An empty plastic crate stood at the end of the alley. That should get her enough height to at least take a peek. She grabbed it, turned it over and then used the wall to anchor herself. She peered into the window with disbelief at the sight in front of her.
****
Brady tried to remember all his moves as Sway blared out through the speakers. The tango was his favorite of all the ballroom dances, and he was determined to get it right.
Daisy bobbed her head from side to side and kicked her legs over his. He held her tight as they maneuvered to the other end of the room. He was usually great with his concentration and not letting anything distract him. However the face he saw through the small window at the side of the studio wasn’t one he could ignore, and not just because it was beautiful. He recognized the woman spying on him—Jenna.
He came to an abrupt halt, almost causing Daisy to trip over her own feet.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He didn’t respond, but when he didn’t take his eyes off the window, Daisy turned to look.
“An admirer of yours?” asked Daisy, putting her nose into the air. “And not a shifter by the smell of things.”
“She’s my attorney.”
At that moment, Jenna screamed. He watched as her face gradually disappeared from view. Brady ran over to the window and opened it up. Jenna struggled to free her heel from a crate.
“What on earth are you doing?” he asked her.
“I was … could you come and help me? My foot’s wedged.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Brady turned to Daisy. “I guess it’s a short lesson today because I have to go help my attorney get her foot free.”
“What’s she doing here?”
“That’s what I intend to find out.”
Brady grabbed his coat and walked out of the studio. He stepped into the alleyway hoping that the slush didn’t mark and stain his black patent dancing shoes.
Jenna was still trying to get her foot free.
“Just hang on or you’ll twist your ankle or even snap it,” said Brady.
With one simple tug he had her free. He kept his hand on her calf while his libido stirred up again. Dancing close to Daisy hadn’t done that for him.
“Thank you, and I’m sorry I disturbed your—whatever that dance was called.”
“The tango.”
“Right, the tango.
“So what are you doing here?” asked Brady.
He was a tad angry he’d been followed when he’d done his utmost to keep his ballroom dancing lessons a secret from the others in the group. Brady was also a tad embarrassed it was Jenna who’d caught him red-handed.
“I was just … okay. I wanted to see what you did in Missoula three times a week.”
“Everything okay?” asked Daisy, putting her head out the window.
“Yes, it’s fine,” said Brady. “Daisy meet Jenna. Jenna, my dance instructor.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said Jenna.
“You done for the day?” Daisy asked him.
“Yeah, I’ll come and get my stuff and I’ll see you on Friday.”
Brady noted the glare that she gave Jenna before closing the window.
“So why did you need to know what I did?”
“I’m not really sure,” said Jenna as they walked back up the alleyway. “Guess you fascinate me.”
“You know, I’ve been keeping this a secret. I hope I can count on you not to say anything to anyone. And especially Hannah, Ash or Chloe, should you speak to them.”
“Client-attorney privilege. Even if you were breaking the law I couldn’t tell anyone.”
Brady nodded.
“How long have you been taking dance classes?”
“Three months. I was tense from working too hard. I saw a show on ballroom dancing and thought I’d give it a try.”
“You looked pretty good in there, and I love those shoes.”
Brady looked down. Damn, there was some slush on the toes.
. “I’m going to get changed back into my regular clothes, but seeing how we just so happen to be in Missoula at the same time, would you want to do some Christmas shopping with me? You might be able to advise me on some items.”
He hoped she detected a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.
Chapter Eight
He’d raised his eyebrows and had given her one of those looks when he’d mentioned them both being in Missoula at the same time. She did feel somewhat guilty about spying on him. She worried he might think she was a stalker. With his looks and money, he’d probably had his share of those. She was, however, relieved he wasn’t traveling here so often because he had another woman tucked away somewhere. Not that she thought she was in the running for an exclusive relationship with such a man, but still it was nice to know he was only having sex with her.
“I want to get Sophie a huge teddy bear. Something she can snuggle with as she grows.”
Brady’s voice jarred her for a second. She’d forgotten they were in a toy store. The old-fashioned kind, uncommon now a days. But Missoula had one, and Brady had tracked it down.
The walls showcased board games, dolls, puppets, and basically everything that reminded her of the items which adorned both her and David’s bedroom when they’d been growing up. Jenna’s father had over compensated for them not having a mother. Perhaps the guilt that he hadn’t been a good enough husband, and driven her to do something desperate like force her to abandon her own children.
“So what do you think about this one?”
Brady’s question took her out of the thoughts.
He held up what must have been a three foot tall brown floppy teddy bear. There was something about a bear that made her want to hug it. She shook that idae out of her mind, aware that the real kind were deadly. And the myth of a teddy bear being one’s own best friend, well, that was pure myth. These creatures were nasty predators which needed to be avoided at all costs.
Jenna bit down on her lip, hoping the tears wouldn’t start.
“I think he’s great.”
“So he’s a he?” asked Brady.
“All teddy bears are male, aren’t they?”
