Firefly Hollow

by Haddix, T. L.

  “I don’t want to impose.”

  Owen went to her and hunkered down, his hands resting on either side of her hips. “Sarah, love, you aren’t imposing. If I have my way, you’ll be living here by the end of the weekend. I don’t want you to suffer because of what we did. The bath will help with the soreness.”

  “Okay.”

  He stood and held out his hand. Owen chuckled. “You’ll have to let go of the quilt.”

  Sarah laughed. “I know. I’m not as comfortable being naked as you are.”

  Owen tugged, and she came to her feet. He ran his free hand down her hair. “We’ll fix that soon enough.”

  “Owen!” She hid her face against his chest, and Owen slid his arms around her. He sent a prayer of thanks heavenward and guided her down the hall into the bathroom.

  When she saw the tub, she let out an admiring sound. “You weren’t kidding, were you? Where in the world did you find a bathtub so big? I’ve ever seen one this size.”

  “I read about it in a magazine while I was planning the layout for this house. I like soaking in the tub in the winter and figured I’d indulge myself. It’s big enough for two.”

  “I noticed,” Sarah said dryly. Then the meaning behind his words sank in, and her eyes widened. “Oh. You mean… oh.”

  “Just because it’s big enough for two doesn’t mean we have to share,” he hurried to assure her. “I thought I’d mention… never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’ll get the water started and get out of your hair.”

  “My hair. I need to get the rubber band so I can pull it out of the way.” She disappeared back down the hall.

  He put the stopper in and turned on the taps, cursing himself for being too eager. While he waited, he pulled out a box of Epsom salts and poured a little into the water, then followed that with a dollop of bubble bath. Checking the water temperature, he adjusted the taps.

  “Towels,” he muttered. “She’ll need towels.” He got two fluffy towels down from the storage closet and placed them on the wide ledge of the tub.

  When Sarah came back in, she was twisting her hair up as she walked. She stopped inside the door to finish the job.

  “I’ll let you be,” he said and started to walk past her. “Holler if you need anything.”

  “Owen? Will you stay?” The question was so tentative, he barely heard it over the rush of running water. She was biting her lip as she looked up at him uncertainly.

  Seeing that the tub was nearly full, he went back and turned off the water. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll stay. Check this and make sure it isn’t too hot,” he said.

  Sarah bent to swish a hand through the water, and Owen’s mouth went dry at the sight of the curve of her bare hip. He looked away quickly, but not fast enough, as a tingle of arousal started in his groin.

  “Feels wonderful,” she said as she straightened. “So, um, how do we do this?”

  He stepped over the tall side easily and sank into the water. He patted the ledge. “Sit here and swing your legs in. Sit between my legs.” When she swung her left leg over the rim, he saw the rust-colored stains on the inside of her thighs and grimaced.

  Sarah noticed his gaze and looked down. “Oh. Um, I think that’s normal, too.”

  Owen didn’t care if it was normal; he’d hurt her. His face must have conveyed his turmoil, because when Sarah slid into the water, she moved to frame his face with her hands.

  “I’m okay, Owen. It had to happen. Please don’t be upset.” She kissed him tenderly, then turned and settled back against him with a sigh. “This feels so good. Thank you for suggesting it.”

  He shifted so that he wasn’t in danger of accidentally poking her and relaxed against the slope of the tub.

  Sarah leaned into him further, and under the water, her hands skimmed along the muscles in his legs. “So I finally garnered the courage to read your letter yesterday. The doodles were a nice touch.”

  Thinking of the deer he’d drawn, complete with a landscape including birds, a squirrel, and Hootie the owl, Owen scowled. “Doodles?”

  Sarah leaned her head back and looked up at him, her lips pressed together to hold in her laughter. “Mm hmm. I particularly liked the hearts and flowers with our initials.” When his scowl deepened, her laugh bubbled out.

