Dwayne: Bishop’s Snowy Leap – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  Jamie snuggled up to her hand and promptly fell asleep. When she looked at Quincey again, he sat down in the chair his mom had been in. Brit felt ashamed that she’d not even noticed Sippy had left already. She asked Quincey if he was going to lecture her. Not that she didn’t deserve it, but she asked if he could wait.

  “No. No lectures from me. I heard, of course, that you and Dwayne are mates. And that you were upset about it. I don’t know how much you know about cat mates, but you can ask if you wish more information.” She told him for now, she wanted to focus on her son. “Understandable. As I said, he’ll need quiet. When the pain medication wears off, he’s going to be in a great deal of pain. Encourage him to take the medication before the pain gets the better of him. He’s a great kid, but I think you’ve told him about pain medication and how easy it is to get addicted to it. Good for you. However, the little we’re giving him will be all right until his head heals a little. There isn’t any point in him being in pain when it’s not necessary.”

  “I’ll do that. Thank you.” When she didn’t have anything more to ask, he left her there. Looking at Jamie, all she had in the world, Brit let the tears fall as much as they wanted. Her son was hurt, and she’d hurt other people too. It wasn’t in her to be so cruel or mean when it wasn’t warranted.

  Waking up when a nurse asked her if she needed anything, she looked at Jamie. “He’s been sleeping well. I’ve given him a little more pain medication when he could have it, so he’ll continue to rest. Doc Quincey said you’d be all right with that.”

  “Yes. He needs to rest more, he told me.” She smiled at her and told her he was doing fine. “I’ve not had anything to eat for a while. Is there a cafeteria around? I won’t be gone but a few minutes.”

  “Dwayne had something to eat sent over for you. Hang on while I get it for you.” Her guilt was getting heavier all the time. When the nurse returned, she had not just a bag of food for her but two bottles of water as well. “It’s a sample box of subs. He didn’t know what you liked, so he had them make you up some that you might try. You can’t go wrong with those, Ms. Handle. Those are the best there is. He sent us some of them too. Nicest men, those Bishop men.”

  And the guilt trip was getting better and better, she thought. Not that it was Dwayne’s fault that she was a bitch. She was, and she knew it. But all he’d done was take care that not only did her son get medical help but that she was notified as well. Sitting back in her chair, she wondered how she’d go about getting in touch with him. Groveling was the only way she was going to fix this. Brit ate one of the subs while she thought about what she’d say to him. Or to anyone in his family to get the number.

  While sitting there contemplating if she wanted another sub, she saw the receipt. It had his first name on it, as well as his phone number. Or at least she hoped it was his number. There was no amount on it, but the name of the place was a place she’d passed a couple of times on her way around town. Eating the second sub simply because it was that good, she made herself notes on what she wanted to say to him on the paper bag her food had come in. Before she got too far along, the man she was thinking about showed up in the doorway.

  “My mom sent me over to check on Jamie.” She asked him to have a seat. “I don’t mean to intrude, Ms. Handle. I only came by to check on him for my family.”

  “Please. I’m so sorry. Will you please have a seat so I can grovel? I was just getting ready to call you when you showed up.” She showed him the receipt that had his phone number on it. “Is this how I get in touch with you?”

  “That’s my office phone. I don’t usually answer it, but it’s there, so I use that instead of my— I didn’t do anything to you. You’re aware of that, aren’t you? I was as shocked as you were when we touched.”

  “Mom?”

  Crying again, sobbing really, she held onto her son while he held her. Dwayne didn’t leave them after Jamie asked him to stay. All she could do was hold onto Jamie and beg for forgiveness from a very nice man.

