by Abigail Owen
"Glad to hear it." He studied her face. "I'm not a doctor, but if you feel nauseous, sing out, and we'll call 911." He followed her gaze down to her injured leg. "As you can see, I'm still not ready to go back in the water."
"No. No way. This has got to be some sort of prank." She looked around the living room. "Is this some stupid reality show? Got cameras hidden to broadcast how I freak out?"
His soft chuckle caressed her ears. "I'm sorry to say, no. I'm the real deal." He headed for the kitchen. "I'll make some toast and coffee, something light. Don't want to shock your system too much."
"A man in the kitchen is enough to do that," Cassie said with a chuckle as he moved out of sight.
Her attention went back to her cell phone, now sitting unguarded on the small table by the fireplace.
"You can call if you want to," Alec said from the kitchen, as if he'd read her mind, "but do you honestly want to have a reputation of being a crank caller on Christmas? I'll be gone before they arrive."
Letting out a stream of curses, she got to her feet.
He was right—odds were if she called the local police, it'd be bumped to the state troopers who would take some time to arrive. Then she'd have to explain how the otter she tried to save turned into a man, who had left long before the patrol car pulled up. There was little chance of convincing them of the truth—she still wasn't sure what was going on.
Funny thing was, she didn't feel threatened at having him in her house. Not that she couldn't handle herself—you didn't run a bar without knowing how to toss someone out on his/her ass with a minimum of effort.
Still...
She made her way into the kitchen where Alec was busy pouring a second cup of coffee, using the Pittsburgh Steelers mugs her father had loved.
"You drink coffee?" Cassie asked.
"Of course. And eat more than just fish. I'm not in the water all the time." He pushed her mug forward, across the scratched and dented counter top. "Usually I have clothing as well, when I'm on land." Alec looked down at the pelt. "This is comfortable but hardly practical, given the situation."
Her stomach growled at the smell of the bread toasting, prompting her to press one hand to the sweatshirt.
Alec raised an eyebrow. "Seems you're hungry. That's a good sign."
"I guess." She couldn't help smiling. "And no nausea, so I think I'm safe."
The coffee was the way she liked it—rich and black. "I might have something that could fit you. My father..." The thoughts clogged her mind for a few seconds, holding it hostage. "My father passed away recently. I have a trunk with his old clothing in it, was going to take it to the church store next week. Something there might fit you."
He frowned. "My sympathies on your loss." He took a sip of coffee. "I'd appreciate that."
"Let me go upstairs, see what I have while you make up the toast," Cassie said.
He tilted his head to one side, giving her a smile. "I'll be here when you come back down." Alec headed for the toaster. "Butter in the fridge, I assume. Jam?"
"In there as well. Strawberry."
"Excellent." He smacked his lips. "I love strawberries."
She tried not to focus on his mouth and failed, miserably.
She picked up the cell phone as she went through the living room, heading upstairs. A glance at the clock showed it was close to noon.
Calling the police was still an option.
Except...
She put the phone down on the side table in the spare bedroom before going over to the footlocker at the end of the bed. This room had once been her father's. Now it was empty, Cass not feeling comfortable moving in. Her bedroom was next to it, the two rooms the only ones on that floor.
The trunk was heavy, taking two tries to throw the lid open and look inside.
Cassie hadn't been lying—dropping the clothing off at the church had been on her schedule.
She just wasn't ready to let the last of him go.
A short search came up with a new pair of jeans she'd bought for her father not long before he'd passed, and a black t-shirt—in the same category.
It'd do for now.
She went back down to see Alec stoking the fire, kneeling down in front of the fireplace.
From this angle...
Whoa.
She wasn't a prude. She'd dated in high school, lost her virginity to a football player at Penn State when she'd gone off to earn a degree and had seen a few fellows since then.
Cass knew what men looked like.
This—this was a man.
