“I didn’t use any magic.”
“No?” I raised an eyebrow. “He wanted to just give away the house his family has had for six generations?”
The warlock stood. “People have done stranger things.”
“If it’s found you used magic, the contract will be void.” Warlock or not, the man was lucky to be alive. If I’d have been a few minutes later he wouldn’t be. I was no friend of Oron’s, but defending your family’s land and home was a better reason than most to fight a man.
“It’s already void.” Oron grinned. “I ate it.”
I bit back a smile. Of course he did.
“As if I don’t have other copies.” The warlock smirked.
Oron glared.
The smile slipped from the warlock’s face. “I’ll be going.”
“Don’t come back any time soon.” I tried to have an open-door policy at my bar, but sometimes I couldn’t.
“You’ll see me again anyway.” He smiled before walking out into the cold night. The door slammed behind him.
“What the hell is he implying?” I looked to Oron for answers. I’d sided with him, so now he owed me an explanation.
“They are trying to destroy us.” Oron was still standing there buck naked.
“Go home, sober up, and then come back to talk to me about it.” I had a lot to process, and it wasn’t going to happen with a naked bear in my bar.
“They’re going to come after the wolves too. Just wait and see.” His blood shot eyes set on my own.
“I’ll make sure he gets home.” Marcel, another bear and one of the regulars, headed over to us. “But put on some pants first, Oron.”
Oron mumbled something under his breath as he stepped into the borrowed pants. I wasn’t going to ask for those back.
"Next time don’t let it get so far." I glared at our bouncer Derick, who had come over to the bar. “We don’t need trouble in here.”
“I didn’t mean to, but I was distracted.” Derick smiled sheepishly.
"Distracted by what?” I knew the correct question was by whom, but I’d at least pretend to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Janie nodded toward the corner of the room where a panther shifter stood laughing with some friends.
"I should have known.”
“That was easy enough for you to take care of. What took you so long?” Derick continued to eye the panther.
“None of your business.” He wasn’t turning this on me.
“You were on the phone.” Janie moved back behind the bar. “It was her. Wasn’t it?”
“Who?” Derick tore his eyes from the girl.
“The girl he kissed.” Janie leaned forward on an elbow.
“What girl he kissed?” Derick didn’t hide his interest.
“Janie.” Nagging me when we were alone was one thing, but doing it in front of Derick was another. I might never hear the end of it.
“Come on. It was her, right?”
“When were you kissing anyone?” Derick leaned on the bar. “You’ve been acting like a freaking monk lately.”
“It’s the girl from the wedding.” Janie grinned. “Alex’s friend.”
“Oh yeah?” Derick walked around the bar and grabbed a beer. “She’s cute.”
“Don’t get any ideas.” I felt a growl build inside me.
“Ideas?” He popped open the beer.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
“Well, by all means call her back.” Derick laughed.
“How can I do that when I can’t trust you two to run things?”
“You can. You scared everyone away for the night anyway.” Derick was right. The bar was now mostly empty.
“Not everyone.” I gestured to where the panthers stood.
“True, but I think we can handle a few.”
“I hope so.” I headed back into my office.
After pulling on a t-shirt I called Nancy back. It went right to voicemail. Normally I hung right up after heading the start of someone’s message but not hers.
Hey, It’s Nancy. I’m not available right now, but leave a message and I’ll call you back.
There was something about those few lines that felt real. As if she really wanted you to leave a message. Of course that was probably me grossly reading into it, but I felt it nonetheless. It was by far friendlier than mine: I’d settled for the robotic one that came pre-programmed with the phone—the one that simply read back your number.
The beep came all too soon so I sputtered out a message. Just calling you back. I’m here.
I hung up and waited. Two seconds later my phone rang. It wasn’t Nancy. It was Alex.
“Alex? What’s going on?’
“You couldn’t help her? Seriously?”
“Wait. Slow down.” I sat down in my chair. I had feeling this chewing out might take a while.
“Nancy. She said she tried to talk to you, but you were busy.”
“I was busy putting out a fire of fight at the bar. I tried to call back as soon as I finished.”
“I thought you liked her.” Alex’s words hit me hard.
“Wait. What?”
“Don’t play dumb. I know the way you look at her. Don’t lie.”
“I think these are the pregnancy hormones talking, Alex.” I was glad I’d sat down.
“Don’t you dare. No pinning this on me being pregnant. Go help her. And while you’re at it, take her to the ball.”
“Her dad’s ball?” I spun in my chair so I was facing the door rather than my computer.
“You know about the Christmas ball?” Alex’s voice lilted.
“Only that she needed someone to go with her.” And that some idiot made an ad, but I wasn’t 100% sure what Alex knew so I would keep my mouth shut until I knew more.
“You knew and didn’t offer?”
“I would have—I barely had time to talk to her.”
“She’s gotten twenty emails from random guys. Leif thinks this is hilarious and isn’t—”
“Wait. Leif? That’s the clown who did this to her? The one who showed up for your wedding?” I should have assumed it was him since she’d taken the guy as a date before, but I hadn’t connected the dots yet.
