Hunter Moon (Lupine Moon Series)

by Lavender, Cait

  “Yeah, he was out here. I tried to surprise him, but he pulled that gun on me. So I shot him and he ran.”

  I was amazed at how steady my voice sounded since I had started to shake. A strange man had pointed a gun at me; I think I’m entitled to shake a little. I nodded an agreement to myself while Tyler gave out a strangled cry.

  “You did what?”

  “You know, that’s kinda funny. Your wife asked me the very same thing earlier today.” I laughed a little on the hysterical side.

  “Oh hell, Shelby,” said Ty sadly. “You’re coming home with me tonight. Jesse will kick my ass if I left you here alone after this. Go inside and pack some stuff while we deal with this outside.”

  I nodded and stood, and then something occurred to me. “Where’s Cash?” Tyler had gone to his car to get some gloves and a flashlight, so it was sheriff Henderson who answered.

  “Cash Newcomb? He’s just a game warden. This sort of thing is our jurisdiction. We told him to stay home. It would have been best if you’d have called us directly, Ms. Flint.” He said the last bit with a deep frown. Irritated just a little that Cash hadn’t come anyway, I was a little bit snappy.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Next time a strange man with a gun shows up outside my place in the middle of the night, I’ll be sure to have you on speed dial, sheriff.”

  I stomped up my steps and went inside to get my things. Then the idiocy of what I’d just said struck me; 911, AKA the sheriff, should have been my first call. I knew it didn’t pay to be bitchy to your local law enforcement, but I was running on no sleep and the adrenaline rush had worn off. Plus, my knight in shining armor hadn’t shown.

  I held together fine as Tyler grabbed my bag and helped me into the back of the sheriff car. I was perfectly coherent, if a little sleepy, as he drove the fifteen minute drive to his and Jesse’s little Western home. But as soon as Jesse walked out, tears sparkling in her eyes, and wrapped me up in a giant hug, saying, “Thank God you’re okay”, I lost it.

  I collapsed onto their front porch, Jesse still hugging me in a death grip. I spouted hysterically about being too tough to cry, about evil cousins and finding dead guys. I cried about wolves saving my life, and men with guns, and finally about one infuriating man who didn’t care enough to come and check if I was still alive.

  I don’t remember much after that. I suppose the exhaustion that I’d been fighting off had finally found me and I passed out. I woke up the next morning in the mass of pink, lacy frills that was Jesse’s guest bedroom. She’d decorated it for Tyler’s nieces, who came to stay for several weeks during the summer. It looked like Sorority Barbie had exploded.

  I sat up and immediately regretted the decision. The pain blossomed flickering colors in front of my eyes and subsided when I laid my head gently back down on the pillows.

  “Yeah, you might want to take it easy,” Jesse’s voice said from the corner. “You sorta passed out on me when we were walking to the bedroom, and I wasn’t strong enough to keep you from bumping your head against the door jam.” Jesse was 5’4” in three inch heels and 115 sopping wet. I wasn’t surprised she couldn’t manage my much sturdier frame. Yeah, sturdy is a good way to put it.

  “Shit, Jess. What kind of ‘bump’ makes my head feel like this?” I said, rubbing the large goose-egg on the side of my head. At least my hair would keep anyone from seeing it.

  She looked guilty. “Well, ‘bump’ may have been putting it lightly, but you’ll be okay after a couple aspirin and a bag of ice.” I nodded and even that movement made my head want to explode again.

  “If it’s not too much trouble—?” I asked glancing at the door. She made a little oh! noise and flew out of the room. When she didn’t return right away, I glanced at the Malibu Barbie clock.

  “Crap, ten o’clock. I’ve got to get home and feed!” I sat up as slowly as possible, my head protesting the whole way, and slid out of bed. I worried about my starving animals. I was in my T-shirt and panties searching for my pants underneath the bed when I heard a familiar and most unwelcome voice behind me.

  “As much as I love the view, shouldn’t you be in bed?”

  I jumped so hard I knocked my aching head on the underside of the bed. The pain was such that I could have been naked for all I cared. I held my hand on my head and I yelled out the door.

  “Jessica Lynn Weaver, as God as my witness you will pay for this!”

