Wyatt: The Stanton Pack—Paranormal Cougar Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “The trial starts Monday; did you remember that?” Wyatt told Sidney that he had forgotten. “This will be a good way to keep me distracted, I think. Cleaning it up alone should take us a couple of weeks, even with a crew. Also, I’ve spoken to Meggie, and she got back with me after I asked her about the staff. Most of them want to come and live around here. And if there are a few that don’t, she said that it would be fine, she’d find us more help. I cannot wait to have our first meal in the house as a family.”

  “Me either.”

  As he was closing his eyes, Wyatt remembered something else that Alma had told him. “When you find something that you love, you put down roots so tight that they’ll never be able to take it away from you. Roots are what makes a house a home. Your heart opens. It makes a family close. You put them roots down, young man, and have a good life.”

  He would too. Starting tomorrow morning.

  ~*~

  “I don’t know if I can do this.” Dane laughed at him. Jules looked out at the people that had come to help rally him along on this Election Day. “There are a great many people out there. What if they’re here to tell me to get a life?”

  The pop to the back of his head had him looking for his mom, but Sidney stood there. Her arms were crossed over her chest just like Mom, and she was tapping her foot. Very quickly too. He looked at Dane and realized that he’d get no help from her.

  “Let me go over a few things with you, since you obviously haven’t been paying attention to what you’ve been doing here. There is a new nursing home that opens soon. You did that. Not to mention, you got it built without extra funding that was available. There is not only a new kitchen at the grade school, but there is also a new one at the middle and high school.” He started to explain how Dane had helped him with that. “We’re not talking about the help you had, because had you not asked someone to help you find funding, there wouldn’t have been any. Now, where was I? Oh yes. There was a very profitable street fair this summer, as well as a clothing and food drive that not only packed up the shelter, but they have enough back stock that they can fill three times as many boxes of food for people than ever before. There is a lot more, but I’m sure that by now you’ve gotten the picture.”

  “I have. But—” Dane hit him on the back of the head this time. “If you guys keep this ups, I’m going to need therapy.”

  Tess walked by him and gave him a good pop too. When she smiled at him, he just backed up. There was forever something going on in his wife’s head that scared him just a little bit.

  “You will go out there right now, with me, and your lovely daughters in our arms, and wave. If you have nothing to say after that, then we’ll just simply stand up there on stage like a couple of morons until you can get your shit together and thank those people for voting for you.” He said yes, ma’am, and took two of his daughters. “I’m having back pains, and I’m thinking that if I don’t have this kid soon, I’m going to have to murder someone. And since you seem to be acting like you need a kick in the ass, I might just settle with that.”

  Jules walked out onto the stage when Tess did. Holding onto Ruby, he kissed Tess on the mouth, much to the amusement of the crowd. He had no idea now why he’d been so nervous. This was just what he wanted in the townspeople.

  Today was Election Day. He’d been out since early this morning when the polls had opened. He’d had three breakfasts since then, with his parents, the Ladies’ Club, and then he’d eaten with his children. It was one o’clock now, and he was starving again. He wondered if there was anything left from the lunch for the poll workers, and decided that he’d maybe send over more food for them and grab some of it.

  Jules had one person running against him. Charlie Bush was an older gentleman that had been around since he’d been a kid. His platform was that he wouldn’t be spending all the taxpayers’ money on needless things like parking meters downtown, which they didn’t have. Bush said that he would make sure that the roads were paved, unlike his opponent, who had ignored them in favor of food drives that had done just fine before. Jules had walked nearly all the streets, and couldn’t find a single pothole that was bigger than a baseball.

  Also, Bush decided that there needed to be more handicapped parking spaces in front of the pizza place that also was a bar. There was ample parking in front of and beside the bar every night as far as Jules could see. Dane pointed out that Bush had a handicapped card in his car.

  “So, he just wants more parking for himself.” Dane had told him that was what it looked like to her. “He seems to be making his campaign all about him.”

  “It would seem that way. Also, you should know that your predecessor is the one that wanted to put in parking meters on Main Street, but thought he shouldn’t have to pay them. That nearly got him lynched at one of the ladies’ meetings.”

  Jules was making notes of all the things that Bush was telling people that he was up to. Also, things that he wasn’t doing. It was a lot of petty stuff. However, a couple of them had been harsh and uncalled for. Today, he decided, it needed to be gone over again.

  “I’ve been walking around town today, shaking hands with people.” Tess said that he was eating too. “Yes. Well, if any of you have had Mrs. Bluebird’s apple scones, you’ll completely understand why I ate three times today. The last one, however, was with my lovely family. Anyway, I saw a great many of you putting the flags in your windows that were printed up for you in the paper. That right there shows how much you all love this country. I cannot thank you enough for that. I’m betting that every soldier walking around walks a little lighter today, with his head up too.”

  Someone shouted from the back that the parade was wonderful too. Jules was sure it was his dad, but couldn’t be positive. Thanking him, whoever it was, he said it had been a great deal of fun for everyone.

