Ally sat close to Kent as Ava carried in a tray bearing four mugs and placed it on the coffee table.
“So what did you guys do last night?” asked Kent.
“We had a movie marathon,” said Ava.
“Jon and Renee gone home already?”
Ava nodded. “They both have to be back at work tomorrow.”
“Jon is Ava’s son and he just got engaged,” explained Kent.
“You have a son old enough to get married? You don’t look more than thirty.”
“Well, I had him when I was in high school, so that helps,” said Ava.
“When’s the wedding?” asked Ally, remembering back to how excited she had been planning her own.
“I think they were talking about May,” said Ava.
Just then, a baby’s cry was heard over the speaker that sat by the couch. Ally went cold. Since she’d lost her own child, she couldn’t stand to hear a baby crying. She tried to keep her composure, but Kent must have read something on her face because he squeezed her hand.
“That’s Nick and Ava’s baby,” he said.
“Waking from her nap. I’ll just go check on her,” said Ava.
Her—the baby was a girl.
Ava left and returned ten minutes later carrying the sweetest baby Ally had ever seen. She’d just gotten the quickest glance at her own daughter just to satisfy her curiosity that they’d told her the truth when they announced that the baby she’d delivered was, in fact, stillborn.
Ava sat down and the baby seemed to key in on Ally as if she was taunting her.
“Ally, this is Brianne.”
“Hi, Brianne,” said Ally.
“We are going to be teaching a mother and baby yoga class starting next week. Well, at least that’s what Maisey tells me. She’s Nick’s business partner and is very persuasive when she wants to be,” said Ava.
Nick laughed. “That’s why I chose her as my partner. Have you been to Downward Facing Wolf?” he asked Ally.
“No, but I guess I should.”
“I’ll leave you a complimentary pass for the week so you can give it a try, and if you like it, we can give you a discount membership.”
“Nick, it’s a holiday and you’re talking business,” said Ava.
“No, I’m helping out a customer,” said Nick.
“Sure, I’ll give it a try,” said Ally. She knew it was close to where she turned off the road for the Center, so it wouldn’t be hard to find or out of her way.
Brianne started to fuss. “She’s getting her first tooth and lets us know it,” said Ava. “I’ll just go get one of the toys she likes to suck. Ally, why don’t you hold her for me.”
Ally couldn’t say no. She took the baby and cradled her in her arms. The little girl looked up at her. What would she and Andy’s child have looked like? A tear fell from her eye and splashed onto the baby’s cheek, making the little girl cry some more.
“I’m sorry, I have to go,” said Ally, handing the baby over to Nick.
“Ally, just wait a minute,” she heard Kent calling to her as she was halfway toward the front door.
Right now, Ally felt the same way inside that she had when she’d opened the gift Christmas morning. Her body shook as she sobbed onto Kent’s shoulder.
“It’s okay, really it is.”
“I’m sorry, I thought I’d be able to handle seeing and holding a baby, but I guess I’m not ready. Not sure I ever will be.”
“I should have told you Nick and Ava had a baby. I forget all about it. It’s my fault. I wasn’t thinking.” He stroked her hair.
“Everything okay?” It was Ava’s voice.
“Sure,” said Kent. “Ally lost her baby last year.”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry. If I’d known, I…”
“It’s okay, you didn’t know,” said Ally.
Ava took her hand and squeezed it. “How about I call Maisey to babysit Brianne and the four of us can go catch a movie and then have something to eat.”
“That sound good to you?” Kent asked her.
Ally wiped her face with the back of her hand. “That sounds like a great plan.”
****
Ally began the holidays with the mindset that they were going to suck and she’d welcome the New Year with sorrow and depression, but Kent had given her a glimpse of hope. She still missed Andy, but it was almost as if he’d sent this new man to help her fill a void. A holiday miracle in the way of a wolf.
Now she was back working on her dissertation. Emotions in wolves. How many Ph.D. candidates could say they actually interviewed one of their test subjects? Kent had filled her in on so much stuff she’d have this done in no time.
She looked at the clock on the wall. The board of directors would be here soon for the first of this year’s meetings. The budget for the year would be set and she’d know exactly how much they’d be getting and if hiring a grant writer would be necessary for more funds to keep this place up and running.
“They’re all here if you want to head to the conference room,” said Axel, putting his head around the door.
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
Ally closed out the program on the computer. She stood, smoothed the front of her skirt, and headed out of the office and down the hallway.
Axel sat at the head of the table. The five board members were down one side so Ally opted to sit opposite them. Their two other part-time researchers were at school, so that left her and Axel to answer all the questions and crunch the numbers.
“Shall we declare this meeting now in session?” said Axel, opening his notebook.
“There is something we need to tell you and Ally,” said Mr. Baldwin, who had been their main benefactor. He looked at the other board members. “We’ve looked at the figures and what’s needed to keep this place running and, well, I’m afraid to say we can’t see that it will be possible any longer. We’ll have to close it.”
Had Ally heard correctly?
“No, no, no,” said Axel. “We can get sponsors, grants, there’s no need for such a drastic measure.”
