You Had Me at Cougar

by Terry Spear

  All those who were fishing in the competition began to get ready with their tackle and bait.

  Chet took Ava in hand as they got ready to fish though, and told her, “You don’t want to head straight for the edge of the water and cast as far as you can. You want to make short casts and fan it from side to side. Then do the same with longer casts.”

  “Oh, wow, okay, great. I’ll try it that way.” Ava sounded thrilled.

  Chet was glad he had offered to assist her in fishing, even though they were in competition. He really wasn’t worried she would beat him. Leyton and Chase were another story. Bridget could give him a run for his money, if she got someone else to take care of the children. Maybe Shannon or Kate. There were several others there too.

  And then he watched Ava fish. Everyone was starting.

  “Good catch.” He couldn’t believe it when she felt a tug on her line and stopped to pull in a bass.

  “Oh, wow, oh, I can’t believe it. That technique really works.”

  He cast in the same manner as she did and didn’t have any luck catching anything. This reminded him of when he was younger and helped a boyhood friend study for a test that he was having difficulty with. Then the friend ended up making a better grade than he did.

  With his friend, Chet couldn’t help but have been perturbed that he hadn’t made at least the same grade as his friend. But with Ava, he was pleased he could help her enjoy fishing as a human. Though he would love to fish with her as a cougar too.

  In the end, Chase won, just like he had at an earlier fishing contest and Chet had only caught a small fry.

  “I told you I didn’t see that I won,” Ava said.

  Chet smiled. “I would have cheered you on if you had.”

  “Sorry yours was too small and you had to toss it back.”

  He chuckled. “You don’t look sorry at all.”

  She smiled.

  The fish that had been caught were taken to the cooking area and then it was time for some more games.

  “I want to do that first.” Chet pointed to the strongman game.

  Ava figured he wanted to show off his hot muscles at work. She was watching them more than she was watching what he was doing as he struck the sledgehammer and sent the puck up to ring the bell with a clang.

  “You won! But you knew you would, or you wouldn’t have done it in front of me.”

  He chuckled. “What would you like?”

  “If it was for me, I would pick out a stuffed cougar. But wouldn’t your mother love it?” Ava was sure his mother, Wendy Kensington, would be happy he was thinking of her while he was in Yuma Town.

  “It’s for you, hard-earned for putting me up for the weekend,” Chet said.

  Ava smiled. “All right.” She hugged the cougar and then put it at the table where they would sit to eat, along with her bag. No guy had ever won a prize for her at some contest booth. She felt…special.

  Then they went to the tables to dish up some of the food at the barbecue. Barbecued ribs, fish, and chicken were ready. Corn on the cob, watermelon, coleslaw. Just the perfect dinner for the Fourth of July celebration.

  Chet and Ava grabbed a couple of plates, filled them with food, and sat down at the picnic table.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” Ava had tomorrow off after all the hard work she'd put in at the bakery this morning and planned to work on her garden. She’d gotten behind on it and desperately needed to weed it.

  “I don’t have to stay another night. I thought I would be spending it with one of my former CSF agents, but since they’re kind of busy with families, I might just grab a bite at the bakery in the morning and head out. What are you planning on doing?”

  “Weeding the garden. I might go swimming at the lake tomorrow afterwards. It’s been so hot, swimming really appeals.”

  “That sounds good. If you don’t mind, I could go swimming with you before I leave.”

  “What did Dr. Kate say? But we can have lunch before you leave.”

  “That would be great. Thanks.” He was ready to take another bite of a barbecued chicken leg. “The food here is sure good.” He smiled at Ava. “I’ve had a great time.” Better in a different way than he ever thought he would.

  “Me too.”

  “Will you dance with me when the music starts?” Chet asked.

  “Yeah, sure. I’d love to.”

  Yeah, really a great time.

  Then the music started, and Chet wiped the barbecue sauce off Ava’s chin. She groaned, amusing him. She was so carefree and unpretentious. He’d been so amused when she’d rolled off her float by accident in the lake earlier, he’d waited, in rescue mode, in case she had swallowed too much water.

