Third Time a Charm: Wolves of Gypsum Creek

by Serena Meadows

  She pulled away from him. “Why not? It was nice,” she said, still a little breathless.

  Jessie shook his head. “It’s impossible, Sophie; you know how I live, and I could never ask you to live like that.”

  Sophie looked up at him, then said a little crossly, “I don’t think that’s for you to decide.” she said, surprising him.

  Jessie cupped her face in his hands again, wishing that life could be different. “Take care of yourself, Sophie,” he said, then kissed her once more and left her standing on the porch.

  It was the hardest thing he’d ever done, to walk away from Sophie, to leave her standing on her porch in the dark, but he didn’t dare stay a second longer. He only went far enough so that she couldn’t see him, then stood under the trees and watched her pick up the gun and shells and go into the cabin.

  A light came on briefly and then went dark, and he knew that she’d gone to bed. He settled down for a long night of watching the dark cabin and the woman who’d just turned his life upside down.

  It would have been so much better if she’d rejected his kiss, pushed him away in disgust. Instead, she’d kissed him back, then stood up to him when he’d tried to stop what had barely started. Leaning his head against the tree, he remembered the fire in her eyes when she’d stood up for herself and felt desire wash over him again.

  One thing was clear: if he were around her much more, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from falling for her. Part of him knew how terrible that would be for them both, but another part didn’t care, wanted just once to know what the love of a woman felt like.

  He wondered what Sophie would think if she knew that she was the first woman he’d ever kissed, that at the age of thirty he was still a virgin. It wasn’t that he hadn’t had the opportunity on the rare trips he made down the mountain with his cousin; in the city, no one knew him.

  But a one-night stand had never appealed to him;, when he was finally with a woman, he wanted it to mean something. He wasn’t looking for meaningless sex; he wanted love and passion, he wanted a connection. Sighing because he knew what he wanted would never be available to him, he settled down for the night.

  ***Sophie***

  Sophie’s lips were still tingling as she crawled into bed, wishing Jessie had come in instead of disappearing into the forest. She’d never known that just a kiss could make her feel so much, that just the touch of his lips on hers could make her entire body hum with pleasure.

  She held her hand up in the darkness and looked at the finger that until a few months ago had held a diamond ring. A ring that was supposed to represent Duncan’s love for her, but had really been a symbol that he owned her, and it made her shiver to think that she’d almost let him.

  There had been no romance between them; he’d shown up in her life, and before she knew it, her father was announcing their engagement. Everyone around her had been so excited and happy, talking about what a perfect match they were, that she’d gotten wrapped up in their excitement.

  But she should have known that something was wrong when Duncan seemed fine with their separation while she was in college. She should have known that his patience with their physical relationship was a sign that something was wrong too, but she’d been young and innocent, and had assumed that the fault was hers.

  When she’d finally gotten brave enough to ask, he’d given her a long speech about respect, then kissed her chastely on the lips. It left her a little bit baffled but eventually she convinced herself that he was such a good person that he wanted to wait for their wedding night.

  But then one night, he showed up at her apartment drunk and demanded that they make their relationship real. Sophie was overjoyed at first, but that joy soon turned to disappointment when the experience left her sore and frustrated.

  Duncan seemed to only care for his pleasure, didn’t even take the time to kiss her, and it was over so fast she wasn’t even sure it had happened. When he dressed and left without a word, she cried herself to sleep with disappointment, sure that she’d done something wrong.

  The next day when she tried to talk to him about it, he brushed her off, told her that it had been her first time and that the next would be better. Disappointed and humiliated by the conversation, she avoided him for weeks until he again forced his way into her apartment, drunk and demanding.

  When he left that night, she swore to herself that she’d never let him treat her that way again, and that was the beginning of her path to discovery. A path that had eventually led to this mountain, to the cabin she was in, and to the man who had finally shown her what passion was.

  A thrill went through her when she realized that Jessie was just outside her door, watching over her keeping her safe. She snuggled down deeper into the blankets, glad for their warmth, and closed her eyes. Life had suddenly changed again, but this time it was a good change, a change that might just bring her the happiness she’d always longed for.

  Jessie might not think that he was good for her, but she knew differently. For the first time in her life, she’d met someone who could understand her, someone who’d lived the same kind of life she’d led, someone who understood what it felt like to be alone.

  She wasn’t going to let him get away from her. There had been only a few times in her life when she’d known exactly what she wanted, and this was one of those times. Jessie stirred her in ways no man ever had. He was kind and caring, but tough and strong, a combination that made her heart flutter and her insides turn to jelly.

  Tomorrow night, she promised herself as she felt sleep taking her, whether Jessie liked it or not, she was going to spend time with him to explore these new feelings and learn all she could about the man who had finally woken her from a long sleep to a world full of passion.

  It was nearly morning before she fell asleep with thoughts of Jessie on her mind. For the first time in her life, she dreamed of a man, a man who could stir her in ways no one ever had before, a man who was gentle and kind; a man she knew could make her happy for a long time.

