Strange Neighbors

by Ashlyn Chase

  "Well, how did I get gagged and all trussed up like a holiday turkey? Did I imagine that too? Or maybe I tied myself to that chair and knotted the rope behind my back where I couldn't reach it."

  "I'm going to talk to Nathan. I promised you that and I will, as soon as I know you're all right."

  She took another swig of the Scotch. "I'll feel better when I've had about three of these, but you're not going to convince me I'm hallucinating—and I'm not going anywhere. You need me here to protect your interests."

  Jason sucked in a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I've avoided inviting my buddies over due to your frequent—um, how do I say this? Alarming reports?"

  "What in heaven's name do you mean?"

  Jason looked to Ralph.

  "Please don't deny it, honey. You're an alarmist. You jump to conclusions and the first thing you do is look for Jason. I don't blame him for worrying about having friends over. If they were here when you… Well, let's just say I don't blame him."

  "But you do blame me. Yet you're the one who doesn't want me to call the cops!"

  "No, Aunt Dottie. Nobody's blaming you. I know you think you're helping, but…" What else could he say without calling her a pain in the ass? "Look, I really would like you and Ralph to take a little vacation in the islands. It's on me." Maybe he could get her to go if he gave her a mission she'd enjoy more than looking for real estate. "Um, I wasn't going to say anything yet, but while you're down there, can you look for a private honeymoon hideaway?"

  Dottie's jaw dropped. "You're getting married? Why didn't you tell us?"

  Jason shrugged one shoulder. "She hasn't put on the ring yet. She's still thinking it over."

  "Oh." Her posture slumped.

  "I'm pretty sure she'll accept, though. I know her. She has a kind heart, and I don't think she'll let me down." He sent a pointed look to Ralph.

  Ralph smiled and clapped him on the back. "I don't think she will, either. Congratulations. Now doesn't that sound like fun, Dottie? We have a honeymoon to plan and we can take a second honeymoon in the process."

  At last Dottie let a weak smile cross her lips. "I suppose. It's been a long time since we've gone anywhere."

  Thank God, now if I can just get her out of here soon. "I'll make the plane reservations. Do you two have passports?"

  Dottie nodded. "Yes. We applied for them when they changed the laws and we needed them to visit my sister in Canada."

  "Great. I'll see what kind of island tour I can get at the last minute." He leaned toward Ralph and said in a low voice, "Can I count on you to keep an eye on her while I do that?"

  He nodded. "I'll look after her. She needs a good nap."

  "Okay. I'll go talk to Nathan now." And I hope he has a good explanation. I don't want to evict the guy who saved my life.

  ***

  Nathan heard a knock on his door. He stopped packing his bags long enough to answer it and found his landlord standing there.

  "We need to talk."

  "Come in," Nathan said morosely. "Have a seat."

  Jason sat in the chair Nathan pointed to and waited quietly for him to get settled.

  Nathan was pretty sure he knew what Jason came to say, though. "I'm sorry, Jason." Nathan perched on the edge of the sofa and clasped his hands between his knees. "I swear I thought she was a burglar. What was she doing walking into my apartment at midnight?"

  "I don't know. I barely reassured her enough to stay put and now Ralph is plying her with Scotch. I'm sending them off on a vacation tomorrow. So, tell me what happened."

  To anyone else, it would sound bizarre, but a falcon might understand. "I had caught a mouse in the alley earlier in the evening and had just shifted back into my raven form to enjoy my meal when the door opened. The light behind her obscured anything but a silhouette. You know what it's like when you're in bird form, right? You think like a bird first and a man second. Instinctively, I sensed a threat and flew at her head and beat her with my wings to drive her off."

  "Okay. So couldn't you have let her think you were a pet bird? You know I allow pets, so you'd be well within your rights to own one."

  "I was under duress and not thinking as clearly as I could have. I shifted into human form, hoping to scare the shit out of the burglar, and I didn't know it was your aunt until she had seen too much."

  "She said you had a gun."

  "I do. I never would have used it. I may joke about death, but I'm not a killer."

  Jason nodded. "Do you have a permit for that gun?"

  "Why?"

  "In case she calls the cops on you no matter what Ralph and I do to calm her down?"

  "Shit."

  "I know my aunt, and she'll want to. I hope we can talk her out of it."

  Nathan gulped. "Double shit."

  "So you gagged and tied her to a chair and left her in the basement with a guy she thought was a vampire?"

  "Shit. Shit. Shit."

  "What were you planning to do with her after that?"

  "I admit I didn't think it through well at all," he said sheepishly.

  Jason shook his head. "Fan-fucking-tastic. Now what do we do?"

  "We?" Nathan lifted his head and stared at his landlord, wide-eyed. "I'd planned to pack my bags and leave before the eviction notice was delivered. I figured I wasn't fast enough and you were here to tell me to get out."

