Christmas After Dark: A Holiday Paranormal Romance Anthology

by Abigail Owen

  "Veronica's going to be here soon," she warned Alec, her mind already racing through the dozens of tasks needed to get the business open and going. "Get him settled in the booth, and we'll see what happens."

  Michael slept fitfully until the older woman arrived, bringing three containers containing hamburgers and fries from a local diner. She handed one to Cassie and one to Alec before settling in next to the baby with her own lunch, cooing over Michael as he reached for her French fries.

  You better be good, Cass thought as she glanced over at Alec. She's going to run that gossip train right through town after this.

  The door opened, admitting some regular customers. Old Mick, who always liked his coffee with a shot of whiskey and Young Mick, who was old enough to be Cassie's father.

  Cass turned away from the booth and walked down the length of the bar to the two men, smiling as she fell into the familiar routine.

  A few more people came in, not enough to overwhelm but enough to keep busy, occupying her full attention. Most of the talk went to the wide-screen television hanging on the wall, showing the football game. Some men glared toward the booth where Alec sat, but it was clear they were willing to leave him to Veronica for the time being.

  Cassie was grateful for the regulars, anchoring her in what had been a very stressful, if amazing, few days. She made a point of giving everyone a little extra in their drinks, first because it was a holiday and second—to keep them from breaking the détente in the bar and either getting into a fight with Alec or each other.

  It was a few minutes after one when Veronica left, stopping by the bar to say goodbye.

  "I'm so happy for you." She leaned in and kissed Cass's cheek. "So happy! See you later!" The older woman left, likely to start spreading the news that Alec was back.

  Cassie looked over to where Michael was sleeping again, tuckered out by playtime with his usual babysitter and now, his father.

  She made a round to top off everyone's drinks and walked out from behind the bar to the booth, making it clear to everyone that she didn't have an issue with Alec.

  Alec looked up at her with a smile. "We're good. She bought the story about the fishing trip—added in a few international stops along the way and how I kept missing the right connection. Sent love letters 'cause I'm a romantic like that, but they never arrived."

  Cassie nodded. "The alibi doesn't have to be perfect, just enough to tamp down everyone's curiosity. And Michael?" She eyed the sleeping baby. "I saw him chomping down on a lot more fries than he should have been."

  "It's the holidays. We'll head on home now—give you some space." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't worry, we'll be fine until you get away. I'll get something started for dinner."

  "Wait." Her pulse quickened. "I need to talk to you about something, what I want to talk to Danny about..."

  He cocked his head to the side.

  "I think it's time for us to do some traveling ourselves. Michael and me, with you." She couldn't help grinning. "As soon as possible."

  He blinked, picking up on what she hadn't said outright—a good idea, given the small audience in the bar. "But... are you sure?" Alec glanced toward the sleeping baby. "I don't want you to feel I'm pressuring you into anything. We can stay..."

  "And do what? Keep Michael from his extended family, his heritage?" She shook her head. "I want him to meet your mother, your brothers. And everyone else."

  Alec touched her shoulder. "If this is what you want, I won't say no."

  Cass nodded. "It is. You boys head on home—I'll be by as soon as Danny comes in."

  He leaned in for a kiss, hot and passionate enough to generate a happy hoot from the handful of men warming the bar stools. "See you soon."

  A weight lifted from her heart as she saw Alec walk out, carrying the car seat and cooing at his son, totally focused on the tiny wonder.

  A few more customers came in during the next few hours, mostly travelers on their way out of town or coming in to visit family and friends, looking for a familiar place to grab a quiet drink. Financially, it was hardly worth it to open the Rolling River, but her dad had opened it up for decades, and she wasn't going to be the one to break the chain.

  It took an effort to not call home, busying herself with basic tasks and moving the table she and Alec had "used" into the back room, reassigning it as a storage table.

  There was no way she could seat anyone there ever again.

  Danny came in at six, as agreed. The senior gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek, as he always did. The old miner had been happy to retire and invest in the bar with her father back in the day.