  Chapter 2

  “There are only two options in dealing with this sort of product, Mr. Shelby. One is that you find a market that can afford it. While I think there might be a couple of hundred people in this state alone that will be able to do that, the second thing is trickier. Once they buy your device, there isn’t a reason at all to purchase anything else. Everything anyone ever wants to record on it can be purchased or even downloaded from the Internet.” Mr. Shelby told him that wasn’t the way he wanted it to be used. “Regardless, they will. Having a player that only plays the music you wish for them to purchase is going to limit you to who will enjoy the music and podcasts you’re hoping to sell as extras. That alone will make people more pissed off about the product in that you’re making decisions based on your likes and dislikes. It won’t work that way. Something else you will want to consider, you’re only catering to older people that might not have a cell phone that can do the same thing for a great deal less money. Once that demographic is gone, there will be no one left that will care to have a playlist several thousand songs long.”

  “I’ve been working on this for years, Mr. Bishop. What am I supposed to do now that I’m not going to make any money on it? It’s all I know.” Dwayne sat down. Keeping his mouth shut was difficult, but he knew Mr. Shelby had to work this out on his own. “My granddaughter, Linsey, she told me she loves hers. How are you so sure everyone won’t love it?”

  “Did she pay you for hers?” He looked indignant. “I’ll take that as a no. That is the reason. Also, she’s your granddaughter. Have you thought perhaps she might be telling you that because you thought enough of her to let her try it out? I know I do that with my parents. Not much, mind you, but I do. I’m not going to be able to lend you the money, sir. Not for this. However, I have been working on a list of things you could do for income. And they’re right up your alley.”

  He handed the list over to the man across from him just as his mom contacted him. I know you’re very busy, but I wanted to let you know that Jamie is going home in the morning. I’m sure you would have found that out when you went by there, but I wanted to give you some good news. Dwayne felt the relief all the way to his toes. He and his mom are coming over for dinner as soon as it can be arranged. When that’s fixed up, all of you are to be here. We’re having a roast and all the trimmings. Make sure you can make it, all right? Oh, and we’re having dinner with her tonight as well, just to get everybody together and calm things down.

  I will be there. He wanted to ask her more about Jamie, but Mr. Shelby started talking. I have to go, Mom. I’ll see you tonight.

  “These are just repair jobs. I’m better than that.” Instead of pointing out that he wasn’t in the market to be picky about things, Dwayne slid another paper to the man. “Where did you get this? Are you trying to make me do something I don’t want to just so you can have me give up on my dreams? It won’t work.”

  “I’d never crush someone’s dreams. That’s not how we work here anyway. However, those are prices that people are charging right now to repair someone’s CD player. There are a great many people that are die-hard purists when it comes to their music. If you’ll look, that company there is getting nearly five hundred dollars just to fix people’s turntables. Even to replace a needle on it could cost upwards of a hundred dollars. The one I think would work best for you is the speaker repairs. I’ve seen your warehouse. You could do that right now, and it wouldn’t be something you’d have to wait on product to do.”

  “I do have a lot of the material I can use now. I collect stuff when I can get it cheap.” He looked over the page and then looked at Dwayne. “Could I do this with your funding and use my profits from repairing speakers, when I get them, to pay you back?”

  “So long as you understand, anything you use the money for other than to repair speakers is going to null and void our contract, and you’ll be responsible for paying it all back plus in
terest. I don’t think you’ll do that—you’re not a stupid man—but I want to put that out there for you to remember.” He nodded, looking at the paper again. “Mr. Shelby, I know a woman that works in the television movie media that is forever looking for older pieces of things to rent for movie productions. They use the things when they’re doing a period piece. I can see you working with her or even selling what you have to her for her to rent out too. I’m not entirely sure how that would work—I’ve not a lot of information on it—but I’m betting she is in the market for stereo equipment. If she’s not, then perhaps she can hook you up with someone that might be able to use it.”

  “You’d do that for me? Even though you turned me down on the player project?” He said he wanted them both to make some money. “Yes, I can see that. Mrs. Addington, she sure did do it up right when she hired you, young man. I’m going to tell her when I see her, too. You’re a good man.”

  “Thank you.”