“Yes. This is weird even for him.”
“This is weird for anyone. What kind of ad did he put up?” Maybe Alex could give me the details Nancy didn’t have the time to give me.
“You have to talk to Nancy.” She was preaching to the choir.
“I tried.”
“I have an idea.”
“What kind of idea?” I asked suspiciously.
“Want to take Langdon and me up for his appointment?”
“With the specialist?” Growing up as a shifter can come with its share of complications, especially during the first few years of shifting.
“Yes. Ryder usually goes with us, but he can’t this time. I’d appreciate the company, and then you can stop in and help Nancy.”
“Are you sure she’s going to like that?”
“She is. She might not admit it…” Alex trailed off.
“I could help her from here too.”
“Yeah, but then she’d be less likely to invite you to go the ball with her…”
“When’s the ball?” I didn’t even have the basic details. Oron’s timing couldn’t have been worse.
“On Saturday night.”
“Seriously?” That was soon.
“Yes. Leif promised he’d go with her. That’s why this is all so last minute.”
“And what ball is this exactly? Why is her dad throwing it?” There was so much I didn’t know about Nancy and her family.
Alex sighed. “I’ll fill you in during the car ride. You’re in, aren’t you?”
Of course I was in. I’d have done it just to help out anyway. I loved my nephew, but any excuse to see Nancy was one I’d take. Especially if it might lead to a second chance. “Sure. I’ll drive.”
“Perfect. Pick us up at 8 tomorrow morning.�
�
“Got it.” Now I only had to hope Nancy still wanted my help.
5
Nancy
The night was cool. Far cooler than I’d planned on. I should have remembered a shawl or a sweater, but I’d been too focused on other things.
I looked out at the dark water, secretly wondering what it would be like if I could drift away.
I was alone. It shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did. I normally thrived on being on my own. I loved being independent. But that night felt different. Loneliness seeped into my bones, chilling me far worse than any wind ever could. I closed my eyes, imagining I’d floated away when the sound of footsteps made me jump.
I turned, coming eye to eye with Norm.
“Hey.” His voice was low and seductive.
“Hey.” I smiled slightly as I aligned my body so I could make polite conversation with him while also watching the waves.
“Nice wedding.”
“It was. Not that I’m surprised. They are a perfect couple.” I tried to keep any hint of jealousy from my voice. Alex deserved happiness.
“Took them long enough to get together.”
“Yes, but they did. Eventually.” The story of how they ultimately ended up together was so crazy I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t been there myself.
“It's great to see Ryder happy.” Norm looked out at the water.
“Same with Alex. And Langdon.”
We fell into silence for a few moments until he moved a stray hair away from my face. "Are you happy, Nancy?"
The way he said my name sent chills through me. "I already told you I'm really happy for them." Maybe the undertones of jealousy were more obvious than I thought.
"That's not what I asked. Are you happy?"
"Why does that matter?" I focused on the blinking of a light off in the distance.
"Because it does."
"I'm happy enough." I had plenty of reasons to keep pushing forward; I just happened to be in a down period.
"Happy enough?" His voice dropped. “That’s depressing.”
"It's not depressing. It's honest." I appreciated honest after years of begging my father for an ounce of honesty.
"I might have agreed with you a few months ago."
"Seeing Ryder and Alex changed you that much?" I raised an eyebrow. He didn’t strike me as the sentimental sort. He was all business, especially when that business involved his older brother. He could pretend his protectiveness came from Ryder being Alpha of the pack, but it went deeper than that and happened well before Ryder assumed his position.
“That and some other things."
I was too tired and melancholy to push for more of an explanation. "I'm happy for them, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean I expect to find that kind of happiness."
"It's not about expectations. It's about desires."
"Desires?" For the second time in a few minutes he had me raising an eyebrow. "This I have to hear."
"It's ok to want more. That doesn't make you weak."
“Oh, so I'm weak now?" I felt a surge of energy. His words didn’t make me angry, but they did make me determined to defend myself.
"No. Of course not. I've seen how strong you are. I only mean it's ok to want more."
"And what do you think I want?" I put a hand on my hip. "What am I secretly desiring that I won't get for myself?”
"I can't tell you that. Only you know the answer to that question."
"Then what's the point of this conversation?"
"That you should strive for true happiness. Don't settle for less." His eyes locked on mine.
I tried to shake away his intense gaze. When that failed I turned the question on him. “What about you?’
“What about me?”
“Are you striving for true happiness, or have you settled for less?” I wondered how he’d feel being put on the spot like he did to me.
“How do you know I haven’t reached that level of happiness already?’
“Because you’re standing with me on the beach instead of enjoying the party.”
“The most important detail in your sentence is with you.”
“Why?” I tried to ignore the warm feeling spreading throughout me. He shouldn’t have affected me that way.
“Because I’ve been waiting for a moment like this since I first met you.”