  "I heard Alec's back. That son of a bitch finally showed up." He held up a hand before Cass could react, a smile replacing the scowl. "Roni already gave me the rundown on your man's adventures." Something flashed in his eyes, a sudden weariness showing around the crow's feet. "As long as you're happy, and he's taking care of you and Michael, I got nothing to say about it."

  "Thanks." She hugged him, hard enough to bring a grunt out of the old man. "Now, I want to talk to you about something..."

  It took a few minutes to lay out her plan and a few more to show him the numbers, brought together during the quiet times in the bar.

  "You serious about this?" Danny rubbed the back of his neck, leaning against the cash register. "I know I've been saying it for months, since Michael arrived but..." He gave her a measured stare. "Something goes wrong and your father is gonna rise up from his grave and strangle me. You know that."

  "I do. And I love you for it. But we're going to be doing some traveling, and I don't know when we'll be back. Not fair to ask you to do all the work and keep half the money aside for me."

  "Going back to Philly?" The senior frowned. "Never heard that from Roni."

  She shrugged.

  It was easier than trying to explain.

  "I'll meet you at the bank tomorrow, when they're open again," Danny said. "I've got enough in savings to buy you out—been keeping it aside for when this day came." He wiped his eyes. "I knew you weren't going to be here forever, and wanted to make sure I was ready." Her business partner drew a shallow breath. "Then we'll hop over to Turner & Mickleson to do the legal paperwork. I'll lay in a call, let Harry know we're coming." He eyed her. "Anytime you want to come back to work, there's a place here for you."

  "Thank you." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'm sure we'll be fine, but it's good to know."

  He relaxed a fraction, enough to smile. "Your dad was a good man, your mom a saint. You'll never go for want, as long as I'm alive."

  Cassie hugged him again, fighting back tears. "I know."

  9

  Cassie stamped her feet at the front door of her house, shaking off the bit that had collected on her shoulders during the short walk.

  She opened the door, the surge of heat washing over her. It was matched by her own emotional warmth as she saw Alec sitting in the rocking chair by the fire, playing with Michael.

  "Got some chicken going, veggies ready to be steamed up." He looked at her. "How'd the afternoon go?"

  "Great." It only took a few minutes to tell him about the meeting with Danny while hanging up her coat and kicking off her boots.

  "That'll do for a start." Alec smiled, bouncing his son on his knee. "The house is paid off?"

  "Yes—Dad managed that years ago. The deed's in my safety deposit box at the bank in town." A shiver of excitement and anticipation crept up her spine. "Too bad we can't carry identification with us. It'd be nice to be able to pop into a café or diner during our travels."

  "Not unless it's inside a nudist colony." Alec grinned. "Don't worry, we've got clothing caches set up, generic ones for any of us who want to come ashore. There's a bit of money in each one, enough to let us go into town if we want. But no way for you to carry your identification—they don't make fanny packs for otters. Besides, the river will provide—and the ocean has bountiful wealth, if you know where to look." He gr
inned and looked out the window. Big, fat snowflakes drifted down, covering the ground. "As soon as we're ready, I'll take you home. After that, we'll split our time, back and forth. In the water, on the land here, in our family home."

  "I want him to have an education." Cassie sat down as Michael laughed, waving his chubby hands. "In both worlds."

  "He will," Alec said. "The best schools, the best tutors in whatever field he decides to go into." He looked at her. "I promise—you'll never have to work again unless you want to. We'll never go hungry."

  "I know."

  The phone rang, prompting her to leave the pair and go to her coat, hanging on the rack. It took her a second to dig the cell phone out, another to recognize the caller and tap the small screen.

  "Hi, Jean." Cass turned and waved at Michael as he grabbed a handful of Alec's hair with a mischievous grin.

  "What the hell are you doing? Selling the bar to Danny and taking off? What sort of crazy idea is that man putting in your head?" The words were short and snapped, like a frayed elastic band stretched too far.