The slip of fur in the front covered, well... his front. The thong circled his waist, keeping the pelt snug on his hips. Except now, she had a full view of his naked ass, the lovely toned muscles begging to be pinched and caressed and squeezed...
He glanced over his shoulder with a smirk.
Busted.
He rose and came over to her. "Toast is ready. That for me?"
Cassie dropped her gaze to the clothing in her hands. "Yes." She cleared her throat. "Yes. I hope they'll fit." She shoved them at him as if they were on fire. "Excuse me for a minute."
She went into the bathroom and closed the door. The tub still held a bit of water, the soaked towel smeared with dried blood.
She sat on the toilet and shook her head.
This had to be a dream. Some sort of drugged hallucination. Delayed reaction to losing her father.
Perhaps she'd fallen into the river on the way home and was lying in the mud with hypothermia...
A soft knock came at the door. "You okay?"
"Yes." She went to the sink, splashed water on her face. "How's the clothing?"
"They fit just fine. Thank you."
She opened the door to see Alec standing there, now fully dressed. He spread his hands with a sheepish grin. "How do I look?"
"Fine."
Damned fine.
"Come on and eat," he said. "It's not much, but it's getting cold."
She followed him into the kitchen, taking the time to compose herself.
Get it together. It's not like you've never seen a man before.
A man, no. A shapeshifter…
She gave an invisible nod to her unseen self as Alec came over with the toast.
They ate in silence, leaning on the small wooden island and forsaking the dining room table nearby.
"So..." Cassie bit her lip, unsure how to start the strangest conversation of her life.
Alec chuckled. "Let's go down the bullet points. Yes, I can shift into an otter. No, I don't take the clothing with me; it stays behind on the floor. No, I don't know where the extra mass goes when I shift, breaking the laws of science. No, I'm not the last of my kind, I have family. Mother, father, two older brothers and lots of extended family."
He picked up the last piece of toast, liberally smeared with strawberry jam. "Anything else?"
She shook her head, mind racing. "Nothing at the moment." She frowned, flashing back to their initial meeting. "Were you clipped by a barge?"
"I did. My own fault—napping and not paying attention to what was nearby. Usually I hear them coming, feel the drumming through the water. Except this time..." He studied the still-healing gouge in his leg. "You came along and, well... here I am."
Alec collected the plates. "Before you ask—I heal faster as a human than as an otter, which is why I changed back in the tub. I was hoping to sneak out this morning before you woke up, but that didn't work out."
"No. No, it didn't." She left before he could say anything else.
She retreated to the rocking chair by the fire, collecting her thoughts. The embers still held a hint of orange, encouraging her to add another log. The rough feel of the wood helped settle her thoughts, anchor her in this new reality.
Alec settled on the couch, watching her.
"Now what? You swim away tomorrow?" she asked.
He rolled his shoulders back, the black fabric tight against his toned muscles. "I can leave right now." Alec eyed her. "Do you want me
to go?"
The breath caught in her throat as she shook her head. "I'm not sure what I want right now. This is a bit... different for me." Cass gingerly touched the raised knot on her head. "Aside from the fact that I'm still wondering if this is all a hallucination and I'm still lying either on the riverbank or my bathroom floor."
A knock came at the front door.
3
Alec rose from the couch—Cassie jumped out of the chair as if it were on fire.
"Stay. There." She put her hand up as she walked to the door.
Cass glanced out through a side window, instantly recognizing the man standing there.
She opened the door with a smile. "Danny."
Her business partner stood on the front step, bundled in a thick parka. The older man was nearly bald, a few white wisps of hair pulled across his pate in an attempt to make more of less.
"Cassie. Can I come in?" He gestured past her. "Damned cold out here."
She looked out. "Where's your car?"
"At the bar." He frowned. "Is there a problem?"
"No, no." She stepped back into the warm air. "Come on in, out of the cold."
There was no way around it—any other response would be even more suspicious.
"Thanks." Danny let out a sigh as he yanked the zipper down on his coat. "I swear, I don't know how you manage that walk every night in this weather. Maybe I'm just old, but I swear—my nose hairs were freezing off."
