Werewolf in Seattle: A Wild About You Novel

by Thompson, Vicki

  A smile tipped the corners of her mouth. “Sort of like having two climaxes in a row?”

  “Don’t you dare start talking about sex.”

  “Who knows? Maybe, with the right circumstances, I could have three in a row.”

  With a groan, Colin left his chair and grabbed his phone from the bedside table. He’d keyed in the number for the Byron Reynaud Foundation yesterday, and he clicked on it now.

  “Want to have phone sex?” She left her chair and came over to stand beside him. “Go into the living room and I’ll call your phone from the one on the nightstand.”

  “This is for your own good, Luna.” He put the phone to his ear and willed his erection to subside. He couldn’t make her go to see her grandparents, but he could set it up for her and give her the option of going or not.

  “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “Trust me.”

  “That’s what they all say.” She looked worried.

  A receptionist named Angela answered the phone. “Yes, Angela, this is Colin MacDowell, Laird of Glenbarra.”

  “Show-off,” Luna muttered.

  Colin ignored her. “I now own Whittier House in the San Juan Islands, and I plan to convert it to an inn. I’d like to make an appointment this morning for me and my associate, Luna Reynaud, to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Reynaud about having a benefit for their foundation on our opening weekend.”

  “Luna Thisbe. ”

  Colin turned his back on her while the receptionist put him on hold and quickly returned with a suggested time. “Yes, eleven would be fine. See you then.” He disconnected the phone.

  Luna regarded him with a dark expression. “Now you’ve gone and done it. And you used my real name.”

  “George Trevelyan knows your real name, so you might as well give up that idea.” He gazed at her and waited to see what she would do. “You don’t have to go. If it’s really that frightening, I can call back and cancel the appointment. But if I’m right about George and his strategic nature, you’ll have to face them, perhaps sooner rather than later.”

  “And if I do it later, you won’t be here.”

  “Probably not.”

  She swallowed. “Then I want to go this morning, with you.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  “But if they’re mean, then—”

  “If they’re even slightly mean, or the least bit rude, we’ll leave. I won’t let them tear you to shreds, Luna. That’s why I want to go with you, to be your backup.”

  “What if it turns into a scandal and affects business at the inn before we even open?”

  “I’m not a shrewd businessman like George, but I have paid some attention, because lairds are expected to do that. I’ve noticed that scandal doesn’t usually hurt business. If anything, it helps.”

  “Oh, great!” Luna rolled her eyes. “Are you hoping for a scandal, then?”

  “Of course not.” He set his phone on the nightstand and took her by the shoulders. As he did so, he told himself to resist the soft temptation of her skin beneath his fingers. “I want this meeting to go well, for your sake and theirs. But if it doesn’t, don’t worry about the inn. If I ever doubted it would be a huge success, George’s interest tells me we’ll have a booming business in no time at all.”

  She held his gaze for several long seconds. “Then I guess we’d better get dressed, Your Much Honoured Laird of Glenbarra.”

  He smiled, and because he couldn’t deprive himself completely, he gave her a quick, hard kiss before he let her go.

  “You’re sure you don’t want to try the phone sex thing?”

  He shook his head. “We can do better than that once we get back to the island, lass.” He was already anticipating the night ahead, and he refused to think about the possibility that it might be their last.

  “Can I see their picture again?” Luna spent the cab ride to her grandparents’ house alternately checking her lipstick in a small mirror she kept in her purse and asking Colin for his phone so she could look at the picture of Edwina and Jacques Reynaud one more time. He always handed it over with a patient smile.

  He kept his arm loosely around her shoulders during the ride. A couple of times she started to tell him how much that meant to her, but she was afraid she might get choked up if she started talking about… anything, really, but feelings in particular. So she squeezed his thigh and hoped he knew that his presence was the single most important part of the trip.

  The house looked even more imposing than it had in the picture. It was on the right side of the street, and Luna had chosen to sit on the right side of the cab, so she had a fine view as the cab pulled up to the curb.