  "How did you—" Cass cursed under her breath. "Of course. Veronica."

  "Just imagine how I felt when she called just now, congratulating me on having world travelers in my family. It was all I could do to keep calm."

  "Jean, we're going to be fine. Michael is—"

  "No." The single word cut through the air. "It's one thing for you to take Alec back into your life, another to drop everything to go on the road and follow him God-knows-where." She drew a long, shallow breath. "I'm not having it. I've already got my plane ticket to come see you in a few days—if I don't like what I see, I'll be reporting you as an unfit mother."

  The invisible punch sent Cassie back a step.

  Alec stood up, frowning.

  "You can't—" she started.

  "I'm your aunt and Michael's cousin and I'm not going to have you running off with some street punk who appears and disappears for months at a time. If it were only you, that'd be bad enough. But with a baby…" The anger seeped through the line. "My God, Cassie... what would your father say? To me, to you—to Michael."

  "He'd want us to be happy." She fought to keep her voice calm, keep her temper in check. "You can't do this to us."

  "I only want what's best for Michael," Jean said. "You can't expect me to just sit back and let you sell off everything your father worked for and hand it all over to Alec."

  Alec put a finger to his lips as he moved closer, easily able to hear her raised voice.

  "Look, I..." Jean paused, choking up. "Look at it from my point of view. You take up with this guy and then he disappears, leaving you pregnant. Now he comes back, and you're dropping everything you have to go on the road with him, with a baby in tow?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Cassandra, what do you expect me to do?"

  Cassie bit her lip, her stomach twisting and turning.

  The worst thing was—Jean was right. If Cass had heard the same story about anyone in town, in the same situation, she'd respond like Jean had.

  If she only knew…

  Alec raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to one side. Michael grabbed the stuffed dolphin and threw it across the room.

  Cassie closed her eyes, tamping down the panic churning inside. "I hear what you're saying—listen, we'll talk all of this over when you get here. I'll pick you up at the airport, don't forget to send me the flight number." She steadied herself. "Safe travels, and we'll see you soon."

  She cut the connection and threw the phone onto the couch, prompting the baby to laugh and begin crawling toward the new toy.

  "What do we do?" She scrubbed her face with both hands. "Jean's not stupid. She's going to ask questions, too many. Where you were, our travel plans, reservations..."

  Alec nodded. "True. I guess we'll have to move up our travel date." He pointed at the window. "Slip away before any trouble can start."

  She stared at him. "But if we leave before she arrives..." Cass shook her head. "I can't do that to Jean. I promised we'd be here, and we will be. After that—"

  "Listen." He took her hands in his. "You'll have to decide what you and Michael want. I can't make it for you. I won't make it for you."

  "Our plans..."

  He led her to the couch, sitting down beside her. "We can still go, there's nothing stopping us from getting to the river. But if Jean causes trouble, I don't know if we'll be able to come back like we planned, to this house and to your friends. We might have to totally walk away from the land for months, maybe years, if she calls the authorities on us. I'll be honest, this might be the biggest decision of your life."

  A throbbing started behind her eyes, forcing her to close them. "I just need to think about this."

  Alec squeezed her hands before releasing them. "We've still got some time before we have to make any sort of decision. I'll take care of Michael. Rest up."

  The couch shifted as he stood up, calling out to the happy, giggling baby.

  Cassie laid her head back on the cushions, her mind spinning.

  Damn you, Jean.

  The options were limited. Tell her or don't tell her about Alec, about what he was—and Michael. The problem was if they chose to reveal the secret... how to approach it.

  She ran the words over in her mind, wincing as she imagined her saying them out loud.

  "Hey, Jean. Alec's an otter shapeshifter, his son as well, and he's managed to make me one too. So, if you don't mind, we'll be hitting the road for a bit to frolic in the underwater world until it's time to come back—so keep the house safe and locked up, we'll send you a postcard."

