Connected (Gem Creek Bears Book 5)

by Jennifer Snyder

  “I guess,” I said.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just worried this will be awkward. These people didn’t know my mom. Heck, they don’t even really know me.”

  “It’ll be fine. Trust me,” she said, sounding sure of herself.

  I inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “Okay.”

  “Everyone knows you better than you think,” Tris insisted. “Besides, this feels right. I think your mom would’ve loved having a party to celebrate her life instead of that reception we hosted after the funeral. That just wasn’t her.” Tris’s brows pinched together. I knew it was because she hoped her words hadn’t offended me.

  They hadn’t.

  The reception after the funeral, and the funeral, had been so formal and stuffy. Mom would’ve hated both.

  “You’re right,” I said. “A bonfire would have been more her style.”

  I gripped the knob and twisted, holding my breath as I stepped outside onto the deck. A few people glanced our way, but no one’s eyes lingered on us for long. Tension eased from my muscles. Music played on low, the scent of burgers cooking lingered in the air, and clips of conversations and laugher made its way to my ears. My gaze landed on Rafe. He stood near his brother Nash, talking. As though he felt my eyes on him, his gaze snapped to me. A wide smile twisted his lips, accentuating his dimple, as he lifted his beer in hello. I returned his smile.

  “Okay, so,” Tris said, pulling my attention to her, “I wanted to let everyone know how gorgeous your mom was and who we’re celebrating—so, I had one of the best pictures I had of her blown up. It’s over here.”

  She steered me to the opposite side of the deck where an art easel with vases of purple lilacs near the base and white lights draped around them stood. A giant picture of my mother standing at the front of our house wearing her gardening hat and gloves was perched on the easel. Dirt was smeared across my mom’s cheek and her shoulders were red and freckled from the sun. She wore her favorite green tank top and smiled at the camera, holding purple lilacs.

  My eyes burned with the threat of tears as the memory surfaced in vivid clarity.

  She had made a trip to the local nursery first thing that morning and purchased flowers for the flowerbed that ran along the front of our house. Her lilac bush was the only thing in her flowerbed she didn’t have to replant every year. Everything else was always new. Each spring she chose different varieties of flowers to plant because she figured every flower deserved its spotlight.

  “This is perfect,” I said, pulling Tris in for a hug.

  “I’m glad you like it,” she said.

  I untangled myself from her. “My mom would have loved this too. Especially the lilacs.”

  “I couldn’t remember what her favorite flower was. However, I did remember how much she loved that lilac bush in the front of your house. Every year your house smelled like lilacs through spring and summer. So, that’s what I went with.”

  “They’re perfect,” I said, wiping away a tear that slipped free. “I love that smell. It reminds me of her.”

  “Me too.” She looped her arm through mine again. “How about we grab something to drink?”

  “Sure.”

  Tris steered me to a foldout table covered with food and popped open a cooler beside it.

  “Take your pick. I made a jug of lavender lemonade because I remember having it at your house so many times in the summer. If you don’t want that, there’s also red wine, soda, and beer. I even had Liam buy Blue Moons because I know those are your favorite.”

  “You thought of everything.”

  “I tried.” Tris grinned.

  “I’ll take a Blue Moon for now,” I said, reaching into the cooler for one. “And I’ll have some lavender tea later.”

  Tris grabbed herself a Blue Moon too, and we both popped the tops off at the same time.

  “To Sally Daniels,” she said, clinking her beer bottle to mine. “Who taught me to have grit and grace.”

  “Grit and grace,” I said, desperately trying not to cry, before taking a swig from my beer.

  “What’s that mean?” Liam asked, smiling at the two of us as he walked to where we stood.

  “Hey, shouldn’t you be manning the grill?” Tris asked. “No one wants burnt burgers.”

  “Nash has it under control. I always forget how good of a cook he is.” He nodded to his brother. I glanced his way. Just like always, a brooding expression twisted Nash’s face. The handful of times I’d been in his presence, his expression was always the same. I think I’d only witnessed him smile once. “So, tell me what grit and grace means.”

