The Werewolf Whoops

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Yeah. That’s the type of person he is.” Lisa swiped at a falling tear on her cheek. “I don’t ever want to go into the woods again. Not ever.”

  “I don’t blame you.” I really didn’t. “It’s going to be okay now. You’ll be all right. You’ll get through this. You just need faith.”

  “I just need Ethan.” Lisa mustered a watery smile. “I want my husband back more than anything.”

  “I hope that happens.” I meant it. “Don’t abandon your faith. It will get you through. I know it.”

  24

  Twenty-Four

  Jack was unusually quiet on the ride back to the inn. While never an open book, he seemed troubled. I figured that was because he was as moved as I was by Lisa’s story. I found out that was not the case when he dragged out a laptop in the lobby and began typing.

  “What are you doing?” I sat on the couch next to him and looked over his shoulder.

  Jack briefly pressed his eyes shut when I brushed against him, but was all business when he spoke. “I’m researching Lisa Savage.”

  “Why?”

  “Charlie, I need you to do me a favor.”

  Jack’s voice was low and even, but I sensed danger. “What kind of favor?”

  “I need you to move to that chair over there.” He pointed to the armchair at the edge of the small entertainment area.

  I followed his finger, confused. “Why?”

  “Because I think it would be best for both of us if we embraced distance right now.”

  I instantly had a lump in my throat. It hurt to swallow as I shakily got to my feet. “Oh, right. Sorry.” I felt like a complete and total idiot. He did regret the kiss. Not only that, now he felt as if I was stalking him like Laura did, and he was eager to make sure I didn’t overstep my bounds.

  “You don’t have to apologize.” Jack glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “I’m not trying to be mean.”

  I couldn’t meet his gaze. “Of course not. You’re never mean.”

  “Oh, don’t do that.” Jack sounded miserable, yet I couldn’t make myself meet the steady gaze I felt on the side of my face. “I’m just trying to get a little perspective here.”

  Perspective? I was fairly certain that was a nice way of saying “I thought I was going to die. I made a mistake. I want to pretend it never happened. Stop talking to me.” Instead of pointing that out, I merely nodded and offered a half-mumble of understanding.

  “Ugh.” Jack placed the computer on the table and moved to the end of the couch so he was directly next to me. That ran counter to his edict that we maintain distance, so I was understandably confused. “Look at me.”

  I didn’t think I could.

  Jack grabbed my wrist and gave it a firm squeeze. “Look at me.”

  I slowly shifted my eyes to him, fighting hard to maintain a calm façade. My stomach was twisting and my heart felt as if it was being shaved with a metal cheese grater, but outside I wanted to appear strong. I didn’t want Jack to question that one thing because I’d never get over the shame. “What? I’m not going to chase you around and throw myself at you. I’m not going to make you uncomfortable. I mean … I’m not Laura.”

  “I know you’re not Laura. That’s the problem.”

  I didn’t think it was possible for my heart to hurt more than it did when he asked me to move to another chair. I was wrong. “Right. You want Laura.”

  “I would die before I ever touched Laura.” Jack sounded so matter-of-fact I couldn’t help but believe him.

  “You want someone like Laura,” I corrected.

  “Not even a little.” Jack’s expression was somber enough that I knew he was dealing with his own batch of worry. Of course, that worry most likely revolved around upsetting me.

  “You don’t have to explain yourself.” I licked my lips as I searched for the right words. “What happened was … an accident. You didn’t mean it, and it only happened because we were both worked up about being lost. You don’t have to apologize … or hide from me. If you want to shut me out or have me removed from the job, I promise that’s not necessary.

  “I mean, I know I can’t do anything if you want me gone,” I continued, openly blathering in an effort to tamp down my discomfort. “I hope you don’t want that, because I love this job and I worked really hard to get it. I know I’m not perfect and I’ve ticked you off a few times – I promise never to steal a rental car again, by the way – but I won’t bother you. I won’t follow you around or anything. I just … won’t.”

  “Knock that off!” Jack’s voice was harsh as he shifted so his knees touched mine and he gripped my hands so tightly I thought he might cut off my circulation. “You’re seriously rambling.”

  “I’m sorry. I won’t do that either.”

  “Oh, please don’t act like this.” Jack choked up a bit. “I swear that I’m not going to get you fired. I also don’t think you’re stalking me. I don’t know why you’d say something like that, or how you could even consider something like that, but I don’t believe it.”

  “You said to move,” I reminded him. “You almost had to yell at Laura to do the same last night.”

  “And you think it’s for the same reason.” Jack exhaled heavily and stared into my eyes. “The reasons are not the same. I dislike Laura a great deal. I hate the games she plays. I don’t want to be anywhere near her. But with you … um … .”

  “It’s different,” I finished lamely. “You don’t have to explain.”

  “But I do. I didn’t mean for this to happen. In fact, I worked hard to make sure this never happened. But I failed miserably and this is all my fault. I need you to remember that and not blame yourself.”

