“Jackie here took me down in the courtroom.”
“Oh, really? I find that hard to believe,” Beth said.
I wasn’t sure whether to take her compliment as an insult to me or a loving praise for her new man. I decided to ignore it and let it slide.
“No, she did,” Tony said. “It’s good to see you again counselor.”
“You as well,” I replied. I wanted to thank him for the email he sent and tell him I was sorry that I never got back in touch with him. I was just so embarrassed over everything that happened.
“So, Beth, Derek has told me a bit about you,” I said. “I understand you are in real estate?”
“Yea,” Beth said and as she did I could swear she was glaring daggers up at me. I was getting the distinct feeling that she was none too happy that I knew Tony at all. Derek told me once that his sister was a bit of a wackjob, but I figured he was saying that in jest as all people tend to think their siblings are psychos.
“Are you looking for a new place?” Beth asked.
“Well, I might be in the future. I’m in between jobs right now,” I said.
“Oh, yea. I hear that being a known embezzler can wreak havoc on landing a good job these days,” Beth said.
My jaw almost hit the floor. I had to fight the urge to run across the room and strangle the bitch.
“What the hell?” Derek said coming to my defense.
“Relax, little brother. Jackie knows I’m only teasing, right?” Beth asked smirking over at me. I wanted to rip her head off so badly right then.
“Um, yea,” I said with a smile. Sometimes I hated playing nice. It was not really like me and I wasn’t sure how good at it I was going to be, but I was a guest and I just had to let some things go. Beth was just jealous.
“Ok everyone, let’s relax,” Bill said. “Lunch should be ready in a few minutes.”
That was music to my ears. I hadn’t eaten a thing since we came by Pittsburgh about six hours ago, and I had forced myself to ingest some fake fast food. The stuff was so tasty and addictive but I could actually feel the lack of nutritional value sometimes as I munched on it. And of course, I was hungry two hours later. By this time I was absolutely famished.
We all took our seats around the large dining room table just off the kitchen. I was delighted to see that I was actually sitting just diagonally across from Tony.
I wondered if that was a calculated move on his part or if I was just imagining things. He was here with Beth. Even though he had expressed attraction to me in the past that did not mean that he was still going to be attracted to me now. A year was a long time and we had no history to speak of except a minor flirtation.
As I sat there waiting to see what food might find itself in front of me I found myself checking Beth out in my peripheral. She was attractive with long blonde hair a curvy body that might have been athletic, and a good sense of style. But I believe it was her personality that made her kind of ugly. She put off this vibe that said that the world should just back off unless you wanted to suffer internal bleeding.
I was wondering what in the hell Tony saw in her, but then I noticed the way she acted when she interacted with him directly. Her whole face lit up and her personality shifted. She started to act almost like a normal human and she didn’t make snarky comments to people.
I had known the girl all of eight minutes, but with all the stories that Derek told me about her and the way she had already treated me, pretty much told me everything I needed to know about her.
She was someone I wanted to stay clear of, although I was convinced I could take her in a fight if it ever came to that.
A fight? Really? Where had that idea came from? I don't think I'd been in a fist fight since fifth grade when I refused to let Patty "the bull" Daniels take my lunch money for the second day in a row.
I had gotten roughed up pretty good by Patty (who had been left behind twice and was two years older than me) but I held my own and she never messed with me again. That was when I decided that standing up for yourself usually hurt like hell, but bruises to your body would heal. Bruises to your pride and self-esteem lasted forever.
I smiled at the thought. If Beth wanted a fight, then she would sure as hell find herself in one. But she had nothing to worry about with Tony as far as I was concerned. I still found him sexy as hell, but I wasn’t really in the business of stealing another woman’s man. Life was too short for that silly Melrose Place crap.
On the other hand, if Tony decided that he preferred me and wanted to start something with me, would I be opposed to it? No. A man is free to make his own choices, as long as he makes it perfectly clear that he is with me. I would never be the other woman that was for damn sure.
Bill and Debra brought out a big platter of sub sandwiches that Debra had prepared. There were two of them for everybody. I was astonished that this family did lunch like this. It was kind of epic. Now, I’m not sure if it was just because they were all together and it was a holiday week, or if this was the kind of service they grew up with, but I was impressed.
“So, you guys get any skiing done yet?” Derek asked.
"A little bit yesterday evening, but honestly we've all been just getting settled in. I was thinking of hitting the slopes later this afternoon, though. I'd like to wait until the morning rush is over. Besides skiing at dusk is pretty awesome," Keith said.
This was the first I'd really heard him say much of anything. I got the feeling he was the strong, silent type. Or maybe he was just stupid. Again, Derek's constant reference to his "idiot family" was entrenched in my brain.
I felt like I’d been brainwashed into believing that his whole family was a bunch of weirdoes, but so far, I loved his mom and dad. They were great. But the jury was still out about the final verdict on his brother and sister.
“Wow, this is fantastic mom!” Derek raved as he stuffed his second sandwich into his mouth.
I had to laugh at the guy. It was like everything he did was pretty funny. He never failed to entertain me.
