by Bianca D’Arc
He still owned the old homestead, and he kept it in good repair. It was farther back on the property, separated from this house by a stand of cottonwood trees. He and the children gathered there on special days to remember Tess. They also patrolled the area around it in their wolf forms, at times, just to feel a bit closer to their past and the woman who had been central to the family at one time.
The new house held none of those memories, though, which was a good thing, right now. Joe ushered Enid into the house, surprised to find Kevin there, waiting for him.
“What are you doing home?” Joe asked. His son had a job delivering food for the barbeque restaurant during the lunch rush, so it was odd to see him home right around lunchtime.
“Tracy sent me with some stuff for you, so you wouldn’t have to cook. I put it in the kitchen,” Kevin said, stepping closer to his father and eyeing Enid significantly.
“That was very thoughtful,” Enid said, smiling at Kevin. “Remember me? I’m Enid. And you’re Kevin, right?” She held out her hand, and Kevin shook it, a speculative look in his bright eyes as he looked from her to his dad and back again.
“Welcome back,” Kevin said.
“Do you have to rush right back?” Joe asked his son.
“Nah. Tracy said I could eat lunch with you if you were stopping long enough.”
“Great,” Joe said with forced enthusiasm. “Go set the table, and I’ll be along in a minute. I just want to clean up a bit.”
Kevin headed back toward the kitchen, and Joe caught Enid’s hand. “Guest bathroom is through there,” he nodded toward the archway that led toward the right. “You’ll be alright with Kevin. He’s a good kid. I’m going to get a change of clothes, and I’ll join you in the kitchen in about five minutes, okay?”
“Okay,” she replied and squeezed his hand before letting go and heading off toward the guest bathroom.
Joe hightailed it to the master suite and took a speed shower before putting on fresh clothes. He hadn’t packed for an overnight stay when he’d taken off with Enid the day before, but wearing the same clothes two days in a row wasn’t as big a crisis for a guy as it was for a woman. His mate and his daughter had taught him that valuable lesson early on.
When he emerged from his room and entered the kitchen a few minutes later, he found Enid working alongside Kevin, unpacking take-out containers and putting the food on the table. Joe still had a towel in one hand as he ran it over his head, trying to get most of the moisture out of his hair. Enid turned and saw him standing in the archway and stopped, her mouth opening in a little O of surprise.
Kevin seemed not to notice her reaction and moved past her to place a full platter of barbeque ribs on the table. That seemed to get her attention, and Enid moved on with a flustered look on her face, to place the plate of biscuits she was holding on the table. Joe grinned as he moved into the room, tossing the towel down the hall, back toward his bedroom. He’d pick it up later and put it in the laundry basket. Right now, food was at the top of his priority list, along with spending time with this fascinating woman.
They all sat down to lunch together, and Kevin seemed to be wary at first. He grew more comfortable after a while, and even participated in the planning for the solstice celebration. Joe tasked Kevin with spreading the word that they were going to have an official ceremony with a real priestess before the howl, so that the younger generation would bring word back to their elders.
“The bush grapevine works best when we have all ages involved,” Joe assured Enid. “As soon as Kevin starts telling folks, it’ll get around fast. By this afternoon, we’ll have plenty of folks calling in at the Pack house, volunteering to help out.”
“We don’t need much,” Enid insisted. “The basic ceremony just involves some candles and herbs that I can probably source in town, though I always carry a small supply of certain things with me. The Lady doesn’t care about the trappings, just what’s in our hearts.”
“We know that, but we like to do things up right, when we have time. It’s more for the unity and pride of the Pack that we do it,” he explained. “I think those things are important, too.”
“Oh, yes, of course,” Enid agreed. “I just didn’t want to make more work for anyone. I’m happy to do the ceremony in any setting. If your Pack wants to dress it up, by all means, I’m all for it. I just don’t want to put anybody out.”
“Not at all,” Joe assured her. “I think there are quite a few Pack members who were itching for any excuse to decorate the Pack house for the holidays.”