  On a street filled with lovely big homes, all with groomed lawns and lavish flower beds, the Reynaud mansion was perhaps the most impressive. The paint seemed whiter, the drapes in the windows more elegant, the flower beds more carefully tended, the lawn more manicured.

  Sidewalks flanked the street, along with several large shade trees. Their roots had buckled the sidewalk in places, which spoke of the age of the trees and the neighborhood, but other than the cracked sidewalk, nothing was out of place.

  The homes suggested wealth without trumpeting it. If the owners drove Bentleys and Ferraris, they were tucked away in garages. No children played in any of the front yards and no dogs gamboling about fetching sticks. A couple of sleekly dressed runners jogging by on the sidewalk were the only people Luna could see.

  She stared out the cab window and tried in vain to slow her racing heart. A little cottage would have been easier to deal with, although the people inside were the scariest part. Maybe the size of the house was unimportant. Geraldine had lived in a very large castle, and she’d been a sweetheart.

  Luna glanced at Colin. “I know it will be expensive, but I’d like to have the cab wait for us, in case we need to make a quick getaway.”

  “I can wait,” the driver said, looking back at them from the rearview mirror. “Long as you don’t mind the meter going all that time.”

  “We don’t mind,” Colin said.

  “Then I’ll just pull up under that tree and read my newspaper.”

  Luna swallowed. “Then we might as well go in, I guess.”

  Colin was out of the cab in a flash. “Let me get your door.”

  His gallantry touched her. Yet this was the same Were who had backed her up against the wall less than three hours ago. She’d loved that, too. Whether he was treating her like royalty or coaxing her into a lusty round of sex, she felt like the luckiest female in the world to be near him.

  She took his hand as he helped her out of the cab. “Keep holding on to me,” she said.

  “You’re sure? I said we were business associates.”

  She laced her fingers through his as they started up a flagstone walkway. Ahead of them, a balcony on the second floor shaded the carved entry door. “If George has blabbed to them, he’s probably told them we’re more than associates.”

  “True.” He gave her fingers a quick squeeze. “That blouse looks great on you.”

  “So you said when we bought it yesterday.”

  “But not because it matches your eyes.”

  “It doesn’t match my eyes?” She knew he was making conversation to distract her, and she appreciated that.

  “Oh, it does match your eyes, but that wasn’t the main reason I like it.”

  “What was the reason, then?”

  “When you tuck it into your jeans, your tits look amazing.”

  “Colin!” She laughed, and that was probably what he’d hoped for.

  As he reached for the doorbell, the large door swung open before he could push the button. Edwina and Jacques Reynaud were framed in the doorway. Edwina, dressed in a pale blue lightweight suit, her hair perfectly styled, stood in front. Jacques, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and looking considerably more casual, hovered behind her.

  Edwina stared at Luna. Slowly her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She seemed dazed and disoriented
, and her hand went to her heart. Finally she spoke. “Sophie?”

  Luna squeezed Colin’s hand so hard she felt him wince. “No, Mrs. Reynaud. I’m her daughter.”

  Chapter 22

  So they did know. Colin balanced on the balls of his feet, even though there would be no physical fight involving these two seventy-something Weres. But he wouldn’t mind fighting someone, if he only knew who deserved the blame for this cock-up.

  He’d like to make George the culprit, but from the way Edwina had looked at Luna, there was no villain. Edwina would have recognized Luna as the reincarnation of Sophie no matter when and where they’d met. George might have planted the idea, but this mess had been created more than twenty-seven years ago.

  Edwina’s face nearly matched the white exterior of her house, and she looked a little unsteady on her feet.

  Colin stepped forward, drawing Luna with him, and cupped his free hand under Edwina’s elbow. “Maybe it would be best if we could all sit down,” he murmured.

  “Yes,” Edwina said faintly. “Yes, it would.”

  Jacques stumbled backward, and Colin hoped he wouldn’t have to hold him up, too, because he was running out of hands. He’d promised Luna he’d keep his connection with her, and she’d maintained a death grip on him that might leave a mark.