“You want some air with that sandwich?” Bill joked. “I swear this boy just inhales his food.”
“That’s the way it tastes the best,” Derek said with his mouth half full.
Bill looked at him disgusted for a moment before he burst out laughing.
“You are welcome, dear,” Debra replied.
“What are you thanking her for? Remember I am the chef in the family,” Bill said.
“Did you make these sandwiches?” Beth asked.
“No, his mother did.”
“Then why are you complaining?”
Derek and Keith both hopped up at that one for a second doing some secret family cheer. Tony and I looked at each other as if asking what in the hell had we gotten ourselves into?
“You all can help yourselves to the leftovers if you want more,” Debra said.
My hand instinctively shot out to grab one of the last sandwiches. Tony’s mind had the same idea as we found ourselves reaching for the same sandwich. I knew I should have recoiled instantly, but his touch felt so good, so comforting right then. It was a breath of fresh air completely out of nowhere. It is amazing how you can feel so cold and not realize it until some warmth moves you. Then you realize what you’ve been missing.
My eyes caught his just then. The room seemed to stand still for a moment and I knew that one of us should speak to at least make this look like it was not awkward to anybody but us, but I could not turn away from the fog I was in at that moment.
“There are other sandwiches,” Beth said just then. The tone of her voice sparked with annoyance.
I moved my hand away just then trying to fight off the blush.
“I’m sorry, you go ahead,” I said.
“No, I think it was yours first,” Tony replied. He grabbed another sandwich off the tray.
“Thanks,” I said as I grabbed that one back.
I took a bite and noticed that Beth was rolling her eyes and giving me the occasional stin
k eye. It was a bit awkward to eat while someone glares at you. I became a little bit self-conscious about the whole thing and I was thankful to swallow it and be done with my lunch.
It was then that I also noticed Derek glaring at Tony. It was very brief, but as I looked around the room trying to just listen to the conversation going on to see if I might include myself or at least pretend to be interested so as not to be rude, I saw it.
Tony did not see this as he was saying something to Beth, but I definitely saw Derek glaring at him. Was it because he noticed the moment I’d had with Tony? Was it that obvious to everyone else that there was still an attraction there?
I could kind of understand Beth being paranoid because she was that way and she was new to the relationship with Tony that was apparently going pretty well or at least from her perspective, but for Derek to be jealous was something else. I was pretty sure we had kind of an unwritten understanding that we were never going to happen that way. It just wasn’t meant to be. We were good friends and that was it. But I was now starting to think that maybe Derek might have even stronger feelings for me than I realized.
“Do you ski Jackie?” Debra asked snapping me out of my little thought bubble.
I had to think for a second.
“Yes, I do ski.”
“Are you pretty good?”
“I like to think that I’m fair. I actually had never been on a pair of skis until my freshman year in college, but my roommate convinced me to try it out and I just kind of fell in love with it. It has been a little while since I’ve had a chance to do it though. But I am looking forward to getting out on the slopes again.”
“You never told me that,” Derek said.
“You never asked,” I replied. “It isn’t something that really gets brought up in everyday conversation in our line of work.”
“Well, you’ve been out of a line of work for a while,” Beth remarked. “And since he invited you here I imagine you might have mentioned your skiing… passion.” She put an emphasis on the last word as if she was making a joke about me being full of it.
The anger rose up inside of me right then and I found it hard to hold it back. I had a short fuse and a short line that if you crossed it more than once usually meant you would never cross it again.
"Well, some of us don't have the luxury of riding our parents' coattails until we find our calling by taking a class at the local community college and calling ourselves a realtor," I said.
“Boom!” Derek erupted. “She got you there sis! That was great.”
I was a bit shocked at Derek’s outrageous celebration, but something told me that not many people ever zinged his sister and called her out on her bullshit. If they did then she might not have been so snarky all the time, I thought.
“I’m fully licensed,” Beth said.
“You need a license to show people a house? I think it’s harder to get a fishing license,” I said. I knew I should have just shut my mouth then, mostly because of Bill and Debra. They had been so nice to me and I hated cutting their daughter down right in front of them, but they had to see that she pushed me to it.
“I think we should ease up ladies,” Bill said. He grabbed the large empty tray that had housed the sandwiches and began walking to the kitchen. “I’ll be right back with pie and we can continue this lovely debate at that time.”
It was easy to see where Derek got his sense of humor from. Bill seemed to possess that rare trait that he always knew what to say to turn an angry room laughing.
Of course, Beth and I were the only ones not laughing.
Chapter Five
“Are you sure you are up for this?” Derek asked.
I took another look down the ski slope and felt the surge of uncertainty ringing in my head. I was absolutely not sure about this at all. I had been a fairly capable skier but it had been almost three years since I'd been on a slope. It was something fun I did with my college friends, not something that I was dedicated to continuing. Although, I did miss it quite a bit. It was one of those things that I was hoping was kind of like riding a bike where you didn't ever really forget how to do it, but if it was something I had to relearn this was not the time to do it.
“I’ll be ok,” I said.
