“Don’t worry,” he assured her, then pulled her to his lap. “I’m sure she can guess by now where you are. Besides, there’s no phone reception up here. I can radio down to Damon and ask him to call her, if you want.”
“I … maybe.” She looked so cute chewing at her lip, he had to kiss her. “But John, don’t you have to work? Is that why Milos was here?”
“Kinda. I’m taking some time off now,” he assured her. “I’m not going AWOL or anything. Damon said I can take as much time as I need. But … I’m not keeping you locked up here with me. Not when you have your life and your friends back in town. We can go back now if you want.”
She glanced around. “Being trapped up here with a sexy man with nothing but a bed? Doesn’t sound like a bad deal to me.” Her hips shifted, and her core rubbed against him, making him groan. “But … you’re right, I do need to go back down at some point, and you’re much better now, right? You don’t have to stay up here all the time. So … how about another day? Let’s spend the day here and then we can go back to town tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.” He nuzzled at her throat, then stood up without letting go. “Now that we’re done with breakfast, how about some dessert?”
Heading back to town the next day took much longer than Krieger thought. It wasn’t so much the drive itself, but rather, it was getting started. Neither of them was in a hurry, and despite spending most of the previous day inside, they had yet to tire of each other’s company.
They agreed on leaving after breakfast, but ended up spending most of the morning in bed again, so then he cooked them some steaks for lunch. Afterwards, they took a walk around the woods. By the time they got back, it was late afternoon.
It wasn’t like they had a timetable. No, Krieger didn’t dread coming down from his cabin, not with Dutchy now at his side. But there was a small kernel of doubt growing in his mind.
She said she forgave him after his outburst yesterday. He believed her words, but couldn’t help but feel that there was still a gap between them, an invisible divider that still kept her truly out of his reach. Plus, it bothered him that he couldn’t reach her fox.
It was disappointing, because he wanted to see the pretty little thing again, but it loathed him, hissing and barking when he tried to reach out. And frankly, it irked him that though he had won over Dutchy, her animal was still being stubborn. His bear, too, did not like it and roared at him to make things right with the vixen.
You’re the shifter, he grumbled to his grizzly. Why don’t you fix things with the fox?
The damned bear just sat back on its fat ass, arms crossing over its chest.
Dutchy had fallen asleep halfway through the drive, but as he made the turn off from the mountain road, she stirred. “Where—oh.” A yawn escaped her mouth, and she stretched her arms over her head. “Sorry. Must have drifted off.”
“Didn’t want to wake you. You seemed exhausted.”
“Didn’t sleep much. Not that I mind.” She smiled saucily at him.
“We’ll be at Angela’s soon,” he said.
“Oh. Right.” Sitting up straight, she cleared her throat. “So, the cast is coming off my arm next week, though it doesn’t really bother me much anymore.” She gave a nervous laugh. “So, I was thinking of moving back into my place.”
“You are?” He didn’t like the idea of her being alone and vulnerable in that house by herself. Plus, he remembered the state it was in. Should have cleaned up. But he didn’t do anything more than repair the lock when he came back the next day.
“Yeah. Aunt Angela’s been so nice and patient, taking care of me, but …”
“She’s your family, of course she wants to do that for you.”
“I’m not being ungrateful. But I can’t live there forever. And I’m sure she’d like her home and privacy back.” She fiddled with a lock of her hair. “And so will … we.”
It took him a second to get her meaning. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Angela’s always been sweet and kind, but also prim and proper. Not that she’s a prude, but she probably won’t like the idea of having a strange man under her roof. I mean not that you’re strange.” She slapped her hand over her mouth.
“No explanation needed,” he said quickly. “And it’s true. I’m practically a stranger to her.”
“And with her being a shifter, I don’t think she’ll want to listen to us all night long.” Her cheeks pinked adorably. “Besides, we’re not both going to fit into the double bed in her second bedroom.”
“You … you want me to stay? With you?”
