The Keeping

by Nicky Charles

  *****

  Ryne entered the house and ran his hands through his windswept hair. Typical spring. After an unseasonably warm two weeks, last night’s storm had blown in a cold front. A northerly wind whipped over the land causing the tree branches to sway and the remains of last year’s leaves—still wet from the rain—to blow about, their damp, clammy surface hitting against his legs and face more than once.

  Removing the tree hadn’t been very hard work; still he was glad to get back inside. Cold weather didn’t bother him, but he hated the wind. It swirled a myriad of scents around him, confusing him as to the direction of their source. Sound distorted as well and the bits of debris flying by made him over-alert to the movement around him. Yes, all in all, windy days made him feel as if he was losing touch with some of his senses and he didn’t like the experience at all. It made him jumpy and irritable.

  Now that he was inside, he could relax again—well almost. He sniffed the air catching the scent of fresh coffee and Melody. When last he’d seen her, she’d still been flushed and smelling of sex. His inner wolf rumbled approval at the idea. He’d had more beautiful and more experienced women, but the sex this morning with Melody had been… different. There was something about her that appealed to him.

  Unfortunately, therein lay the danger. The last thing he should be doing was getting involved with a nosey journalist. He needed to keep a clear head around her; watching what he said, analyzing her questions for any hint that she knew what he really was. One slip on his part, or by Bryan or Daniel, and their cover would be blown. If that happened, he knew what he had to do, and being involved with the girl would just make the task all the harder.

  This morning—having sex with her—had definitely been a mistake on his part. It hadn’t been planned, but when she’d frowned at him… Well, he wasn’t used to having women frowning while in his bed, let alone in his arms. It was supposed to be just a bit of teasing; a few kisses and caresses—but once he’d started, he hadn’t wanted to stop. Not one used to denying himself, he’d let his lustful wolf take over.

  Self-retribution had followed once he was in the shower and had a clearer head. ‘Bad move, Taylor,’ he scolded himself. She could be—very possibly was—the enemy. His plan of giving her a quick and highly abridged interview didn’t include having sex. He was supposed to be acting like an ass, offensive and uncooperative so that she’d hurry on her way. With this in mind, he’d purposely been a jerk towards her this morning, brushing off the encounter, no tender words… Hurt and confusion had been evident in her eyes and, while he wasn’t the most sensitive of guys, he usually didn’t treat his women that way. Still, he’d steeled himself to do what was necessary and left her thinking the worst of him, despite the fact that his wolf was moving restlessly within him.

  Maybe he should have just told her to go away in the first place, but from what he’d observed thus far, Melody wouldn’t give up that easily. At least this way he knew what she was doing and could dole out measured bits of information—enough to make it seem real, but never anything important. Yes, it was still the best plan. He just had to keep his mind focused on the possible threat she could pose, rather than her other interesting qualities.

  Setting his jaw, Ryne firmed his resolve and went off to find his unwanted guest.

  Chapter 18

  After leaving Ryne’s house, Mel went home, changed her clothes, then tried to concentrate on a list of questions to ask the man. Forcing all thoughts of their early morning encounter out of her head, she tried to view him as dispassionately as possible. What should she start with? He was a reluctant participant, so she didn’t want to put him on the defensive with the very first question. Hmm… Tapping her pen against her lips, she considered the problem, then settled on the tried and true; basic background. There was nothing threatening about that. Date and place of birth seemed pretty safe, followed by where he grew up and what schools he attended. Then she could move on to his work inquiring about how he had started in photography and did he have any formal training. After jotting down her ideas, she sat back and considered the situation further.

  She tried to imagine herself as someone interested in nature pictures. What would she want to know? Why was he interested in nature photography rather than people or buildings? How did he choose his subjects? What kind of cameras did he use? Were there special techniques that differed from other forms of photography? Any special considerations? Oh yes, and the locations. How did he select them and where had he taken pictures previously? Aldrich had conveyed that Greyson was particularly interested in the locations of the pictures. Personally, Mel didn’t think it was that important, but she wasn’t the one paying for the article now, was she?

