“That was a fast recovery,” he said.
I shot him a look. “Let’s just go shopping.”
***
On our way to town, Caden drove with Xany in the front passenger seat while Mal and I sat in the back. He was squished so tightly that he had to keep his legs pulled toward his chest.
I watched the scenery as we drove down the dirt road and onto the main road that led to town. The trees were nearly in full bloom, and there were all sorts of flora and fauna scattered about. The mountains in the distance were still snow-capped, which offered a bit of irony to the view. It was warmer today, in the lower sixties, which made the scent of wildlife stronger. The air smelled sweet and fresh without the taint of exhaust, and the wet leaves on the ground had a subtle decaying odor as they dried out after spending a long winter buried in snow. Mal caught me gazing out the window.
“Have you gone exploring yet?” he asked.
“Not yet. Just outside the cabin every now and then.”
“Hmmm,” he said thoughtfully. “I think you’ll like what you find if you venture out a bit.”
“I think I will too.” I smiled while toying with the bracelet I was still wearing. Lately I’d been feeling shyer around him, and I couldn’t explain it. Every time he looked at me it was as if he were peering beyond just my eyes. It didn’t freak me out like I expected, but instead I was more exposed to him, more open. He chuckled suddenly and held his arm out to me. At first I didn’t understand the gesture, but after thinking about it, I moved closer to him, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Sometimes I surprised myself.
“Here we are,” Caden announced twenty minutes later.
He pulled the truck around the side of a short building where the car park was tucked. We exited and headed toward the main street where all the shops were. It was a small town with one main road that had a few cars parked on it. The sidewalks were narrow in front of each store and disappeared at the bus stops on either side of the road. There was a little coffee and bagel shop, an office supply store with electronic devices on display in the window, Imogene’s shop, and a tavern-like bar on one side. On the other side there was a family restaurant, department store, auto parts shop, and a pizza place.
Caden and Xany led the way into Imogene’s shop. It was late in the afternoon at this point, and there were no customers inside. Imogene was sitting by the register rocking a fussing baby in a bassinette, and Cote was playing on the floor with some Kachina dolls. There was a door behind the checkout area that led to a room with sounds of children echoing from it.
“Afternoon there, Gene. How’s my favorite married woman doing today?” Caden smiled and greeted Imogene. Xany grinned proudly as she listened to him flirt with the older woman. She waved to Gene and ran off to go look at some of the items.
“Caden.” Gene’s voice was delighted and leaned across the counter to shake his hand. “I’m glad you all came for a visit. It’s been a quiet day, at least as far as customers go.”
“It happens. You remember Shawnee.” He gestured to me. I shook Gene’s hand with a smile, then waved to Cote who kept peeking at Mal. Mal shook Gene’s hand and stood beside me. He placed his hand on the small of my back. I didn’t expect it, startling at first until the tingly heat of his touch ran up my spine. His touches seemed to be getting braver lately. I tried not to pay it too much mind.
“Nice to see you all again.” Gene was grinning.
“You too.” I glanced to the children then back to her. “They’re adorable.”
“Thank you.” She beamed at the compliment.
I smiled at her, then broke away from Mal to walk around the shop. There was everything you could imagine: steel, platinum, and turquoise jewelry, handmade leather dresses and clothes, T-shirts and fleeces, dream catchers, mandalas, beaded jewelry, headbands, bow and arrow sets, bone jewelry and knives, moccasins, purses, and so on. The only thing missing from Gene’s shop was anything made out of silver, for obvious reasons. All silver products were replaced with steel or platinum. The shop smelled of fresh leather and sage. It relaxed me.
Caden continued chatting with Gene for a while before heading off to find Xany, who was browsing the clothing section. Mal followed me over to the area with handmade moccasins and loincloths.
“I bet these are handy for all the Firstings around here,” I said.
“Very,” he agreed with a laugh.
“Did you make these?” I asked, noting some of the bone jewelry and recognizing the knife he had worked on several weeks ago.