  I spun to Cash and punched him in the chest, hard. “Where the hell were you last night, dammit!” I would have laughed at the look of shock on his face if I hadn’t been spitting mad.

  He rubbed his chest. “Shelby, the sheriff told me not to come. I can’t just go traipsing in another department’s crime scene just because you want me to. I’ll get written up!” His voice had a tinge of defensive anger, and it made me all the more furious.

  “Oh, to hell with the sheriff! A man held a gun on me and you can’t be bothered to care about it!”

  I punched him in the chest another time in exactly the same spot for good measure, and pulled my pants on. I hope he has a bruise. I snatched my overnight bag and tried to push past him, but he grabbed me by the shoulders.

  “Goddamn it, Shells, don’t you think I wanted to be there?” he yelled back. “I was up all night waiting to hear from Weaver that you were okay!” I jerked out of his hands and stormed past him.

  “Well, I’m glad you lost sleep over me,” I spat over my shoulder as I flew down the hallway. “Maybe that’ll make me feel better when I’m wide awake, terrified Mr. 22 will come back to finish the job.”

  Okay, so I probably won’t lose sleep over this, but he doesn’t have to know that. Jesse was nowhere to be found as I ran out of the house. Just as well, I was in no mood to be merciful. I still hadn’t gotten those aspirin and an ice pack.

  With Cash right behind me, I slammed the door shut on him as I left. I felt a smidge better when I heard him swear. All of those good feelings were lost when I remembered my Blazer wasn’t here because I had ridden with Tyler. Well shoot.

  I didn’t want to waste a perfectly good storm out by asking Cash for a ride. I turned toward Jesse’s garage and threw my bag into the back of her old Saturn. I knew she wouldn’t mind me borrowing it, and I knew she knew I was absolutely furious at her for letting Cash get the jump on me, so I didn’t feel the least bit sorry when I took the keys from the visor and tore out of her driveway. Cash having to dodge behind his truck to avoid being hit by spraying gravel was an added bonus.

  Chapter Eight

  I felt a bit more human when stepped out of my shower. Towel wrapped around my waist, I walked into my bedroom and gave Reggie a pat on the head. I still couldn’t figure out why he had stayed on my bed last night instead of protecting me like a good guard dog should.

  My head still smarted where I’d hit the door jam, but the handful of ibuprofen had helped that immensely. That and hearing Cash yell and pound on my door for the last twenty minutes. I should have recorded him as my ringtone but pay-as-you-go phones aren’t fancy enough for that.

  I hummed to myself and threw on a pair of workout shorts and a tank top. I picked up my 12 gauge Benelli, walked to the front door and pumped it. I read an article a few years back about how the simple sound of racking a shotgun did more to instill fear in an intruder than the gun itself. If Cash’s immediate silence was any indication, they weren’t wrong.

  “Now Shells, don’t do anything stupid, alright? I just want to talk.” Cash’s voice sounded no small bit wary, and if I heard things correctly, a little farther off than before. I smiled, opened the door and leveled the barrel at his chest. It was gun owner’s 101 that you never point a gun at anyone, but I was feeling surly. He doesn’t have to know the gun is empty.

  “Only my close friends have the right to call me ‘Shells’, and seeing as you don’t care whether I live or die, I’d prefer if you’d stop using it.” My voice dripped with acid. I continued to smile sweetly, if a bit forced. “Now talk.”

  C
ash nodded, eyes glued to the barrel, and cleared his throat. “I’ll talk when you put that gun down.”

  I narrowed my eyes and pulled the trigger. It clicked. I let out a sharp bark of laugher when he flinched. Outrage flashed in his eyes and before I knew it, I was on the ground with Cash laying heavily on top of me. Shocked, and not failing to notice he had been careful not to hurt me, I tried to thump him with the gun, but it was no longer in my hands.

  He flashed a scary smile. It was all white, straight teeth and angry eyes. My stomach sank. You might have pushed him too far this time.

  “I don’t think so, Shells.” And then he kissed me. He had my wrists pinned to the porch by my head, and the weight of him made it so I could barely breathe, let alone move. Furious, I bit his lip and was rewarded with his grunt of pain and a taste of salty tang. He growled deep in his chest kissed me harder.