  Jason tilted his head. "I know how hard it is to find affordable apartments in this town, especially on short notice. You didn't think I'd turn my back on you after you saved my life, did you?"

  "Well, uh—yeah. I…" Damn. I can't believe he wants to stick up for me. "I don't know what to say."

  "Say you'll apologize profusely if that's what it takes."

  "Me apologize to her? She's the one who walked—"

  The look on Jason's face was all he needed to see. "Yeah, of course. I'll try anything. I just doubt it will be enough."

  "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

  ***

  Merry met Roz at a local fast food restaurant. She needed a heart-to-heart with someone she could trust to be honest with her.

  "You know how Jason wants to marry me before spring training, right?"

  "Yes, have you accepted?"

  "I'm pretty close."

  "What was that thing you couldn't tell me about before? Can you tell me now?"

  Merry dropped her head in her hands. "Jeez! I want to, but I'm not sure I can." She reached across the table, grabbed Roz's wrist, and searched her face. "Will you believe whatever I tell you without accusing me of losing my marbles?"

  "Uh, probably. I've never known you to lose your marbles—or your mind for that matter. We are talking about your sanity, right?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, then yes, you can tell me anything without my questioning the amount of your marbles."

  Merry took a deep breath. "Here goes nuthin'. Jason is a shapeshifter."

  Roz's eyes widened and she fell silent.

  "I knew you wouldn't believe me," Merry wailed.

  Other people in the restaurant glanced over at them. Both women waited until everyone returned to minding their own business, then continued their conversation in hushed tones.

  "I'm familiar with the term," Roz said, "but only in fiction. Are you telling me he's a werewolf or something?"

  Merry suppressed a laugh. "No. He's a peregrine falcon. There are some nice benefits to his being that particular bird."

  "Oh? Like what?"

  "Well, first and foremost, they're monogamous."

  "That's terrific. You'll never need to worry about his fooling around on you, even when he's on the road or if you see stupid, damaging headlines in gossip columns."

  "I know. That part's really great, but there's a down side."

  "To monogamy?"

  "Well, yeah. I mean, now that he's made his choice, apparently he's begun some kind of process that can't be stopped. In other words, it's me or no one."

  "W
ell, that sucks—for him. You can take your time about it though, right? I mean, I can understand his wanting to make it happen sooner rather than later, but he isn't still pressuring you to marry him right away, is he?"

  "Kind of. There's more."

  "Uh-oh. What else?"

  "The reason he wants to marry me before spring training is so I'll be in Florida with him when the urge to mate hits in March. Apparently it's a falcon instinct at that time of year. If I'm not there, the human in him may be so stressed out, he could lose his marbles. Even if he doesn't, he could shift without warning in order to fly to me wherever I am. That would end his career."

  "Wow! That's a lot of pressure."

  "Tell me about it."

  "So what else will change if you marry a shapeshifter? Does anything happen to you?"

  "No. I won't change at all. He likes to stay in human form, so things shouldn't be that different."

  "Okay. So what are you worried about if that's the case?"

  "I feel like I'm letting you down. We had all these dreams of going clubbing on my weekends off and leading the Sex and the City lifestyle for a few years. Here I am looking at marriage to the first man I met on day one in the city!"

  Roz chuckled. "Merry, don't worry about me. Hell, if I found a hottie like Jason, I'd leave you in the dust."

  "Oh, nice. Thanks."

  "Hey, I'm just being honest. And that's part of your problem, hon. You're too nice. You love him, right?"

  "More than I thought possible."

  "So why are you worrying about me? You can't please all of the people all of the time. Sometimes you have to make a choice. I know you. You'll bend over backwards trying to take care of everybody and make sure everyone is happy."

  "You're right. I hate that about me."

  "Don't hate it, just accept it. It's who you are. You're a caretaker. Look how long you took care of your father and brother."

  "I know. I put my life on hold for years! And I just set out on my own."

  Roz stared at her tea. "So where were you going?"

  "Going?"

  "Yeah, your journey. Your life. You wanted Sex and the City. Well, you have sex and the city. Where did you ultimately want to wind up?"

  Merry shrugged. "Well, eventually happily married to the man of my dreams. Maybe have a kid or two. I'm not sure I want to drive a minivan, but the rest of the American dream sounds pretty good."

  "Okay. What about your job? Do you want to continue working?"

  "Of course. I have no idea what I'd do with myself all day if I didn't."

  "Can you do that if you travel between two homes?"

  "As a nurse, I'm lucky in that respect. I can work

  per diem. Sort of like a substitute teacher. I sign up as available on the days and times I want to work and they call me in when they need someone."

  Roz leaned back against her chair. "With the huge need for nurses everywhere, you should be able to work pretty much whenever you want. That sounds perfect. So what's stopping you?"