“I never thought about it before.”
“Do you think she’ll be frightened of it? I mean until she gets older?” she asked him.
“Maybe, but I think she’s going to love snuggling with it. In fact, I think I’ll buy her a doll too. A girl can’t have one too many of those right?”
It was at that point Jenna completely lost her heart to this man. He was putty in Sophie’s hand and she wasn’t even his baby. She didn’t walk and talk yet, but Jenna could tell he loved her so much. She could only watch in awe as he held the bear under one arm and pulled down the prettiest doll from the shelf.
“Yes, I’m going to buy these two items,” he said, handing them to the store assistant. “I’ll just look around some more.”
“I should probably get Sam something too. Ash and Chloe are spending Christmas Day with them so I don’t want Sam to feel he’s left out. Mind you, Liam will probably spoil him, too.”
“You’re a really kind guy,” said Jenna.
“I have the money and I like to spend it on other people who make me happy.”
“I’m just going over to check out the puzzles,” said Jenna.
“Now, puzzles, I love those. Maybe Sam would like one.”
He followed Jenna over to the display. They had three dimensional ones all the way down to huge wood cutouts for tiny hands to deal with.
So many to choose from. She had no idea what images would appeal to David the most. Nothing to do with nature, and no scenes where animals were in the view, unless they were cuddly puppies and cats.
There was a cute one of kittens in a basket. Maybe. The ones of old houses of the West might be just what he’d like. She picked up two of them.
“I think my brother will enjoy putting these together,” said Jenna.
“Your brother. Di
dn’t you say he worked in the law firm with you?”
“Yeah, he used to a long time ago.”
“What does he do now?” asked Brady.
“He’s retired.”
That was what she always told people. She didn’t know why, but it was the easiest way to explain what had happened.
“What do you think of these for guys who fix cars?” He held up two vintage car puzzles.
“Perfect.”
So perfect that maybe David might like one, too.
****
He’d kept it cool and casual. He had an inkling why she’d spied on him. Women always wanted to advance a relationship faster than men. Shifter or human, females were females. It was in their DNA to find a man and make him their own. Ideas of marriage and babies swimming in their heads.
Brady’s parents hadn’t enjoyed a happy reunion so it seemed ironic that they’d died together wrapped in one another’s arms when their planet had exploded and they’d come crashing to earth. It had been the first time he’d ever seen them look so lovingly into one another’s eyes. Maybe they had been in love, but hadn’t showed any affection for one another until they realized their lives were coming to an end.
Perhaps being orphaned and not really having another shifter family take him in like some of the other kids had made him self-sufficient from day one on planet Earth. A little like Nick Pearson, but twenty times more intense.
Jenna really shouldn’t be falling for him because bottom line was, he was already married to one thing: his business. She’d be getting her hopes crushed if she thought he would be wining and dining her, and one day getting down on his hands and knees and proposing. He’d purposely made sure they went their separate ways back from Missoula after they’d left the toy store.
“Brady, Lucy Ahern is here to see you.” Maggie stood in the doorway.
He’d been so busy, he’d forgotten Lucy was dropping by to show him her designs for the interiors of some of the model homes. “Show her in,” said Brady.
Lucy waked in, carrying with a bag slung over her shoulder.
“Hi Brady.”
“Lucy, sit yourself down. Can I get you something to drink?”
“Soda would be fine.”
Brady stood and poured them both drinks while Lucy took off her coat, sat and placed her designs on his desk. She took the soda from him and sipped it.
“I’ve worked on four different ideas and wanted to see which one you like best.”
Brady sat. Considering interior design wasn’t really her career but something she’d picked up when she’d come to Kalispell and met Liam, she was gifted.
“These are all great. I’m going to have a tough decision ahead of me.”
“I was thinking since the houses will be close to Glacier, we should go with a more outdoor feel. Natural colors that are seen in nature.”
“I love that idea.”
“And you’ll see here that each kitchen will have a bear logo etched into the middle tile of the floor. I should add that Liam insisted upon it.”
Brady leaned back in his chair and laughed. How the guy had gone from human hater to marrying one, he still didn’t know. Liam was of the old school that shifters were great, human not so much so. Brady had to admit he didn’t really have any human friends either.
“Would you like me to leave these with you so you can think about which one you like best?”
“That would be a good idea because I am known to take my time, and we’re at a standstill while they test the soil around the area.”
“That’s right. Bear said some shifter workers had gotten sick.”
“I can’t believe it’s caused by something at the site. I think it’s a flu that’s been going around.”
“Better to be safe than sorry.
“I guess so. In the meantime I’ll take these home and look them over.”
“Great, and I have some nursery designs I’ll be working on, Ava and Lilly have asked me to design rooms for the babies.”
Brady leaned back. Amazing how there were suddenly so many babies being born in the group. Obviously humans and shifters had no trouble reproducing unlike some of the shifters once they’d arrived here.
