Collecting the Pieces

by L. A. Fiore

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The first time we exchanged words was down an alley near the grocery store. I felt him, can’t explain it, but I felt him. When I told him that he grew really quiet. Asked me if I’d taken anyone to my bed since Jake and then he took a huge step back, but not before telling me all the things he wanted to do to me but how he wouldn’t because I was the kind of woman who needed the ring and the name or the promise of them to come.”

  “And yet he was there that day at the farm. He wouldn’t leave your side. Stayed when the doctor examined you, stayed while you slept for two days straight. He’d only just left your room to shower when you woke.”

  “I can’t explain his behavior, Rylee. He acted like Abel that morning, teasing me like he does, and then he walked out without a word and headed home. And the really twisted part, I’m not sure if I’m upset that he left or relieved. I like him, genuinely like him. Under his arrogance, there’s a really good guy. But he’s so dynamic, such a big personality. He fascinates me almost as much as he scares me.”

  “Why does he scare you?”

  “Because I know if I gave myself the chance, I could really fall for him and that’s terrifying.”

  “You can’t be afraid to live, Sid.”

  “I know. I tell myself that often and still it’s a knee-jerk reaction because I know how much living can hurt. Anyway, it doesn’t matter since he’s with Carly.”

  “He’s not with Carly.”

  It was a moot point now and still I felt the impact of those words right down to my bones. “How do you know?”

  “Jayce. Duncan’s in love with her, she’s in love with him.”

  “Ah…that actually makes a lot of sense.”

  “It doesn’t though. Why’s the boy dragging his feet? It drives Jayce crazy.”

  “Because Duncan thinks Abel and Carly are an item and have been since they were kids.”

  “He told you that?”

  “Yeah, but he didn’t have to say anything. His expression when he saw Abel and Carly together said it all. He was tormented watching them.”

  “Men can be such fools. Abel is included in that statement.”

  “You won’t get any arguments from me.”

  “Yes, I’ll get steak.”

  “And something sweet for dessert. Chocolate cake or strawberry shortcake,” Rylee added.

  It was grocery day and Rylee had to work hence the phone call with all her cravings.

  “And Nutella.”

  “It’s all on the list, Rylee.”

  “Okay. I’ll grill up the steaks when I get home.”

  “Deal.”

  “I’ve got to go. Mrs. O’Reilly’s here and Salem is hissing like no one’s business.”

  “Don’t forget to wear gloves.”

  “Yeah, I learned that lesson the last time. See you later.”

  Dropping my phone in my purse, I moved down the vegetable aisle and was bagging some tomatoes when someone crowded up next to me. It took a minute to place the face and annoyance moved through me when I did.

  “Remember me?”

  He was the dick that day on the trail taking pictures on his phone, the one who harassed the elderly. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

  “I just got my phone back.”

  “You shouldn’t have been taking pictures of her.”

  He moved even closer, which alarmed me because the man was unhinged. “I can do whatever I want.”

  “Step back.”

  “You should learn to mind your own business.”

  It was on my tongue to rebuff him, but I was fairly certain the man was insane and it was unwise to engage a crazy person. I tried to make my leave. “Excuse me.”

  He blocked my exit. “I’ll be seeing you again.”

  “Back the fuck off, Sammie, now.”

  My eyes sought my rescuer, Keith Roberts.

  “This doesn’t involve you, Keith.”

  “Yeah, it does. You’re in her space. She doesn’t want you there. Back the fuck off.”

  Keith would be dead if looks could kill, but Sammie scurried off, thankfully.

  “You okay, Sidney?”

  “I am now. Thanks for stepping in.”

  “You’re welcome. Sammie’s a pain in the ass. He always has been.”

  I thought he was a bit more than that, but I kept it to myself.

  He glanced in my cart. “Steak for dinner?”

  “It is. My roommate has been having a hankering.” I had intended to call him, to take him up on his offer of dinner, so I offered it now. “Would you like to join us? I’d really like to thank you properly for making Sammie go away.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I’d really like to.”

  “Okay, yeah that’d be great.”

  “I’ll text you my address.”

  “I’ll stop for beer.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Is this a date?” Rylee asked as she sat on the counter eating the vegetables Jayce was chopping for the salad.

  “Yeah, I guess it is.”

  She almost choked on the carrot she munched on. “Are you serious?”

  “It’s time.”

  She jumped off the counter and pulled me into a tight hug. “I never thought this day would come.” She held me at arm’s length; her expression full of understanding on just how big a step this was for me. “He’d want this for you. You know that right?”

  “I do.”

  “Does this mean the rings are coming off?”

  “Yes, but I’m keeping his sweater and jersey.”

  Her smile took up her whole face. “That sounds like a good compromise.”

  “That was delicious. Thank you.” Keith looked a bit wary and I completely understood. Though Cain didn’t bare his teeth or growl, he didn’t appear to be a big fan of Keith’s. I had to put Cain in the shelter because I didn’t want to take the chance. He was the first person that Cain had a negative reaction to.

  “How are your parents?” Jayce asked Keith as he reached for his beer.

  “They’re good. I think they’re finally ready to retire. They love the farm, but they’re getting too old to keep up with it.”