  After Mr. Shelby left, asking for a couple of days to figure things out on what he wanted to do, Dwayne pulled the next file to him just as his secretary came into the office with him. She put a bottle of water on his desk, along with his messages. The one on the top was from Brit.

  “She’s called here a couple of times today. I thought she was a crackpot, telling me that she was your mate. But then, when your mom called, I took her more seriously. You should have given me her name, and I would have put her through to you.” He said he wasn’t sure she’d ever have a reason to call him here. “Apparently, she figured out something. Brit, her name she said, made sure I knew it wasn’t an emergency, but she did want to talk to you. The second time she called, she sounded overwhelmed. I don’t know why—she didn’t tell me—but I’d call her now if I were you. Also, did you remember I’m leaving at one today?”

  “I didn’t, but I have it on my calendar. Good luck with your adoption interview. Why don’t you go now and get ready? I have this.” She asked him if he was sure. “I am. You’ve already done so much for me today that you deserve it.”

  Picking up the phone, he called the number on the slip. He’d been talking to Brit off and on for the past couple of days. Dwayne had been careful not to mention that they were mates.

  As soon as she answered, he regretted sending Mare home. “What’s the matter?” Brit wasn’t upset so much as she sounded like she was pissed off. He covered his mouth to not laugh out loud when she started stringing curse words together like she had a thesaurus she was getting them from. “Slow down, please. I’m getting some of it, but not enough to understand what it is you need me to do.”

  “I’m at your house. You asked me to go by there, and I have. However, I did not expect for there to be a lion on the front deck nor a large fucking panther in the living room. What the hell is this place? A zoo?” He laughed then. “I don’t think this is the least bit— Dwayne, the lion just laid his head on my lap, and it’s freaking me out.”

  “Have you met Molly?” She said she had. “Good. I’m betting she’s not too far. If you could call out to her, she can get the lion and the panther out of the house. I didn’t know they’d come into the house, but they’re harmless.”

  “Harmless? Are you kidding me? Have you seen their teeth?” He told her his were much larger. “Not helping, you moron. Not at all.” She yelled for Molly, and he heard the moment she was coming to Brit’s rescue.

  “The lion is a friend of Molly’s. His name is Shed. I know it’s hard to believe right now, but he’s very gentle. Also, the panther isn’t a he but a she, and she comes into the house through the doggie door that was there before I got the house. She’s going to have kittens, and she lies in the living room because she can stretch out and be warm. Is Molly helping you?” Brit told him she was. “Good. Okay, she’ll get them out of the way for you. They live on Gunner’s property with a few other cats. They won’t hurt you at all so long as you’re not being aggressive to anyone.”

  “Can I expect this all the time? Cats roaming the house like they own it?” He said he’d remove the doggie door when he got home. “No, don’t do that. I’m sorry I freaked out. I’ve just never— He licked me.”

  “He did that to get your scent. I don’t know if he can understand you or not, but will you have Molly tell him that you’re my mate? That way, he’ll not bother you when you come around. As I said, he and Molly are good friends.” When she seemed less stressed, he asked her about going to his parents’ house for dinner. “Mom let me know a little while ago. We’re also doing something special when Jamie is released. I could be finished up here at five if nothing else gets in the way. I don’t know that it will, but I’m forever hopeful of getting home on time.”

  “I’m all right now. When I first arrived, I didn’t see Shed. I don’t know how I missed him, but apparently, I’m not as situationally aware as I think I should be.” She laughed a little. “Before I forget to tell you, Jamie wants to know if you’ll come by and see him. He has a couple of questions to ask of you about this mate thing. I don’t know everything he wanted to know, so I told him I’d ask you to go by.”

  “Yes, I can do that. No problem.” He opened the file up and glanced down at it. “Oh, before I forget. Mr. Shelby was a client of mine I had today.”

  After telling her what the man was doing and what he’d told him, she asked him questions about his equipment. She seemed really excited and asked if she could call him. After giving her the phone number, he asked her if that was all right.