Mr. Baldwin raised his hand. “Sorry, Axe, but the wheels are already in motion to close in two weeks’ time.
“Two weeks, that’s insane. We have animals here that can’t go back into the wild,” said Axel.
“All taken care of. The animals will go to various other facilities.”
“And what about my dissertation? This work is an important part of it,” said Ally.
“I can appreciate that and we’ll do all we can to help you.”
“So that’s it, you’re just abandoning us and the animals?” said Axel.
“I’m afraid there’s little else we can do.”
Ally stood and left the room without saying another word. She didn’t care if they thought she was rude or whatever. These animals had a home here. She leaned against the wall in the hallway and began crying.
Damn, all she’d seemed to do in the last year or so was fucking cry. One thing after another. She loved working here, knew that one day she’d take over as director. This was her life, her whole life now, and they were pulling the plug on it.
Chapter Eleven
Kent sensed something was wrong when he tried Ally’s cell phone five times and got her voicemail over and over again. He knew the anniversary of the day her husband died was coming up. Maybe she’d thrown herself into her work. He’d go to the Research Center and track her down there.
Kent remembered looking out of Ally’s car on Christmas Eve and seeing the sign for the entrance to the facility with the snow dropping onto it, so it was easy for him to find again. He turned into the driveway and saw the main building directly ahead. He scanned the parking spaces, but didn’t see Ally’s car anywhere in sight.
He got out and heard a wolf howl. He looked over to this left to an enclosure and saw the wolf in question pacing up and down. Kent walked over to it and howled back to him.
“Can I help you?”
Kent turned to s
ee a man in his early forties standing there. It was the same guy who’d checked out his leg.
“Hi, I’m Kent, and I’m a friend of Ally’s.”
“Hi, I’m Axel. If you’re looking for her, she’s not here. In fact, I haven’t seen her since our board meeting. She was pretty upset, and pissed too, I should say.”
“Pissed?”
“Sure, I am too because they’re closing this place down.”
The wolf began pacing and Axel put his hand through the fence and stroked his muzzle.
“I don’t think she can stand to see all these animals leave,” said Axel. “For some unknown reason, she’s always had a special bond with the wolves. Maybe she was one in a past life.”
Maybe Axel was right. Perhaps that’s why Kent was so attracted to her. “I guessed something was wrong because she wasn’t answering her cell phone.”
“Yeah, shitty thing for them to pull on us. She counts on this place for her research, and the job, too. Guess you know she’s a widow.”
Kent nodded. “So, when does this place officially close?”
“Two weeks on Monday. I’m out of job, too.”
“And the wolves…the animals, where are they going?”
“Most of them can’t be released in the wild, so hopefully some other facility can take them.”
Poor Ally and poor animals. Humans were pretty disgusting at times, but he had an idea.
“I’ll see if I can track Ally down at home,” said Kent.
“I packed her stuff into a box. You mind taking it for me?” asked Axel.
“I’d be happy to.”
****
Ally jotted down all the jobs she thought she’d be quailed to apply for. When you had a Master’s degree in animal science and were just a semester away from getting your doctorate, you were probably going to be told you were over qualified for most things.
Maybe she should have tried to keep Andy’s practice going by trying to find another vet to take his place, but in all honesty, she couldn’t face doing it. Going in and seeing the place where a drug addict had ended her husband’s life, seeing someone else standing behind the desk, attending to the animals. No, she couldn’t have done it.
Intern, intern, intern. That’s about all people needed these days. Maybe she should move to a smaller place and the overhead wouldn’t be so high. Smaller mortgage and lower utility costs. If the worst case scenario happened and she couldn’t find another job, she could always move in with her parents for a while. Not where she expected to be at this point in her life, but that’s the way things turned out sometimes.
And her animals. Once they were moved, would she ever see them again?
Damn and double damn.
****
“Are you crazy?” asked Nick. “You want me to invest in an animal research facility with you?”
“Sure, I do.”
“And how much money are we likely to make on said investment?”
Ava looked over the top of her glasses at Nick.
“That’s not what this one is about. It’s about helping wolves and other animals. About educating humans about our animal counterparts.”
Nick took a deep breath. “This is really all about helping Ally, isn’t it?”
“Sure it is, but this is a great opportunity, too. I’ve already made some phone calls. Ash’s wife, Chloe, is studying to be a vet, so it’s the ideal place for her to do her internship. Christopher Renner said he’d do all the artwork and create a new logo for us. Aiden has experience with wildlife management and is willing to be a board member. If we pool our resources, we can do lots of fundraising and help protect these animals.”
“It’s a stupid idea, Kent.”
Ava looked over at Nick again. Kent saw her nod.
“And don’t you say a word or side with my crazy cousin here,” said Nick.
“At least think about it,” said Ava.
“Listen to your wife,” said Kent.
“I’m not going to win on this, am I?” asked Nick.
Ava shook her head.
“Okay, I’ll invest, but I want a place on the board, and wolves have to feature on the logo.”
