by Moxie North
He was enjoying the break from the lumber mill. He would never bitch and moan about working a business that kept all of his extended family employed. His family, not just his immediate family, but all of the Rochons lived well. They were happily ensconced in their trees.
The mill was prosperous. They shipped wood all over the country on trucks they owned. When their trucking business had taken off, they’d expanded outside of just lumber and now did cross country trucking. Another good business to be in.
Cash had a house that he’d built with his own two hands about twenty years ago. He’d designed it with the idea of a big family. It had five bedrooms and three bathrooms. There was a triangle shaped great room with large windows letting in light and allowing for great views.
He’d purposefully built the house backward, so the main windows all looked over the river with unobstructed views. Cash thought about the changes he would make when he had a mate. He knew where he was going to put the playhouse and swingset for his cubs. He had designed plans for a climbing structure and sandbox.
Knowing he wanted his kids to grow up happy and content in their quiet life, he planned on making sure they were never bored.
Pulling off the highway, he turned down a dirt road that led back into the woods. When he was building, he’d also swapped the entrance to the garage so that it faced the drive coming up. Aside from a few windows and a door that led into the mudroom attached to the laundry room, the back of the house looked plain.
The beauty of the place was from the massive deck on the front. Parking the truck inside the garage, he got out and sniffed to see if anyone was around. Usually, his family called if they were coming over, but he had a few younger cousins that would show up to hang out at “Uncle Cash’s.” Which meant they would raid his fridge and when they managed to clean him out would end up leaving.
Cash got smart a few years ago and put another fridge and freezer in his garage that he padlocked to keep the little bastards out.
He loved them, but they ate like bears going into hibernation all the time. Walking through the door that led to his kitchen, he clicked on the lights. He spotted a plate of brownies on the counter. His mom had been there. Food would often appear whenever his mom or sister got baking. Since he usually didn’t lock up his house, his family tended to come and go as they pleased.
Opening the fridge, he spied half a plate of lasagna. He’d actually cooked that. It was one of his many freezer meals. He had three more in the garage, frozen waiting to be heated up. Yup, he liked to cook ahead. With his schedule, he would never get a hot meal if he didn’t. Plus he preferred his cooking to picking up fast food.
Pulling open a drawer and grabbing a fork, he didn’t bother heating up his meal tonight. He toed off his sneakers that he’d switched into at base camp. His boots had been caked with mud, and he didn’t feel like tracking that all over his house or Connie’s. Usually, he kept all his shoes in the mudroom since he was a bit of a neat freak about his floors. Cash walked over to his couch and threw himself down on it. It was a giant, extra wide brown leather sectional. The ends were recliners, and there was a chaise lounge at one end. It wasn’t uncommon for him to fall asleep on the big sofa after work.
He’d bought the couch with the vision of his mate and kids all piled on it. Covered in blankets, watching the massive TV that hung above the fireplace. Yeah, Cash had plans that weren’t about career and money. It was about family.
His bear needed to run after smelling that sweet smell over at Connie and Edward’s. He wasn’t sure why the smell was so interesting to him. But he kept thinking about it. Maybe he’d drop over tomorrow and say hello to their new guest.
Chapter 7
Connie tapped lightly on the door to Cassie’s room and waited for a response. She tried again and heard a faint, “Yeah…”
“Are you hungry, sweetie?” Connie asked through the door. Cassie had chosen to not come out of her room when Dax and Effie left that morning. She claimed she was in pain, but really she didn’t want them to go. This made Effie sad, which made Dax frustrated.
“No, thank you,” Cassie said quietly. Connie heard her even through the door. Shifter ears. Sighing she turned back to the living room and saw Edward give her a raised eyebrow.
“Give her time to get settled; she’s probably feeling pretty lost right now,” Edward said. He knew his wife and mate didn’t like when people weren’t all happy and fed. Connie thought food fixed everything.
Edward watched his wife head into the kitchen and start opening cupboards and closing them. Like she was looking for some magic answer inside to lure Cassie out of her room.
There was a knock at the door, and Cash poked his head in. Edward had told him a number of times to stop knocking and making him get out of his chair to open the damn door.
“Hey, it’s just me,” Cash called out.
“This is unexpected Cash. Two visits in two days,” Connie said greeting him and giving him a kiss and a pat on the cheek.
“Just thought I’d bring over a jar of canned cherries mom had given me. Something tells me your new guest likes sweets,” Cash said, then realized that was an odd thing to say. Not that his aunt and uncle wouldn’t understand that he’d smelled her sweet scent and made a guess, but he didn’t want them to think he was a stalker.
“Well, isn’t that kind of you? I’m afraid that Cassie isn’t feeling well today,” Connie’s voice trailed off.
“She’s not okay?” Cash asked.
“She’s a little blue. Effie and Dax had to leave today, and I think she’s a little down. I’ll tell her she had a visitor, though. Maybe she’ll be up for company in a few days.
“Of course. I better be off. We have inspectors coming out today. I told Cage I’d show them around,” Cash said turning towards the door.
“Damn busy-bodies,” Edward muttered.