  “It’s something my mom always used to say. The grit to get through this—whatever it is—and the grace to do it with kindness,” I said.

  Liam smiled. “I like that.”

  “Thanks.” I took a swig from my beer. “And thank you for doing this.”

  “This wasn’t me. It was all Tris,” he said, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head, and I thought it was the sweetest thing ever. “I am sorry for your loss, though.”

  For whatever reason, the words I dreaded hearing didn’t sound so bad coming from him. Maybe it was because his eyes weren’t filled with pity or sympathy. Instead, they were filled with understanding. Throughout the night, I recognized that same look in everyone’s eyes when they spoke to me. I was reminded of what Tris had said and how they’d all lost someone they loved too.

  By my fourth Blue Moon, the night was winding down. I curled up in a foldout chair near the fire to watch the flames and spotted Rafe walking my way. A lopsided grin hung on his face and there was a bag of marshmallows in his hand.

  “I found more marshmallows if you want to roast one,” he said, holding out the bag.

  I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “I’m fine.”

  “Not a marshmallow fan?” He pulled a foldout chair close to mine and sat.

  “I am. I’m just not hungry.”

  “Suit yourself,” Rafe said as he situated himself in the chair beside me and popped a marshmallow in his mouth.

  I took a small sip from my beer, trying not to look as though I was checking him out, which I’d avoided all night. He wore a pair of denim shorts and a plain forest green t-shirt that clung to his muscles perfectly.

  “So, how are you?” He grabbed a stick someone had left propped against a cooler and shoved it into the fire, cleaning it.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Yeah?” He eyed me.

  “Yeah. I think my mom would have really liked this.” I slipped off my sandals and curled up in my chair.

  Rafe skewered a marshmallow and then made a figure eight with it in the fire. His eyes shifted back to me, and I swore his stare made the blood pump harder through my veins. “It gets better.”

  “What does?” I asked, not understanding what he was talking about.

  Had I missed part of the conversation?

  It was possible. I was on my fourth beer, and since I hadn’t eaten hardly anything today, it was hitting me hard.

  “The sadness and pain,” Rafe said, his voice low and tender. “It doesn’t ever go away, but it does get better with time.”

  My heart kick-started inside my chest as I held his stare. Never had I wanted to kiss someone so badly. I resisted, though. Now wasn’t the time to give into temptation.

  Rafe licked his lips. Could he sense my desire?

  “I can promise you that,” he said before shifting his gaze to his marshmallow. It was nearly burnt to a crisp, but he didn’t seem to mind. He blew on it for a second before plucking it from the stick and popping it into his mouth.

  A woman carrying a little boy placed a hand on my shoulder, startling me. “Oh, I’m sorry. I just wanted to tell you goodnight. I need to get this guy home.” She gestured to the sleeping little boy in her arms. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me, okay?”

  “Sure. Thanks.” I paused, trying to re
member her name, but couldn’t. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Rafe,” the woman said with a smile before walking away.

  “Night, Rayna. Need any help getting back?”

  “Nah, I’m good. You stay with Penny.” She winked. “I’m walking with Natalie and Paul.”

  “You couldn’t remember her name, huh?” Rafe asked once she was a good distance away. He took a sip of his beer and then smirked at me.

  “I knew it started with an R,” I said.

  His grin grew. “Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure you did.”

  I glared at him, but secretly, I loved that he was calling me out. “Hey, in my defense, I was introduced to a lot of people tonight.”

  “Not that many. Our clan is small. Still, I’ll cut you some slack.”

  “Why? Because you feel sorry for me.” The words fell from my mouth without much thought. I blamed it on my four beers.

  “No, because I like you.” His expression turned serious. “Really like you.”

  I blinked. Oh, crap. I knew where this was going. My tongue had already slipped out to wet my lips at the heated look entering Rafe’s eyes. He wanted to kiss me, and damn it, I wanted him to too.