  Something about that animal sound melted all of my resolve, and the heat that I’d ignored for days burst into the forefront. I kissed him back, letting my tongue glide along where I had bit him, but I couldn’t feel the marks my teeth should have left. He groaned and released my wrists, instead spanning my hips with his big hands. Now free, I tugged his shirt loose and slid my hands up the planes of his back, reveling in the heat and silkiness of his skin.

  Cash let another growl loose, but this time something familiar tickled the back of my mind. Breaking away from his kiss, I looked into his eyes and saw a faint green glow. I jerked away from him, breathing hard. He groaned and rolled onto his back, looking disheveled. His hair was mussed and his uniform shirt was untucked and halfway unbuttoned. When had that happened?

  “You are quite possibly the most frustrating woman I have ever had the misfortune of meeting.” I let out a very unladylike squawk in protest. He put his arm over his face, so I leaned over him.

  “I’m frustrating? I don’t even know what you are, let alone what you want. You can be such a jerk and you. Keep. Kissing. Me!” I said and punctuated each word with a hard poke to his arm. He grunted and stood. Frowning, he pulled me up and held me against his chest.

  “I’d be really happy if you quit hitting me, woman.”

  He gave me such a look of censure I dissolved into laughter. He tried to keep a straight face, but I saw the corners of his mouth quirk.

  “Okay, I’ll make you a deal,” I said after I quit laughing. “I’ll stop hitting you if you give me one good reason why you didn’t come and check that I was alive last night.” My smile slid off my face and worry flashed across his.

  “Shells, I told you, I couldn’t because of the Sheriff. You’re just going to have to—hey!” I had turned on a dime, picked up my shotgun and marched straight back into my trailer. The door was almost closed when a size twelve boot got in the way.

  “Dammit, Shelby! You have to talk to me, alright?”

  I couldn’t see his face, but when I grabbed three shells out of the federal ammunition box and loaded them into the shotgun, his foot disappeared.

  “Shelby, I know you’re home. Answer your damn phone! I need to talk to you about what happened today and last night with that man. It’s important.” He paused for a few seconds, and then sighed. “Alright, whatever. I get that you’re still mad, but if you don’t call me back by tonight, first thing tomorrow morning I’m breaking down that door and dragging your ass outside, shotgun or no shotgun.”

  “Hey Shells, it’s Jess—” She waited to see if I’d pick up. “Oookaay… I take it you’re still pissed at me. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know you were out of bed; otherwise I wouldn’t have let him in the room. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a pretty face. Plus, he seemed pretty eager to see you.” I thought about picking up, but I was still upset, so I figured I should let her squirm.

  “Look, Tyler is going to drop me off to pick up the planet and then he’s going to want to talk to you about last night.” We called her Saturn ‘the planet’ because it was slow and it was blue and green, she had an accident and never got the door painted to match. “We’re going to come by around five. I hope you know I love you and I am truly sorry.”

  I had been sitting on my couch watching Bones reruns all day. I had hoped that the ice pack on my head and watching David Boreanaz would make me feel better about being betrayed both by my BFF and the guy I wanted to F in the same day.

  “Oh, David.” I sighed. “If only all men were as good looking and brave as you are.” Booth would’ve come to my rescue, I told myself petulantly.

  My phone rang again and I let it go to the machine with all the others. “Hi Shelby, this is Vince.” I thought about picking up the phone so I could talk to him, but I didn’t have the energy, and I had a feeling he wasn’t calling to tell me good news.

  “I’ve spoken with your cousins’ lawyer and it seems that they’re going to try and prove you had undue influence over your grandfather since you lived with and cared for him in his later years. You and I both know they don’t have sufficient grounds to prove that, but I just wanted to let you know.” It was a good thing I hadn’t picked up the line because I was cussing up a blue streak at my cousins.

  “I’m still pushing for arbitration, and I’ll keep you informed of whatever transpires. I’ll talk to you soon.” Vince hung up and I sat staring at the answering machine. The absolute nerve of those people!