“Of course. When you’re down here,” she added. “I won’t be ready to move out right this minute. Oh God.” Her fingers massaged her temples. “My house! It’s probably in a terrible state. I haven’t even thought of the trash I left in the kitchen or my dishes in the sink. It might be a day or two before we can be together again. But at least you won’t have to make that long drive every day.”
“Don’t mind at all,” he said. “I’ll drive home tonight or crash at Damon’s.” If Angela wasn’t comfortable with him in her home, then he would understand. “We can start cleaning up your place tomorrow.” Before she could protest, he announced, “We’re here.”
He pulled in front of the ranch-style home, then cut the engine. “Hold on,” he said, and got out of his side to circle around to help her out.
“You don’t have to keep doing that,” she said as he opened the door.
“I want to,” he said. Any chance to touch her, he would take, especially if he might not be in her bed tonight. He and Dutchy were adults, of course, but maybe she didn’t want her maiden aunt’s disapproving eye—or ears—on them.
“Hmm …” She kissed him, then tucked her hand into his arm as they strode up the walkway. Keys in hand, she slipped them into the door and pushed it open. “We should—” She froze and stopped halfway as voices streamed into the front hall. There was a shriek, followed by a low grunt.
“Aunt Angela!” Dutchy grew pale.
Krieger’s bear reared up, ready for any danger. “Stay here!” Pushing Dutchy behind him, he dashed to the kitchen where the sounds were coming from, claws out and ready to pounce. As he burst through the entryway, he stopped short, his brain short-circuited for a moment as it tried to process what he was seeing.
Angela was planted on the counter, head thrown back as a large, hulking man stood between her knees, pants down to his ankles, furiously pumping away as the female shrieked in what sounded like ecstasy and delight.
“Krieger!” Dutchy ran, stopping right behind him. “Is she okay—holy moly!”
Dutchy’s exclamation caught the lovers’ attention, and Angela’s vocalizations halted as her gaze dropped to them. “D-Dutchy! Y-You’re home.” Needless to say, her face turned redder than a tomato.
“Aunt Angela, what the—” Dutchy gasped when the man between her aunt’s legs turned his head, revealing none other than The Den’s owner himself. “Tim?”
Though he’d only met the polar bear shifter a few times, Krieger would have described him as stoic and unflappable. At this moment, however, the look of pure surprise on his face was incredibly comical. “Aww, fuck,” he cursed as he bent down to pull his pants up. “Uh … this ain’t … I’m not …” Securing his belt, he turned to face them. “Didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”
Angela gulped a lungful of air as she pushed her skirt down, then slipped off the counter. “Uh, how was your day, darling?”
Dutchy buried her face in her palms. “I need a moment here.” Turning on her heel, she walked out the door.
Krieger shifted uncomfortably. “So …” None of them could meet each other’s eyes. “I’ll … go check on Dutchy.”
He walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Dutchy was pacing across the carpet, mumbling to herself. “You okay?”
“Oh God, I’m going to be scarred for life.”
He frowned, trying to figure out what would be appropriate to say a
t this moment.
“I mean,” she stopped and then scratched at her head. “Angela’s an adult, free to do what she wants. It’s just kinda … surprising. He’s not at all the type of guy that I pictured with her. Not that I think he’s not good enough. Though she’s my aunt and the sweetest person in the world, and no one’s good enough for her. However, I’m pretty sure they’d only ever met the night of the party, and that was the day before yesterday, and now they’re doing the nasty on the kitchen counter.” She continued her pacing.
He opened his mouth, but she cut him off.
“Good for her, though. I’m not shaming her for having some fun, if that’s what she wants. But he better not hurt her or take advantage of her. Of course, we all know Tim, and he’d cut his own hand before he hurt any woman, so there’s that.” Striding over to him, she patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks so much.”
“Thanks? For what?”
“For working that out with me. You’ve been a great help.”
God, she was so adorable and beautiful like this. Of course, he couldn’t blame her if she was having a mini stroke; he was going to be scarred for life, too, and he would never unsee the sight of Tim Grimes’s hairy ass thrusting away like a piston. He’d never be able to walk into The Den again and meet him in the eye. Might have to tell Damon to find another place to hang out.