He stopped abruptly on seeing Alec standing by the sofa. The shapeshifter tucked his hands into his pockets, smiling.
"Oh…" Danny glanced at Cassie. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you had company."
He rolled his shoulders back, the senior standing tall. "My apologies. Danny Yablonski."
Alec stepped forward, offering his hand. "Alec Riverstorm. Friend of the family." He turned on the charm with a warm smile. "I was overseas when I heard about Nick's passing. Just got on the shore recently and came to offer my condolences and see if Cassie needed anything."
"Ah." Danny nodded.
I could see the invisible wheels turning inside my old friend's mind. Strange man in my house, Christmas Day—the gossip train was loading up and getting ready to leave.
"He came in this morning. I picked him up at the airport." My mind scrambled to make excuses for the lack of another car in the driveway. "Flew in from the coast."
"Really." Danny smiled. "Quite the traveler." He locked eyes with Alec as they shook hands, the silent challenge accepted.
After the better part of a minute, Danny released his hand and nodded. "Nick had a lot of good friends, but I don't remember a Riverstorm among them."
"Through my mother's side," Alec said, without a trace of hesitation. "Her brother was a steelworker, up the river at Brownsville."
The flash of recognition in Danny's eyes soothed over Cassie's fear. "You know, I think I remember something about a guy up there with the last name of Storm…"
"Danny, what's wrong?" Cass interrupted. "Your car…"
"Oh, yeah." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "I was over at the Bentleys, dropping off a Christmas present, and car got a flat. Managed to pull into the bar's parking lot to get off the road, but don't have a spare. And you were within walking distance, so…" He chuckled. "Would have called AAA, but on a holiday like today, it'd take hours for them to show up—and they'd charge me something crazy for a spare tire. Figured I'd borrow yours to get home, then bring it back when I swapped it out."
"No problem." Alec nodded. "Let's go." He looked over at Cass. "If you don't mind—I'll get the spare out of your car, and we'll walk on down."
"Sure." Her head was spinning, and not in a good, fun way.
Danny paused. "Don't you have a coat?" He frowned, looking at Alec. "Damned cold out there."
"Here." Cassie moved to the side, grabbing at the long leather trench coat that had been her father's. "Alec's coat got dirty—I put it in the wash as soon as he arrived, earlier today. It's not even in the dryer yet, I forgot about it." She turned and handed it to Alec. "This'll do."
A wave of nausea jabbed at her stomach, threatening to return the toast and coffee. If Danny suspected anything…
"Right then. Let's go." The senior shook his head. "Sorry to barge in on you like this, Cass."
"Hey, I'm glad you were okay—always annoying when a tire goes flat." She reached for her own coat, hanging on another hook. "Let's get you fixed up."
The cold air helped Cass's nerves as they walked back to the bar, right by the spot on the riverbank where she'd found Alec. The two men chatted along the way, Alec weaving a tale of working the fishing boats off the Atlantic coast.
Alec explained his limp away with a wild tale about being cut by some wayward cable, his hands waving in the air as he described how it whipped across the deck and sliced right through his jeans. Danny was buying it, based on his cheerful responses.
It didn't take long to change the tire, Alec providing the muscle to jack the car up and help wrestle the lug nuts free. He acted like he'd always worked on the land, joking with Danny as they drove back to the house.
"Well, then." Danny threw the engine into Park and eyed them. "Sorry for intruding on you during Christmas."
"No problem. I'm glad we were here to help," Cassie said.
Danny shook Alec's hand again. "How long you planning to stay around?"
"A few days, a week. Maybe two." He tapped his knee. "Give this a chance to heal up—I've got no place to be, not right away."
"Hmm." The older man rubbed his chin. "I'm opening the bar tomorrow; Cassie has the evening shift, from six until we close. Why don't you come on in and keep her company?"