  Owen growled, exasperated. “God save me from teenage girls. Julie must have ‘enhanced’ the letter. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I think it’s cute, even if her stealing the letter was almost a disaster.”

  Owen huffed. “I don’t think it’s cute. If Amy hadn’t discovered Julie had it, I wouldn’t have come home when I did. I could have lost you forever.”

  “No.” Sarah’s voice rang with certainty. “No, I don’t think so. Oh, it would have been much more painful than it has been, of that I have no doubt, but I think we would have found our way back to each other.”

  “I hope so.” He pressed a kiss to her hair, just above her ear. “Promise me something, though?”

  “If I can.”

  “If we are blessed enough to have children, make sure they’re all boys.”

  Sarah slid her arms over his and laced their fingers together. “I don’t think we get a choice in the matter.”

  Owen groaned into her neck. “God help us, then. We’ll probably have half a dozen girls.”

  “How many daughters does your uncle have?”

  “Three. Claire is twenty, and the other two are teenagers. Joline is sixteen; Julie’s fourteen. Jo’s boy crazy like you wouldn’t believe, and Julie’s about half as bad. They caused me more trouble than all the boys did put together, and there were three of them. Tad’s fifteen, and Greg and Noah are thirteen. They’re twins. Trent’s the oldest, at twenty-three, and he’s married with his first child on the way.”

  “I can’t imagine having that many kids in one family. Oh, I know most of the people around here do it, but I think it would be a madhouse all the time. It was bad enough with three of us growing up. Do you want kids?”

  Owen hesitated. “The idea of you having my children scares me to death. Do you know how dangerous childbearing is?”

  Sarah turned to face him, sliding her legs over his so that she was sitting in his lap. “I do. But we have a good hospital, with good doctors. It’s safer now than it has ever been.” Her hands slid around his neck and she rested her head against his shoulder. “I want babies with you, Owen.”

  “You might not, after we talk.”

  “Is it time for you to finally reveal this big, bad secret you have?” she teased.

  “Yes. It isn’t a joke, Sarah. I wouldn’t blame you if you walked away once you know.”

  She traced the shell of his ear with a delicate finger. Owen scowled and batted at her hand.

  To his surprise, she grinned. “Your ears really are that ticklish, aren’t they?”

  Between the comment and the expectant look she was sending him, Owen realized that she knew. When she used her fingertip to lift his chin, he realized he’d been staring at her, mouth agape. He sat up quickly, causing her to squeal and tighten her arms around his shoulders. Water sloshed out of the tub, but he ignored it.

  “You know. How do you… when did you…?” His voice faded as he stared at her. “Sarah? Explain?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know as much as you apparently think I do. And I’m not sure I believe what I do know. Or think I know.” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders, then the top of his chest.

  Owen realized she was nervous. “If you think you’ve soaked long enough, why don’t we get out of here and go somewhere we can talk a little easier?”

  “Okay.”

  He helped her step out of the tub, then pulled the plug. Once they were dried o
ff, he started toward the door.

  Sarah cleared her throat. “Um, would you mind closing the door? I need to use the facilities.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  In the bedroom, Owen opened his dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama bottoms. While he didn’t mind being naked, he wanted Sarah as comfortable for the upcoming conversation as was possible. Leaving his chest bare, he grabbed a soft T-shirt for her to wear and moved to straighten the bedclothes. Figuring she might want to cover up, he folded the sheet and bedspread back to the foot of the bed. He stacked the pillows against the tall headboard, and stood back, eyeing his handiwork critically. Satisfied, he went back down the hall in time to hear the toilet flush.

  “I’m going to get something to drink,” he called through the bathroom door. “I laid a shirt out for you on the bed. Do you want anything?”

  “Just something to drink,” Sarah answered.