  Fortunately Jacques got his feet under him and led the way down a hallway with floorboards so highly polished that Colin worried about everyone’s footing. The hall was wide enough for him to walk between the two female Weres. With one hand locked through Luna’s fingers, and the other supporting a wobbly Edwina, Colin felt like the conduit between two sparking batteries. Either one could short out at any second.

  Now that Jacques was moving, he looked taller and more in command. His stride was firm, his shoulders back. Once, when he ran a hand over his thinning hair, Colin detected a slight tremble, but that was to be expected. These two Weres had just met their dead son’s child, one they’d had no idea existed before.

  Jacques reached the end of the hall and turned left into a sunroom furnished in cheerful yellow and white. Colin thought it was a fine place to settle these jumpy people and bring peace to all concerned. He hoped it worked out that way.

  “You three sit there.” Jacques waved them to a plump couch as if he assumed they’d all stay connected like Tinkertoys. “I’ll tell Bethany to bring us… ” He paused and peered at them through his bifocals. “What would you all like?”

  “Vodka,” Edwina said.

  Jacques blinked. “Vodka?”

  She waved a hand at him. “You know. Screwdrivers. Vodka and orange juice. Have Bethany mix up a big batch.”

  “But, dearest, it’s eleven in the morning.” Jacques gave her a tentative smile.

  “I don’t give a good goddamn what time it is, Jacques! Byron’s daughter just arrived! That calls for something stronger than iced tea, don’t you think?”

  Colin glanced over at Luna and she widened her eyes at him as if to ask, What the hell? He gave a little shrug. For now, he’d be the filling in the sandwich. He prayed he wouldn’t have to be the referee.

  Edwina leaned forward, so Colin leaned back, allowing her to look at her granddaughter.

  “Luna, is it?”

  Luna edged forward a little and peered around Colin at her grandmother. “Luna Thisbe Reynaud. Although they never married, my mother took Byron’s name. She told me he was my father. But that’s… that’s all she told me.”

  “She didn’t say he was Were?” Edwina flung the question as an accusation.

  Luna tensed. “Why would she? She didn’t know which I would be, Were or human.”

  “And which are you?” Edwina’s voice shook.

  “I’m Were,” Luna said quietly. “But I’m a half-breed.”

  Edwina sank back against the cushions. “Byron’s child,” she muttered, almost as if speaking to herself. “Byron’s child.” Then she popped back up to stare at Luna. “Change places with this fellow so I can have a better look at you.”

  Colin glanced at Luna, who nodded. He stood, and she scooted over next to Edwina. When he sat down again, Luna reached for his other hand. He offered it freely. She could mangle that one, too, if she needed to.

  Edwina adjusted her position, turning her body slightly so she could study Luna. “You have his chin, which was like mine. Pull back your hair.”

  Colin expected Luna to start objecting to this series of commands, but she pulled her hair back as instructed.

  “You have his ears, too.” Edwina’s voice caught. “He had the most beautiful ears, just like Jacques.”

  Jacques bustled back into the room. “What’s this about my ears?”

  “Luna has Byron’s ears, which are your ears, too,” Edwina said.

  Jacques edged closer and crouched down to gaze at Luna. “Huh. So she does.” He looked Luna up and down, but then his attention returned to her feet. “And Byron’s toes.”

  “Toes?” Luna lifted her feet off the floor. The sandals she wore displayed toes painted with pink nail polish.

  Edwina leaned over to examine Luna’s toes. “You are so right, Jacques! Her second toe is bigger than her first toe, like mine, and like Byron had.” She pulled off one of her low-heeled shoes. “Damn. I’m wearing panty hose. You can’t see as well, but my second toe is longer, Luna, just like yours. You’ll have to take my word for it.”

  “I believe y’all,” Luna said.

  “Did you hear that, Jacques? She talks just like Sophie did. I swear it’s like Sophie walked in here, except for the ears, and the chin, and the toes.”

  Whatever Colin had expected out of this meeting, it hadn’t been a comparison of ears and chins and toes. He’d prepared for wailing and gnashing of teeth, icy coldness, cutting remarks. Not a discussion of body parts.