  But the alternative was to leave everything forever, abandon her life on the land—and Michael's possible future. The bar, the town, her friends...

  The next few days passed in a whirlwind of paperwork and banking, the sale of her half of the bar to Danny going through without any issues. The money was deposited into her account and the ownership transferred.

  Too soon, it was December 31st.

  "Her plane arrives in an hour," Cassie said as she crossed the living room, checking her watch. "I've got to leave now to pick her up in time. The traffic's going to be brutal, the airport crazy."

  Alec sat in the rocking chair, Michael napping in his arms after they'd all had lunch. He watched her pull on her coat and boots.

  "What are you going to do?" he asked softly, as not to wake the sleeping baby.

  "I don't know." She shook her head. "I can't even begin to think about how to tell her, if we tell her, about this. Us. But the alternative..."

  "I'm not going to lie; you're asking me to take a big risk if you want to tell her. But if you think you can trust her to keep our secret..." He stared at Cass, the slow motion almost hypnotizing her. "Please understand—my people, our people, we don't want everyone to know about us. That'd only lead to trouble. The handful of humans we've shared our existence with, they know the importance of keeping silent."

  "I can imagine."

  "No." The single word was softness on steel. "No, you can't. One of our biggest fears is to be caged up, poked by scientists who want to figure out who and what we are." He stared at Michael. "I can't subject him to that. I won't."

  "Don't—" The breath caught in her throat. "Please don't do anything until I come back with Jean." The nugget of fear rolled around her insides, chilling her soul. "Please, don't leave and take him with you."

  Alec shook his head. "You're his mother—I'd never do that to you. But I won't let Jean sell me to the military like some sort of test animal. If we have to run, we'll run."

  "She won't," Cassie said. "Not if I have anything to do with it." She looked at her watch. "I've got to go."

  "We'll be here when you get back. Promise." He gave her a soft smile, soothing over the raw wounds the fear had cut in her heart. "Don't worry. We're going to be just fine."

  As if to prove his point, Michael smacked his lips and let out a loud sigh.

  "Besides," Alec said, "It takes both of us
to handle him now. Can't wait until he hits the terrible twos…" He dramatically rolled his eyes upward.

  Holding back a laugh, Cassie headed for the car.

  She hadn't guessed wrong about the traffic—starting miles before the turn-off to get to the airport, bumper-to-bumper cars with a light snow falling over everyone and everything.

  By the time Cass found a parking spot in the near-full parking lot, she was running late—but a fast glance at the Arrivals screen showed Jean's flight was delayed, giving Cass a chance to catch her breath.

  The airport was busy, people racing from one place to the other—the security line was long and the shuttles coming in from the arriving flights packed full. Holiday travel in full blossom, joyful reunions taking place and tearful goodbyes as travelers left family and friends behind.

  Cass grabbed a cup of over-priced coffee and studied the board again. Jean's flight from Arizona had just arrived. She found a good spot to watch the shuttles empty out and sipped the hot drink, her mind still racing through the various options of how to deal with the situation.

  It was easy to pick Jean out in the midst of the people racing past, her slow, steady stride carrying her through the crowd with the ease of water flowing through a series of stones. She pulled a small suitcase behind her, the bright yellow case chugging along on plastic wheels.

  "Jean! Jean!" Cassie waved.

  The senior spotted her and slid through the organized mob, headed unerringly for Cassie's location.

  Jean let go of the handle, letting the case fall to the ground as she hugged Cassie. "So glad to see you. Sorry we ran late—hit a storm front and had to fight our way through."

  Cassie returned the hug with interest, honestly grateful. "Just glad you got here." She pulled back and gestured at the small carry-on. "Is that all you brought?"

  "I love to travel light." The white-haired woman smiled. "Did Michael like the toy I sent for Christmas?" She held up her tote. "I brought some clothing—I think you'll love them. If he hasn't outgrown them already. Every time you send me a picture, I can't believe how much bigger he's gotten."