The Call of Her Heart (Whiskey Springs Pack Book 2)

by Stella Night

“You mean besides you?” Logan turned to find Celia standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest. “How long are you going to be here?”

  “Damn it, Celia—” Josh started to rise but stayed seated when Ella laid a hand on his arm.

  Logan stood and regarded Celia while he decided how to handle things. “I will be here until I find out who caused the fire at the Hungry Boar. I want to see justice done for your friend and his family. And I could use your help.” He paused, giving her time to digest his words. “If you’re willing.”

  She leaned against the door frame, chewing on her bottom lip. Her bronze eyes reflected the candle light. Something he couldn’t put his finger on burned in their depths.

  He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until she shrugged and said “Sure. If it’ll get you out of Whiskey Springs sooner, I’ll help.”

  Chapter 5

  “Okay, remember Mrs. Brunswick?”

  Celia nodded in response to Ella’s question.

  “Her house has been vacant since she died last fall. Her family doesn’t want to relocate from Plano, and they are willing to rent it to you for next to nothing.”

  Ella walked down the street with Eli in his carrier on her back. The baby had handfuls of her curls, but she didn’t seem to mind.

  Celia was making faces at him just to hear him laugh but she was listening to every word her sister-in-law said. “How much is next to nothing?”

  Ella’s blue eyes twinkled. “You would only have to pay the utilities and provide your own insurance.”

  “No way!”

  Ella laughed. “Mm hm. That’s all there is to it.” She pulled a key from her pocket as they approached a small brown house on the edge of town. A white picket fence surrounded the tidy yard near the entrance to the campgrounds. The flower boxes were empty and the lawn was overgrown, making it obvious the house had been vacant for a few months.

  Entering the house, Celia stood in a nice sized sitting room that was large enough to hold several cribs and play pens. It led into a sunny kitchen. One bedroom was in the back of the house, with a small office alcove under a window. There was one full bathroom.

  “What do you think?” Ella asked.

  Celia walked from room to room, turning on lights, looking out windows, opening and closing doors. She checked the closets and cabinets. The hardwood floors had a mellow gleam, and the kitchen had all the necessary appliances including a fairly new dishwasher.

  She pulled open what she thought was the back door to find a mud room complete with a new washer and dryer. That’s where she found the back door that led to a good sized fenced-in back yard. There was a grill on the large covered patio and an old swing set in the center of the lawn. She could almost hear the children playing there.

  They walked back into the house arm in arm. “I think it’s a dream come true.” Celia could not believe her luck. The place was the perfect size for a small day care center. It was convenient for the parents and seemed secure enough for even the youngest toddlers. “What do you think, Ella?” She spun in the empty room her laughter echoing off the walls.

  Ella grinned. “Well, they did mention renting to own it. I think you better jump on the deal before someone else steals it out from under your nose.”

  “Is it too good to be true? You know what my brother always says.” Her voice deepened. “ ‘Celia, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is’.” She grimaced and asked “Or does he not say that to you?” She opened the closet again and looked inside.

  Ella laughed. “Oh no, he says it all the time.” She took Celia’s arm. “Come on. Eli will be hungry soon. And we need to call Sam Brunswick and give him the good news.” She locked the front door and made her way up the walk.

  Celia turned when she heard a noise behind them as they neared the street. Two men walked toward Ella. One, tall with sandy hair, continued on to Main Street. The other stopped and leaned in close to Ella. Celia was sure she had seen this guy before.

  He took a deep breath. “Hello, Ella,” he whispered.

  Eli began to cry, his chubby fists pulling his mommy’s hair. Ella pulled away from the man, trying to keep herself between him and her son. Celia rushed forward and pushed him away.

  “What the fuck? Get away from her, asshat,” she growled.

  The man held his hands out, palms up, and shrugged. “Hey. No harm. I was just saying hello.” His smile made Celia’s skin crawl.

  “You were just getting too close to the Alpha’s wife and child, you idiot.” Celia planted herself between him and Ella. Something about him kept nudging at her memory.

  “Is everything okay here?”