Cash gave him an agreeing nod and a wave. Heading out to the truck, his bear was unhappy they were leaving without seeing where that scent was coming from. Understanding his animal’s frustration, he promised him they’d try back in a day or two. Cash also promised him a long run after work.
Connie and Edward were unable to get Cassie out of the bedroom the next day or the next. The physical therapist showed up and stood in his khakis and polo shirt with the clinic name on it staring at his watch. After almost fifteen minutes, Cassie finally said he could come in the room.
They were in there for forty minutes when the therapist came out. “Has she been up and moving around?” he asked.
“No, except for the bathroom, she’s been taking her meals in her room. She’s not even eating that much. I’m starting to worry to tell you the truth. I don’t want to call her friend and worry her, but…” Connie said, wringing her hands. She was standing beside her mate in the kitchen.
When the therapist finally made it into the room, they both had grabbed cups of coffee and stood at the long center island in the kitchen. Sipping and staring at the door, they weren’t sure if there was going to be screams and crashes. They were on hand in case they needed to jump to the rescue. Cassie could hold her own, but the therapist looked a little soft. Course most people looked soft to bear shifters.
After a while, the therapist opened the door and came out looking worse for wear. His eyes looked tired and strained like he’d just been interrogated. Lord only knows what Cassie did to him in there.
The man came straight up to them and sat his bag down on the floor. Connie gestured to her coffee cup in a silent offering. The man shook his head. He looked like he needed something harder than coffee.
“She’s going to start atrophying if she doesn’t get up,” he started without any need to explain who he was talking about. “Her surgery site is healed, but her back and hips are still weak from being prone for so long. Her ankle is healing. She could probably transition to just a splint on her ankle if she built up her leg muscles. Her knee is going to take time.”
“How was she in there?” Connie
asked. Since she didn’t hear any begging or screaming she hoped it went well.
The therapist gave a short laugh. “She’s not the first reluctant and or militant patient I’ve had.”
“So what do you suggest?” Edward said, looking at the man like he should have all the answers.
“Well, normally I’d say make things uncomfortable for her. I know it sounds mean, but if she has to fend for herself more, it will get her moving. Although in Cassie’s case I wonder if she would just starve to death. That is one tough cookie in there,” he said like he was almost impressed with her stubborn ass.
Edward gave a snorting laugh. “There is no way my wife will deny anyone food. She’d wither and die without feeding people.”
Slapping his arms, she said, “Hush.”
“Then you need to find her a reason to want to come out. Invite people over. Peer pressure is an amazing thing. Social obligation can often spur them to join the real world. Then sometimes they’ll stay out. The more time out of the bed the better. I’d even suggest getting her a chair to sit in if she wants to stay in her room. It will still be better for her than lying down.” The therapist watched them take in the information. Hoping they wanted their friend to get better.
“I’ll be back in two days,” he said, and then let himself out.
“I’m not starving that girl. She’s already barely eating,” Connie said with an indignant sniff.
“So let’s throw a party!” Edward said with only a modicum of enthusiasm.
Connie gave him a look that was meant to be peeved. It didn’t affect him.
“You call the boys. Be useful,” she said. She turned to walk into the pantry. If the kids were coming over, she’d need food. As she was perusing the shelves, she yelled out, “Don’t forget Cash!”
“Got it,” Edward yelled back. He was gonna call him anyway. Like he didn’t know who to call, he thought.
Edward got a two-fer at base camp. Cash and Conner were at the office. He tracked down Wyatt at home. He was on baby duty. Sophie picked up on Cage’s cell phone; they were out looking at preschools for Micah.
“Everyone is confirmed. They’ll be here at six-thirty,” he yelled out. He didn’t see that Connie had left the pantry and was now glaring at him for yelling.
“What?” Edward asked like he was unaware of the reason for the look.
“Will you get over here and help me? You can work on the chickens, and I’ll do the sides. There are two trays of cut up chickens in the fridge. Get those marinating, and you can barbecue.” Connie directed Edward while she was setting up her sides.
“Why do you have chickens cut up in the fridge?” he asked when he started pulling out the commercial grade trays.
“Because I’m a mother of three grown bears. They eat all the time. They are also over here all the time. We also have a new houseguest. Of course, the entire crew would end up here for dinner at some point. I also have three roasts and four trays of lasagna in the freezer. Those are from Cash. He got on a cooking spree a few weeks ago,” Connie said filling a huge stock pot full of water to put on to boil. “We’ll do macaroni, potato salad, fruit salad, and there are cookies in the freezer. When you go outside, bring those in to thaw,” she continued to direct as she bustled around the kitchen.
Edward loved watching his wife in the kitchen. This was her domain, and she ruled it with an iron whisk. He got to marinating the chicken, then started to help his wife peel potatoes and cut up fruit. It would take a while to prep everything for dinner, but spending his days with his wife was just what he wanted his retirement to be.
After about an hour, Edward had a thought. “Should we warn Cassie?”
Connie stopped chopping. “Shit, probably.”
Edward laughed; he thought it was cute when his wife swore.