“I understand that you and Beth are both insanely competitive, but you don’t have to get your neck broken to prove it,” Derek said. “You know she is just jealous you are so much hotter than her.”
I looked at Derek as if he was crazy. He had never really said that I was hot before. He’d implied it, but he had not come right out and said it explicitly. It was kind of cute. I wondered if the presence of Tony was forcing Derek to step up his game a bit. Was I the only one who didn’t think that Tony was that interested in me anymore?
A part of me wished that there could be something there, but I still was not going to actively pursue a man who was with someone else, especially a psycho woman like Beth.
I was not afraid of her by any means, but I didn’t want to be put in the annoying position of having to really deal with her. I had too many other things on my plate. Women like Beth were drama queens and I can’t stand drama. It is childish, and it annoys everybody around you.
“Well, thanks, but I am doing this because it is fun. No other reason,” I said. I was almost convinced of that. Beating Beth’s ass on the slopes was going to be fun, so I wasn’t totally lying there.
I had watched Keith and Bill take their turns racing against each other and it looked like a blast. Bill won of course, but Keith was no slouch.
“So are we tapping into shifter strength here or is it all human?” I asked.
“I don’t need any shifter strength to beat your ass,” Beth responded.
“Well, I guess that answers that question,” I said to Derek.
“We can’t use shifter power here. If someone happens to be paying too much attention to us and sees that we all look like Olympic skiers, it’s going to draw the wrong kind of notice.”
“I got ya,” I said.
Of course, I wasn't putting it past Beth to do whatever it took to win. She was just ostentatious enough to revel in the whole world knowing that she could turn into an eight hundred pound bear whenever she wanted to. How about that people?
“Ok, you girls ready?” Bill said.
I could tell that he was getting way too into this whole thing. It was refreshing though to see someone who loved competition as much as I did but did not take it so seriously. Derek was right about that. I’ve always had a real problem with losing. Maybe it was because I’ve always felt like I was fighting against something. One day I might go talk to someone to “Dr. Phil” that stuff out of my head.
I pulled my goggles on and assumed my position. The mountain was suddenly looking a lot steeper than it had before. I felt a twinge of fear rearing its ugly head, but I decided that I needed to just relinquish myself to the moment. If I ended up getting hurt or possibly dead, then at least I went out having fun. That was the way I looked at it. Except now there was baby Devon.
I thought about my sweet, little guy back at the resort. Debra had volunteered to stay behind and look after him. I really appreciated it. I was leery about leaving him with a woman I'd just met, but there was something so sweet about her that I felt I could trust her. Besides, I trusted Derek and Debra had raised a great family already. Well, except for Beth, but I was convincing myself that Beth was not her fault and maybe not even her kid.
“Oh, I’m ready to win!” Beth said pulling up beside me.
She was so damn cocky. I was once again filled with the sudden urge to rip her damn head off. I took a deep breath and just played along.
“Oh, then you are going to be so disappointed,” I replied.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tony cover a laugh in his hand. I smiled at him just as he looked back up and he smiled at me. I caught a look in his eyes just then. It looked almost…naughty.
Was he having some impure thoughts about me? It was a nice thing for
me to think about. And I was pretty sure that he was looking at my ass as I was semi-bent over in my starting position. I felt a huge blush coming on, but I tried to stave it off and stay focused.
“Get set!” Bill yelled. He signaled the start with his arm yelling “Go!”
I was off in the blink of an eye. The second I started down the mountain I began to feel myself in trouble. I had not been on skis for a long time and they were feeling a bit awkward. I’d lost my rhythm. I’d forgotten how to move and how to counter move, anticipating the terrain and the overall flow of it.
Beth was kicking my tail. She was way out in front of me and I could practically hear her smug laughter all the way back where I was. The anger welled up inside of me quickly right then. I suddenly felt my body shifting and changing, my whole attitude was taking over.
I began to move the poles harder as I propelled myself down the slope going faster and faster. I was careful to take long, steady, deep breaths allowing the cold air to invade my lungs. It had a great calming effect on me and I could feel the nervous tension that had been holding me back slowly releasing its grip on me. It was almost like some magical oil had just been shot into my body and now I was moving fluid and smoothly.
The trees, the ground, the rocks—all of it began to move past my field of vision in a blur, but it was so exciting. I felt the adrenaline releasing from behind some invisible floodgate in my body and the overwhelming rush was miraculous, sending tingles of warmth all over me.
I was gaining on her. I didn’t know how, but I was. I suddenly felt like the old me on a pair of skis, but better. I didn’t think I was using any of the bear inside of me. As far as I could tell it was all just my normal human adrenaline that was working its magic through my body and propelling me to the heights of my athletic ability. I guess the competitive nature that I have always possessed was even stronger than I realized.
I was now almost neck and neck with Beth. She didn’t stand a chance. I knew that I was about to overtake her. It was going to feel so good to rub all of this in her smug face. I pictured crossing the finish line and seeing the angry, sad look in her eyes. I imagined it would feel better than actually punching her lights out. Humiliating defeat was always better than that, especially to a woman like Beth.
The Bear Shifter's Nanny (Fated Bears Book 3) Page 14