Kevin chuckled along with Joe. “Dad’s got that right,” he chimed in. “Some of the elder ladies will decorate for any and all occasions, including every holiday real or imagined on the human calendar. Remember last Valentine’s Day?”
Joe laughed outright. “I thought the heart-shaped balloons were nice, at first, but as soon as the pups discovered how much fun they were to pop, the whole thing descended into chaos.”
Enid chuckled. “I can just imagine. Oh, my.”
“Yeah, I doubt the ladies of the decorating committee will be using that many balloons again, anytime soon,” Joe added.
Lunch wrapped up with Kevin acting much more comfortable in Enid’s presence. She thanked him for bringing the meal and for spreading the word about the ceremony before he left, and Kevin seemed to be genuinely intrigued by the small human woman. Joe could see Kevin puzzling over what her relationship to his father might be, but Joe wasn’t about to talk about it. Not in front of Enid. He wouldn’t embarrass her like that, and Kevin could just figure things out for himself, for now.
Chapter Eight
Joe and Enid left the house right after Kevin, intent on shopping for the things they would need both for the ceremony and for Enid to have some clothing and other items for her prolonged stay in Big Wolf. The first stop was the dry goods store in town. They were able to source the salt, herbs and candles with no problem, as well as a few things Enid wanted for herself. Joe put the bill on his tab over Enid’s objections, but there was no way he’d let her pay for anything else today. Accepting the fuel for the jet still rankled.
Something about taking her hard-earned money made both his inner wolf and his human half feel guilty. She might own her own plane, but it was an older model that was clearly in need of repair, and she didn’t seem to have a permanent home. He imagined she was a bit of a gypsy, going from place to place, looking for a home.
A thought occurred to him. Big Wolf didn’t have a priestess at the moment. Maybe, if he asked nicely, Enid would want to live here?
But wouldn’t that be just a little too convenient for a man who had just rediscovered sex after a decade of abstinence? Joe wasn’t sure if his idea was far too self-serving or something that came from a less selfish place.
They went on to the clothing store just down the street, and Enid insisted on going in alone. She didn’t want him looking over her shoulder while she bought underwear, she insisted, but Joe knew it had more to do with her not wanting him to pay again, than any modesty about her clothing choices. Joe let her go and sat on a bench just outside the shop, placing a few necessary phone calls. The first one was to the girl behind the counter of the clothing store. He directed that anything Enid purchased be put on his bill.
Grinning to himself at his own cleverness, Joe made the rest of the calls he needed to make. He only rarely left his territory, but he was pleased to find that the town had gotten along fine in his absence. He’d put good folks in key positions and they were doing their jobs, keeping the Pack running just fine. Satisfaction filled him. He loved it when his plans came together.
Enid came out of the store about twenty minutes later, a look of consternation on her face. Joe stood and went over to her, taking some of the bags that weighed her down.
“The girl in the store wouldn’t let me pay,” she said accusingly. Joe just smiled.
“You’re my guest, and you’re doing the whole Pack a favor by officiating tomorrow,” he told her. H
e didn’t mention that fuel she’d paid for that still bothered him. He wasn’t a total fool.
“That gift is given freely,” she told him. “It’s my duty to minister to those who need me. It’s even better when they actually want my help, as it seems you do for the solstice.” She chuckled and started walking alongside him as he sauntered down the street. “Thank you for the clothes. I’m sorry I find it hard to be gracious and accept a gift. I don’t often get any.”
“Now, that’s just a crying shame,” Joe said, feeling strongly about it, even if he was making light of her assertion. “A gorgeous lady like you should be flooded with gifts.”
Joe watched her reaction and was charmed when she blushed. Shifter women grew out of their blushes early on, it seemed.
“Well, thank you. I didn’t buy too much. Just what I need for overnight.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you bought enough for a week or two,” he told her, realizing as he said it, he was being perfectly honest.
