the corner, but her heart was warmed to look upon the place again. The scene of the crime was back at work, but there was no bad taste in the mouth here; only freedom, adventure and, for her, much more.
She had not told Jesse she was on her way. Too afraid of cruel coincidence working against her, it was only when finally leaving Albuquerque and bidding goodbye and good luck to the team she had mentored that she actually believed she was heading back to the arms of her love.
Claire’s store was quiet, with a young man she didn’t know standing behind the counter. It had always been possible Jesse would not be there; he wasn’t just offering guided tours anymore but had actually joined the rangers and had been making patrols of the forest his business too. This had included helping to guide the wounded bear, whose leg had fully healed, back into more remote territory where he hoped it could avoid the hunter’s gun.
Aubrey had at least expected Claire to be there, however.
“Hi, there,” she said, taking off her sunglasses. “Is Claire not around?”
The young man, who appeared a little intimidated by her, opened his mouth to respond, but just then a number of voices were heard approaching the store.
“Oh, there she is… now,” the man responded, but Aubrey was already walking towards the door.
Outside was a group of half a dozen people, returning from a guided tour of the mountains. There could have been a hundred of them, but she would have spotted her Jesse anyway, tall and broad-chested as he was. What’s more, she had forgotten how ill he had been before. Now he was rosy-cheeked with a spring in his step, having returned from a day’s trek but looking like he could do it all over again.
Trembling, she waited and watched as he and Claire said goodbye to the four individuals they had spent the day with. The surprise and glee that materialized on his face when the two of them turned to enter the store was something she would recall for the rest of her days. Standing on the other side of the glass as she was, he clearly thought he was seeing things until she smiled at him, and then the door almost flew off its hinges in his rush to take her up in his arms.
They were back together, right where they belonged, and she wasn’t going to leave his side again.
Epilogue
In the blissful days that followed, Aubrey thought very little of what she was going to for work. It was possible life’s pathways might draw her back into the world of medicine again, as skilled as she was, but she had been right about the exhaustion. Enough had been given for a good time, and if she did decide to return in some way it would not be for some time. On occasion she would get calls from the team she had mentored, but otherwise it was all about love and friendship from now on. Two crucial elements of being human, or a shifter, that her career had deprived her of for too long.
Being united with Jesse again—and also with Claire with whom she had built an unbreakable bond—felt like coming home. Soon she realized she was home and planned to stay for good this time. Jesse might have played the field in his earlier years, but a person didn’t have to be very clever to tell he was completely serious about her. For weeks she had been the talk of the town for being the girl from the city that won the wild tiger’s heart. Indeed, in her first few days back she felt like something of a celebrity. Everyone seemed to know her, even though it would take her a while to figure out their names.
They also benefitted from a certain local gratitude about Mr. Simpson leaving town. This was the best present the population had been given for years and they appreciated it even more than a clean water supply. Simpson had admitted to taking a bribe from Marshall to let him access the reservoir office. After all his unfriendly ways it turned out that it was possible to get Simpson’s attention after all—with money. The authorities were satisfied that he’d had no idea what Marshall was up to, which was the only reason he avoided a prison sentence, though of course he was fired.
His old job at the town hall was offered to Aubrey, and she accepted. When she’d first arrived in town, she’d insisted she could sleep for a month, but now she found she was feeling much more awake, and she jumped at the chance to finally take a new job.
Love, friendship and fresh air were all excellent cures for workplace stress and she surprised herself by deciding she wanted another trek out in the beautiful hinterland she’d had to rush through the last time. This time she wanted to dwell and appreciate all its wonders, with a guide who was also her love. Her exhaustion had largely been mental anyway, she now realized. Getting out and exercising her limbs would be good for her health which had suddenly become very important to her.
Somewhere along the way, perhaps where she thought Jesse had starte
d to fall in love with her, she planned to tell him why…
There would be much to see and discover in this beautiful part of the world, but for some reason Aubrey found her first wish was to get higher than they had ever been. This time they would bypass the reservoir completely and hike on up the mountain trail; not all the way to the peak—that could wait for a time of real renewed health and vigor—but she longed to climb at least a significant way up towards the snowy peak and take a more complete view of the landscape she now called home.
Jesse, who no longer felt any after-effects of the Cripple, was still cautious about Aubrey’s exhaustion, and she had promised him they would rest and turn back as soon as there was any sign of fatigue.
Aubrey had never been happier. Even blissful life was not without its perils, however, and she almost lost her footing on some uneven ground. The fall might not have been enough to hurt her, but certainly enough to cause some scratches, and a quick reaction from Jesse saved her.
“Careful,” he said. “The altitude can get you quickly up here.”
“What was I thinking coming on a hike when I could fall over?” Aubrey replied, and to his surprise, she started crying.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “After all we’ve been through you’re not going to let this upset you, are you?”
“I’m sorry, but I think there’s a good reason why I’m so emotional. Jesse, I’m…I’m pregnant.”
Aubrey had been waiting for the right moment to tell him about the baby growing inside her. Like many recent events, it had taken her by surprise, but she was learning to go with the flow. Her life had been one of theory and analysis, but love and relationships did not need such strategy. All that mattered was the wide grin on Jesse’s face, the love they held for each other and the new life they were looking forward to bringing into the world.
He hugged her tightly, then sank down to one knee and pulled something out of his pocket.
“What a coincidence,” he said, mirth twinkling in his eyes as he presented her with a diamond ring set in a white gold band. “I was going to ask you today anyway…so, Aubrey—will you marry me?”
Aubrey’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my god…yes!”
Overjoyed, they embraced above the wide view of Colorado she had yearned for—now even more unforgettable with the memory of the wonderful news they would take away.
After pulling away from the embrace, the two of them stood there for several perfect moments, taking in the beautiful landscape as Jesse’s left hand rested on Aubrey’s stomach.
“Who do you think the baby will look like when he or she arrives?” Aubrey asked. “You or me?”
“You, I hope. Wouldn’t want to pass on this ugly face of mine, would I?” Jesse joked.
Aubrey laughed, and her hand joined Jesse’s on her abdomen, entwining with his. Whether their child was a shifter or not, they would love and cherish it for as long as fate allowed, just as much as they would love each other.
Forever.
THE END
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Roar For More (Online Shifter Dating Agency Romance) Page 14