“So you could pepper me about happiness?” I tried to sound neutral. Did he know how he affected me?
“No.” He shook his head. “So I could do this.” His lips crashed into mine sending sparks flying. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his hands slipped around my waist. I needed him closer. He pushed into my mouth, making me gasp and hold onto him tighter. The sparks were hotter only matched by my rising body temperature. Any semblance of a chill was gone. I lost myself in the kiss, his taste, his warmth, the sparks that only grew bigger until the sound of a horn someway off had us both stepping back. We stared at each other wordlessly.
I pushed away the memory that had once again slipped into my dreams. Was I ever going to forget it? I should have moved on from that dumb kiss ages ago—but for some reason I wouldn’t accept it was silly and a mistake. I may not have been the one to start it, but I definitely enjoyed it. I would never forget those sparks.
I had another day off of work, but I couldn’t lie around all day. I pulled myself out of bed and headed straight for the shower, hoping the warm water would wash the silly dream away. It didn’t work. Norm was still on my mind when I dried off. He was still on my mind when I ate breakfast. He was still on my mind when I made the mistake of opening my email and saw even more of the stupid ad response emails.
I tried Leif again, and it once again went straight to voicemail. I was done waiting around. I put on my shoes, a coat, and grabbed my purse.
There was always something quasi-depressing about driving around during the day in the weeks and days before Christmas. Looking at houses with unlit bulbs, and worse the deflated Santa’s and snowmen lying on laws like murder victims. Okay, maybe that last part was a little harsh, but it was the one time of year when it was much more pleasant to drive around at night. Things were lit up, and it was easier to pretend all was right in the world.
I decided against trying to call Leif again as I sped over—or rather drove a few miles over the speed limit. Getting a speeding ticket wasn’t on my to do list or in my budget.
After driving around a few times I found a parking spot out front of the day spa Leif lived above. I fed the meter before heading up the stairs and passed a babble of college girls heading into the spa. I made it up to the third floor and knocked loudly on his apartment door.
At first I heard nothing and was about to scream. I knew he was there. He worked from home, and he never ran errands until after lunch. I put my ear closer to the door and heard faint footsteps. I stepped back right as he pulled open the door. “Well, this is a nice surprise.”
I pushed passed him inside before he could try to close me out. I spun around as he closed the door. “What the hell, Leif?”
He laughed.
I pushed his chest. “Laughing? You think this is funny?”
“What harm was done?” He pulled on a t-shirt that was lying on the back of a stool in the kitchen. His hair was wet. I must have caught him right after a shower. At least I knew he hadn’t meant to leave me waiting at the door.
“What harm was done? I’m getting emails from random guys talking about my picture.” I could feel my anger about ready to boil over.
“They don’t actually have your email. It’s sent through a forwarding email if you’d bother to look.” He poured a cup of coffee and pulled milk out of the fridge. I knew instantly he was making the cup for me. He always drank his black. He was trying to butter me up so I’d forgive him.
“What about the picture?” That was at the core of my fear. Leif was one of the few people who had bikini photos of me.
“You want to see the picture?” He set down the coffee
in front of me—as I’d expected— before he headed into the little office nook he’d built in what was supposed to be the dining room.
“Yes.” I didn’t actually want to see it, but I wanted to know it wasn’t quite as bad as I’d thought.
“Here.” He handed me his phone. I squinted. I could barely tell it was me in the picture. The only reason I knew for sure was the jacket I was wearing. It was one of those artsy shots that was black and white.
“This is the picture?” My shoulders relaxed. “You promise?”
“Yes. What kind of picture did you think I shared?” He grabbed the coffee pot and refilled his own cup.
“Something worse than this.” I allowed myself a relief sip of coffee. At least the picture wasn’t anything scandalous or even identifying.
“I’m not a complete jerk.”
“You’re still a jerk. You gave out my email and name.” I put down the coffee even though I was loving the warmth.
“I already told you they don’t have your actual email, and I was simply trying to remind you of your options.”
“My options? Of guys responding to an ad from some random girl with sunglasses?”
“No. I was reminding you of a certain option. An option that lives in Virginia.” He didn’t use Norm’s name, but he couldn’t have been talking about anyone else.
“Ugh, it worked.”
He laughed. “Really? That was fast.”
“Well, you wouldn’t help, and I couldn’t figure out where the ad was posted.”
“Wait. You called him for help?”
“What do you think I called him for?” I eyed my coffee. I wanted it, but I didn’t want Leif to think I’d forgiven him completely.
“To invite him to the ball. Then you’d call me and tell me take down the ad. Norm would come to the ball with you. You’d admit your feelings, and then I’d have to listen to you go on and on about how in love you are. I’d put up with that, you know.”
“You did not think that.” I crossed my arms.
“I did. I absolutely did.” He grinned. “Then I could brag about how I’m a Christmas cupid.”
“That part I believe.”
“So how about you call him and invite him so I can still brag? I’ll delete the ad as soon as you do.”
Full Moons and Candy Canes Page 3