She paused, looking up at him from the corner of her eye. “Do you really want me to hang around that long?” Was she teasing or was she serious? He wasn’t entirely sure, but he figured he could play along and use this lighthearted conversation to test out a few things.
“Longer, if possible,” he told her. “Heck, I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to move to Big Wolf permanently and be our priestess.”
She kept walking, and he stayed by her side. “I’m committed to Henri’s people for now,” she said, her tone almost contemplative. “But I get the feeling he’s open to moving on from their last project. They’ve moved around the south for the past few years, going from construction contract to construction contract. They build a small neighborhood for themselves in each new place, then sell it—usually to other shifters—when they move on to the next project.”
“Could be I might have some work for them just outside of town,” Joe said, seeing one of his future plans as a possible candidate for moving up in the timetable. “And there’s plenty of land just to the west of us if they want their own home territory.”
“I know Henri’s been looking for a real home to settle down in for a while. Now that he’s found his mate, I suspect it’s even more imperative,” Enid told him.
“The instinct to build a secure den for your family is a strong one,” Joe allowed. “I know they’ve got their hands full right now, with Lucinda’s medical issues, but I hope they’ll think about my offer of alliance when time allows.”
“I’m sure Henri is already thinking it over,” Enid assured Joe. “He’s a very good Alpha, though he’s quite young. He has a natural sort of magnetism that brought all those wolves to join up with him in the first place, and he really cares for his people. I’d say the two of you have more in common than you might think.”
“Kind of you to say so,” Joe said, motioning for her to precede him up the walk of the B&B.
They mounted the steps of the wide porch together and the door opened from within. A young woman greeted them, her dark hair streaked with a vivid purple streak.
“Hi, I’m Felicia,” she said, holding her hand out to Enid in a friendly manner. “Joe said to give you our best suite, so you must be somebody important.”
Enid laughed as she returned Felicia’s handshake, and Joe nearly gave a sigh of relief. Felicia was a deceptively important part of the Pack. She ran the B&B, but she was also the apprentice of her great-grandmother, Miss Felicity, who was one of the most respected elders in the Pack. Between the two of them, they wielded a lot of influence in the maternal female ranks. If they didn’t approve of Enid, for whatever reason, she wouldn’t be all that welcome in town, despite whatever Joe said to the contrary.
He might be Alpha here, but he wasn’t under any illusions as to how the Pack dynamics really worked. The maternal female contingent was a force to be reckoned with, and he’d be a fool to discount their opinions.
They dropped Enid’s stuff in the suite and then decided to head out for dinner. The afternoon had passed quickly as they’d walked through town. It seemed like, every other minute, someone had stopped to chat with Joe and be introduced to Enid. It was clear word was spreading about her offer to officiate at the solstice ceremony because it was mentioned quite a number of times.
When they got to the restaurant, which wasn’t too far away from the B&B, they were met just inside the door by a beautiful young woman who shared similar bone structure with Joe. This had to be his daughter.
“You must be Tracy,” Enid said, offering her hand to the younger woman.
Tracy returned the smile and took Enid’s hand in a firm grip. “And you’re the mysterious priestess I’ve been hearing about pretty much non-stop today from everyone who’s come in, starting with Kevin. You’ve made a fan out of him, I can tell you.”
“Really? I wasn’t quite sure if he was just tolerating the old human lady out of respect,” Enid joked.
“Old?” Tracy scoffed. “Maybe older than Kevin, but we’re all older than that little brat.”
“You’re very kind,” Enid replied modestly as the door to the restaurant opened and a crowd started to gather in the vestibule.
“I’ve got a nice private table for you two,” Tracy said, grabbing some menus and leading the way through the crowded dining area. Enid was very aware of the attention focused on her as she passed, and she tried to smile in a friendly way, even though she felt really conspicuous.
Tracy didn’t take them just to a private table, but a private table in a private room. Enid was impressed, and a little relieved. She hadn’t looked forward to trying to eat with every eye in the room on her.