  Outside her cabin, Jessie had fallen asleep leaning up against a tree, his dreams full of a woman who had saved his life long ago and might just save it again. But miles away, two men were planning their revenge, not the least bit afraid of the black werewolf who’d taken them down now that they were going to have some help.

  Chapter 10

  ***Jessie***

  Jessie slipped away as the sun rose, knowing that Gus and Mac wouldn’t do anything in daylight. If they chose to come after Sophie, it would be at night when she was most vulnerable, but he had no intention of letting them get that close to her. One thing was clear: he was going to need some help, and that meant that it was time to call his brother home.

  When he got back to his cabin, he made breakfast, trying to decide the best way to find his elusive brother. Finally, he built a big fire in the front yard once it was burning hotly, he added green branches until huge pillows of white smoke were pouring into the air.

  He let it burn for a few minutes, then quickly put it out and sat down to wait. It wasn’t long before he saw a familiar white head coming through the forest and got to his feet, knowing his brother didn’t like coming out into the open.

  His brother was waiting for him under the big oak tree on the edge of the far pasture. It was his favorite place to sit when he came to visit Jessie, had been since they’d first met nearly fifteen years before.

  Jessie hadn’t known that he had a brother until his world fell apart, and he ended up living on a haunted mountaintop. He’d only been on the mountain a few weeks when one day he heard someone call his name; sure that it was his grandfather, he headed for the trail, only to find no one there. When he heard it a second time, he looked around, but the clearing was empty, then he caught a flash of white in the trees.

  Following it, he wound his way across the clearing and into the forest on the other side. He caught several more flashes of white, a couple of times enough to see that he was following a huge white wol
f. His first instinct should have been to get his gun, but he never even considered it as he followed the wolf deeper into the forest.

  His grandfather had promised him that someone would find him soon, someone who would make his solitary life easier, but he’d never imagined that it would be a wolf. But something deep inside him felt pulled to the animal as he followed until finally, he reached the biggest oak tree he’d ever seen.

  The wolf was sitting under it, it’s ears twitching as it listened to the sounds of the forest around them. Then to his astonishment, he heard his name again, and the wolf turned and met his eyes. It wasn’t until much later that day that he understood that the white wolf was his brother, his exact opposite and just as cursed as he was.

  He’d never been sure which of them was the luckiest: his brother, who would always be in the form of a wolf, but with the inflect of a man, or himself, who only became a wolf with the full moon. Sitting down next to his brother, he realized that either way, both faced challenges most people could never dream of.

  Jessie leaned back against the huge tree and let his mind go blank, letting his brother inside his head. Soon his words were echoing through his head as if they’d been spoken out loud.

  “How can I help you, brother?” he asked, turning to face Jessie.

  “I need your help protecting a woman who, through no fault of her own, has gotten mixed up with Gus and Mac. You know them; they’re the moonshiners, wolf-shifters,” he got right to the point.

  His brother nodded his head. “I heard there’s a new school teacher in town. Is it her?”

  Jessie nodded. “Her car broke down, and she tried to walk home, took a wrong turn and ended right in the middle of their camp, still and all.”

  “I see, and how did you get involved in this? I thought you stayed as far from town as you could?” his brother asked, narrowing his eyes at him, daring him to lie.

  Jessie sighed; he hadn’t been planning on telling his brother the entire truth but plunged in anyway. “She’s different. She doesn’t even care that I’m a werewolf. It was like it didn’t matter when I told her. I’m trying to stay away from her, but I just can’t seem to do it.”

  “Do you really think that’s possible? Do really think it’s not going to matter?” his brother asked. “Has she seen you during a change? Does she really understand what it means that you’re a black werewolf?”

  “She’s Mattie’s granddaughter; she’s a wolf-shifter,” Jessie said, to remind himself that it wasn’t crazy to be falling for her. “She never fit in with her family, and now they’ve turned their backs on her; she understands what it means to be alone in the world.”

  “You and I both know that this is a bad idea, Jessie, but I think it might be too late to talk you out of this. I’ll help you, but I hope you’ll be careful. Someone could end up hurt if you’re not,” his brother said.

  “So, you’ll really help me?” Jessie asked, relief pouring through him.

  “I would have helped her, no matter what, but yes, I’ll help you,” his brother said, “What did you have in mind?”

  “How do you feel about doing a little spying? I’d like to know if they moved the still and if they’re planning to come after Sophie. I can watch her at night, and during the day, she’ll be at the school, but I’d rather not have to,” Jessie said, getting to his feet.

  His brother stood, and as he did at times like this, Jessie marveled that this majestic animal was his brother. Completely white, his fur thick and soft, his brother’s head reached to the middle of his ribs. His legs were muscular and far more powerful than any animal in the forest.

  Jessie knew that his own size was impressive, but he was small compared to his brother. He reached out his hand and stroked the top of his brother’s head, the only physical contact they ever had, but it was enough to tell his brother what he was thinking.

  Then without a backward glance, his brother ran off into the forest. Jessie knew that he’d see him again soon, that he’d track Gus and Mac just as easily as he would a rabbit and report back to him with what he’d discovered.