  Merry shrugged. "I don't really know. I wonder what people will think about the whirlwind—"

  "There you go again! Stop worrying about everyone else. You're making me a little crazy, Merry. Ever hear the saying, 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth?' Well, it seems like you're looking a gift falcon in the beak. Unless there's something else about his nature you haven't told me."

  "No, I've told you everything I know."

  "And has Jason told you everything?"

  "Yes. I grilled him pretty thoroughly. He said if I ever have any more questions, just ask. He won't hide anything from me again."

  "That's right. He didn't tell you before he proposed. What did he have to say about that?"

  "He wanted to. He was afraid of losing me. He admitted he screwed up."

  A tear shimmered in the corner of Roz 's eye. "I wish I had someone who loved me that much, be they falcon or human. Not a werewolf, though. I don't think I could handle something that shreds human beings, even once a month."

  The blond head sitting behind Roz turned around.

  "Konrad!" Merry exclaimed. "I didn't know that was you sitting there."

  He smiled. "Fancy meeting you here. Mind if I join you?"

  Roz whispered, "How about it, Merry? Are you all talked out?"

  All talked out? Is that what she was doing? Just letting me talk to hear the sound of my own voice? Merry knew better than that, though. It seemed as if the more they talked the more she knew what she wanted. Roz probably realized she'd figure it out. But would it have killed her to just offer an outsider's opinion?

  "I'm good now, Roz . Thanks for listening."

  "Anytime. Just invite me to the wedding."

  "Invite you? I want you to be my maid of honor."

  Konrad rose. "So, you and Falco are getting married?"

  "Don't say anything about it to anyone, okay? I think he should know before anyone else does."

  ***

  Merry had parked her car in the alley and stepped through the back door just as Ralph and Dottie wheeled their suitcases off the elevator.

  "Hi Dottie, Ralph, are you going somewhere?"

  "Yes. Jason is sending us on a scouting mission," Ralph said.

  Dottie's uncharacteristic sweet expression said she was happy about it.

  "Oh? What kind of scouting mission?"

  "I don't know if we're supposed to tell you or not. He might be saving it for a surprise." Ralph winked.

  She squinted. "Hmm… Now the curiosity will drive me crazy. Is Jason home?"

  "I think so. He made all the arrangements this morning." Ralph checked his watch. "We'd better get going. Don't want to miss our flight."

  "Let me hold the door for you." Merry hurried back and opened the door she had just come through.

  As the couple rolled and hefted their suitcases outside and down the steps, Ralph said, "Thanks. We'll see you in a couple of weeks."

  "Have a good time." Merry had never seen Dottie so quiet—or Ralph so happy. Something weird had to be going on.

  She had planned to see Jason anyway to give him the news of her decision. He'd probably be over the moon. Should I change into sexy underwear? Nah. If we're going to be married, he may as well get used to seeing the regular stuff.

  She proceeded straight to the elevator, used her key card, and punched the P button for his penthouse. Suddenly she couldn't wait to tell him. Had the elevator always taken this long to reach the top floor?

  Her mind raced with all the details they'd have to arrange. Pick a date. Apply for a marriage license. Arrange for a church or chapel, find a minister or Justice of the Peace, or maybe a cruise ship captain? By the time she reached his place, she had ruled out the cruise ship idea. Their privacy could be invaded if he was recognized, and she wanted him all to herself.

  The elevator doors slid open and she strode into the apartment. Not seeing him, she called out, "Where's my gorgeous lover?"

  A grunt echoed from the exercise room. Oh good. He's here!

  She rushed toward the noise and burst into the room. A guy she didn't recognize stood behind Jason as he lay on the exercise bench, pressing a barbell over his head.

  "Oh, sorry to interrupt," she said.

  Jason grinned. "Grab this thing, will you, Henry?"

  The other guy helped him set the weighted steel bar into the holder. He sat up without using his hands.

  "Merry, this is a buddy of mine, Henry Gilson. Henry, this is my girlfriend, Merry."

  "Correction," Merry said with a smile. "I'm his fiancée." She flashed the beautiful ring she had finally put on her finger.

  Jason's eyes opened wider. He leapt off the bench, crossed to her, and kissed her soundly. Gazing into her eyes, he said, "That's the answer I was waiting to hear."

  Henry extended his hand. "Congratulations." After he shook both their hands, he said, "I'd better get going. It sounds like you two have something to celebrate."

  Jason held Merry close. "We sure do. Than
ks for coming over at the last minute, man. I was getting flabby."

  His friend laughed. "If you're flabby, I'm obese."

  "Well, thanks for spotting me. I'll call you in a few days if you wouldn't mind helping me out again. I don't think Merry could handle two hundred and fifty pounds."