“Nobody will bother you in here,” Tracy said as Joe held Enid’s seat for her. “Though my mate and my brother will probably interrupt at some point. They’ve been chomping at the bit to talk to Dad,” Tracy told Enid with a comical eye roll. “Sorry. Boys will be boys.”
Tracy left them alone, and a moment later, a young waitress entered the room to take their drink orders. The girl was teenaged and clearly interested in Enid, but too polite to do more than give her a closer look from the corner of her eye when she thought Enid wasn’t looking.
The young waitress had no sooner left than the door to the private room opened again, and two men walked in. One was blond and blue-eyed, and the other had dark hair and those same laser-blue eyes Joe sported. Enid had little doubt which one was Joe’s son.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Joe’s son spoke first. “Heard you had a little adventure, Dad. You should have called me. I would’ve been happy to take the flight.”
Joe stood and embraced his son, then shook the blond man’s hand. He turned to Enid and introduced them.
“Enid, this is my son-in-law, Hank, and my son, Ken.”
Enid nodded to Ken but greeted Hank as the old friend he was. “Good to see you again, Hank. I didn’t know you’d found your mate. Congratulations.”
“Enid. When did you leave the Air Force?” Hank came over and shook Enid’s hand with a warm smile.
“You two know each other?” Joe asked, eyeing them both.
“Hank came in to teach a special course to some of us jet jockeys about fifteen years back. On loan from Pepard Industries. You still work for Mark Pepard?” Enid asked as she returned the greeting.
“Always,” Hank replied. “So, you’re the priestess the whole town is buzzing about? I had no idea you knew anything about us.”
“Just following in my mother’s footsteps. She says I had to get the flying bug out of my system before I could settle down and answer the Lady’s call. I retired from the military a few years back and have been following the Lady’s path ever since,” she told Hank.
“Where are you based? Louisiana?” Hank went on.
“Temporarily,” Enid replied. “I haven’t found a permanent place yet.”
“Well, maybe I can help with that. I have connections all over. I could put out some feelers for you, if you like,” Hank offered.
“That’s
very kind of you to offer, but I believe the Lady will show me the right path when it’s time.” She chuckled. “Waiting for a sign is considered an act of faith among my kind. And, for the record, I always knew you were a shifter.”
Hank smiled at her. “You played that real cool, Major. I had no idea.”
“Well, that was the plan,” Enid agreed, also smiling.
“You two sit,” Joe said, giving in to the inevitable and inviting the two men to sit with them for a bit. They took the seats on either side of the square table and made themselves at home.
“We won’t stay long, but we wanted to report back what we’d learned about that property you asked me to look into,” Ken said, speaking to Joe. “I asked Hank for a hand because it turns out there’s a small bobcat Clan living on the other side of the property line. I figured inquiries would come better from another cat than from me, and it worked like a charm. As soon as the Alpha cat realized we were allied with Pepard, he opened up and gave us some good information on the current owners of the land.”
Ken reached into his jacket’s inner pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers and handed them over to Joe. Enid couldn’t help but be curious. Joe seemed to have his hands in many pies and all sorts of expansion plans. He looked over the papers, and an expression of satisfaction came over his face.
“This is very good, Ken,” he said finally. “Very good. And thanks, Hank, for your help.” Joe looked over at Enid with a speculative gaze. “This deal, if I can bring it to fruition, might be the perfect setup for Henri and his people.”
“Really?” Enid was impressed. Joe was already setting the wheels in motion for Henri. Joe certainly didn’t let any grass grow before he got to work. They’d only been in town for a few hours, and already, he had his people producing results.
“If it doesn’t appeal to them, I can always do something else with it, but I think it might be something Henri could work with long-term. It’s a good location, and now, we know there are shifters on one of the boundaries, so that should help with security if we can broker an alliance with the bobcats. Did they seem amenable to that kind of thing, Hank?” Joe asked his son-in-law.