“Dutchy?” Angela entered the living room, clothes and hair in place, her hands wringing together. “I-I’m sorry you had to see that.” Her complexion had yet to return to its normal color. “We, uh, weren’t expecting you.”
I bet, Krieger thought to himself. “We didn’t tell you when we left the other night,” he said instead. “Apologies, ma’am, if we caused you any worries.”
Angela smiled warmly at him. “I knew she was in safe hands.”
“And so were you, it seems like,” Dutchy guffawed, giving her aunt a hip bump and eyebrow waggle. “So … you and Tim, huh?”
If it were possible, she blushed deeper. “We uh, got to know each other the night of your party when I came up and asked him about the drinks. Well, actually, he seemed kind of grumpy because he was busy, but I just didn’t know what to do. Then he helped me and brought in more drinks, and we got to talking … well, stuff happened. I know he’s probably not the most conventional choice for me, but … I like him. And we’ve decided to keep seeing each other exclusively and see where this goes.”
“That’s great, Aunt Angela. If you like him and he likes you, then I’m all for it.” She drew her in for a hug. “Just … leave a sock on the door next time, huh?”
The sound of throat clearing caught their attention, and Tim’s tall figure filled the doorway. “Hello … uh … awfully sorry, Dutchy,” he began, his bushy white brows drawn together. “Meant no disrespect to you or your aunt. She’s a special lady, and I plan to treat her as such.”
“It’s fine, Tim,” Dutchy said. “We’re all adults here. And we really should have called ahead.”
Tim’s arm came around Angela and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Well, I was going to make some dinner … maybe you can help me, Dutchy?”
“Oh no. Nuh-uh.” She shook her head. “I love you, Aunt Angela, but it’ll be a while before I can step into that kitchen again.”
Unable to stop himself, Krieger barked out a laugh, then coughed to cover it when Tim glared at him. “Scuse me,” he said “Dusty in here.”
“I’ll take care of dinner,” Tim said, kissing her on the forehead. “Was gonna do the steaks out on the grill anyway. Want to help me, son?” he asked Krieger.
“Sure, Tim.”
“You ladies put your feet up.” Tim nodded to the couch. “That bottle of red should have had time to breath. Pour yourselves a glass while we get the food ready.”
Maybe it was the atmosphere or the five beers he had while helping with dinner, but Krieger found himself relaxing, though it was still hard to meet Tim’s gaze without wanting to crack up or look away. He wasn’t much of a cook, so all he did was chop up the salad and mashed the potatoes while the polar bear shifter worked on the grill out in the backyard.
“Need to ask you something,” Tim said as he came into the kitchen, platters of steaks in hand.
“Uh, sorry. Don’t have word on your friend yet.”
The polar bear shifter’s lips thinned. “Didn’t think so. But that wasn’t my question.” He glanced at the doorway to the living room as Angela and Dutchy’s mingled voices and laughs drifted in. “You make things right with her yet?”
He frowned. “Working on it. But headed the right way.”
“Good. Angie’s been worried about her. And I can’t have her bein’ unhappy.”
“Aren’t you going a little too fast?” Krieger shot back. “You only met her two days ago.”
“Fast?” Tim placed the platter on the kitchen counter and faced him. “I’ve been on this earth for nearly six decades, sonny. What more have I got to wait for?”
“How about your mate?”
“Not sure if I have one. You know that’s not a guarantee.”
True. His parents and grandparents weren’t mates and they were perfectly happy. In fact, Grandma and Grandpa Krieger were about to celebrate their sixty-third wedding anniversary next year.
“But I know a good woman when I see one,” Tim continued. “And I ain’t wasting no more time waiting for something might not be in the cards for me. When you find something you want and that’s worth it, you hang on to it for dear life. Fight for it if you have to.”
Now that he could agree with. “Amen.”
“Everything okay in here?” Angela asked as she poked her head in. “That smells delicious by the way.”