  “Yes. Very much so. If he doesn’t mind traveling, I have a few pieces that need some repair work on them too. Directors love it when the things work the way they should for them. If he’d not mind, I can keep him working if he can look over some other things I have.” He told her what the man wanted to do. “I have a few CD players as well. Neither of them works. Yes, I’ll call him. This will be great for both of us.”

  After telling her he’d go see Jamie, he got back to work. When his alarm went off at twelve-thirty, he stood up to stretch. Dwayne answered his phone just as he was headed out the door to take a walk around the upper floor. It was Holly.

  “Just the man I needed to talk to. Mr. Shelby called me. My goodness, you’ve made an impression on him. And I’m so happy you gave him options on what he could do.” He told her what Brit had told him. “Brilliant. Just brilliant. Oh, I do hope this will work out for both of them. My goodness, I never thought of a market for things for movie sets. I haven’t any idea why, but I didn’t think about that. Darn it. Now I can’t get into that too. But it’s just as well, I think. Now I can focus on other things. I know that Mare is gone for the day. Put the phone on service and come meet me at the hospital. I’ve been talking with that young man Jamie, and he is a hoot. I have a few things for him as well. Did you know he’ll be my great-grandson too? That’s so good of you to find a mate with a little boy.”

  “I’m so happy I could accommodate you.” She laughed, and he joined her. “I would love to meet you at the hospital. I was going to pick him up something to eat while I’m on my way. Did you want anything? I found out he’s going home tomorrow, so that’ll be good. He wants to speak to me about shifter things. I told his mom I’d be there for him.”

  “Of course you will. No, no. I’ve eaten too much for lunch as it is. All right. I’ll meet you in the lobby in about twenty minutes. I might be a tad late, Dwayne. Knowing he’ll be going home tomorrow just gave me an idea on what else he’ll need.” He reminded her that he wasn’t his son just yet. “Pee shaw, Dwayne. You know as well as I do that you’re going to win her heart. I’m betting you already have the young man’s. I’ll meet you in the lobby. Love you, kiddo.”

  He transferred the phone over to the service and went downstairs to head over to get him something to eat. Holly was rarely on time. And since she’d warned him that she was headed to a store, he knew he’d be lucky if she was only an hour behind. Picking up some food for him and Jami
e to have, he also picked up some turnovers. Cherry for Jamie and blueberry for himself. Also, picking up a cheese Danish, he took it with him when he paid so that Holly would have something to enjoy as well.

  It was almost an hour after the twenty minutes she said she’d need. When he got into the limo with her, he didn’t mention it or the five bags of things between them. Dwayne did tell her about the Danish he’d gotten for her, and she kissed him on the cheek.

  “What do you know about this young woman?” He told her nothing more than she’d let him know. “She’s had a hard life, Dwayne. Brooks was telling me she not only had a hard time of it as a child but that her husband was a druggy as well as an abusive bastard. Could be why she was so upset with you in the first place.”

  “You heard about that, did you? Well, don’t tell me anything else. When she’s ready to tell me, I guess she will.” Holly patted him on the cheek and told him he was a good boy. “I hope she thinks I’m more than a boy, Holly. I could be in big trouble if she thinks of me that way.”

  When they pulled into the parking lot at the hospital, the driver helped her take her purchases in. Dwayne had a few of them in his hand as well, and he was pleased to see Jamie sitting in a chair when they arrived. He even looked better, he thought.

  “Wow, this is all for me?” Holly told him that if he was going to be her grandchild, he should have the most up to date things. “Mom will have a cow, but I thank you very much. Is that a sub, Mr. Dwayne? I’m starving to death.”

  “Good. My mom would say you’re on the mend.” He took the sub and fries and left the bags and packages on the bed. “I’ve been thinking of one of these all day. The lunch they brought me wasn’t good. I’m not saying that because it wasn’t what I wanted, but it wasn’t good. Even the nurse told me it smelled bad. But this is the best.”