  “I get that. I’m surprised you stayed on. I thought you were eager to leave Sheridan in search of some big city where you could make a go of your music.”

  “Sometimes life has different plans for us. Maybe one day I’ll get there.”

  “You’re a musician?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Guitar and piano.”

  “He writes his own stuff too. His band, Gray Matter, had quite the following growing up.”

  “Do you still play?” Rylee asked.

  “We catch a few gigs during the year.”

  “When you have your next one, let us know. Right, Sidney?”

  “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

  Rylee stood and reached for her and Jayce’s dishes. “We’re having strawberry shortcake for dessert. I can’t wait another minute.”

  I watched as Keith drove off. It had been a nice evening, very comfortable and also clear that there was absolutely no chemistry between us. I wasn’t alone in that observation. Keith felt it too and I knew this because sometime during the evening it went from awkward first date to just friends hanging out having a good time. Keith hadn’t even sat with me; he’d been across the room by Jayce. Something I was completely fine with. I had convinced myself I was ready to move on, and I was. Unfortunately for me, my sudden wish to move on wasn’t so much in general, like I had hoped, but specific to one individual.

  Jayce had left earlier. I hadn’t missed the way he stared at me all night. He looked a bit smug, but what he was thinking I hadn’t a clue. Rylee was head over heels for him. I liked them together; the easiness of them reminded me of how it had always been with me and Jake.

  My thoughts turned to the scene at the grocery store more often than I liked, but I got a bad vibe from Sammie. And maybe I had watched one too many crime shows,
but the fact that he was there when Belinda had been found, was the only person snapping pictures…he could just be a morbid bastard or his interest could be something altogether more sinister.

  Walking around back, I headed to Cain. I hated that I had to lock him up. He didn’t seem to hold it against me though. He came right up to me as soon as I approached.

  “Maybe next week you’ll come inside.”

  Those pale eyes looked right into mine like he knew what I was saying. He really was magnificent; the similarity between him and Abel was not lost on me, both with that inky black hair and those pale blue eyes. And both were dangerous and wild. Just thinking about Abel stirred more in me than the entire evening with Keith.

  “Night, handsome. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  It wasn’t a surprise when I finally found sleep that I dreamt of Abel.

  We were at the Brass Bull, Keith, Ichabod and Jeshaiah. Jayce and Rylee. Even Chris and Mr. Milburn were there. Everyone had come out but Duncan who was visiting Carly later. I rarely overdrank, but sometimes it felt nice to let your hair down and lose yourself for a bit. I wasn’t drunk, tipsy, but Lorelei found my altered state amusing.

  Ichabod and I had turned our stools around and were watching the people on the bull.

  “You ever do that?” I asked him.

  “Yeah, it’s not so hard.”

  “I think I want to try it.”

  His head turned, his teeth showing from the smile that cracked over his face. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah.”

  “The big guy, that’s Bo. Couldn’t ask for a better teacher. Go for it.”

  “I think I will.”

  Jumping from my stool, I made my way through the tables to the bull just as Bo finished his ride. Green eyes landed on me as a grin tugged at his mouth. “Are you interested in trying this?”

  “I am.”

  “All right.” He climbed down and was rather graceful about it considering his size. “I’m Bo.”

  “Sidney.”

  “Have you ever done this, Sidney?”

  “No, but Ichabod said you were a good teacher.”

  “He’s not wrong. How about I help you up and we’ll go from there.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Stepping into the Brass Bull, I was surprised to see the actual bar empty; it was usually teaming with people at this hour. I settled on a stool and flagged Lorelei for a drink. She was laughing, her focus across the room, but she headed over with my beer as soon as she saw me.

  “Hey, Abel. You’re back.”

  “Yeah, I came to check on Carly.” And that was true, but really it was a certain doc that drew me home. I didn’t understand what I felt for her, but I’d be a fool not to explore it despite living clear across the state.

  “You came back just in time.” There was a twinkle in her eyes when she said that but she didn’t linger long enough for me to ask what the hell she meant by it. She moved back down the bar, her focus across the room again.

  Jayce joined me. Where the hell had he come from? “Abel, what’s up?”

  “Came back to check on Carly.”

  “Oh yeah. How’s she doing?”

  “I haven’t seen her yet.”

  The fucker looked smug, suspected he knew I was lying as to why I came back. Confirmed when he said, “Have you heard about Sidney and Keith Roberts?”

  My fingers tightened so hard on the mug I was surprised it didn’t shatter in my grasp. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “I had dinner at their place the other night. Rylee was ecstatic that Sidney was finally dating. And it was a date. Sidney confirmed it. She’s ready, even said she was taking off her rings. That is some seriously good timing for Keith.”

  The urge to hurl my mug across the room was strong. I managed to battle that shit back.

  “I’m kidding, she’s not with him. It took all of an hour for them both to realize it would never happen. Which is good since I kind of thought you and she were heading somewhere.”

  The asshole didn’t need me in this conversation since he just kept running his mouth. “Her wolf wasn’t really thrilled with Keith. She had to lock him up because he looked as if he wanted to rip out Keith’s jugular.”

