“Who will have you, Sky? If you keep acting like a crazy person, you’ll be alone all your life. You need to snap out of it and get a life.”
CHAPTER TEN
“HOW IS SKY DOING?” Iris Mason asked as Gray stepped into her greenhouse. She’d asked her son, Rudd, to call over to the wildlife center to ask him to drop by for a visit.
The sun shone bright into the large glass building as Gray took off his baseball cap. Iris was sitting at her baker’s table, transplanting a group of young lettuce plants into much larger pots. Gray knew she liked to raise organic vegetables, but in this part of Wyoming, there wasn’t a ninety-day growing season, and so gardening was out unless one built a greenhouse, as Iris had done.
He walked over to her table to observe her work in progress. Her straw hat was in place as usual, her silver hair escaping out from beneath it, reminding Gray of a hen sitting on her eggs in a messy nest.
“So far, so good,” Gray said. He pulled up another wooden stool and sat near the table so they could talk. It had been two weeks since Iris had hired Sky, and he knew she always checked up on her new charges. And since Sky worked for him, he was the go-to guy to get the answers.
Iris patted the rich soil around one of her romaine lettuce plants, her gloves dark and damp from working on thirty pots she had neatly sitting in a row in front of her. “I was over there yesterday at the center when Sky was feeding the wolf pups. She seemed happy.”
Hell, he was happy, but Gray swallowed his personal comment. “I think the work is helping her with the PTSD symptoms, Iris.”
Nodding, she pursed her lips and slid him a glance. “Does she have nightmares?”
“Only one so far,” Gray said, rubbing his hands along the tops of his thighs.
“Sky told me she had them a lot. So, that’s unusual? You have PTSD, and that’s why I’m asking you about this.”
“She warned me she had them very often, a number of times a week, but I haven’t see that happen so far.” He shrugged. “Sometimes nightmares come and go in cycles for no reason, Iris. Or they’re triggered by an outer event, like a smell, a noise or something that’s related to the trauma the person experienced.” And Gray hoped like hell Sky continued to sleep deeply and peacefully throughout each night.
“Did you suggest she go to Jordana for treatment of her PTSD?”
“Yes, I did.” Gray rubbed his chin. “I spoke to her about it last week and she said she was going to call Jordana today after she fed the pups.”
“Good.”
Gray frowned. He felt as if Iris was withholding something from him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Iris murmured, setting the pot aside. She took off her dirty gloves and laid them on the table. “Rudd got a call three days ago from Sky’s father, Alex Pascal. He demanded to talk to Sky.”
Gray scowled. “Okay.” He wasn’t surprised that her family wanted to keep in touch with Sky no matter how strained relations were right now.
“Rudd put the call through to the employee house phone. Sky either wasn’t there or refused to call him back, I guess. Were you aware one way or another about this call?”
“No. Sky never mentioned it to me.”
“The message went through three days ago. Was she behaving differently that day?”
Gray thought back. “Yeah, she acted upset but never shared anything with me. I thought she might be having a bad day and wrote it off as nothing more than that.”
“Well,” Iris said grimly, “Alex Pascal called back this morning, and he was pissed off and raging at Rudd. He accused my son of not alerting Sky that he wanted to talk to his daughter. I have no control over whether Sky returns his calls or not.”
Gray saw the anger banked in Iris’s watery blue eyes. She was one of the matriarchs of the valley and well respected. Iris was easygoing on the surface, but beneath it, she was a tough, Wyoming-bred woman. “Sorry to hear that. Do you want me to ask Sky about it and get back to you?”
“No.” Iris pulled off her straw hat and moved her fingers through her messy hair, trying to tame it into some semblance of order. “From the times I’ve worked with Sky, she seemed very settled and happy here. We got rave reviews by the dude-ranch families who were here last week about her. You know she babysat a couple of very young boys, age three and four?”
Smiling a little, Gray said, “Yeah, she came back to dinner at the house after babysitting them all day, higher than a kite. She loves babies of all kinds, Iris. And she was floating.”
“Well, so were their parents. I guess those two redheaded little boys are a real handful. And the parents couldn’t believe how nice and respectful they’d become by being with Sky all day. I don’t know what she did, but those two troublemakers were sweet as pie, and the parents were tickled pink. Their two boys cried yesterday when they left. They wanted to take Sky home with them.”
Gray felt warmth in his heart. Yeah, he felt the same way those two little active boys did about her. Sky was sunlight in his life, automatically lifting him, making him feel lighter, happier. “She’s got magic, Iris, no question. What can I say?”
Iris chuckled. “The woman has a touch with young ones. There is no doubt.”
“So,” Gray said, “back to her father. He’s pissed because Sky didn’t return his call?”
“I guess. I was wondering if she got the message and ignored it.”
“Well, it’s pretty hard not to see the red light blinking on the phone. I taught Sky to check it every time she came into the house, in case there was a message on the phone for me.”
“So,” Iris murmured, “I’m gonna assume she got the message but didn’t call her father back.”
Gray quirked his mouth. “Most likely scenario.” He told Iris the rest of the story of why there was a rift between father and daughter. When he finished, Iris was thundercloud angry.