  Bethany, a plump redhead, arrived with a tray of drinks and a pitcher for refilling once the first round was gone. “Good morning, everyone. I understand we have an honored visitor.” She picked up two goblets and handed one to Edwina and one to Luna. “Welcome, Luna Reynaud.”

  “Thank you.”

  “What an exciting day.” Bethany took the second pair of goblets and gave the first one to Colin. “Isn’t it amazing?”

  “Yes, it is,” Colin said. And surprisingly calm, all things considered.

  “I can’t believe our granddaughter is sitting here,” Jacques said in a bewildered voice as he accepted a goblet from Bethany.

  “Risen from the dead.” Edwina took a hefty swallow of her screwdriver.

  “No, dearest, that’s not quite true,” Jacques said. “She was always alive. We just didn’t know about her. That’s a big difference.”

  Edwina flapped her hand dismissively. “Whatever. The question is, where is this Sophie person?”

  Colin winced, expecting a heated response from Luna. He’d guessed wrong, though.

  Her voice was gentle as she turned to her grandmother. “She died when I was eight, Mrs. Reynaud. But I can tell y’all without a shadow of a doubt that she was true to your son.”

  “I didn’t know she was pregnant, so I didn’t realize they’d mated,” Edwina said. “But now… now it’s obvious they did.”

  “Yes.” Luna’s voice was husky. “They were truly mated.”

  “Yet she left.”

  “She was human, Mrs. Reynaud, in every sense of that word. She told me she didn’t belong here, so I guess she couldn’t accept living in a community of Weres. But she was in love with Byron Reynaud, her mate, to the end.”

  Colin squeezed Luna’s hand. Nicely done, lass. He wished they could communicate telepathically, but he thought she got the message.

  “Well.” Edwina patted the arm of the sofa and stared off into space. “Well.”

  No one said anything for a while, as if each of them wanted to give Edwina a chance to collect herself.

  Finally she cleared her throat and raised her glass. “To the startling discovery of our granddaughter, Luna Thisbe Reynaud, although
I can’t say I approve of that middle name. We might have to do something about that. Anyway, cheers.”

  “Cheers,” everyone chorused, and took a sip from their goblets.

  Following the toast, Edwina leaned forward to scrutinize Colin. “And what have you to do with all this? Our secretary said you were a laird of something or other. Glenbugle or some such.”

  “Glenbarra. A small village north of Glasgow.”

  “Never heard of it, but that doesn’t matter. George called this morning, but I confess once he started talking about Luna and how she might be Byron’s daughter, I lost track of everything else. So why are you here?”

  “I’m Geraldine and Harry Whittier’s nephew. She left Whittier House to me.”

  “Oh!” Edwina put a hand to her chest and almost spilled her drink. “That’s where Byron used to work as a teenager. He loved it out there. He didn’t see much of the Whittiers, but he was very close to the groundskeeper. If memory serves, his name was Hector.”

  “Hector’s still the groundskeeper,” Colin said. “At least for now. Luna and I plan to open the house as an exclusive inn for Weres, and I’m not sure how Hector will adapt to that. He likes a more secluded environment.”

  Edwina nodded. “That’s because he never got over losing his mate, Althea. I knew Althea better than I knew Hector. We were in school together. When Byron started working out there, I told him about Althea dying soon after she and Hector were mated, and how Hector became something of a hermit. Byron treated everyone with compassion, but he gave extra consideration to Hector.” Edwina took another long swallow of her screwdriver. “God, I still miss that son of mine so much.”

  Jacques came over to lay a hand on her shoulder. “We all do, Ed.”

  She glanced up at him. “Not all, Jacques. This laird never laid eyes on Byron, and obviously Luna didn’t have the chance to know her father.” She turned to Luna. “But you would have loved him.”

  “I’m sure.” Luna sounded very subdued, and she’d barely touched her drink. “I wonder if Hector remembers him. He didn’t react to my last name at all.”

  “That was a long time ago. Although it hurts to think that anyone would forget Byron, Hector might have by now. Or maybe he’d recall the first name but not the last. He’s had lots of teenagers working for him over the years. I’m sure they run together after a while.”