“Absolutely,” said Kent. He winked at Ava. She winked back.
“Oh, and I have one other condition before I agree to my investment,” said Nick.
Wow, Nick was tougher at business than even he was.
“Which is?”
“That you admit that Ally’s your mate. I can’t imagine a wolf would go to all this trouble if he hadn’t finally met the female who’s destined to be his.”
****
Ally pulled up the collar on her coat. She’d didn’t hold out much hope for getting the job she’d just interviewed for. She always hated the sixty-four million dollar question about where she saw herself in five years’ time.
Half a decade was too far ahead for her brain to even comprehend at this point in her life. She got into her car and looked across the way to the coffee shop. She could do with something to drink, and while she was there, maybe she’d asked if they needed any help. She’s worked waiting tables when she’d been in high school and at least it would give her some sort of income.
Her phone rang. It was probably Kent. She hadn’t purposely been avoiding him, but right now she was in a down mood and she didn’t want him to think she was Miss-I-do-nothing-but-cry.
However, it was Axel’s name and photo that appeared on the screen.
She’d been slightly selfish thinking of just herself. Axel would also be out of a job and he had a wife and two kids to support.
“Hi, Axel.”
“Ally, I have some great news for you.”
“You do?”
“We have a new board and benefactors.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope, and they want to speak with both us today.”
Ally ran her hand through her hair and looked in the rearview mirror.
“Can you stop by around one p.m. and meet with them?” asked Axel.
“I sure can. And they’re going to allow both of us and the animals to stay at the Center?”
“Sounds like it.”
Maybe things were starting to look up after all. “Okay, I’ll see you at one.” Ally ended the call. Once she was done with the meeting, she’d give Kent a call.
****
Kent had talked—no, he’d forced his cousin into attending the first board meeting. It actually looked like a shifter meeting. Aiden and Christopher Renner arrived first. He’d also asked Dane Reynolds to join the board. Nick arrived last carrying a tray with coffee for everyone.
“Looks like we have ourselves a new venture,” said Dane.
“Remember, Ally knows about us, but Axel doesn’t,” said Kent.
“Don’t you think this is sort of ironic that two wolves are plowing money into keeping this place up and running, and three bears are joining us on the board for a place that studies both species?” asked Nick.
Axel chose that moment to step into the room. “Hi everyone,” he said. “Ally should be here any minute.”
Kent’s heart beat faster at the mere mention of her name. His cousin was right. Nick had always been the smart one in the family.
“Shall we take our seats?” said Nick.
****
Ally was out of breath. The traffic had been heavier than she would have thought. She ran up to the front of the building, opened the doors, and then went down the hallway to the conference room. She pulled open the door and stopped in her tracks when she saw Kent sitting at the table along with his cousin and three other guys she’d never seen before.
Kent stood when he saw her. He pulled out the chair beside him. Nick was standing talking, but she didn’t hear anything he was saying because she was too focused on Kent. She sat and Kent immediately put his hand on her thigh and squeezed it.
“My cousin Kent convinced me that this is a worthy venture to invest in, so here we are. Me and Kent are somewhat of wolf experts
while Aiden, Christopher, and Dane know a thing or two about bears. We hope to get some cougar experts on the board, too.”
Ally looked at Kent, hoping he knew what she was asking. Were these three guys bear shifters?
Kent nodded and winked.
She had that I-must-be-dreaming feeling again. Not so much that she was sitting looking across the table at three guys who were part bear, but the fact that Kent had somehow saved the day.
“It will be business as usual, but Christopher will be designing new logos and artwork. We’d also like to recruit volunteers who will educate the public on wolves, bears, and cougars, you name it. The more people that know and understand us…I mean them, the better the relationship.”
Ally couldn’t have said it better herself.
“I have to say I’m really excited about this,” began Axel. “Animal experts who are willing to invest time and money into this place. I think I speak on behalf of Ally here when I say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
“Definitely,” said Ally. “I’d like to thank all of you and it will be money well invested.”
“In fact, if you guys don’t mind, I’d like to go grab my camera and take a photo of all of us,” said Axel. He stood. “I’ll be right back.”
“This is perfect now that Ally’s on her own because and there is one more thing that Kent would like to do before we conclude,” said Nick.
Kent glanced at his cousin. Nick nodded toward Ally. Kent sat there and Nick coughed.
All eyes were on him now.
He stood. “My cousin very kindly agreed to join me in this venture and also kindly reminded me that I recently met the girl of my dreams.” He glanced at Ally. “I’ve been denying it, as most of us die-hard bachelors often do, but Ally, you’re my mate.”
All four of the guys clapped.
“Mate as in friend?” asked Ally.
“No, mate as in there’s going to be a wedding,” said Nick.
Chapter Twelve
Kent hadn’t expected Ally to act quite like she had. He announced to the world—okay, just some other guys, that she was his mate. His mate. He’d finally found a woman who’d wiggled her way not only into this wolf’s pants, but into his heart, too. He thought she’d be happy, but all she’d done was walk out of the building without saying a word.
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