  The true story of the missing sales associate and the pilfered money would be interesting tidbits of information, but Mel scratched them from her list. If she asked, then Ryne would know she’d been talking to the people at Bastian’s Gallery in Smythston. For some reason, she felt it prudent to not let him know she’d been there.

  Setting her papers aside, she contemplated the rest of her day. It was noon by time she’d left Ryne’s, declining the offer of lunch which had been enthusiastically delivered by Bryan and Daniel and only grudgingly acknowledged by Ryne. He hadn’t pressed her to stay, nor acted as if anything had happened between them, so Mel decided he really had just wanted sex—the asshole. The man obviously never had any real interest in her; she’d just been a convenience, someone to help him relieve his morning hard-on. Well, that was fine with her. She could be just as blasé about it as him. After all, she wasn’t going to be in Stump River that long anyway. Just don’t expect a repeat performance, she added darkly.

  A glance at her watch told her it was only three o’clock. How should she spend the rest of the day? There was no TV to watch and the card games loaded on her computer were beginning to bore her after a week of playing them each night. If she’d had an internet hook up, she could have done some research on Lycans. It was a fascinating fantasy world that people had created and she planned on spending some more time reading up on the topic tomorrow, just out of curiosity.

  Mel picked up the romance novel she’d been reading, but after a few pages, set it down. Since her encounter with Ryne, the sex in the story just wasn’t that interesting anymore. She stared out the window at the woods. The wind had finally died down and the sun shone brightly. Maybe she could take a walk.

  Without further thought, she grabbed her coat and stepped outside. The temperature was cool, but not so cold as to prevent her from enjoying the day. After spending most of her life in the city, the idea of having nature just outside her door was rather exciting. Mindful of the possibility of wolves, she decided not to walk too far, keeping the cabin in sight.

  As she tromped along, Mel tried to view the land as Ryne might, from a photographer’s point of view. Light and shadows, angles and background, unusual subject matter. It was amazing that, when she actually looked, there were a lot of things to see in the forest. Kneeling, she peered at some moss growing on the side of a tree. Up close it was actually rather interesting; tiny little fronds of bright green clinging to the rough grey bark; and the bark itself was so textured and varying in shades. She ran her hand over the moss and then the trunk, marvelling at the contrasting feel of each. With an eye out for minute details, she continued exploring the edge of the forest near the cabin, pausing every few feet to examine some new wonder that she’d never noticed before.

  By the time she was finished, an hour had passed and Mel was full of enthusiasm for nature photography. In fact, she was itching to try some herself and wondered how much an inexpensive digital camera would set her back. She’d have to ask Ryne when she saw him next. A frown passed over her at the thought of the man. The way he kept blowing hot then cold—make that somewhat friendly then rudely sarcastic—made him difficult to deal with. Half the time she actually liked him, but the rest of the time, she just wanted to give him a good swift kick. Well, she’d ask him a
bout the camera before she kicked him.

  Her stomach chose that moment to rumble and she realized that, aside from some toast and several cups of coffee, she hadn’t eaten yet that day. The thought of cooking wasn’t overly appealing, so she decided to head to town and see what Al was cooking at Ruth’s. She hurried back to the cabin, grabbed her purse and keys, and drove to town to placate her grumbling stomach.

  *****

  Parking the car outside the diner, Mel suddenly hesitated, her hand on the key. Lucy would be inside, working. Damn! How could she have forgotten her new friend? Double damn! Mel closed her eyes as guilt washed over her; she’d had sex with Lucy’s man this morning and broken one of her own basic rules: no poaching. What kind of a person was she, to let something like that completely slip her mind? She almost hit the steering wheel in frustration, but caught herself at the last moment, not wanting a repeat of the ‘stuck horn’ incident. Instead, she curled her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms. The pain was a welcome penance for her misdeeds.