He was enjoying her cussing so much that he missed the fact her finger was on her nose. “Damn it,” he said throwing down the towel he had in his hands. She always did that leaving him to whatever task needed to be done. The deal was the last person who touched their nose was the loser. Edward found his wife and mate was quick on the draw when it came to their little game.
“Bring a peace offering,” Connie suggested.
“Good idea,” Edward said heading to the pantry. Dax had two large boxes shipped to their house. It was a little confusing when they opened them to find them full of junk food. Sorting through the first box, he found a package of chocolate rolled cakes with cream filling. Grabbing them, he headed toward Cassie’s room.
“Good luck,” Connie called out.
Listening through the door first he didn’t hear anything. Giving it a small knock, he heard a quiet, “Yes?”
Cracking open the door just enough to stick his hand through, he shook the bag to get her attention.
“Is it safe?” he asked.
There was a tiny laugh from inside. “Yes, Edward,” Cassie said from inside.
Chapter 8
Edward stepped in, and if he didn’t have shifter vision, he would have had to squint. Cassie was on the bed propped up on a pile of pillows. The curtains to the room were closed, and she had a small tablet on her lap.
“Hey there, how you feeling after that mean old therapist beat you up?” Edward asked, sitting on the bed.
“Tired. “Mario” said I needed to practice when he wasn’t here,” she said, making air quotes.
“I like how you say Mario like it’s not his real name,” Edward snickered.
“Well who knows, it’s not like he showed me any ID. He could have stolen that therapy shirt from an unlocked car or something. Maybe he gets his jollies by torturing accident victims.”
“I think there are easier ways to get your jollies,” Edward said wisely.
“Probably. Were you just teasing me with those cakes, or are you gonna give them to me?” she asked her eyes on the prize.
Edward handed her the snacks. “So, we’ve invited the boys over for dinner tonight. We’d love for you to join us.”
Cassie had already started munching on the treat. She stopped chewing, the food turning to ash in her mouth.
“They just want to welcome you. Get to know you,” Edward said quietly.
Cassie put down her snack cake. “I don’t want to be ungrateful. You’ve both been so nice. I just can’t. I’m tired of seeing the pity on people’s faces. I just want to get better and go back home.”
Edward sat and tried to read her expression. His bear was calm and assessing the state of his guest. His bear told him to tread lightly. The shock on her face was real when he said the house was about to be overrun. Her fear was also palpable; he could smell it in the air.
“You know, we are all pretty friendly. Effie likes us,” he offered.
Cassie knew this. Effie would never have agreed to her being there if she didn’t trust them. But what Edward didn’t know was that her morning sucked. She’d woken to nightmares. They’d been happening since the accident.
She had flashbacks, or not really because she didn’t think she was ever conscious after the crash. Her mind had worked up a scenario where she was trapped in the car. Her legs were stuck under the dashboard, and every time she tried to pull her legs out they would start tearing away from her body. The flesh like tissue paper, blood everywhere.
Cass would cry out in the cold, trying to see through the dark. But no one was there, not even the driver. She was alone, in the cold, her body bleeding. Then she would wake up in a cold sweat. Her body shivering with the horror. Cass would run her hands over her legs to assure herself that her legs were still there. After those nightmares, sleep wouldn’t come again until she medicated herself to oblivion.
After the horrible wake up, she had her first visit from the therapist. Not a bad guy. He was even decent about her making him wait. She had hoped he would have given up at some point and left. But no, he stood around and waited.
When he finally made it in her room, she’d been sitting on the end of the bed, her face turned to the
window. Turning to look at him, she saw his eyes light on her, and his mouth shape into a smile. Then when he saw the scar on her face, he couldn’t pull back the look of disgust.
Maybe it wasn’t disgust. It’s a human reaction to seeing someone marred. Cassie had decided that it wasn’t that most people were repulsed by her. Just that it was human nature to realize the violence that it had to take to make a mark like that. A scar like hers was at one time a large open bloody wound. It had to have been stapled or stitched shut making the garish line even more horrific.
People didn’t want to see evidence of how fragile we all were. Mortality is not what anyone wanted to be faced with. So when the physical therapist showed on his face what Cassie already knew, her bad day got even worse. Now Edward was asking her to parade herself in front of his family.
“I…Edward, I just can’t,” she said, trying to suck back a sob.
“My boys and their wives are so looking forward to welcoming you. Is there a reason you don’t want to see them?” Edward didn’t want to push her, but he also didn’t want to just let her sit in her room alone. There is no way that would be healthy for her.
Cassie tried to decide if she could get him to understand. “It hurts when they flinch,” she whispered.
“Who, sweetie?”
“Everyone,” she said. Her eyes were welling with tears she was desperate to not let fall.
“Baby, no one is going to look at you bad,” he tried to assure her.
Sucking in a ragged breath she said, “They don’t mean to. They aren’t bad people. It’s just human nature when seeing it. I didn’t sleep well. I’m sore from the PT, and the guy flinched at me the second he walked in. It sucked. I’m tired, I’m kinda pissed, and I don’t know if I can take any more today. I’m not saying I don’t want to meet them. Just not today, please,” she begged.
Edward sighed. He understood where she was coming from. It was a delicate line to balance. They wanted her better, but they didn’t want her sinking worse.