  Logan’s voice rang out over the baby’s cry. Celia turned her head toward him but whipped back around to the stranger when she heard his foot move on the walk. Hooray for super wolfie hearing. She growled and closed the distance between them again, still keeping Ella behind her.

  “Like I told the little lady, I was just saying hello to the Alpha’s family.” He spoke to Logan but kept his eyes on Celia. He licked his lips as he looked her up and down. The hackles on the back of her neck rose.

  Logan was standing behind Celia. She could feel heat rolling off him, could pick up his scent - something clean and woodsy.

  She felt like she was vibrating with tension — and something else she couldn’t name. She drew in a shuddering breath and tried to calm herself.

  “You should probably move on.” Logan’s voice was as close to a growl as a human could get. As he took a step toward the stranger, Logan’s arm brushed Celia’s. The fine hairs there rose, standing at attention. She resisted the urge to rub her hands up and down her arm to flatten them.

  The man looked at Ella again. Then he sneered at Logan and Celia before he turned and walked toward Main Street.

  Ella was taking the baby carrier off so she could comfort Eli. Celia turned to help her as Logan watched the man walk away.

  Wiping his tears, Ella cooed at the baby. She swung her hips back and forth, rocking Eli until he quieted. “Celia, do you know who they were?”

  Celia closed her eyes, trying to place the sound and scent of the man who had gotten too close to her sister-in-law. Her eyes flew open. “Oh my God — the guy sniffing. He was at the full moon run the night you were kidnapped! What was his name? Joe something. But I don’t know who the other guy was.”

  Logan put his hand on Ella’s shoulder. “Are you and the baby okay?” He offered a finger to Eli, who promptly pulled it toward his mouth.

  Celia’s heart skidded to a halt as she watched Logan smile at the baby. She watched the way he comforted Ella, helping her get the baby carrier on and putting Eli back in it. A fire started deep in her belly. This time she rubbed her arms when the hairs raised up again.

  When he turned his arctic blue eyes on her, she heard a wolf whine.

  ***

  “If y’all are ready, I can walk you back to the book store. Or I can call Josh or someone to come get you.” Logan kept his eyes on Joe’s retreating figure. He had a strange desire to throttle the man who had approached Celia, Ella and the baby. As for Joe, he sauntered away as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Occasionally he would glance back at the little group on the sidewalk. Then he turned a corner and was lost from sight.

  “Did you say you knew them?” Logan turned back to the women standing next to him.

  Celia looked at Ella, who nodded slightly. Logan watched as Celia licked her lips and took a deep breath. “Just one of them. He’s from the Boerne pack. He was here a few years ago. Josh was hosting a party and that guy, Joe, was there. He got too close to Ella, sniffing her like a mangy dog sniffing a bitch in heat.” She hesitated. “Josh said you were raised by shifters. You know pack rules?”

  Logan nodded his head. “I know some of them. I know enough that a man, especially a single man, approaching an Alpha’s mate isn’t recommended.” He glanced down the street again before he turned back to Celia. “You said he’s from Boerne?
But you don’t know the other guy?”

  Ella’s face was pale and Celia’s brow was furrowed. “I’ve seen the other guy around town, but he’s not pack. I wonder what Joe’s doing here.” Celia put a comforting arm around her sister-in-law’s shoulder. The baby had stopped fussing, but Ella’s jaw was tight.

  “Ella? Can I call Josh for you?” Logan pulled out his cell phone.

  “No. Just call Mrs. G. please.”

  “I’ll do it.” Celia pulled out her cell phone and dialed. She walked away as she spoke to Mrs. Gilbert.

  Ella gave Logan a weak smile. “I really don’t want to worry Josh about this. It’s probably nothing.”

  Celia walked back toward them. “Mrs. G. is on her way.”

  Logan’s gut tightened as he watched her come closer. He could see the tension in her face. Even so, he could not deny the pull she had on him. He had to force himself to not reach out and touch her, to not pull her into his arms so he could comfort her.

  Ella pulled the keys out of her pocket and handed them to Celia. “I’ll call Mrs. Brunswick’s son and tell him you’ll take the place. You can work out the details later. Why don’t you go back in and spend some more time checking it out?” She turned to Logan. “You have a tape measure, right? Would you mind helping Celia take some measurements?”