  Through the window, she could see Lucy serving the various tables. The woman was laughing at something one of the customers said, while skillfully balancing a heavy tray of food in one hand and pouring coffee with the other. Lucy really was something. Once you got past the slightly ungrammatical speech, layers of makeup, bleached blonde hair, and too tight tops, there was a warm, generous person underneath. A person who willingly offered friendship to a newcomer… and Mel had betrayed her.

  Ryne and Lucy were… Well, Mel wasn’t quite sure exactly what they were, but they were something. And now she felt awful. Ryne was Lucy’s property, despite what the woman might say otherwise. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want Ryne? Lucy had seen him first and so it should have been hands off. Mind you, Ryne laid his hands on Mel first, but she didn’t do much protesting. Mel’s stomach clenched. Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? And what should she do about it now? If she told Lucy, the woman would be hurt, yet if she didn’t tell her, someone else might.

  Would Ryne say something to the waitress next time he saw her? No, he didn’t seem like the kiss and tell type. But what about Daniel and Bryan? They both knew something had gone on this morning, if their knowing grins were any indication. Mel flushed remembering how Bryan had looked at her and winked. Still, they probably wouldn’t mention the matter to Lucy, either.

  Okay. So the only way Lucy would find out, would be if Mel told her and she certainly wouldn’t do that, would she? But if she didn’t, it was lying by omission and Mel didn’t like to lie to her friends. Yet the truth might hurt more than the lie. Minutes passed while Mel wavered back and forth. Finally, she huffed in exasperation at herself, got out of the car and went inside, deciding to gently broach the subject of having lunch with Ryne yesterday and gauge Lucy’s reaction. If there was any spark of jealousy then… well… she wasn’t sure what she’d do, but at least she’d have a better sense of Lucy’s feelings.

  Entering the diner, Mel slid onto her usual chair, picked up the menu, and studied it, all the while watching for Lucy out of the corner of her eye. It was busy in the diner, no one apparently wanting to cook on Sunday night. Good, Mel thought. Lucy would have less time to spend chatting. Stiffening her spine, Mel made a selection and waited, with only a minor sense of impending doom, for the waitress to arrive.

  “Hey Mel! You don’t usually come this late. Did you have a busy day?” Lucy bustled up; a blonde curl bobbing up and down beside her ear was the only evidence that the woman had been working hard this shift. She leaned her hip against the table top as if she planned to stay for a few minutes.

  “Umm, yeah. I was busy working on questions for my article.”

  “The one with Ryne? How did your meeting go with him?” Lucy’s eyes sparkled with interest.

  “Meeting?” Mel could feel heat creeping up her neck. The meeting was what had started the whole mess.

  “Yeah—the one Harley delivered the message for? Or did the big storm keep you from going? I heard there were some trees down across the roads and some power lines too.” She frowned and tucked the wayward curl behind her ear.

  Mel swallowed, but forced herself to answer calmly. “No, the storm didn’t stop me from going to Ryne’s house.” It only kept me from leaving, she added in her head.

  “Great. I’ve never been to his place—oh damn! Table six wants more coffee. I’ve got to go. Do you know what you want? The chicken parmesan is really tasty.”

  “That sounds good.” Mel agreed not recalling what she’d previously selected, just thankful Lucy had to leave before she asked any more questions.

  “Great. I’ll be back in just a minute.” As she walked away, Lucy yelled Mel’s order into the kitchen and the cook grunted in reply.

  Mel nibbled on her thumb nail and when she realized what she was doing, clutched her hands together in her lap. She hardly ever chewed her nails anymore, which just went to prove how guilty she was feeling over Ryne. Hopefully all the customers in the diner would be very demanding and leave Lucy no time for idle chatter. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sent up a little prayer to that effect and then slowly opened her eyes to check the results of her missive.

  As per usual, it had the exact opposite effect that she’d hoped for. A table of eight diners were standing up preparing to leave and two smaller parties were also showing signs of finishing their meal.

  “Here you go, Mel. Enjoy. I’ll be back later to chat.” Lucy breezed by and set a plate of food in front of her.