  “Right.” I had no idea what he was talking about. I didn’t want to know. I simply wanted to focus on something else and pretend this conversation never happened. “Not my fault. I get it.”

  “You don’t.” Jack gripped my chin and forced my eyes to him. “I asked you to move because I can’t think when you sit that close to me. Not because you irritate me, but because you wear some sort of body spray that smells like coconuts and it makes my head spin.”

  My mouth went dry. “What?”

  “Oh, that innocent and confused look on your face only makes things worse,” Jack complained. “I told myself from the start that I needed to stay away from you because you could turn into a huge distraction. I didn’t want a distraction. I still don’t. It’s just … I couldn’t stop myself from kissing you last night. It was as if everything had built up over the past few weeks and I lost control of my emotions.”

  Wait … what was he saying? “You’re attracted to me?” I was dumbfounded.

  Jack’s sigh was filled with a mixture of resignation and annoyance. “You really didn’t know. I thought there was a chance you were faking being oblivious. Now I see that’s not the case.”

  “No, I’m pretty much an idiot all the time,” I admitted, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “So, you actually wanted to kiss me?”

  “No. I didn’t want to kiss you at all.” Jack shook his head, firm. “I meant what I said the other day. Workplace romances are a very bad idea.”

  My mind traveled back to the conversation in question. “Right. Bad idea. They ruin things for everyone.”

  “I believe that’s a distinct possibility and I won’t pretend I don’t,” Jack supplied. “The thing is, I was overwhelmed with these … urges … last night. I simply could not fight them a second longer. I’m not stupid enough to believe they might not return.”

  I was lost. I honestly had no idea what he was saying. “Jack, just spit it out.”

  “I like you.” Jack’s smile was watery. “I liked you before you fell down those stairs in Texas, but it was easier to pretend otherwise when you weren’t hurt. Once you fell – actually, once you went missing and I spent thirty terrifying minutes looking for you, wondering if I’d ever see you again – something inside kicked into overdrive.”

  The admission was
agonizingly heartfelt and made me go warm all over, which infuriated me because it was such a girly way to react. “Jack … .”

  Jack held up a finger to quiet me. “No, let me get this out. I feel something for you, but I don’t know what it is. That’s what made me kiss you last night. I’ve been struggling with the feelings for weeks.”

  “I feel something for you, too,” I admitted. “I kept thinking of it as a crush, but I knew it was something more when Laura warned me away from you on the plane and I wanted to punch her.”

  Jack chuckled, taking me by surprise when he gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Laura is more astute than anyone wants to give her credit for. She picked up on my feelings that night we camped out in Hooper’s Mill, the night Chris went missing. She gave me a little grief about the fact that I was sitting with you in the hospital, too, but I ignored her.”

  “And then she decided to put on the full-court press because she thought she might be running out of time,” I mused.

  “Pretty much,” Jack agreed. “The thing is, Charlie, I believe what I said. I think us having a relationship is a really bad idea.”

  “You don’t want to be with me.”

  “I don’t know what I want,” Jack clarified. “There are times you drive me absolutely batty, so much so that I want to shake you. There are other times you’re unbelievably sweet and I want to wrap you in a blanket and protect you. There are still other times that I just want to sit and listen to you laugh because I love the sound.”

  I pressed my lips together and fought the urge to throw myself at him.

  “Despite all of that, I can’t get over the idea that this would be a mistake,” he continued. “What happens if things don’t work out? The odds of things working out for us aren’t good. You’re young and impulsive … and I don’t think you completely trust me.”

  The last part jarred me. “I trust you.”

  “Do you? The fact that you’re hiding something makes me think that’s not true. I don’t believe I should be privy to everything in your life, but it’s obvious you’re not ready to trust me. That makes a relationship even harder. I’ve never seen one healthy relationship that wasn’t built on trust.”

  He had a point. “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” I clarified. “I’m just … there’s a lot going on. Sometimes I’m afraid because you yell. I’m not afraid you’ll hurt me, but I am annoyed with myself because every time you smile my heart does this somersault and I feel like a sixteen-year-old girl again.”

  Jack snorted. “Welcome to the club.”

  “This is all new to me, but … when I was fighting to survive in Hooper’s Mill I had hope because I knew you were out there. If that’s not trust, I don’t know what it is.”

  Jack nodded as he smoothed the top of my hair. “That doesn’t mean I think this is a good idea. But what happens when this doesn’t work out?”

  “If you go in expecting it to fail, it will fail. I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “That’s a fair point. I do expect this to fail. I’m older than you.”

  “Not by much. I mean … you’re like four years older than me.”

  “It’s actually closer to five,” Jack countered. “Those years are important ones. I did a lot of living in those five years. I’m afraid you haven’t done any living, and there will come a time when you’ll want to pull away and do that living without me.”

  Huh. He was actually worried I’d be the one to end things. I didn’t know what to make of that. “There’s another way to look at this.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “We might be tortured in a different way if we don’t try. If we spend all our time pining for one another, we won’t focus on our jobs and it will be a different kind of torture.”

