Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2
Page 127
Issac nodded and gunned the bike down the road. The setting sun lay low along the horizon, sending a brilliant display of pinks and golds across the clouds. Issac’s friend, Samuel, had invited them over for dinner. She looked forward to meeting the wolf shifter Issac said had become the father figure he admired.
Over the past couple of days, they’d spent most of the time in Issac’s home over the garage, initiating various pieces of furniture and cabinets. They only stopped working to eat and catch a few minutes of sleep. Oh, and to chat with Elias, the pack leader. He’d welcomed her into the pack and had thanked them both for handling the rogue.
Her muscles ached in all the right places from their trysts, and for once in her life, she was thankful her car had broken down. If that hadn’t happened, where would each of their lives gone?
Issac slowed the motorcycle and turned onto a narrow lane that led to a quaint cabin on the edge of the forest. Smoke curled from the stone chimney, and a man with a baseball cap stood on his front porch, the door behind him wide open.
He hobbled down the short flight of stairs, a red and white checkered kerchief protruding from the back pocket of his coveralls. Darkening shadows lengthened over the brim of his hat, and she couldn’t quite make out his features.
Issac parked the motorcycle and cut the engine. He swung his leg over the bike, landed on the ground, then turned to face her. With a wide grin and a happy gleam in his eyes, he grasped her palm and helped her down. They both unstrapped their helmets and hung them on the Triumph’s handlebars.
“Hey, Issac. So glad you could come out with your pretty new mate and have dinner with this old guy.” Samuel placed his hands on his hips. “My, you done did it, didn’t you? The bike looks great. Jarik would be proud.”
A blush reddened Issac’s neck and the tips of his ears. “Well, you were right when you said it needed to be done.”
“Excuse my manners. My name’s Samuel. You must be Chloe. My, you’re a pretty one. Smart and full of energy, too, from what Issac told me.” The older man wiped his palm on his kerchief then extended his hand. “I’m so glad to meet you.”
Chloe stepped forward and shook his proffered hand. A few tufts of light brown hair protruded from beneath his hat, but shadows still obscured most of his features.
She smiled. “Nice to meet you, too. Issac said so many good things about you.”
Samuel laughed, the sound rolling through the air like a warm summer breeze. “Well, he’s special in my book, too. C’mon in. Dinner’s just about done.”
While Samuel and Chloe had greeted one another, Issac had withdrawn a bottle of red wine from one of the Triumph’s saddle bags. He wrapped his free arm around Chloe, and she leaned into him, enjoying his strength and comfort as they followed his friend into the cabin.
The central living space consisted of a couch, a single rocking chair, and a comfy-looking love seat, all positioned to enjoy a large flat-screen TV mounted over a massive fireplace. A football game, Detroit vs. San Francisco played across the screen, the sound muted. The tantalizing scent of roast beef permeated the place, and Chloe’s mouth watered.
“Make yourselves at home while I finish up.” Samuel shuffled to the far corner.
His back to them, he stood in front of an old fashioned stove resting against one wall. A four person kitchen table occupied a space adjacent to the stove. The nearby countertop contained an array of plates, serving bowls, and an assortment of kitchen items.
Issac trailed his fingers down Chloe’s arm and squeezed her hand. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
A pot with several potatoes churning in the water appeared ready to boil over.
“Yes, we should help.” Chloe moved toward the stove.
Samuel tossed his hat onto one of the kitchen chairs. “I hope you like roast beef. It’s an old recipe I learned from a friend.”
He turned her way and smiled, and her breath caught in her throat. His green eyes, the crook of his nose, and the way his lip curled at the corner when he smiled all seemed familiar.
She brought her hand to her throat and forced herself to breathe. A tremble started in her knee, and she braced herself against the countertop.
“What is it?” Issac placed his strong, supportive hands on her shoulders.
The tremble traveled up her thigh and into her stomach. She leaned into him and studied Samuel. Could it be him?
The water in the pot boiled over, the hiss of steam reverberating off the wall.
“Dag nab it.” Samuel flicked off the burner, and the water simmered down.
“Did you ever know a woman named Jadelyn?” She blurted the words before she lost her nerve.
Samuel lifted his gaze to meet hers. His eyes flicked over her features, as if studying every detail, and his mouth parted.
Not waiting for a reply, Chloe dug into her back pocket and withdrew her thin wallet. With shaky fingers, she withdrew the photo from her billfold, the one she’d found of her mother and the man she didn’t know.
She drew away from Issac’s embrace and held the picture out to him. “Is this you?”
Issac leaned over her shoulder to snag a look, and he gasped.
Samuel accepted the photo. He studied the images, and tears welled in his eyes. “How did you get this?”
“I found it when I cleaned out my mother’s room. After she passed.” Chloe’s throat tightened, and further words wouldn’t come.
“Your mother?” Samuel glanced from Chloe to the picture and back again. His brow furrowed as he contemplated the ramifications. The paper shook in his trembling hand. “That means you’re my…daughter.”
He tossed the picture onto the counter and wrapped his arms around Chloe’s shoulders, squeezing her in a giant bear hug. “I never knew I had daughter.”
Chloe’s heart swelled, bursting anew with sorrow for the loss of her mother, but she was so very, very thankful for this special gift given to her from above. At long last, she had a father. Tears stung her eyes and slipped onto Samuel’s coveralls.
Issac placed one hand on her back and the other on Samuel’s and joined in the hug. “This is the best news, absolutely the best.”
After a long moment, the three separated. Samuel pinched the bridge of his nose, and Issac rubbed the back of his neck.
Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at her father. “We have much to catch up on.”
Samuel’s gaze held a warmth that set her at ease. “Yes, we do, but first, let’s have dinner. I didn’t go through all this trouble to eat dry roast beef and overcooked potatoes.”
Chloe’s laughter joined in with Issac’s.
Her mate grabbed the bottle of wine off the counter and held it up. “We have much to celebrate tonight.”
“Indeed, we do.” Samuel nodded.
The two men who had come into her life in an unexpected way laughed and joked while they poured wine into three glasses. Issac handed her one, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and held her tight.
A lightness swelled from deep inside, raising Chloe’s spirit until she thought it would soar to the stars. With a wonderful mate and a father she’d longed for all her life, she couldn’t be happier. Everything had fallen into place, and her anxiety had been put to rest. Life was good, very good indeed.
* * *
Issac’s story published in this anthology through http://hotboxpublishing.com. Mailing link – http://hotboxpublishing.com/newsletter
Books by Rosalie Redd
Books in the Gargoyle Night Guardians series:
Heart Bandit - book #1
Night Angel - book #2
Love Bewitched - book #3
Books in the Warriors of Lemuria series:
Untouchable Lover - book #1
Untamable Lover - book #2
Unimaginable Lover - book #3
Undeniable Lover - book #4
Unforgivable Lover - book #5
Unforgettable Lover - novella
Marked by Love - novella<
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Other books by Rosalie Redd:
Concealed - A Blood Courtesans Vampire Romance
Clone Me a Lover - An Interstellar Lovers Romance
Hot Box Publishing is run by Bella and Ava … two gals from opposite corners of the world. Ava is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author and Bella is an Award Winning, and Amazon Bestselling Author, and between them they have over 85 books published. They have experience in various shared worlds where they have both individual and shared IP rights, including boxed sets. They own and run Hot Box Publishing with integrity, honesty, and fairness as their mantra.
Find out more about Dark Moon Falls Vol 1 & 2 and Hot Box Publishing by clicking HERE
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