  “I also wanted to say once again that I had nothing to do with Mayor Windbreeze and what he was doing with the funding of this town. Since he’s been gone, I have devoted a great deal of my time to making sure that the money is placed in all the accounts it had been earmarked for.” People nodded, and he could hear clapping starting in the back of the room. As it grew, Ruby started clapping too, and Jules kissed his little girl on the forehead.

  “Jules, we have to go.” He told Tess that he had one more thing to add. “No. Now, we have to go now. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not have our son right here on the stage floor.”

  Tess must have called in his dad and mom before talking to him. As they came on stage with him, taking the twins, Ruby was set down on her feet and started waving at the crowd. Dane came and got her, but she didn’t stop waving. But it was her blowing kisses that had the crowd erupting in laughter.

  “Folks? Folks?” Dane whistled, and everyone quieted down. “I have to go. My wife, Tess, is in labor.”

  Picking Tess up in his arms, he kissed her on the mouth and made his way off the stage. Wyatt was there with Sidney, as well as all the rest of the family. Jules had to stop. His heart was beating so fast that he was afraid of having a heart attack. Tess pulled his face around to look at her.

  “You got this, Jules. Just take a deep breath and think about where we’re headed.” He said home. “Yes, that’s right. Take me home, and we’ll have us another baby to add to our ever-growing family.”

  Jules felt better after that. Carrying her to their car, he buckled her in and then kissed her again. He did have this. Driving to their home, only a short mile from where they’d been at the high school, he carried her into the house and up the stairs. The entire way, he kept telling her that he loved her and that she was going to be fine.

  Wyatt showed up a few minutes after he got her in bed. Mom came in to assist, and Dad was there as well. Not that Wyatt needed the extra help, but he had warned them that the baby was going to be large, and Tess was so tiny.

  “Jules, either pay attention or leave
. I can’t have you being in the way.” Nodding, Jules asked Wyatt what he could do. “Get up on the bed with Tess and hold her from behind. Just like I showed you the other day.”

  Getting behind Tess, Jules had a sudden thought. “Don’t let anything happen to her, Wyatt. I know you won’t, but I need her like I need my next heartbeat.”

  “She’s going to be just fine. I’m here, and there are others here that can help too. Just do what she needs. You got this.”

  Nodding, Jules paid attention. If he fucked this up, he’d hurt his wife and child. That thought kept going through his head over and over as Tess strained to bring James into the world. While Dad got the baby things ready for the baby, Mom assisted Wyatt.

  After what seemed like forever, Wyatt finally told Tess to push. The baby was laid up on her belly, and Jules could only stare at the biggest baby he’d ever seen. His son.

  “James Dexter weighed in at ten pounds four ounces. My goodness, he is a big boy. He’s just perfect.” Dad brought him over to them while Wyatt finished up helping Tess. “Here you go, son. Oh my, I just realized I was the second person to hold my grandson.”

  Wyatt laughed. “I could keep busy with all the babies I deliver from my family alone, I think.” Jules didn’t move as Tess nursed their baby. “Don’t shift for a few days, Tess. I’d give it a couple of days at least. You can pretty much do what you’ve been doing before so long as you don’t overdo it. Unless you’re going to knock around Jules. Jules? Congratulations. He’s a fine little boy.”

  “You and Sidney going to have kids soon?” Wyatt didn’t answer him. He wondered what that was about, but didn’t pursue it. He’d talk to him later about it. “I love you, Wyatt. Thanks for this. You have no idea how glad I am that you’re here for us.”

  Chapter 10

  Wyatt made his way down the stairs to find Sid. She was rocking one of the twins in one of the numerous rocking chairs that had been brought for the family. He watched her as she fed the bottle to who he thought was Leanna. She was a greedy little thing when it came to her bottle. Sid looked up at him, and he moved toward her.

  “Jules asked me when we were going to have children. I was right, they can’t smell that you’re breeding.” Sid kissed him on the mouth and then put her forehead to his. “I was wanting to ask you something. Do you think we could have children one at a time? I mean, Jules now has four children under the age of two. Three of them are infants.”

  “I’d like that too. That way we can screw them up one at a time rather than all of them at once.” Dad came into the room with Ruby. She was walking well now and ran over to the rocker. As she tried to climb up into Sid’s lap, Wyatt picked her up in his arms to tickle her. “I think someone is a little jealous of the new babies.”

  “She won’t be for long, I don’t think. They’ll be here most of her life, and she’ll get as used to them as they will her.” Blowing on her belly made the little girl laugh. “Dad, what do you say you and I go into town and get some subs to bring back for everyone? Dad?”

  “Yes. All right.” Dad seemed distracted, but Wyatt knew better than to try and get whatever it was out of him. Dad, much like Jules, would tell you when he had it all worked out in his head. “We’ll pick up a few desserts too while we’re at it. The polls will be closing in a few hours, but we can stop by there too if you’d like.”

  “We can do that.”

  Dad nodded. Ruby was put on the floor again and climbed up on the couch where Mom was. They were finding cartoons on the television when he and his dad left. Waiting on his dad to say something, Wyatt started to tell him about all the things he had set up at the new office.