  “Come on, let’s dance,” he said and led her to the beach where everyone was dancing who wanted to. The music was fast paced, and kids and adults alike were dancing to the music. Some of the younger kids were sleeping on picnic blankets, oblivious to all the noise. Chet suspected moms and dads would take them home before the fireworks started.

  When a waltz began to play, Ava wanted to sit it out. He didn’t blame her. He’d spent enough time with her already and he didn’t even work or live here, so it wasn’t like he could date her or anything. And he was certain she didn’t want to give anyone the impression he was really with her.

  As soon as the fast-paced music was playing again, she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the beach where everyone was shimmying to the music. The last dance before roasting marshmallows and shooting off fireworks was upon them, and couples danced to the slow music.

  This time Chet snagged Ava’s hand before she could leave the “dance floor” and he danced with her nice and slow, his hands on her back, her hands on his shoulders, and he kissed the top of her head. He didn’t know why he did it. He wanted to, sure, but he didn’t want her telling him off in front of all the partygoers.

  She smiled up at him. “Happy Fourth.”

  “Happy Fourth.” And then he kissed her on the lips. Nothing really wild or passionate or deep. Just a kiss that said he’d really enjoyed being with her the whole day. And she gave him the same kind of kiss back, but no matter how unassuming it was, he was already hot and eager to do more about it.

  “Marshmallow time,” Florence said. “S’mores.”

  Chet smiled at Ava. “Ready to roast marshmallows?”

  “I’m making s’mores. But I need to make a run to the little girl’s room.”

  “I guess I’ll make a pit stop too.” When Chet came out of the restroom, Ava was still in line. He saw Ricky and went over to talk to him, curious about the business of his fortune telling.

  "So who's the ex-girlfriend everyone needs to be watching out for?" Chet asked Ricky.

  "Do you really believe Ava saw it?" Ricky cast a glance in her direction as she waited in line for the restroom.

  "Did you date a girl whose father had Mob ties?"

  "Uh, yeah."

  "Then I believe she saw it. So who is the girlfriend?"

  "Mel Pallotta from Cody, Wyoming. As soon as I began working for Tracey as an informant, I stopped dating Mel. I mean, I didn't know what her father and his friends were up to, but they all looked like they were straight out of the movie, The Godfather. And Tracey was going after Fish and Wildlife kinds of crimes, so I didn't want to try and get involved in whatever they were doing and have to report their criminal activities to a different handler."

  Which easily could have gotten Ricky killed. "Okay, so did you have any more than a gut instinct that these guys were doing something illegal?"

  "As soon as I went over to pick Mel up for a date, they shut up, like they didn't want me overhearing what they were talking about. And I saw that the men were armed. They wore jackets but when they moved, I saw they were packing. Anyway, after that, I ditched her. She didn't care. She was running around with some other guy behind my back. In the business I was in, I watched and learned. And when I was trying to learn stuff for Tracey, I caught Mel seeing some other
guy. Hugging and kissing on him like she didn't even know I was dating her. So I didn't make a big deal of it, just said I wasn't ready for anything permanent, not that she was either, and I wanted to date others if I found anyone else to date. Then she could too. She didn't care. She had the new guy in her life.

  "And then a few months later, I met Mandy in Durango, Colorado. She’d been from Cody, Wyoming also, and I began dating her. We were in high school together, but I hadn’t dated her back then. Now, Mandy, I wanted to keep. I truly cared about her. But in the line of work I was doing, I was afraid if anyone tried to come after me, they could go after her too. I didn't want her to get hurt. Then you know the rest. I was up here on a job for Tracey, got bit, bit my brother and then Mandy runs me over with her car and I bit her—accidentally. True love." Ricky smiled.

  Smiling, Chet shook his head. "I still can't believe she mated you."

  "Yeah, I guess I really got lucky."

  Then Ava came out of the bathroom, smiled at Chet, and joined them. "Don't tell me you don't believe my premonition about your old girlfriend coming here."