  “Hey, um, I think I’m going to call it a night,” Tris said, killing the moment. I was glad. There was no way I would have been able to forgive myself for making out with someone at my mom’s wake. “Want me to give you a ride to Ruby in the golf cart?”

  “Oh, no. It’s okay. I think I’m going to walk.” Walking sounded good. I needed to clear my head, and there was nothing better than a walk to do it. “Thanks for putting this together. It was beautiful.” I stood and pulled her in for a hug.

  “I’m glad you liked it. I loved her like a second mom.”

  “I know,” I said as I released her.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to give you a ride? I don’t mind.”

  I shook my head. “Nah. I’m fine walking. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  I noticed the look Tris gave Liam, and then I remembered about what they’d found in the woods and how someone had been staring at us at the pool. Maybe I shouldn’t walk. Maybe I should take them up on their offer for a ride.

  “I can walk with you,” Rafe insisted.

  “That might be a good idea,” Liam chimed in.

  I crammed my hands into my back pockets. “Um, yeah. Sure.”

  “Call me tomorrow,” Tris said before her and Liam walked away.

  “I will. Night.”

  “Are you ready to head home, or were you wanting to sit for a little longer?” Rafe asked.

  Thinking of Ruby as home felt right. It made me smile. So did the thought of continuing to sit here with him, talking next to the fire. I knew it would only flame my desire to make out with him, though.

  “Eh, I think I’m ready to get some sleep,” I said, even though I wasn’t.

  “All right.” He zipped the bag of marshmallows and set them on the foldout table nearby. “Let’s get you home, then.”

  We headed toward Ruby. I kept my hands in my back pockets as we walked, listening to the sounds of night life in the campground. Silence hung between us, awkward and heavy.

  “Did you and your brothers throw a wake for your parents when they passed?” I asked. Talking about his parents and death weren’t romantic conversation topics, which meant they killed the buzz of energy slipping along the left side of my body from his close proximity.

  Rafe nodded. “We did. It’s something we always do when we lose a clan member. It’s better than the alternative.”

  “I have to agree with you there.” My eyes lifted to the sky, checking out the stars.

  “You must really like stars.”

  “Huh?” I glanced at him.

  “I’ve caught you staring at them more than once tonight.”

  “Who doesn’t like the stars?” I shrugged.

  Rafe flashed me a crooked grin. “Good point.”

  “I do like them, though. The stars,” I said. “One of my favorite past times as a kid was lying in my backyard, staring up at the night sky with my mom. Tris joined us more times than I can count, and we ate rice crispy treats and sipped lavender lemonade.”

  “Oh, that’s why Tris made that,” Rafe said. “I was wondering what the purple flowers floating in it were.”

  “Yeah. It was one of my mom’s favorites.”

  “She sounds like she was an amazing woman.”

  I glanced at him, flashing him a slight smile. “She was.” The words stuck in my throat. It was hard to talk about her in the past tense. It still didn’t seem real that she was gone. “My mom was always big on nature and making sure you didn’t take its beauty for granted. It’s one of the reasons I stare at the stars so much. Her philosophy was there are only two things that can make you feel small while shocking you with their beauty.”

  “I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m guessing the sky was one. What was the other?”

  “The ocean.”

  “Clever lady.” Rafe smirked.

  “That she was.”

  Ruby came into view, her tiny porch light illuminating the steps.

  “You take after her,” Rafe said, surprising me.

  I glanced at him. “You think so?”

  “For sure. You’re clever like she was,” he insisted without hesitation as we reached Ruby’s steps. “And you look just like her. You’ve got the same smile and the same button nose.”

  I loved that. It warmed my soul. “Thank you.”

  Rafe stopped walking and the grin he wore fell from his lips. His nostrils flared, and he gripped my wrist, pulling me to a standstill with him.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked in a hushed whisper, noticing his eyes had brightened to an impossible shade of brown.

  His bear had come to the surface.

  “Something isn’t right.” His voice was low and husky, animalistic sounding from his bear.

  Alarm nipped at my insides. “What do you mean?”