  I was absolutely stunned that they could even think that I pressured grandpa into giving me the ranch. I would have given it all up just to have more time with him. I imagined that they were just using transference, since that’s exactly what they would have done if they had been in my position. They had so much and I only had my ranch, why couldn’t they just leave me alone?

  Tired of feeling sorry for myself, I got up and changed into my Wranglers and boots.

  “Come on, Reg. We’re going for a ride.”

  I grabbed my .45 and my 30.30 saddle gun and walked out of my trailer with my faithful hound at my feet. By the time I had Roanie saddled, the rifle secured in its holster by my right leg and my pistol in its holster on my thigh, I had acquired another canine. Never able to be confused with a dog, the wolf sat on its haunches next to Reg, who looked more than comfortable with his new companion.

  “Well, maybe it’s a girl wolf. Is she your new lady friend, Reg?” I asked as I led Roanie out of the barn. The horse didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the wolf either. As we walked, the two trotted up to flank my horse and the wolf lifted his leg to pee on a tree. Ah.

  “Okay, not your lady friend. Boyfriend maybe?” As if the wolf understood, he let out a low, menacing growl. Roanie shied away, his eyes rolling. “Okay, just friends then,” I said as I soothed the horse.

  The wolf quit growling and let its tongue loll out its mouth as it jogged alongside me. How weird…it looks like he’s smiling at me. We walked for about a half hour, until Reggie barked and took off up the hill. Wolfie stayed right by my side as I turned to follow Reg over the hill.

  “I need to give you a better name than Wolfie,” I said to him. He tilted his head and regarded me solemnly. “How about fluffy?” He snorted. “No? Hmm…well, you did save my butt the other night. Maybe I should call you Angel? As in guardian Angel?” He stopped and glared. “No again? I guess I’ll have to think about it more.”

  As we came up over the rise, I saw what Reggie had been barking about. The cattle were all worked up. Someone had set a series of small fires that had the cows milling about in a congested circle. It was the middle of October, but we hadn’t had any serious rains, so the grass was still dry, plenty of fuel to feed a large wildfire should these get out of control. The fires weren’t big yet, but there’s no way I was going to be able to put them out by myself. My first priority was to move my cows out of the path of the flames. Things could not get any worse…

  I kicked Roanie into a trot and doubled back between the fire and the cows, urging them back the way I had come. Fire tends to travel up hill, rather than down, so if I got them moving back down toward my traile
r and the corral, I could pen them in long enough for the CDF guys to do their job.

  “Reggie, get a heel!” I yelled over the bawling cattle. Reg, like the good cow dog he was, nipped at the cattle’s back legs, urging them forward away from his snapping teeth. The wolf, weaving like a ghost in and out of the cows, was an even better motivator for them to get moving. Soon, between the three of us, the cattle were moving down the hill at a trot. While Reg continue his job, I loped out ahead and vaulted off Roanie when I got to my trailer.

  I sprinted inside and grabbed my phone, pounding 911 on the keys. Still breathing hard when the operator answered, I demanded to be transferred to the CalFire department.

  “Yes, my name is Shelby Flint and I’m on the Flint ranch in Raymond. Someone has set several small fires, which by now have probably grown to several big fires. Please hurry!”

  It was only a scant ten minutes later when I heard the blades of the chopper, heading past to drop water from Hensley Lake onto the fire. Three fire trucks drove down my driveway ten minutes later, and I helped by shuttling a few of the men to the fire in my Blazer and the coincidence was not lost on me. Fireman in a Blazer, ha!

  The fire trucks weren’t able to get to the flames without getting stuck. Luckily, the fire department had deployed the Helicopter quickly enough that the fires were easily containable by the firefighters who arrived later.

  I had an uncomfortable sense of Déjà vu as I sat on my front porch and watched the fire trucks leave down my driveway. I didn’t remember when, but sometime during the chaos, the wolf had slipped off and disappeared. Covered in soot and ash, my lungs aching from the smoke, I stumbled into my house and took a shower. Too lazy and exhausted to care, I stepped out, wet hair and all, and curled up under the covers and slept.

  I came up out of a deep slumber during the night long enough to feel a presence against me. It smelled of pines and smoke. I smiled to myself and went back to sleep.