  Now, he needed to get some sleep; he’d dozed off the night before, and that wasn’t going to happen again. Sophie was far too exposed out there alone in that cabin, and again he wished that he could keep her on his mountain, but that was out of the question, so he headed home for some much-needed sleep.

  ***Sophie***

  Sophie woke with the morning sun streaming in and stretched, relieved that her head didn’t ache today. She laid there for a while, listening to the birds chirp outside her window and thinking about the kiss Jessie had given her the night before.

  Feeling the tingle of desire deep inside her, and a burst of excitement, she got out of bed and took a shower. Today she was going to finish the school, and then tonight she’d make Jessie dinner, make him come inside her little cabin, maybe even kiss him again.

  As she ate her breakfast, she let herself daydream about Jessie, about his strong arms, his muscular chest, and most of all, his lips that held such pleasure and promise. She was just thinking about kissing him when there was a loud knock on her door. Thinking it was Jessie, she raced to the door and threw it open.

  But it wasn’t Jessie standing on her doorstep; it was George, a concerned look on his face. “Morning, Sophie; you look good today,” he said, tipping his hat to her. “I just got back in town this morning and saw your car parked at the school and got a little worried.”

  “Oh, I’m fine,” she said, flashing him a big smile. “My car wouldn’t start so I walked home the other night; silly me, I tripped and hit my head, so I stayed in bed yesterday,” she said, reciting the story she’d come up with.

  George looked at her suspiciously, then said, “Well, I’m glad to see that you’re okay. I took a peek through the windows at the school. Looks good.”

  “Thank you; I think it tuned out great. I’ll go back today and get it finished. I might need some help with those desks,” she said, then she remembered that her car was at the school. “Oh, and maybe a ride to town.”

  George smiled at her. “I think I can handle that part. I’ll get Danny to help you with the desks.”

  Sophie grabbed her jacket and her purse, relieved to hear that Danny was okay. “So, he’s at the store?” she asked just to make sure.

  “Sitting behind the counter drinking coffee, last time I saw him,” he said, opening the car door for her.

  When they got to the store, Danny was still sitting behind the counter, but the cup in front of him was empty. “Okay, coffee break is over,” George said as soon as they walked in the door, making Danny jump.

  His eyes got big when he saw Sophie, and then a look of relief appeared on his face. “Hi, Sophie, it’s good to see you,” he said nervously.

  George looked at him and then over at Sophie. “Call Jack down at the garage and tell him to come up here and have a look at Sophie’s car and then I want you to go over there and help her,” he said.

  Danny jumped down off the stool, “Sure thing, boss.”

  Sophie couldn’t wait to get Danny alone but waited while he made the call. When they were finally on their way to the school, she wasn’t sure what to say, but to her relief, he spoke first. “I’m glad to see that you’re okay; I didn’t know what to think when Jessie Rayburn dragged you off into the forest. I thought you were dead for sure.”

  Sophie looked at him shocked. “He saved me, Danny. Those men were going to do terrible things to me, and he saved me from them.”

  Danny shrugged. “They wouldn’t really have done anything.”

  “That’s not true, and you know it,” she said then fell silent; after a few minutes, she asked, “What are you doing with them anyway?”

  Danny shrugged again. “Mac is my cousin. He invited me out there, so I went, but I’m never going out there again,” he said.

  “Good,” Sophie said, and smiled at him, making him blush.

  By lunchtime, the school was put back together, all
the desks in neat little rows, rugs covering the floors and a rocking chair by the fire just as she’d imagined. Standing in the middle of the room, she looked around, pleased with what they’d accomplished.

  “It’s perfect, Danny, thank you for your help,” she said, grinning at him. “Now you just need to tell all the kids, and maybe they’ll come to see.”

  “I can do that,” Danny said, grinning back at her. “Wish I was still in school so that you could be my teacher.”

  Sophie laughed. “Danny, you’re welcome to stop by any time you want.”

  Danny blushed, then said, “Well, guess I better be getting back to the store. George usually buys me lunch at the diner, and I’m starving.”

  Sophie watched him leave, thinking that he was a good kid who’d been in the wrong place last night, and she hoped he’d learned his lesson. Then she turned her attention to organizing the books she’d finally been able to unpack from the car, which had a dead battery but would be fixed by that evening.

  Alone in the school, it wasn’t long before her thoughts turned to Jessie and the night ahead. It was time she took a few risks, did something that she wanted, instead of listening to everyone else. And Jessie one of those risks, a risk that could have great benefits if he felt the same way she did.

  Humming as she worked, she planned the dinner she’d cook, the outfit she’d wear and hoped that tonight would be one she’d remember for the rest of her life. It was time for her to discover what real passion was, what it was like to be with a man who cared about more than just himself, and she was sure that Jessie was that man.

  Chapter 11

  ***Jessie***

  Jessie had woken late that afternoon after sleeping harder than he had in a long time. Exhausted from staying up almost forty-eight hours, he’d let himself sink into a deep sleep for far longer than he should have.