  Smart fucking wolf. “Wait, she still has the wolf?”

  “She’s keeping the damn thing. It follows her, the sound of her voice, her scent. Never seen anything like it.”

  “She’s adopted the wolf?”

  “Half wolf, she ran its DNA because of some state law. She’s gotten a license for it and everything. She’s like the collector of lost causes. Those two old cats, that new one she adopted, he’s like her sidekick now.”

  Collector of lost causes, sounded about right. Somehow that was fitting, the idea of Sidney taming wild animals. If anyone could tame me, it would be her.

  “You haven’t heard the best part. Guess what she’s calling the wolf?”

  “What?”

  “Cain.”

  Fuck me.

  “Yeah, so Keith isn’t competition, but Bo is another story.”

  I swear to God, Jayce wasn’t making any fucking sense “What?”

  He jerked his head; my attention followed his gesture and now I understood why the bar was empty because everyone was around the bull. And there was Sidney sitting atop the mechanical bull. Her face was tilted up as she laughed causing her hair to cascade down her back. And standing so fucking close to her they could have been conjoined was Bo. He had his one hand on her hip and the other at the small of her back. I swear to God I felt like her wolf because I wanted to rip out Bo’s jugular and I liked Bo.

  “She’s got some skill on that bull. They make a handsome couple don’t you think?”

  “You’re a fucking ass.”

  “I’m the ass?” He turned serious then. “Do you realize what you walked away from?”

  Turning my back on Sidney before I gave in to what my body demanded—killing Bo and throwing her over my shoulder—I instead glared at Jayce since he was closer. “What the fuck are you talking about now?”

  “Three years man. Three years and not one person could penetrate her sorrow until you. And I know you felt something because it is out of character for you to be noble. You want something and you take it and to hell with the consequences. But you didn’t take her. You let her go.”

  “Jesus, are you seriously trying to get into my head?”

  “I just think it’s interesting that you would act so chivalrously.”

  “I’m heading back to Cheyenne, remember? Starting something up with her when I’m leaving makes no sense.” Even though I had every intention of starting something up with her. I stood and reached for my wallet.

  “I’ve got this,” Jayce said, but he wasn’t being smug. If I had detected even a little arrogance, I’d have knocked his fucking head off. “I didn’t mean to piss you off, but I thought you should know. She just met Bo tonight. There’s nothing going on there.”

  Heat burned in my gut causing my focus to shift to find Sidney’s gaze on me. And it was there in those big brown eyes, so easy for me to read. She wanted me as much I wanted her.

  Too worked up to act in any way but a caveman, I turned and walked out. Climbing onto my bike, I needed the wind; needed the freedom that came with riding. I drove around for a while, but before long I found myself pulling up Sidney’s drive. Her Cherokee was the only car in the drive, but I suspected she was still at the bar. I told myself I was there because I wanted to see her wolf; a part of me was curious to see how he’d react to me. And that was true, but I wasn’t leaving here without her. Suspected I might have my work cut out for me, I’d walked away from her twice, but I could be persuasive when needed. The pen was a decent size, the shelter nice and sturdy. And standing right in the middle of the space was a black wolf. He might be half dog but he looked all wolf. He was big, bigger than your typical wolf. He was fucking regal. And she’d named him Cain.

  “Hey handsome. I’v
e got dinner.”

  My entire body turned hard. She was home already. I fucking loved knowing that. I’d forgotten that husky-edge to her voice, hearing it had my balls tightening. She hadn’t seen me yet, her focus on the food in the bowl. A large, fat, orange cat walked beside her, rubbing up against her leg, and fuck me, I wanted to rub up against her leg. As I watched, her body became aware of me before she even saw me. It was likely the same heat I had felt just an hour ago, something I felt whenever she was near. Her head turned, surprise and joy in those soulful brown eyes before she shut it down.

  “Abel. What are you doing here?”

  “Home so soon.”

  Anger replaced joy and just under that was hurt.

  “Are you dating Bo?” Knew she wasn’t, still wanted to be a dick about it.

  “How is that any of your business?”

  I moved in, not too close, but close enough that she’d feel me all around her. “Are you dating Bo?”

  “No, I only just met him.”

  With that confession, she blushed and the sight was nearly as good as her husky voice. “You’re keeping the wolf?”

  “I think he’s keeping me.”

  Again, smart fucking wolf. “What’s his name?” It was fucking rude of me to ask, I knew his name so knew I was putting her on the spot, but I so enjoyed the expressions that moved across her face.

  She squared her shoulders and her chin took on a defiant tilt before she looked me right in the eyes. “His name is Cain.”

  Taking a play from her book I asked, “Why?”

  Her lips turned up on the one side at my question. “He reminds me of you.”

  “Why?”

  Her focus shifted to the wolf. “Look at him. Dark, dangerous and beautiful.”

  I had never wanted a woman as badly as I wanted her. I wanted to feel her skin against mine, her taste on my tongue. The cat was glaring at me, as if he’d staked his claim and didn’t like me looking. Tough shit. “Who’s your guardian?”

  She bent down and picked him up with one hand, easy since he all but crawled up her arm and I swear to fucking God that animal grinned at me.