by Bethany Shaw
“Okay. I will.” Her eyes widened as she caught sight of Daire, who was jogging through the parking lot like he was out for a run. A man that looked as good as him had to work out somehow. The sweats he wore hugged his butt. She didn’t need to touch it to know that it was firm. The way his pants moved against it was all the confirmation she needed. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t like to smack it to confirm. Heat crept over her cheeks at the thought. “I’ll talk to you later, Mom.” She pulled into her spot and inhaled a deep breath. Would it hurt to ask him out and have a little fun? He’d seemed like he might be into her.
“Okay, sweetie. Love you.”
“Love you, too, bye.” Grace hung up and turned off her car before climbing out.
Daire was at the edge of the parking lot, running toward her. She squinted. Was he barefoot again? This time, he carried a backpack. Maybe his shoes were in there, but that made no sense. It was in the teens with the wind chill. He must be nuts. At least he was a hot nut. She snorted at her thoughts. Was she really going to do this?
“Still looking for your cat?” she called before she lost her nerve.
“Yeah. I saw her but then she darted off into the woods again,” he said as he came to a stop a few feet away from her.
“At least she’s found someplace warm,” she said with a shrug.
“I sure hope so. It’s going to be another cold one.”
Speaking of the cold, how was he not freezing? She was shivering with her jacket and shoes on, and he had neither of those. If she didn’t stop, she was going to lose her nerve and not ask him out. “So, are you doing anything tonight?” She fidgeted with her fingers as her eyes darted around the parking lot. “I thought, uh, maybe we could get some dinner, maybe?”
“Dinner?” he asked.
Grace gulped. She’d just asked him out. What was she doing? She was never this bold, and she hadn’t been on a date since college.
“Good, you’re back. Did you get...” a woman’s voice said, drawing Grace from her thoughts.
Grace turned around. Heat enveloped her cheeks as she stared at the gorgeous woman peeking her head out of Daire’s apartment. Of course, someone as hot and nice as he was taken.
“I’m sorry.” She took a few steps back, turning her back into the wrought iron bar of the staircase. Pain shot through her, and she cursed beneath her breath. “Good luck finding your cat.” She raced up the steps.
Just her luck the first guy she asks out after her divorce is already seeing someone. Correction, living with someone. “I’m such an idiot,” she muttered to herself as she shoved her key in the lock. Netflix and pizza it was. Who needed a social life anyway?
***
“Well, she ran off fast,” Ethney said, her eyes drifting to the stairs where Grace had been only a few seconds ago.
“I think she was asking me out,” he mumbled. At least that’s what it had seemed like. Too bad they’d been interrupted. He shook his head. It was probably a good thing Ethney poked her head out when she did.
“Hot date. You should do it,” Ethney said, waggling her brows.
“She ran off when you opened the door. Besides, we need to focus on the mission.” He tugged the pack off his back and held it out to her. “I got some.”
“Do you think they’ll work?” Ethney asked as she took the pack. They’d spent a good portion of last night on Google, trying to see if they could help the kid somehow. Their goddess couldn’t help Kevin. It wasn’t her magic that had created him. And the goddess that had created him couldn't care less.
Daire followed her inside and shut the door. “I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot. It has to be given intravenously.” The mitotic inhibitors might help Kevin’s cells from splitting and slow down the process of the lycanthrope transition. If they could slow it down enough, the kid might not be stuck in the beast’s body for the entire evening, and he might not lose his mind when he shifted at the first full moon. Maybe they could save the kid. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.
“I can set this up. You should go follow up with the cute girl upstairs,” Ethney said as she set the bag on the back of the couch and pulled out the supplies.
“Someone needs to stay with the kid while the other goes out and does recon. I don’t want another Port Townsend,” he said.
Ethney winced. She licked her lips. “Kevin’s sleeping. Has been all day. As for going out, think of it as recon. She’s a local, right? She knows the area. Have her take you to a popular bar. You know the lycanthrope like to hang out there. Get a few beers while you’re at it. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky tonight.”
Daire rolled his eyes. Ethney was right about one thing. The beasts did like to frequent the local pubs. “Are you good staying with the kid?”
“Been here all day. It gives me a chance to finish my book.” She sighed and looked down the hall where the guest bedroom door was open. “Poor kid’s been through a lot. He keeps waking up with nightmares. We’ll be fine. Go! Find the bastards, so we can make them pay.”
“All right.” He went to his room and changed into jeans and a button-down flannel before heading back into the front room.
He put his hand on the doorknob and paused. Could he do this? Ask her out? Take her out? It was one thing to hook up with a random girl at a bar who meant nothing to him, but an entirely different thing to go out with someone and enjoy himself. Alannah’s face came to his mind. She’d remarried out of necessity. Times were different then. A woman without a husband didn’t have a home or land. She’d had Neala to think of, too. He...had choices.
“The door won’t open itself,” Ethney whispered.
“I shouldn’t do this.” He shook his head and dropped his hand to his side.
“Alannah would want you to be happy, Daire. It’s been centuries. You have nothing to feel bad about.”
That was the problem with working with someone for a long time. They knew you. He and the other eleven zodiac guardians had worked together many times over the centuries. Each of them knew each other and their backstory.