  Logan looked from Ella to Celia. Turning back to Ella, he smiled. “I’d be happy to.” He turned to Celia and held out a hand toward her. “If that’s okay with you?” Celia gave him a tight-lipped nod.

  They stopped talking as a bright yellow VW bug with Mrs. Gilbert at the wheel pulled up next to the curb. A car seat was already set up in the back. After Ella put the baby in, she climbed into the front seat.

  Before she closed the door, she turned to Logan and gave him a tight smile. “Thanks for being here.” She gave them a wave as the car pulled away.

  “Why the hell are you here?”

  Logan turned to Celia. Her eyes were narrowed. Her arms were crossed over her breasts. He recognized the barrier put up to keep him out.

  “Honestly? I saw the two of you walking this way and I wanted to talk to you about you helping me with my investigation.” She dropped her arms as he continued. “I saw those guys come out of nowhere, figured something was up. So, I walked faster.” He chuckled. “Then I saw you turn on Easton. I forget how fast shifters can move.”

  She raised a brow and nodded. Her shoulders were more relaxed. “Thank you.” She stuck her hands in her back pockets and rocked on her heels. “So. Tape measure, huh?”

  Logan nodded. “Yep. Got one in my pocket.” He looked at the small house, then toward the entrance to the campgrounds not too far away. “Are you going to live here?”

  Celia shook her head. “Nope. I have a place behind the bookstore.” When he raised a brow, she said, “It’s over the garage, behind the store.”

  “Why are you looking at this place? If I may ask.”

  Celia tilted her head toward the door and motioned for him to follow her. “I want to open a place for ‘mommy’s day out’. Or ‘night out’, which might be more applicable to the pack.” She put her hand on the doorknob and unlocked it. “Some of the new moms have to sit out during full moon runs because they have no one to watch the babies and smaller children. I thought I could help out. And, Ella and Mrs. G. think I need something to keep me busy.” She pushed the door open.

  Logan heard the wistfulness in her voice and wondered what might had happened to cause it. He looked around the room as he pulled the tape measure out of his back pocket. “This house is pretty old. Why don’t you let me check things out, make sure everything is up to code, make sure the smoke alarms work. That kind of stuff.” He turned back to her. “I can do that tomorrow afternoon if you want to leave me the keys.”

  Celia was in the kitchen but turned back toward him. “So, you meant what you said?”

  He paused and let himself relax before he turned around. “What?”

  “The other night, at Josh’s. You asked if I wanted to help with the investigation. You mentioned it again a few minutes ago.”

  Logan nodded. “I did, I mean, I do. I figure fresh eyes might see something I missed, especially shifter eyes.”

  Celia snorted. “Well, mine might fall short there.” At his questioning look she continued. “I’m only half shifter, and sometimes my super wolfie senses are lacking. I mean, I have really good hearing. Really good. But everything else, like sight or smell, is hit or miss.”

  “That’s okay. I just need someone else to look through stuff. And I bet you’re pretty familiar with the layout of the place. You probably remember what went where and what might be out of place. But I don’t want you to do it if you think it might make you uncomfortable.” He walked into the kitchen as he spoke. “Do you know if the owners here upgraded the electrical system?”

  “No, but I can find out.” Celia stood near the refrigerator, watching him as he walked around the room.

  Logan stopped and turned to her. “Would you like to go out with me?”

  Her eyes grew wide. He watched as she stilled. It almost looked as if she wasn’t even breathing. Then she took a deep breath and gave him a tiny smile. “Let me think about it.”

  She didn’t say no. “I mean, I know it’s only been a few months since you lost—”

  Celia cut him off. “Rick wasn’t my boyfriend.” She looked down at her shoes then brushed something from the leg of her pants. “We were good friends, and I miss him. And his parents. But he wasn’t my boyfriend.” She turned those hazel eyes on him and his mouth went dry.

  Logan licked his lips. He couldn’t understand why he felt as nervous as a teenager. “Well, still, I’m sorry for your loss.” He put the tape measure on the counter and stuck his hands in his pockets. “So, what do you think? Could we get together some time?”