  His head tipped back, and he closed his eyes. I watched as he inhaled a deep breath.

  “Someone’s been here. I can sense it.”

  “Who?”

  His eyes snapped open and locked with mine. “A coyote.”

  I swallowed hard. “A coyote? Are you sure?”

  He didn’t need to answer my question. The hard set of his jaw and his serious expression was answer enough.

  “Let’s get you inside,” he insisted. “I need to get to Liam’s and let him know.”

  I started up the stairs, thinking of the only coyotes I knew.

  “Do you think it’s someone from Ezra’s pack?” I asked.

  Ezra was dead. Tris had killed him. His sister, Jessica, was dead too. And so were Chase and Corbin, Tris’s ex. Who was even left from his pack?

  Marshall and Demi.

  “Maybe. I don’t know of any other coyotes who would have a vendetta against us,” Rafe said.

  My blood chilled at the word vendetta.

  I inserted my key into the front door, but before I could unlock it, someone rounded Ruby and slammed into Rafe with a thud.

  Chapter Six

  I spun around, my back pressing against the front door. A scruffy-looking guy struck Rafe, his fist connecting with his jaw. Rafe barely flinched. He was like a damn brick. When he retaliated against the guy, I realized who he was fighting—Marshall.

  At least I thought it was Marshall.

  He hadn’t shaved in a while, making it hard to distinguish any of his facial features, and his hair had grown. It was the longest I’d ever seen it and greasy. His clothes were filthy, and there was a crazed look in his eyes. He reminded me of a savage caveman.

  “Get inside,” Rafe shouted, still grappling with Marshall. “Now!”

  I heard him, but I couldn’t move. My gaze was focused on the coyote shifter. I’d caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were silver. My stomach knotted. I knew all too well what silver eyes represented—his coyote was close to the surface.
<
br />   This was about to go from bad to worse.

  My gaze snapped to the RV beside mine. I worried the family with the tantrum prone toddler would wake. Thankfully, the windows were still dark, but I knew that didn’t mean they would be for long. There was a real chance they’d wake soon to all the noise. If they did, what would they see when they looked outside—two men fighting or a bear and a coyote?

  Crap. This wasn’t good.

  “Penny, go!” Rafe shouted, drawing my attention back to them. He ducked another blow from Marshall, and his eyes snapped to me. “Get inside!”

  Marshall lost his footing, and Rafe lunged forward, taking advantage of his slip up. Rafe swung, connecting with Marshall’s ribs. Something popped, and for a moment, I thought Marshall would go down from the pain, but he didn’t. Instead, the coyote shifter released a low, rumbling growl and then sprung at Rafe. His eyes were solid silver now. My heartbeat pulsed in my ears. I watched as the two stumbled back, falling to the gravel road. They rolled, battling for the top position while still managing to beat the crap out of each other.

  A light switched on in the RV next door.

  My eyes widened, and I held my breath, waiting for someone to step outside or peek through the closed blinds. Rafe and Marshall continued to roll around in the gravel, their grunts and growls too loud for my liking. Rafe slammed Marshall’s head against the gravel and held him there.

  “Enough,” I heard him growl. For a moment, all grew silent, and Rafe held Marshall still.

  Movement in the RV next door caught my eye. I could see someone’s shadow. If they looked out a window, I couldn’t tell, but seconds later, the light flicked off. I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and winced when Rafe and Marshall resumed their fight. Marshall shoved Rafe, and the two started pounding each other again while rolling in the gravel.

  I needed to help Rafe—which meant I needed a weapon.

  I unlocked Ruby’s door and then dashed inside. I scanned the tiny RV for anything I might use as a weapon. Nothing stood out. I rifled through my things, but unless I planned to stab him with a curling iron, I didn’t have anything that could be used as a weapon. I searched through the drawers in the kitchenette. There were a few knives, but they didn’t seem big enough. I’d have to get too close to and might injure Rafe if I weren’t careful. I needed something else. When I glanced through the cabinets, I spotted a fire extinguisher beneath the sink.