“Do you ever see yourself falling for someone again?” Daire asked. Their situations were different, but he wondered if after all this time she could open herself up to someone.
Ethney swallowed hard and looked away. “You had a loving wife and daughter. My husband, the man I trusted more than anyone, murdered our son and me. That’s a betrayal I’ll never forget. I think I’m meant to be alone.” She held up her book, a romance novel. “That doesn’t mean I can’t live vicariously through fictional characters. At least here the couple gets their happily ever after. So can you.”
“Until the full moon,” he said.
“Enjoy the time you have. You don’t meet a girl you fancy every day. Go ask her out. You won’t regret it. Promise,” Ethney added. “If you need motivation to get out the door, just think of the lycanthrope. I bet they won’t have a problem going to the bar or preying on your pretty little friend either this full moon.”
A puff of smoke lodged in his throat at the thought. He twisted the knob, yanked the door open, and slammed it shut behind him. She was right. Come the full moon, any human in this small town was in trouble. The lycanthrope would draw them out with their magical howls. Then they would attack, biting anyone and everyone they could to make more of their kind.
He formed his hands into fists at his side. They had to be stopped. He stomped up the stairs and drew in a breath to calm himself before lifting his fist to knock.
“Wow! That was...” she trailed off as the door opened fully and Grace’s eyes met his. “You’re not the pizza guy.”
“No.” He cleared his throat. “I thought you’d like to go to the bar and grab a drink and get some dinner.”
Grace blinked at him. “What about your girlfriend? Won’t she mind?” Her brow lifted in question.
“Ethney’s not my girlfriend. She’s my sister.” It was as close to the truth as he could get, and he cared about the mermaid like she was his sister.<
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“Sister,” she said slowly.
“Yeah. So, you want to grab that drink?” He swallowed hard. It had been forever since he courted a woman. And they didn’t even call it that anymore. A man his age should be suaver. Like Aric. The water dragon knew how to charm the ladies.
“I just ordered a pizza.” She shifted on her feet before opening the door wider. “Would you like to eat pizza, then maybe grab that drink?” she asked.
“Sure.” He stepped inside, letting his eyes wander around the room. Pictures of Grace and a little boy hung on the far wall. There was a couch and a small TV. Except for the furnishings, the apartment looked identical to his.
“That your son?” he asked, nodding his head to the wall of pictures.
“Oh, yeah, that’s Caden. He’s with his father for the weekend, but he’ll be back Sunday afternoon.” She sighed and shook her head. “I understand if you want to go back home or go to the bar by yourself.”
“What? Why would I do that?” he asked with a frown. What was with her sudden change of mood? Had he offended her somehow?
“Well, it’s just...” She laughed. “The last guy I was supposed to go out with canceled when he learned I had a kid. We’re kind of a package deal, you know?”
“Your son doesn’t scare me.” The kid was cute. He looked a lot like Grace, except for his nose. That must have come from his father. He glanced over at Grace. He barely knew the woman, but he’d met enough people in his long life to know how to read a person. She was a kind, gentle soul. Any man who let her go was an idiot.
“Really?” she asked her voice rising in surprise.
“Yeah. I like kids. I, uh, had a daughter,” he said as he walked to the couch and took a seat.
“Oh?”
“She passed away. My wife, too,” he said. Why was he talking about this? Talk about killing the mood.
“I’m so sorry,” Grace said, putting her hand on her chest. “How terrible.”
“It’s been a few years.” Few didn’t even come close to describing it. Try centuries. His deal with Astraea had changed the timeline, allowing the two to live in exchange for his servitude. He’d never forget the moment he’d come home to find Alannah and Neala, their broken bodies bloodied and beaten.
A knock at the door drew him from his thoughts. Grace went to the door and spoke in a hushed tone as she got the pizza. She set the pizza box on the coffee table and walked to the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Sure. I’ll take a soda.”
Grace came back out with two cans in her hand. She handed one to him before sitting next to him.
It was time to change the subject before he made things even more doom and gloom. “So, how old is your boy?”
“Five.”
His eyes drifted to the Christmas decorations that still sat up in the corner of the room. “Did you two enjoy your Christmas?” he asked.
She laughed. “I really need to take those down. It’s almost February. I used to take down the tree the day after Christmas, but someone told me it’s bad luck, so I waited until after the first of the year. It didn’t do much to change my luck, unfortunately.” She indicated the corner. “And it’s still there because I just haven’t made the time to take it down yet.”
Grace opened the pizza box and took a slice. “Help yourself. Please.” She eased back on the couch, resting her soda can between her legs. “So, what brought you to our small town?”
“Work,” he said.
“You couldn’t find a mechanic job someplace else?” she asked, lifting her brow.
He should’ve thought of a better reason. The work he mentioned wasn’t something he could talk about or that she’d even understand. “Well, that and to help my sister with my nephew. He fell in with the wrong crowd.” And the lies kept piling up. Clearly, this wasn’t a good idea. Half of everything he told her was a lie.
“How old is your nephew?”
“Sixteen.” That’s what Kevin had said, and he didn’t see why the boy would lie about that.