“How can you tell?”
I grinned and pointed to the artists’ name tag attached to one of the items. “I’m psychic.”
Mal laughed and suddenly hugged me from behind. It took me by surprise at first, but I held his arms. “I think you might be.”
I grinned, and he led me over to the area with the dream catchers and medicine shields. There were dozens of different types with individual weaving patterns in the webs of the dream catchers. I pointed to a few that I liked and then paused when I saw the large medicine shields. They had stretched hides in the middle of the big ring, and one of the hides had a portrait of a wolf painted on it.
“This is beautiful,” I murmured in awe.
“It is.” His voice was soft.
I looked closer at the medicine shield, then frowned. “That’s imprinted on, not painted,” I said, disappointed.
“Good eye. Imogene has to order these; they’re the only unoriginal thing in her shop. Not many talented painters in the area it seems,” he said.
“Hmmm…”
Mal walked behind me and dragged his hand along the small of my back. It made me shiver in the same way that Vanessa did when she dragged her finger down my middle. He grinned and disappeared behind a rack of clothes. I think I accidentally opened a can of worms by starting to accept his affections. Touch was really important to wolves and packs, and I knew both Mal and Caden would have the urges for affection from all of us. Me, being the most unwilling participant until late, would prove a finer delicacy toward the advances of the wolves. They liked the chase. And maybe, just maybe, I liked being caught.
The baby that Imogene had in the bassinette started wailing, sucking in breath through heaving gasps. Right away I could tell that the cry wasn’t normal. It sounded like the baby was having breathing problems. Without thinking, I rushed over to the counter where Imogene had the baby on her shoulder, patting her back. Mal saw me and hurried after me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when he saw me approach Imogene.
“She’s started having colic two days ago,” Gene answered.
“How old is she?” I asked.
“Nine months,” Gene responded, patting the screaming baby on the back to try and soothe her. Cote had disappeared into the backroom, covering his ears.
“Have you taken her to the doctor recently?” My heart pounded in my chest as the baby’s screaming escalated. I did everything I could to stop myself from tearing the baby away from its mother to check on her. Caden appeared at my side, tugging Xany along with him.
“Hey, why am I being dragged off, what’s going on?” she demanded with a huff. The guys looked on.
“She’s been. He said it was colic. Why?” Imogene’s eyes narrowed, and her posture suddenly became protective.
“She’s too old for colic.” I moved around the counter without bothering to ask, which was a dumb move by any sorts. Had Imogene been a wolf, she would have torn my head off.
“Shawnee’s a doctor, Gene.” Caden added the disclaimer when she held the baby closer to her like any mother would when a stranger approached so closely. I nodded, hearing Caden, having forgotten to introduce that little detail. The bassinette was the only thing separating myself and Gene.
“You think something else is wrong?” Gene was suddenly panicked.
“Her cries sound painful, and she’s gasping. Will you let me take a look?” I used my doctor voice, the kind one reserved for scared patient
s and children. Trust me, my voice soothed, I’ll make it better.
She nodded and slowly handed me the screaming child. I rocked her gently, cooing to her before setting her down in the bassinette. “Does her crying always sound like this?”
“No. That’s why I took her to the doctor,” she answered, clutching her chest and giving Caden a terrified glance.
I unbundled the baby carefully, removing her clothes and leaving her in her diaper. Her skin looked slightly pale. I pinched her fingertips gently and pressed a bit on her stomach.
“Do you have a flashlight, Gene?” I was calmer now that I was examining the infant.
Gene reached into the drawer under the register and handed me a small flashlight. I checked the baby’s ears, eyes, and nose with little problem. As she cried, I looked into her mouth. The baby screamed more and began gasping for breath again. I picked her up, placing her stomach in my hand and lifting her up so that I could put my ear against her back. I heard wheezing every time she sucked in a breath of air, and a rattling sound when she breathed out.
“Has she been eating?”