  Celia hesitated for a moment. “Not yes and not no. Like I said, let me think about it.” She gave him a tight smile. She turned toward the sitting room for a moment, then turned back to him. “We’re going to be spending a lot of time together, right?” At his nod, she continued. “So, let’s see what happens. Okay?”

  This time her dimples deepened as her smile lit up the room. Logan had to duck his head so she couldn’t see the relief he felt.

  He looked up again and said, “Okay. You’ve got a deal.” He grabbed the tape measure. “Let’s go measure your day care center.”

  Another smile, this one with a shy tilt of the head. Logan prayed she couldn’t hear the frantic pounding of his heart.

  Chapter 6

  Three days later, Logan found himself in the kitchen behind Old Masters Books. Josh Masters had just handed him a cup of coffee. Logan sipped, savoring the strong, hot brew. He looked at Josh, who was sitting across the table. The resemblance between the siblings was abundantly apparent. The same stubborn set to the mouth, the dimples, the shape of the eyes.

  Just the thought of Celia was causing things to stand at attention again. He shifted in his chair, trying to ease the pressure his jeans caused.

  He pushed a map toward Josh. “Okay, So, the pack owns the campsites and cabins, right?”

  Josh sipped his coffee and nodded. “Yeah. There are drive-in sites at the edge of town. Twenty of them, spread out. They all have a fire ring.” He pointed at a spot on the map. “Thirty more a little further in. You have to hike to those. Some have a fire ring, some don’t. It just depends on how close to the trees they are. Ten cabins along the creek, ten more where the creek meets the river.”

  “Tell me about the fires. All of them.” Logan had pulled out his pen and notebook. He started making notes as Josh talked.

  “Several little fires in camp sites that we attributed to campers. Two campers actually admitted they had been lazy with putting them out.” Josh got up and leaned against the counter. “All of them occurred during a burn ban. Pack members put them out. We didn’t even need the volunteer fire department.”

  Logan made a few more note
s. “Anything else?”

  “Yeah. A couple of small trashcan fires. You know, the ones out in front of the Main Street businesses?” Logan nodded. Josh rubbed his forehead, then continued. “Then we had two dumpster fires. Those were just a week before the Hungry Boar burned down.”

  Logan scribbled a few more notes, then looked at Josh. “Okay. I know tourist traffic has been light since then. How are things going with that? Anyone pissed off?”

  Josh shook his head. “No. Everything was normal, manageable. Up until the restaurant fire.” Logan could see Josh’s shoulders tense up.

  “Listen, I’m really sorry for the loss of pack members. And I’m sorry about the questions.”

  Josh pushed off the counter, his spine rigid with anger. He went to stand at the back door. He turned back toward Logan. “So why didn’t the county fire marshal ask these questions?”

  Logan paused for a moment. “I can only assume that the fire marshal stopped his investigation with the grease fire. What he didn’t see were burn patterns and three other ignition points. That means the fire was intentional.” He watched Josh, taking extra care with the next question. “Did the Geralds’ have any enemies in Whiskey Springs?”

  Josh growled as he pushed away from the door. “How can you ask that?” He threw his cup into the sink where it shattered. “Pack wouldn’t kill pack.”

  Logan waited until the Alpha sat down again, then he continued. “I can’t say for certain whether the arsonist was pack or not.” He hesitated before he continued. He knew he was walking a fine line here. “Are there new pack members in town?”

  Josh’s eyes met his. Again, Logan noted the similarity between the siblings, but he pushed that thought down as Josh began to speak again. “Yeah. Two guys from Oklahoma, a woman and her teenage kid from New Mexico, and a guy from Boerne. I figured you knew him.”

  Logan shook his head. “Unfortunately, I don’t know him. Why are they all here?”

  “The woman from New Mexico relocated after she lost her mate. She figured a pack like ours with more families would be better for her daughter.” Josh scratched his head. “The two guys from OK city are brothers. They thought they would have better chances of finding mates in Texas. Their Alpha paved the way for them with a great recommendation. One has a degree in forestry, so he went to work right away with managing the camp sites.” He glanced up at Logan. “Damn,” he whispered, “that means he’s always in the campground.”