  With little appetite left, Mel placed her napkin in her lap, and picked up her utensils. Half-heartedly she began to cut the chicken into small pieces, but only pushed them about her plate, making a show of actually caring what was in front of her. Damn, damn, damn. Why had she given in to Ryne this morning? If only she’d been stronger, if only she’d thought before she’d acted…

  “How’s that dinner?” Al called out to her from the serving window between the kitchen and dining area, causing Mel to start in surprise. She looked at her plate. The food was now in small enough pieces that even a baby could eat it.

  “Delicious.” Mel answered Al’s question, pasting a smile on her face, and popping a piece of food into her mouth. She chewed with feigned enthusiasm. It probably tasted wonderful, but at the moment she was sure sawdust would have been just as palatable. Taking a sip of water, Mel washed the chicken down then stared unseeing at the food in front of her again. To tell Lucy or not to tell Lucy, that was the question. Now, if she only knew the answer.

  She ran through the imaginary conversation in her head. “Hey, Lucy. I have something to tell you. I’m really sorry. It wasn’t supposed to happen, but… I had sex with Ryne this morning.”

  “What was that, Mel?”

  Mel blinked and realized Lucy was standing in front of her. Oh no! Had she really spoken those words out loud? Surely not.

  “You had sex with who this morning?” Lucy grinned, slid into the empty chair opposite Mel, and leaned in close, resting her elbows on the table top. She was obviously eager for a juicy bit of gossip.

  “Er… no one.”

  “You had sex with no one? You mean you were… um… self-servicing?”

  “No!” Mel felt heat rising in her face at the assumption.

  “Hey, no need to be embarrassed. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. If you’re all tensed up and—”

  “Lucy!” Mel slunk down a bit in her seat and hoped no one could overhear the conversation.

  “Then who? And don’t give me any of that ‘no one’ business. I can see a love bite on your neck.”

  Mel clapped her hand to her neck. She hadn’t notice that when she took a shower!

  Lucy giggled, sounding immensely pleased with herself. “Gotcha! Relax, there’s nothing there. I was just tricking you into revealing the truth. You did have sex with someone, though. Now give. Which local stud got lucky?”

  With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Mel stared down at the table and whispered
the truth. “I’m really sorry, Lucy. I hate to have to be the bearer of bad news. I didn’t mean to but… I had sex with Ryne.” Mel winced, waiting for the fallout. When none came, she hazarded a peak up at her friend.

  A quizzical look graced the waitress’s face. “So… ? What’s the bad news?”

  “That I had sex with Ryne.”

  “You’re kidding me, right? Sex with Ryne is never bad.” Lucy cocked her head to the side and frowned.

  Not sure why Lucy wasn’t grasping the gravity of the situation, Mel explained again. “The sex wasn’t bad. It was great. But it was with Ryne. Your Ryne.”

  Lucy blinked. “Well of course it would be with my Ryne. He’s the only Ryne around here that I know of… Oh!” She gave an amused snort. “Did you think I was going to be upset? Mel, I already told you we don’t have that kind of relationship.”

  “I know what you said, but… I still thought that maybe you were just saying that.”

  “Mel, we’re just ‘friends with benefits.’ Ryne’s a nice guy, but he’s not the one for me. Hell, he might not be ‘the one’ for anyone; he’s too much of a player.” She shook her head and smiled reminiscently. “When I first met him, I wondered if maybe he was the right guy, but he isn’t. He’s a good man, but I want someone who’ll take me away from all this.” She flourished her order pad and gestured around the room. “Not some guy who’s planning on spending the rest of his life in Stump River.”

  “You don’t like it here?” Mel furrowed her brow, trying to understand what the woman was saying.

  “Oh, I like it fine, but I also want to make a new start. Here, I’m just good old Lucy. All the guys… er… know me, if you get my drift, but none of them really want to settle down with me.” The server’s eyes suddenly seemed lonely and a bit wistful. Mel reached across and grabbed her hand, somehow knowing that behind her happy, carefree facade Lucy had more than a few scars on her heart.

  “Lucy, you’re a wonderful person. Any man would—”