  "Nah, I mean, yeah, I believe it. I just didn't want to believe it. We went our separate ways; my brother and I even moved out of Cody and went to Durango and I never had anything to do with Mel again. I can't believe she's hunting me down."

  "Don't you figure she'll drop the whole issue if she learns you're married to Mandy and you're a deputy sheriff? If her father has Mob ties, she's not going to want to have anything to do with you."

  "You saw that, didn't you? That her father is connected with them? I mean, I figured they were, but I didn't have any proof and I wasn't about to snoop around and try to get anything on them either. Not when I was on other dangerous missions working for Tracey. I know she wouldn't have wanted me to either."

  "I agree with that. I didn't see anything about the father's Mob connections. Is everything all right between you and Mandy? As far as the babies go?" Ava asked.

  "Oh, yeah. I'm going to be a daddy. And everyone said they'd help us out in every way they can."

  "You know it. Hey, Chet, are you ready to roast marshmallows?" Ava asked him.

  "Yeah, but I might just make some s'mores too. See you later," Chet said to Ricky. If Chet was still here when Ricky’s ex-girlfriend came to town, he planned to help him, and the rest of the law enforcement officers from the various agencies as they dealt with it.

  Then Chet and Ava got their marshmallow roasting forks out, skewered marshmallows, and began to roast away.

  Ava had the best time this Fourth of July. The last two years, she’d watched the fireworks with Stryker’s dad and mom, Henry and Marybeth, but being with someone her age, who was a single cougar, was even more fun. She really hadn’t expected that. Chet had helped to make it special. Though she had to admit when a very pregnant Bridget broke her water and so did an equally pregnant Addie, each of them having twins two years ago, that was some wild night. Even Vanessa Vanderbilt, the vet, had to be there to help with the deliveries, since the ladies had decided to have the babies as cougars.

  Mrs. Fitz was herding everyone around the campfire as the flames glowed orange yellow, the slight breeze fussing at the flames.

  “I’m really going to get a pay raise?” Chet asked Ava, roasting his marshmallows over the fire.

  “Yeah, really. Unless you royally screw up and you don’t get the pay raise right away. Are you sure you’re all right?” She was roasting two marshmallows also, her plate with her graham crackers and chocolate bar was waiting to turn her marshmallows into a tasty treat.

  She swore he had winced when she moved her hands to his waist from his shoulders while they had slow danced. She had never planned on doing that with him, as much as she’d really wanted to. No way did long-distance relationships ever work out. Besides, her sister was going to have twins someday and Ava wanted to be close by to watch over them and play with them as they grew up—and not move to someplace like Cheyenne, Wyoming, where they didn't have a lot of cougar shifters to interact with.

  Now that she had found a town full of cougars to work and play with, she wasn’t giving it up for anything. Still, he was hot, and she’d had so much fun to spending the day with him. She would enjoy swimming with him tomorrow.

  “So about tomorrow, we could grab some pastries at the bakery and then go to the lake and have coffee and eat our treats, then swim?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I would like that,” he said.

  Then she remembered the weeding she wanted to get done. “Okay, but before we do that, I’m going to pull some weeds. I have to do it first thing when it’s cooler out. Normally, I have to work early in the mornings and keep missing out on doing that. Then by the time I get off work, I’m too tired and lazy.”

  He smiled. “Well, if you don’t think I’ll pull up the wrong plants, I’ll help you. Maybe the two of us can make the work go faster.”

  “Sure, that would be great.” As long as he pulled up the grass and weeds and not her flowers. Her garden wasn’t big, but she still couldn’t seem to keep after it.

  One of her two marshmallows caught on fire and she quickly blew on it to put out the flame. He chuckled.

  “I like it like that. Cajun style. Blackened,” she said.

  He laughed while she put together her graham cracker, blackened, melted marshmallow, and melting chocolate sandwich.

  “Hmm, this is soooo good. You’re not going to have one?” She only had them a couple of times a year and it was well worth it.