“Not much. She cries so hard she vomits.” Gene continued to clutch her chest. “Is she all right?”
“Her breathing is labored. Xee, I need your help.”
Xany came around the counter. “What can I do?” she asked.
“I need you to hold her like this.” I handed the screaming baby to her so that she was facing outward. “Hold her securely and keep her head from moving. She might vomit, but I need to see in her mouth.”
Gene heard this and began crying; Caden climbed over the counter and put his arm around her. “Shawnee will take care of her, Gene, don’t worry.”
“Like this?” Xee asked as she held the little one tightly.
I nodded and looked in her mouth using my finger as a tongue depressor. In the back of her throat something reflected the glare from the flashlight. I set it down, then as quickly as I could, slipped my finger into the baby’s mouth in a scooping motion to dislodge what was wedged just in front of her tonsils and against her uvula. The baby immediately gagged and vomited. I caught the foreign object as it was ejected from her mouth. After a few cries of distress, she quieted.
“Feel better?” I asked her with a smile as I took her from Xany and set her on my hip. The baby cooed, and I turned back to Imogene, who had her arms out for the little one. I handed the baby over and then opened my hand to show her the small wheel from a toy car that had lodged in the back of her baby’s throat. “This was stuck in her throat. She could breathe just enough, but it was painful and would eventually get lodged lower.”
Gene cradled the now quiet baby, who was sticking her finger into her mouth. I could tell she noticed how much better she felt. “My god. Thank you, Shawnee.”
I smiled at her and patted her shoulder lightly with my vomit-free hand. “Of course. I would call her doctor and tell him what happened. He clearly didn’t do a thorough exam, or he would have caught that easily.”
“I will,” she said. As she looked up at Caden, her smiled was radiant. “Excuse me a moment.” She held her index finger up and walked into the back room. A few seconds later we heard her shout—”Clean up the floor! All the little pieces. You nearly choked your sister!”—followed by a bunch of scrambling.
Xany giggled when Gene reprimand the kids, then stepped over the mess on the floor to go back to Caden. “NeeNee’s a hero, TB.”
“I’ll show you where the bathroom is, Shawnee.” Mal smothered a laugh at hearing Caden’s nickname.
My cheeks were burning with a deep blush at being labeled a hero. At Mal’s offer, I nodded and hurried after him, needing the sanctuary of the bathroom. It wouldn’t hurt to wash my hands and boots too.
“You got all that information just by hearing her cry?” he asked, as he stood in the doorway waiting for me.
“I could tell by the way she cried. Babies have distinct cries for pain, hunger, and discomfort. That one was pain, and then I heard her breathing all wacky.” I dried off my hands with some paper towels.
“Well, aren’t you just amazing,” he said, grinning as I walked toward him. He moved out of my way and leaned against the door frame while I leaned against the other side facing him. I laughed as I tossed the paper towel into the trash.
“Yes, I’m quite the hero,” I said, stealing Xany’s word to make light of myself.
“I’m serious, Nee, that was pretty amazing.”
“I’d like to smack that doctor who said the baby had colic. A nine-month-old child with colic? What an idiot.”
“C’mon, I can hear Hank.” He smiled and held his elbow out to me.
I perked a brow at him and took his elbow. We walked back over to the others where Imogene was filling Hank in on what happened. Caden was talking with them, and Xany was bouncing happily, chiming in every now and then.
“Shawnee!” Hank said, rushing over and hugging me suddenly. I sucked in my breath and held it for a second until he let go. “Thank ya much for helpin’ out our lit’le one.”
“Of course, Hank.” I offered him a smile.
He continued to sing my praises until we were out the door. I was embarrassed about it. It wasn’t an act of heroism to me, it was just my job. I helped people and saved lives. That’s what doctors do.
***
Xany had purchased a few items at Imogene’s and convinced Caden to stop at the department store for some more things. Mal and I decided to stay outside and wait for them. There was an outdoor café by the pizza place so we sat down at a table there. We were quiet for a few minutes as I took in the sights.