  “I have everything hooked up. Levi has been painting both night and day in the rooms. I’m not allowed to see them until he has them all finished. I just want to go to the children’s room and see what he—”

  “I don’t want to retire.” Wyatt told him then he shouldn’t. “No. You don’t understand. I want to retire, but I don’t think I can give it up. Just walk away.”

  Choosing his words carefully, Wyatt asked his dad why he thought that he had to walk away completely. Dad didn’t answer him for several minutes, and Wyatt waited. He loved his dad and thought that the two of them working together would be epic.

  “Your mom and I are going on this cruise soon. All I can think about is how far away I’ll be should anyone need me. As I watched you deliver little James, I wanted to shove you out of the way and do it myself. Deep in my heart, I knew that you would do a much better job at this than I could, you being younger and more up on new things. It’s hard.” Wyatt laughed. “I don’t know why you think a man, your father, pouring out his heart is all that funny.”

  “It’s not that. You’re going to think this is funny too. When we bought the house, all I could think about was driving back and forth every time there was an emergency, and that I’d be no good to anyone.” Dad said that it was a long drive, but not too bad. “No, it’s not. And I’m going to be working there Wednesday through Saturday morning every week. I was working up the courage to ask you if you’d if you want to take some of the emergencies that come up when I’m too far away to deal with it. Tess is going to use a couple of the offices to see her patients when she needs to. Even Colton is going to use one for his clients. We might as well make it one big happy family office park, and you join us as well.”

  “I won’t get in the way.” Wyatt said that he never thought that he would. “Are you sure, son? I don’t want to take something away from you after your working so hard for it.”

  “Dad, I just bought a farmhouse and five thousand acres. I have so much on my plate right now, I’m spinning in circles. You’ll be happy to know that Les bought my house here in town. And Walker and his family are moving in with him. I think that’s a good beginning.” Dad said he thought so as well. “Addie is thinking about moving in with them too. The house is certainly large enough for their families.”

  “Wyatt, you’ve made this old man feel useful again. Your mom told me what you said about Thanksgiving. We’d love to come out and stay for a week. I can’t believe all my boys are all grown up and married now.” Wyatt hugged his dad. “I can’t believe it. I’m going to be working. I have to tell you, son. I’ve been thinking on this since I had to work on Dane when she came to us. To think, her coming to us opened things up so that you all got yourself married.”

  “I don’t think I’d tell Dane that she is the reason that we have mates. Her head is large enough.”

  They were both still laughing when they went into the sub place. After ordering, they made their way down to the polls office, only to be told they were closed up for dinner. Wyatt hadn’t realized that it had gotten to be so late.

  After going by and picking up some cakes and pies to take home, they headed back to the sub place. Looking around, he commented on how many improvements had happened since Jules took over in the early summer.

  “He’s been out and about most every day. I think he really enjoys talking to people and seeing what they have to say about this or that. He’s a social one. I never would have believed it either. When he was a child, he rarely was one that would start up a conversation with someone.” Wyatt said that having an outgoing wife could do that. “Yes, you’re right about that. Your mom, she did the same for me.”

  Heading back to the house, he was glad to see Tess up and about. He cautioned her again about taking it easy. She promised him that she would. As she sat down on the couch, Ruby climbed up into her lap and patted her belly.

  For the most part, Tess was back to her pre-pregnancy body. Being a shifter did that for a woman. There were other perks as well. Wyatt was just happy that with having a ten pound baby, she was doing so well.

  The subs were devoured, and then the teasing began. None of them could have a meal without an all-out war happening after someone brought up things they’d done as children. First,
it started out with one story, then it got to be a contest on which one of them could outdo the other on things they knew.

  Jules got up to leave the table about ten after seven. Christ, where had the day gone?

  When he came back, Wyatt was the first person to see him. He was pale—so pale, in fact, that his cat was right there on the surface. Jumping up to grab him when he staggered into the room, Wyatt helped him to his seat. Before he could ask him what had happened, he spoke to him in a strangled whisper.

  “I won.” Wyatt asked him what he’d won. “I’m mayor. Not by default, but they voted me in to take the town over.”

  The cheering went up, and it was Dane who got around to asking him how many votes he’d gotten. Or, more importantly, how many Bush had gotten. Jules was laughing then, so hard that it took him a few seconds to speak.

  “One.” Dane asked him if he meant one hundred. “No. One. That means if Bush voted for himself, that’s the vote he got.”

  “Are you telling us that his wife voted for you?” Jules said to Dad that was the only explanation. “I don’t believe it. His own wife didn’t even vote for the idiot. And you know they post those numbers when they say who is in the lead on the news. I have to turn it on and see.”

  Dad turned on the television in the living room where Tess was resting. As soon as the news was on, the newscasters were laughing. Not hardily like they all had been, but just laughing like they’d heard a good joke. Then one of them said it.

  “I’d hate to be in his house right now, wondering if his wife forgot to vote or if she didn’t vote for him. I’m betting he’s hoping that in all the things going on, she simply forgot. I know that I would.”