“You can’t be serious, Gray! What father in his right mind, especially one that had been in the military, would tell his suffering daughter that her PTSD symptoms are all in her head?” Iris slapped the table with her hand, snorting and glaring around the greenhouse.
Yep, Iris could get her dander up in a hurry. Gray had seen her fly into her banty-rooster mode from time to time. Fortunately, not at him. She ran a tight ship at the ranch and was fair-handed and fair-minded. But when she saw any kind of injustice, Iris got pissed, and everyone around her knew how she felt. And she always did something about it.
“I’m serious as a heart attack, Iris. The man is blaming her for her PTSD symptoms.”
“What a turd,” Iris muttered angrily, pushing off the stool. She untied her dark green apron and pulled it away and folded it.
“You want me to find out, don’t you?”
She gave him an irritated look. “If you can do it diplomatically. I don’t want Sky thinking I’m snooping into her business. I don’t want to stress her out over this silly tempest in a teapot, Gray.”
“Makes two of us,” he reassured her, slipping off the stool. He pulled the cap from his back pocket and settled it on his head. “That it?”
Iris pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. “Almost. Ask Sky, when she has time, to set up that little medical dispensary we talked about at her interview. I want you to drive her into town and have her take this list of items to our local drugstore. The owner, Jay Johnson, is expecting her. He’s agreed to sell us everything we need at wholesale price. I want Sky to set up a wholesale account with him because we’ll need to resupply the dispensary from time to time.”
Gray took the long list. “Okay, I can take her over there this afternoon between pup feedings.” He saw Iris give him an intense look. Uh-oh—Gray knew that look. When Iris had her mind set on something, he knew to get out of the way. She was like a laser-fired rocket.
“How are you gettin
g along with her, Gray? You two compatible over there at the employee house?”
Swallowing a grin, Gray put on his game face. He could feel Iris fishing. “We’ve divided up all the household duties, and things are working out fine from my perspective. Why?”
“Well,” Iris said, plopping her straw hat on her head, “Kam was over at the center yesterday with her son, Joseph, watching Sky feed the pups. I guess you came in at that time. Kam mentioned to me later that she saw a huge difference in Sky when you came over to see if she needed any help.”
“Oh?” Gray frowned.
Iris patted his upper arm like a mother doting on her much-loved child. “When Sky told you she was okay and you left, Kam decided to ask her some questions.”
Gray saw a sparkle come to Iris’s eyes. “Okay,” he muttered, confused.
“Kam is very sure that Sky likes you on a personal level.”
“Oh...” Hell, Gray wasn’t going there. Not with Iris. He also wanted to protect Sky in the process, too.
“Just oh?”
Uncomfortable, Gray put his hands on his hips. “What did Kam think she saw?” He wasn’t a SEAL for nothing. Answer a question with a question. Keep the questioner off balance.
“My granddaughter is a very astute observer of people, Gray. I think you know that.”
“Yes.”
“Well,” Iris said, walking slowly toward the door down the aisle, “it was something Sky said to her.”
Gray’s mouth quirked. “Okay, I’ll bite, Iris. What did she say?” His protectiveness was rising in him, much like a porcupine who raised its quills to protect itself. Only Gray couldn’t care less about himself; it was Sky he wanted to protect.
Iris gave him a warm look. “Kam thinks she’s sweet on you, Gray.”
He didn’t react and kept up the slow saunter toward the door. “That’s what Sky said?”
“Well, no. Kam shared that when you came in, Sky’s voice went softer, and she saw something in her eyes. Kam asked her if she had feelings for you.”
Gray’s jaw twitched as he gritted his teeth.
Iris gave him a one-eyebrow look. “She does.”
“Is that Kam’s opinion?”
“It was.”
Gray could feel Iris looking at him, but he didn’t respond, shoving his hands into the pockets of his Levi’s. “Then that’s Kam’s opinion, Iris. I respect her abilities, but you know it’s only that—an opinion.”
Chuckling indulgently, Iris nodded. “You know, when I saw you two together for the first time, I thought you’d make a fine-looking couple.”
Gray wouldn’t take the bait.
“And,” Iris went on airily, waving her hand, “you have so much in common. You are both military vets. And unfortunately, you both share PTSD.” Her voice lowered. “You know, in my seventy-five years, I’ve found the best relationships have a number of key ingredients in common.”
Iris knew about Julia’s murder and his efforts to climb out of the hell of grief and depression because of it. Iris never treated her employees like worker bees. No, she embraced them as long-lost children come home again, and she was like a cosmic mother to all of them.
Slanting a glance over at the elder, he said, “Iris, my whole focus this past year was getting the center built and ready for the ranch guests. Now that it’s up and running, I’m still working through my past. I like Sky. I know what she’s going through, more or less. And she’s a good person.”
“But?”
Gray wanted to groan out loud. Iris was like a wolverine. Once she latched her jaws on to something, she was not going to let go until she got what she wanted. It made him smile. “But I’ve got enough to juggle on my plate right now, Iris.”
“Hmm, okay...”