“This is a nice little town.” I toyed with a bottle cap that was left on the table.
“Yeah, it’s comfortable here,” he said distractedly, watching me twirl the cap on its side.
“Is there an art store around here?”
“Hmmm…not sure. We might have to drive into the city for that, but you can order most stuff on the Internet these days. You thinking about the medicine shield?”
“Yeah, it’s a shame to have printed images on hides. Painting is so much more natural.”
“Are you a good painter?” He gazed at me with open curiosity.
“It depends on how you look at it.” I shrugged.
“Good point.” He flicked the bottle cap out of my fingers and laughed.
“Hey!” I said, swatting his hand without thinking.
“Just like a cat.” He laughed more.
“I’m not cat.” I huffed but couldn’t help smiling.
“It depends on how you look at it.” Mal wagged his brows.
I swatted him three more times for that. He gripped my chair suddenly and dragged me closer to him. I squealed, and he wrapped me up in a tight hug. I leaned into the embrace. The warmth of his body wrapped mine and enveloped me, making it seem like my body was melting into his.
“I like when you’re relaxed, you’re a lot of fun,” he murmured against my hair.
“It’s you that helps me relax. Caden still scares me a bit.” I leaned against him and watched the moon rise from behind the buildings across the street.
“He’s a big teddy bear, as Xany calls him, or TB.” He laughed at the thought.
I craned my head back to look at him. “Oh god, she really calls him TB? She loves the nicknames doesn’t she?”
“Yeah. That’s Xany for you.” He paused. “Tell me something honestly?” He met my gaze; his playful expression melted away only to be replaced by a stiller, more serious look.
“You can tell when I’m lying anyway.” I tried to hide my worry over the sudden change in affect.
“Maybe, but sometimes I like to hear someone commit to honesty.” He sat back in his chair, leaning his elbows on the arms of it.
“All right, what?” I couldn’t help the smile that was tugging at the corners of my mouth. His body language was open and inviting.
“How do you like it here? At the cabin with Caden, Xee, and me?” He ge
stured toward the street, but I knew he meant in general.
“I like it. No one bothers me. I’m not scared all the time like I used to be. And Vanessa seems more comfortable here, too, despite the fact that every day she waltzes into the territory of werewolves.” I watched as he placed his elbows on his knees, his hands dangling between them. He looked up at me, his eyes shimmering with the reflection of the setting sun. I got lost in them for a moment.
“We like having you here. Caden says the pack has grown stronger.” He nuzzled my neck. A brave move when he knew that any moment I could reject his touch. Secretly I knew I wouldn’t.
“I can tell. I can sense where you are, I mean, like if you’re close or far away. That type of stuff,” I confided in him.
“Caden and I can tell too.”
While we continued talking, Xany and Caden emerged from the department store with a few bags of stuff.
“Aww, Xee, look how cozy they are together,” Caden teased.
“Ohhh. Ooo la la.” She grinned at us teasingly.
“Shush up both of you,” I said, standing quickly to begin walking toward the truck.
Mal got up after me, grinning at Xany. He walked passed her and pinched her arm before whistling and walking away quickly. Xany went to chase after him, but Caden caught her by the back of her jeans.
The lighthearted clowning around continued all the way back to the cabin. For the first time I was somewhat grounded and…almost happy. Helping Hank’s baby feel better and having fun with the others was satisfying. Maybe tonight I would consider mailing my license fees to practice medicine in Utah.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
More thunderstorms returned that night, though this time without interrupting the power. Xany chose another movie for us to watch; Caden ordered Chinese for dinner. There weren’t very many ethnic restaurants in the area so Caden had made it a habit to bend into Salt Lake City for all our take-out orders. It put a whole new meaning to the term fast food. I made popcorn slathered in butter and salt. Mal lowered the lights before taking a seat on the sofa, and Caden unpacked the cartons of food. Xany started the movie and our night in began.
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