Cassie frowned. "Danny?"
He shifted in his seat. "We've got a television, one of those wide-screen jobbies—and the Steelers are going to be playing. Might as well come watch it at the bar." He eyed Cass. "Be impolite to leave him at home. Your father wouldn't do that."
Alec nodded. "I'm good with that. Cassie?"
She couldn't help feeling like the target of some cosmic joke. "That's good. Great."
It wasn't long before they were back in her house, Danny driving away.
Alec hung the trench coat back up on the hook. "Sounds like Danny's trying to either set you up or is worried about you handling the bar solo."
"Probably a bit of both. Where did you learn how to change a tire?" She threw her coat on the table and headed for the kitchen. "Coffee?"
"Sure." He followed her, rubbing his hands together. "I've been up on the land before—I wasn't lying. Taken a few odd jobs here and there to learn about things. Changing a tire isn't that complicated."
"So, you weren't lying to Danny?"
"Not all of it," he confessed, leaning on the island as she made up the two mugs. "You'd be surprised at how many shifters come up on land and mingle with humans."
She handed him a mug before retreating back to the living room, taking up her spot in the rocking chair.
Alec returned to the couch, putting the mug on the coffee table. He leaned back and stretched his arms out along the back of the sofa. "Would it help you if I talked a bit about myself?"
"Probably." She glanced at the mantel clock sitting atop the fireplace. "Actually, I need to put the turkey in. It'll take a few hours to cook, so…"
"Christmas dinner," he prompted.
A sharp laugh bubbled out of her. "You do Christmas?"
"I do dinner. And breakfast, and lunch and snacks in between." He rose and offered a hand to her. "Let me help you—then we'll talk while waiting for dinner." Alec paused. "If you don't mind the company. I know we told Danny I was staying, but if you'd rather I leave…"
"No." She fought to keep the sense of relief out of her voice. "I wasn't really looking forward to eating alone this year. Please, stay."
It didn't take long—the turkey breast she'd picked up at the local store went into the oven after being liberally sprinkled with spices. The sweet potatoes were scrubbed and cut,
prepping them to be boiled—the green beans cleaned and set up to be steamed near the end of the cooking, keeping them sharp and crisp.
Afterwards, Alec settled back on the couch. He'd been very helpful, his proximity to her in the kitchen only kicking her curiosity up another notch.
"So, what do you want to know?"
"Everything."
If I'm going crazy, let's go all the way...
By the time they settled down at the table for dinner, her head was spinning.
"I can't..." She passed him the basket of store-bought rolls. "I can't believe whole families of otter shifters are out there. And others..." Her head was spinning with the sudden realization that her world had irrevocably changed. "Why tell me all this? Isn't there some law about revealing yourself to humans? I mean, I've read books..." Her voice trailed off as she studied his wide grin.
"You're not the first one who's discovered our people. We've been around, long before your ancestors came to this land. Go ahead—write a book, post a message, put a video online. Who would believe you?" Alec filled his plate with the delicious food. "My people, we've dealt with this sort of situation before. If you called the authorities, I'd follow through with what I said before—I'd leave or claim you were dreaming about it or having some hallucination. I'm not going to change on command." He struck a pose, flexing one bicep, the t-shirt straining to contain the tight muscle. "I've got some pride."
She sputtered on her water, choking back a laugh.
The half apple pie she'd bought from the grocery store was just enough for them to gorge on, finishing up a fine meal.
Alec joined her afterward, sliding into the domestic routine with ease—collecting the plates, sliding around her to fill the dishwasher. She could feel the heat emanating off his body, the musky scent almost intoxicating.
Get it together, woman, she berated herself. For all you know, he's got horrible fish breath in the morning. Or worse, a wife and children swimming around somewhere, worried about where he is.
She waited until they'd gone into the living room and settled on the couch with coffee before asking her next question.
"Are you okay staying? I mean, if you have responsibilities back home..." she added, the words tumbling out of her mouth.