Gray knew what that response from Iris meant: she didn’t believe him. Well, he was going to let her sit with it. He pushed open the door for her, the sun striking them warmly. At 9:00 a.m., the coolness of the morning was just beginning to burn off.
If he admitted how damn badly he was drawn to Sky, Iris would have a field day. His boss was known as a wily matchmaker in the valley, and Gray didn’t feel like getting stampeded by her toward any woman right now. Besides, his priority was to give Sky safe harbor, a place to heal up and continue getting stronger every day. That was Gray’s commitment to her. Vets helped one another. It wasn’t about sex or anything else. It was about loyalty to your brother or sister soldier, sailor, Marine or airman.
Iris halted and turned, studying him. “Well, whatever is happening between the two of you, it’s working, Gray.”
He cocked his head. “How so?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Sky has had only one nightmare in two weeks. Something is helping her heal. Now—” she poked Gray in the chest with her index finger “—why don’t you chew on that for a while, hmm?”
His mouth curved. “Okay, Iris, I’ll think about it.” He touched the bill of his cap. “I’ll see you later.”
As he turned and walked away, he spotted Sky emerging from the center. She had probably just finished feeding the pups. When she saw him, she came running toward him, her hair flying across her shoulders. That was unusual, and Gray picked up his stride as they met on the side of the road.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her.
Panting, Sky smiled up at his scowling features. “The pups, Gray. Their eyes are opening!” she gushed. “And they have the most beautiful blue eyes! Come on. Come and see.” She slid her hand into his, tugging him along.
Gray’s heart stopped pounding in his chest. “You scared the hell out of me, Sky. I thought something was wrong.”
Laughing liltingly, she pulled him toward the redbrick sidewalk leading up to the main entrance of the center. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” She gave him a tender look and skipped lightly. “Forgive me?”
“Nothing to forgive,” Gray said gruffly, smarting beneath his talk with Iris and Sky’s unexpected behavior. He drowned in her ebullience, her hair sun-streaked and gleaming with copper, gold and sable. Gray had to stop himself from tunneling his fingers through that shining mass of hers.
Sky was nearly breathless as she pulled on the protective gloves and then knelt down by the wolf pups’ box beneath the warmth of the sunlamp. Gray knelt down nearby, pulling on his gloves.
“Look,” Sky whispered in awe, picking up the white pup they’d named Gracie. “She has the most beautiful blue, opaque eyes! I didn’t know wolves had blue eyes at birth.”
Gray gently held the pup, who squirmed in his palm. “Later, between eight and sixteen weeks, they’ll turn yellow. But right now this color of blue will be around for a bit. Sometimes, though, the blue color remains. It’s rare. There’s been a report of one wolf that has blue eyes at fifteen years old.”
Gray couldn’t tear his gaze from the joy shining in Sky’s face. Her lips were lush, wide with a smile that dived deep into his heart and then scalded his lower body. His defense against Sky was crumbling, and Gray didn’t care any longer.
But he still made sure to carefully examine each pup. Their eyes were half-open. He watched them move around in the box, seeing for the first time. Sky sat on her knees, rocked back on her heels, her hands resting on her thighs, mesmerized. His heart opened a little more. Whether Sky realized it or not, these wolf babies were healing her as much as she was healing them.
“Why is Gracie opening and closing her mouth when I hold her? This just started a few days ago,” Sky said.
“It’s called ‘champing,’” Gray murmured. “It’s a way of greeting another in a friendly manner. It’s a ritualistic greeting.”
“So...it’s good?”
“Very.”
“That makes me feel good.” She flashed him an excited smile. “Now I’m officially part of their wolf pack!”
&nbs
p; Gray absorbed her blue gaze, her voice going low with barely held emotion. “Yeah, we’re part of their pack. Right now they see you as Mama Wolf. You feed them, clean them up and care for them.”
“So do you,” Sky said.
“I’m the alpha male in their lives. You’re seen by them as the alpha female.”
“What happens now? With their eyes open, won’t they need to get out and explore more?”
Gray nodded. “Yes, they’ll get bolder. Usually at four weeks, they’re starting to investigate outside their den. I’ve almost finished the area where we’re going to permanently put them. It will be ready in about two weeks. When wolf pups open their eyes, the first thing they do is explore within the den. Most often, the parents are gone and hunting. By four weeks, they’re outside running around, sniffing, rolling and playing. When they’re tired, they’ll go back into the den and sleep.”
“I saw you the other day up in that ten-acre section. Is that their new home?”
Gray nodded and slowly rose to his feet. “Yes. Want to come and take a look at it?”
Sky nodded. When Gray held out his hand toward her, she didn’t hesitate to slide her fingers into his large calloused palm. She liked touching Gray. It didn’t happen often. She noticed Gray monitored the amount of strength he used to help her stand up. He seemed reluctant to release her hand, but did anyway. Her heart sped up, but this time it wasn’t with adrenaline due to threat. It was a thrill of excitement as his narrowing hazel eyes held hers, a burning, unspoken charge flaring between them. Nervously, Sky looked away and shed her gloves, dropping them into the wastebasket.
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