“Can I ask you something?” asked Brady.
“If it’s when Liam and I are going to have a baby we—”
Brady put up his hand. “No, that’s your business. I just wanted to know what you humans assume when we first sleep with you.”
“You mean men or shifters?” asked Lucy.
“Men. I haven’t told her about me being a bear.”
“Um, Hannah did say you were in the café with Jenna Paxton. Are we talking about her?”
“We might be,” said Brady.
“Which means you’ve had sex with her and now she’s wanting to move things on in the relationship quicker than you’d like.”
“Yes, and no, it’s not a relationship. I made it clear it was just sex, but she followed me to Missoula while I was…there on business. That’s a sign she’s checking up on me right?”
“Brady look at yourself, you’re handsome…not as handsome as Liam, I should add.”
Brady smiled. He liked Lucy and could see why Liam had fallen hard for her.
“We think we can handle the just sex bit but I don’t think it’s in our genes. I think it’s our hormones that make us want something more permanent from a man, bear or not.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.”
“So are you reluctant to get involved because she’s a human or just reluctant to get involved, period?”
“I always told myself if I get married, and if being the key word here, it will be with a shifter. No offense to you.”
“None taken. You know what you should do? Just take one day at a time with her.”
One day at a time. Yeah, maybe he was overthinking things and they should just enjoy the great sex.
****
“Have you given any more thought to the IVF?” Dr. Winslow asked.
Jenna had. She’d given it lots of thought. “I have, but I hate my baby being fathered by someone I don’t know.”
Dr. Winslow nodded. “Anyone who might donate? I mean, an old family friend, maybe?”
“There was only one guy but he’s out of the running now.”
“No chance of a relationship on the horizon?”
Jenna thought of Brady. “There’s a man I’ve been…” The word ‘fucking’ popped into her mind, but she being that honest might shock the doctor.
“We’ve slept together a few times.”
“And is he a possible candidate? Would you like him to father your child?”
“Oh, yes.”
Those two words had slipped out of Jenna’s mouth before she’d been able to switch on her inner censor.
“Then the next step is to ask him to donate sperm. It’s a simple process for him. In fact, most men don’t have any problem giving a donation.”
The thought of Brady jerking off into a cup almost made Jenna laugh.
“Let me know what he says and we can get the appointment set up for him and for you to be inseminated. However, if you’re already sleeping together you could just forget about birth control.” She winked at Jenna.
Chapter Nine
When an attorney asks for a personal meeting, it can only mean one thing. Brady knew that Jenna had called about the soil samples and was waiting to hear back. She’d called him about an hour ago to say she was on her way to talk about the findings.
Maggie knocked on his door. “Ms. Paxton is here to see you.”
“Show her in, would you?” Brady took a sip of his coffee which had turned cold and bitter.
Jenna stood in the doorway, holding onto a file folder. Small flakes of snow glistened in her hair. Her red coat with a tie belt clung her around her curves.
“Is it snowing again?”
“Yeah, started when I got half way here.” She pulled up a chair and placed the folders on his desk. “Okay, do yo
u want the good news or the bad news first?”
He knew it. He tapped his fingers on the desk. “Good news.”
“They have finished with their samples and testing.”
“Bad news?”
“You’re going to have to clean up the area before you can build there.”
“Clean up the area?”
Jenna opened up the file. “They e-mailed these to me before I left. There’s some contamination of the soil. It seems at the moment, they can’t identity exactly what has seeped into it. Two of your workers reported flu like symptoms and there might be some connection.”
Brady remembered what Lucy had said about the guys getting sick. Whatever this contaminant was, it was affecting humans and shifters alike.
“This is going to put the project back months,” said Brady.
“You could get slapped with lawsuits from the government, and not to mention the workers. I can assure you don’t want that to happen, because in the long run that will cost you big time in legal fees. There’s also your reputation to think about, too.”
She was right. “Okay, so once it’s cleaned up, I can start building again?”
“Yes, they’ll have to inspect it again, but I’ve gathered together some companies who are recommended in clean ups like this. One of them worked on the contamination in Libby.”
“So this isn’t from the old copper mining days?”
“They’re not sure right now,” said Jenna.
Brady leaned back on his chair. He hadn’t foreseen any of this. He rubbed the back of his neck. He just wanted to get away for the evening. Relax, have a nice meal, listen to some music and yes, have a good fuck. That always got the kinks out.
“Would you like to come see my cabin in the woods?” Brady asked her.
“I would and there’s something I’d like to ask you, a favor in fact, said Jenna.
He couldn’t wait to hear what that was.
****
A cabin in the woods. Her father once had a hunting cabin and it looked like a garden shed compared to this place. This was a cabin, but a high end one. Jenna ran her hands over the shiny logs that lined the living room. A huge window overlooked the valley below. A gas fireplace sat on the wall on the opposite side of the room. Rugs that seemed ideal to snuggle on, lined the floor. Ideal place to make love and make a baby.
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