“That’s a tough age. Your sister looks good for having a kid that old.” Grace took a sip of her soda.
Daire took a bite of his pizza, choosing not to comment on Ethney’s age. It’d be yet another lie.
“Any luck finding your cat?” Grace asked before taking a bite of her food.
He shook his head. At this rate, he might have to buy a cat to avoid the continued lies. “Not yet.”
“I’m sure she’ll come around. Moving’s hard on them.”
“Do you have any pets?” he asked.
“No. Caden keeps asking for a dog. His dad’s allergic, so we could never have one before. I’d like to get him one, but they’re work, especially with the apartment, and then there’s the vet bills and extra fee for rent to have a pet here. Maybe in a couple of years when we can get into a house,” Grace said. She plucked a pepperoni off and popped it in her mouth.
“Do you mind if I ask where you’re from originally? Your accent... You’re not from around here,” Grace said as she went for another piece of pizza.
“Ireland. I’ve lived in the US for quite some time. Honestly, I didn’t think I still had an accent anymore,” he said as he got a slice for himself.
“It’s just a slight accent. I like it, though,” she said with a smile. Red crept over her cheeks, and her eyes darted away. “Why’d you leave Ireland? I’ve always wanted to go there. I did a project on the country in middle school. The pictures look amazing, and there is a lot of history there.”
“The countryside where I grew up is beautiful, but I couldn’t stay after my family died. It was a constant reminder of what I’d lost.” It was partly the truth. In the beginning, he couldn’t return because he was supposed to be dead, and it would void his contract and reset the timeline. After Alannah and Neala’s deaths many years later, he had no wish to go home again.
“I’m sorry.” She picked at her food. “Do you mind if I ask what happened to them?”
He ran his free hand through his short hair. “Home invasion gone wrong. I came home and found them after returning from the fields for the day.”
“That’s horrible. I’m so sorry, Daire. I can’t imagine.” Grace reached out and put her hand on his thigh, giving it a gentle pat.
His eyes drifted to her hand. It was comforting. “What about you; have you lived here all your life?” he asked to take the attention away from him.
“Yeah. My parents used to own the bed and breakfast down on the lake. They had to sell it after my dad got sick. It was too much for my mom to keep up with on her own. I went to college at the University of Michigan but came back here because it’s home. It’s a great little town. There are quite a few tourists in the summer, but it’s a nice place to live, too. I like winters the best. They’re quiet. We get a lot of snow. The lake is really beautiful when it gets a thin layer of ice and snow on it.” A smile spread as she spoke, lighting up her entire face.
“Sounds like a great town. I hope the bars are just as pleasant.” As much as he’d like to enjoy his time with Grace, he needed to do recon, too. The full moon would be here before he knew it, and he needed to eradicate the lycanthrope before then, or Port Townsend would look good compared to what went down here.
“We should go to Lucky Five. It’s the best and only bar in town.” She laughed out loud.
“Lucky Five?” What an odd name.
“It’s owned by the five Owens brothers.” Grace stood up and took a drink from her can. “Give me two minutes to change, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Daire sat back on the couch, finishing his slice of pizza and then another. Her two minutes turned into twenty.
“Okay. Ready,” she said when she returned to the living room.
His eyes widened as he took her in. Her long amber locks fell in curls past her shoulders. She’d changed into a knee-length black dress and boots. The dress was cut low, giving him a modest view of her breasts. He gulped. She looked breathtaking
. Could he do his job, or was Grace too much of a distraction?
Chapter Four
Grace moved in time to the music while holding a beer in her hand and her wristlet purse in the other. Daire was behind her, moving, but barely. For someone so hot, he sure didn’t know how to dance. He couldn’t even seem to find his rhythm.
It didn’t matter. She was having fun. For the first time since her split with Dave, she was out enjoying herself. It didn’t matter that her date couldn’t dance. She took a step back at the same time he took one forward. Her bottom bumped into his groin. His hand snaked around her, pulling her closer.
Heat flooded through her, and not just because he was warm to the touch. His musk filled her senses, and she breathed it in. She let her head fall back on his chest.
“Are you having a good time?” he asked.
“Yeah. You?” Grace looked over her shoulder so she could see his face.
He scanned the room. “Yeah. It’s busier here than I thought it’d be.”
“Only bar in town, and it’s a Friday night,” she reminded with a laugh. “Do you play pool?”
“Sure. It looks like there’s a table available.” He nodded to the corner where a table had just opened up.
She found his hand with hers and guided him over to the table. “I haven’t played since college,” she said. Even then she’d just played with Dave when they were out on a double date.
“I guess I’ll have to go easy on you,” he said with a smirk.
Grace shook her head. “No. If I win, I want it to be fair and square. No ‘I-took-it-easy-on-you’ baloney.”
“Fine, you go first,” he said, offering her a pool stick. She set her purse down on the edge of the pool table.
She slipped the stick from his hand, shivering when his warm, callused fingers grazed against his. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man, and Daire would be a great guy to take home. But that wasn’t her thing. She was a relationship girl—always had been. He’d been married; maybe he’d prefer something a little more permanent, too. She’d have to feel him out.