  “Yeah, sure.” He got up and got some fixings for s'mores and stuffed his browned, melted marshmallows sandwiched between a chocolate bar and graham crackers and began to eat it. Chocolate and melted marshmallow was dripping down his chin and she ran her finger over the chocolate and ate it.

  “Hmm, now that is good,” she said.

  “It sure is. I haven’t had these in years. I've had a great time. I knew I would when I was considering the drive here from Cheyenne, but I didn’t think it would be this much fun.”

  Then the fireworks started to go off, and they finished up their s’mores and washed up. She meant to sit next to him on the resort bench, since she hadn’t remembered to bring a picnic blanket, but he pulled her onto his lap on the beach and they cuddled while they watched the sparkling lights shoot off in a barrage of colorful fireworks all reflecting off the dark lake. It was truly beautiful.

  She sighed and watched the sparkling lights bursting against the dark sky. The air was cooling down and she appreciated the warmth of Chet’s lap and his arms around her, though again she wondered about his wound. She would have to make up a little fib and tell him Doc told her she was to check it out and make sure it looked okay tonight. She didn't want him pretending it was all right when it wasn't.

  What a spectacular night though. No rain in the forecast for the next couple of days and this was just perfect.

  Orange, yellow, blue and red, green, purple, and white fireworks shot up into the air, setting the sky on fire.

  Once the fireworks were finally over and everyone helped to pick up the debris, Chet asked Ava, “Are you still game for running as a cougar tonight?”

  “You bet. I run whenever I can. I swear that working in the bakery adds calories to my daily diet when I haven’t even touched one pastry.”

  He smiled down at her.

  “Okay, so maybe a couple of pastries.”

  Then they headed into the woods where most others were ditching their clothes in the dark. The newspaper reporter, Carl, was watching her, and finally came over. “Do you think that a hunter will be after me tonight?”

  “Not tonight, Carl. In the fall. The leaves are yellow and orange and red. So this fall.” She pulled off her shorts.

  “Okay.” He moved back into the woods to strip and shift.

  Then she finished ditching her clothes and shifted.

  As a cougar, Chet was right behind her and then the race was on. She loved rock climbing best of all and she led them in
the direction of the waterfalls. They should have named them Shannon Falls after Shannon rescued a human boy who had fallen in the pool of water beneath Carver Falls. Ava would always think of it fondly that way—even though she hadn’t been in the area at the time, but she loved hearing Chase tell the story.

  The rest of the cougars had scattered, finding their own perfect spots to race each other and play. She sat at the top of the rocks watching the waterfall spill down below. Chet joined her, pressing his cougar body next to hers. She looked longingly at the moon reflected in the water, then leaped from boulder to boulder to the bottom and jumped into the water.

  Chet was following her all the way, like two choreographed cats that had practiced the moves for years. She dove through the waterfall and he joined her. For a few minutes, the sat on the mossy stone floor just watching the water cascading over the rocks. It was a beautiful sight and lulling too. Which made her sleepy. She yawned, her long cat tongue curling up. She had to get up so early in the morning, she was always tired at night.

  He smiled at her, licked her face, and yeah, she was ready to go home after a beautiful day.

  She ran through the waterfall, and he chased her out, both of them landing in the deep pool of water and coming face-to-face with one big black bear—male, who looked just as startled to see them. He was sporting blood and looked ready to kill anyone who got in his way.

  He stood up on his haunches. She knew it wasn’t Jonathon since she had smelled his scent and this bear's was different. Was it a genuine bear—not of the shifter kind? Maybe he was the one who was hassling Jonathon’s sister.

  Chet snarled and growled, ready to take the bear on. Ava swore she was having heart palpitations.

  Chapter 5

  Chet’s first thought when he and Ava saw the bear by the pond was that it was the one Jonathon was after and he had wounded him and rescued his sister. They had startled the bear when they had shot out through the screen of the waterfall and saw him on four legs, drinking from the water, his head jerking up to see what was coming at him. Water droplets had collected on his snout and his small, dark brown eyes were as wide as they could go.