  When Owen came back upstairs, she was in the bedroom and clad in the shirt. She wasn’t on the bed, as he’d expected, though. Instead, she was standing at the round table, looking down at his sketches. Owen set the pitcher of water and two glasses on the nightstand and moved to stand behind her. He undid the rubber band around her hair and tossed it on the table, then slid his arms around her waist.

  “I know it’s terribly nosy of me,” she said, “but I am officially your biggest fan. I couldn’t help myself; I had to look.”

  “I’ll forgive your nosiness for a kiss,” Owen murmured against her neck, then bit the soft skin lightly. He felt a shiver run through her, and she moved her head so that he had better access.

  “I’ll be glad to pay up. But we need to finish that discussion first.”

  “I know. Come on. Let’s get comfortable.”

  Sarah settled in against the pillows and tugged the sheet up over her. He filled a glass with cold water and handed it to her, then filled his own.

  Stretching out, he drew in a deep, steadying breath. “Tell me what you suspect.”

  Crossing her legs, Sarah gave a little shrug. “What I suspect should qualify me for the loony bin. I feel ridiculous even saying it. But as crazy as this seems, I believe you might be a shapeshifter who turns into the most adorable deer I’ve ever seen. A deer who looks remarkably like Toby from your books. It’s the only thing that makes sense. It’s why you sign your letters with a drawing of him, isn’t it?”

  “How’d you figure it out?”

  Her eyes widened. “You mean it’s really true?”

  Owen realized then that she had doubted her own judgment. “It is.”

  She smiled and gave a small laugh. Shaking her head, the laughter increased to a soft, tinkling roll, even as her smile widened into a grin. “I’m sorry, I just… I can’t believe it. And I know it has to be true, or maybe I really have fallen down the rabbit hole, but it’s incredible.”

  “How did you put it together?”

  “The Summer Folly of Tobias Hedge. I was reading it to Kathy the day you came home.” She shrugged. “You like apples, and you hate egg salad. Do you remember that ‘conversation’ we had at the pool the summer I graduated high school? Of course, you could only snort and shake your head at me, since you were a deer.”

  Owen closed his eyes. “And Toby ate the girl’s apple.”

  “Yes, he did. And turned his nose up at her egg salad.” Sarah moved to stand on her knees over him and put her hands on her hips. “I went skinny dipping that day. Where were you?”

  It didn’t take much of a tug to send her tumbling into his arms. Owen rolled onto his back and settled her against his chest. “Up the hill, hiding behind a rock. I could hear you, but I couldn’t see you. I wouldn’t spy on you like that, Sarah. That’s why I left the other day before you revealed any secrets to me. Or rather, to the deer.”

  She smiled down at him. “Deer Owen. I find it amazing. And as soon as I’m convinced I’m not crazy, in about fifty years or so, I’ll probably stop reacting like this. But for now, it’s just amazing.”

  He grunted. “You say that now. Wait until we have a teenager or three running around, starting to change. Then you’ll rue the day you met me.”

  Sarah’s expression went blank. She obviously hadn’t considered the implications of having children by a shifter, and Owen felt his heart sink. Certain that she would start distancing herself, he braced for rejection.

  “That’s what happened with you and your father, isn’t it? You hit puberty and started to change, and he couldn’t handle it. Oh, Owen. I’m so sorry.”

  Owen rubbed his cheek against hers. “You constantly amaze me. Did you know that?” He kissed her with an intensity that threatened to start something they couldn’t finish right then. Remembering her question, though, he pulled back with reluctance. “And to answer your question, yes. He wasn’t a shifter, and he didn’t understand it.”

  “So where did it come from? Your mother?”

  Owen fell back on the bed. “Yes. It comes through the Wells family.”

  Sarah leaned across him, her weight on one arm. The position caused her shirt to ride up, revealing the edge of her panties. Owen stroked the smooth skin of her legs, soothing himself almost as much as he was trying to sooth her.

  Sarah, however, seemed remarkably calm. “So Eli… he’s a shifter?”

  “Yes.”

  “And his kids?”