  Jack snickered, the sound catching me off guard. “Believe it or not, I’ve considered that, too. I’ve spent the better part of the last few days obsessing about what you’re doing, who you’re talking to and where you’re sneaking out to every night. I understand what you’re saying.”

  “But it’s not enough.”

  “I don’t know.” Jack licked his lips. “I need time to think. I know that’s probably not what you want to hear, but I am the sort of person who needs to weigh things and come up with the best solution after a lot of contemplation.”

  “Are you going to make a pro-con list?”

  Jack laughed so hard I felt his breath brush against my face.

  “What?” I protested. “I know a lot of people who make pro-con lists. It’s a real thing.”

  “I think it’s a girl thing, but if it will make you feel better I will most definitely make a pro-con list,” Jack said. “What I really want is to table this discussion until after we’re finished with this case. I want to take a little time when we get home to just … live with the idea on both sides.

  “Now, I know that’s not how you usually operate,” he continued. “You’re the type who jumps into the pool before looking to see if there’s water, but this is what I need.”

  I studied his handsome features for a long time, my fingers rising unbidden and fluttering over his cheek before I regained control of my senses and nodded. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yes. That seems fair.”

  “Ugh.” Jack made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat and grabbed my hand long enough to press it to his cheek before releasing it and shifting further down the couch. “This actually would’ve been easier if you’d been a baby about it. If you’d stomped your feet and cried I could’ve told myself I was right to worry about the age difference. Instead, you had to be all mature and accepting. That’s going to irritate me.”

  I smiled at his rant. “That was my plan.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a second.” Jack held my gaze for a long time. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out one way or the other. I just need to be able to focus on what’s going on here. It will be a relief to be able to do it without worrying about you.”

  “You definitely don’t have to worry about me.” I squared my shoulders and pushed thoughts of rolling on top of Jack and repeating our kiss out of my head. He was right. We had a job to do. “I don’t even want to go back to the woods at all now that I know what happened to Lisa.

  “I mean, did you hear that story?” I continued, warming to my topic. “I can’t imagine seeing wolves drag off someone I cared about. She said she was in shock. I think I would’ve been a lot worse than that. I probably would’ve curled into a ball and cried until someone came and found me.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second,” Jack countered. “You’re the person who searched the dark for Chris and Millie even though you knew it was dangerous. You’re the person who risked yourself with killers to protect them. You wouldn’t have curled into a ball.”

  “Well, I would’ve wanted to.”

  Jack’s lips curved. “I don’t believe that, but it’s not important. I think Lisa Savage is lying about what happened. That’s why I want to conduct some research on her past.”

  I stilled, surprised. “You think she’s lying?”

  “Yes, but I can’t figure out what she’s lying about.” Jack’s expression was contemplative when he focused on his screen. “Part of me thinks she’s lying about her reaction and that she really fled into the night – like you said – and left her husband behind. It could be guilt manifesting.”

  “What does the other part of you believe?”

  “That she possibly had something to do with him getting hurt from the start and she’s panicked about seeing him because she doesn’t want to talk. I will admit that’s the cynical part of me.”

  I was flabbergasted. “Are you serious?”

  Jack nodded once.

  “But they’re married,” I reminded him.

  “Not all relationships have a happy ending,” Jack shot back. “Sometimes I think happy endings are the exception.”

  “Has anyone ever told you what a ray of suns
hine you are?”

  “You just did.”

  I sucked in a breath and steadied myself, staring at Jack’s screen as he typed away. “I don’t think I believe your hunch, but it’s worth a shot. Where are we starting with the research?”

  “The beginning. It’s always best to go all the way back.”

  25

  Twenty-Five

  “I found something interesting.”

  We’d been working in silence – I ran upstairs to grab my own laptop, even though I had no idea what I was looking for – when Jack made his announcement. I was understandably curious why he assumed Lisa was lying, but with his good instincts I was more than willing to listen.

  “Okay. Shoot.”

  “I’ve been going through a number of things because I wasn’t sure where I should focus my efforts,” Jack explained. “My approach has been rather scattershot, but I’ve found two points of interest.

  “The first is that even though Lisa and Ethan have been married for only six months, apparently their relationship has been on and off since they were in high school,” he continued. “They went to a Catholic school about forty minutes away All of the yearbooks are available on the school’s website.”

  Huh. That was an interesting place to start looking. “They’re both in their twenties, right?”

  “Yeah. I’ve been able to track the evolution of their relationship through announcements and news releases.”

  My eyebrows winged up. “News releases?”

  “They’re both from wealthy families. In this area, that makes them like second-tier royalty.”

  “That’s like the generic princess dolls when compared to the Disney ones, huh?”

  Jack blinked several times as he slowly shook his head. “I don’t know what that means.”

  “It’s not important.” I waved off my previous train of thought. It wasn’t helpful and would only serve as a distraction. “Tell me what you found.”