“We’re all good, Ange,” Tim assured her. “If you wanna set the table, we can eat in five.”
“Great!”
Soon, they were all sitting down at the dining table, enjoying their food and drinks. This wasn’t how he had thought the night would end. No, it was better, especially when he saw how happy and carefree his mate was.
“Thank you for the dinner, it was delicious, Tim,” Dutchy said. “By the way, Aunt Angela, I wanted to let you know I’ll be moving back to my place as soon as I can get it cleaned up.”
“I anticipated that, darling,” Angela said. “You haven’t needed anyone’s help around the house in a while. That’s why I had a cleaning company come to your house today.”
“Y-you did?” Dutchy’s auburn brows furrowed together.
“Just your kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, darling,” Angie clarified. “And Tim and I were there supervising the entire time.
“Oh. Right.” She swallowed. “Thanks, Aunt Angela, that’s really nice of you. My place was probably in a terrible state.”
“Noticed your car’d been sitting in the garage for too long, there was a leak underneath. Tires needed rotating too,” Tim added. “Took it to J.D. myself to get checked out. She says she’ll bring it by tomorrow.”
“That’s really nice of you, Tim,” Dutchy said. “Thank you both.”
“No worries, darling. Now,” she stood up. “I’ll get coffee and dessert.”
Krieger couldn’t help but notice that there was still tension on Dutchy’s face. Leaning over, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said, smiling up at him, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Really. Just … stuffed from this meal.”
Angela came back with a tray that had a carafe of coffee, plates, and a small cheesecake. “Here you go.” As she sat down to cut and distribute the cake and cups, she nodded to Dutchy. “Darling, could you grab the sugar behind you on the counter? Thanks.”
Dutchy reach behind her and placed a small red canister on the table next to him. Grabbing the container, he put a healthy teaspoon into his coffee, stirred it, and took a sip. A second later, the unexpected taste of salt coated his tongue, and he spit out the hot liquid.
“John!” Dutchy exclaimed as she handed him her napkin. “Are yo
u all right?”
“I … yeah …” he sputtered as he wiped his beard. Good thing he didn’t spray it out, and it only dribbled over Angela’s white linen tablecloth. “Sorry.”
“What’s the matter?” Angela asked, concern marring her face. “Was it too hot?”
He shook his head and took a big gulp of water from his glass.
Angela frowned. “I—oh!” She cocked her head at the red canister. “Darling, that’s the salt. Sugar is blue, remember?”
Blood drained from Dutchy’s face. “I … sorry, I must have grabbed the wrong one. S-sorry, John.”
His heart clenched at the pain on her face. “It’s all right, Dutchy,” he said in a quiet voice. “It was an honest mistake.” But from the way her hands shook and her lower lip trembled, he knew it wasn’t that simple and he remembered why.
Dutchy could still not see any color.
Had he forgotten that part? That his initial rejection of her had fundamentally broken her so much that it not only made her animal hate him, but also reduced her ability to create her art?
But why had her sight not returned to normal yet? He’d done everything he could to make her better.
Obviously not everything. The mating bond hadn’t formed yet. Her fox still could not stand him. What else hadn’t he done for her?
Thankfully, Angela’s sweet and caring nature soothed his mate, and Dutchy seemed more at ease as the evening wore on, and they continued to chat over coffee and dessert, lingering until it was nearly midnight.
“I think we should get going,” Dutchy declared with a yawn. “Can I stop by tomorrow to pick up the rest of my stuff? I promise I’ll call first,” she added with a grin.
“Of course, darling,” Angela said with a chuckle. “You can come anytime.”
Tim cleared his throat.
“How about later? Noonish?” Angela added with a wink to Tim.
“That’s fine, Aunt Angela.”
They got up, helped put the dishes away in the kitchen, then said their final goodbyes and left. As they drove, Dutchy seemed distracted enough that she didn’t question how he knew where her house was located.
Blackstone Ranger Guardian: Blackstone Rangers Book 5 Page 14