  “Four of them are.”

  She frowned. “But not all of them? How come?”

  Owen shrugged. “Genetics. It’s like blue eyes or curly hair, as far as I can tell. I got the gene; Harlan didn’t. Sometimes it skips entire generations. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, which makes the condition that much more dangerous.”

  “Did you always know you were a shifter?”

  “No. I found out the hard way when I was thirteen. My mother was afraid to tell me; she had hoped I wouldn’t turn out to be a shifter. She didn’t get her wish.” He rubbed his eyes, remembering the weeks and months that had followed his first transformation. “That’s why I’m telling you now. I won’t go into a marriage unless you’re aware of what all that entails, exactly. She didn’t tell my father until I was four years old. He never had a choice in the matter. I don’t want to do that to you.”

  Sarah rubbed her hand across his chest, curling her fingers in the hair and tugging. “So if we have children who are shifters, what does that mean, exactly? Do they have to go into training when they reach a certain age? I’m guessing that’s why you were sent to London, to Eli, right?”

  “Yes. I had to go through what I did because of the way I was taught about shifting. Eli’s kids had a much easier time of it. They were told as soon as they were old enough to understand and keep a secret.”

  “Do parents know right away if a child has the gene or not?”

  “Some do; some don’t. Sometimes the signs are dormant until the children reach puberty, and sometimes it’s apparent from the time they start to walk. Every child is different.”

  She appeared to consider his words, a slight frown between her eyes. “Okay. So do your cousins change into deer, also? Or are there other creatures, like bobcats?”

  “Like Minerva, you mean? It really depends on the person. Most people can only change into one animal, and a few can change into two.”

  “Really? What about you? Can you change into something other than a deer?”

  Owen sat up, tipping her back so that she was lying across his legs. “You’re enjoying this a little too much,” he teased. “Are you sure your family doesn’t have a shifter somewhere you aren’t telling me about?” He slipped his hand under her shirt, moving it up the soft skin of her abdomen to cup her breast.

  Though Sarah’s eyes softened, she didn’t let him distract her. She covered his hand with hers and used her
free hand to pinch him under the arm.

  “Ow!”

  “Answer the question, please. I can tell that you don’t want to. That must mean you do change into something else. So what is it?”

  Resigned, Owen confessed. “A wolf.”

  Pushing his hand aside, she slowly sat up. “A wolf? As in a howl-at-the-moon wolf?”

  “Yes.”

  She stared at him, mouth open in shock. “A black and gray wolf, by chance?”

  Owen nodded tersely. “Yes.” He watched her put two and two together.

  “That was you, all those years ago. You’re the one who saved me from the snake.”

  He couldn’t read her expression. Given that he’d pretended ignorance on several occasions, he almost expected her to slap him and storm out.

  Instead, she sagged back and teared up. “How long have you been looking out for me?”

  “Since that day. Does that change things for you?”

  “No. It surprises me; that’s all. I was expecting the deer, not the wolf. I have to get my head around it.” She pursed her lips and studied him with a considering gaze. “Is that something you’d let me see you as?”

  He looked down at the place where her hand rested on his belly. He trailed his fingers across hers. “Why would you want to see that again?”

  “Owen. You can’t seriously not know.” When he shrugged, she sighed. “Oh, my dear, sweet Owen. If I could turn into a creature as magnificent as a wolf, wouldn’t you want to see me?”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  FROM THE STUNNED LOOK ON Owen’s face, Sarah realized that he had expected a much different reaction. At first, she was a little insulted, but then remembering what he’d told her about his childhood, his confusion made more sense. She brought his hand to her mouth and placed a kiss on his knuckles.

  “I don’t know,” he finally answered. “That’s something I’ll have to think about. The wolf… it’s the deepest, darkest part of me. I only go there when I’m in the worst place mentally. I don’t want to show you that right now. Not today, anyhow. There’s been enough darkness today.”