by R. R. Banks
“What? I don't look like the type who would be? You really should check your assumptions and not judge a book by its cover, Rose,” he said with a knowing smirk as he flipped through the book. “I saw him speak not that long ago actually. Really fascinating presentation. I'll read anything and everything he writes. I only wish I was half as smart as him.”
I shook my head, surprised but also impressed. And yeah, a little embarrassed for making the assumptions I had based on nothing more than the way he looked. I always thought it was wrong when others did it. And yet, there I was doing the exact same thing I'd called many people out for over the years.
“You a fan too?” he asked.
“I've read that book cover-to-cover more times than I can count,” I said.
“That good, eh?”
“I thought so,” I said. “Then again, my interests are considered kind of strange and out there. Most of my friends would rather read something like Fifty Shades or something like that. And they probably wouldn't be caught dead reading some nonfiction book about the universe.”
“Sorry to break it to you, but your friends are dumb, in that case,” he said, holding the book up. “Because this is good reading right here.”
I couldn't help but smile, but I turned away so he wouldn't see the heat in my face that made me think my cheeks were some shade of red not normally found in nature. I walked quickly over to the counter with Asher following behind. He paid for the book, and I tried not to stare too intently at the gorgeous man in front of me. The man who had a mind for astrophysics like I did and was making me feel guilty as hell for making the sort of assumptions about him – based simply on how he looked – that I had.
“Thanks for stopping by, Asher. It was nice to meet you,” I said, slipping his book into a bag and handing it over to him. “Let me know what you think of the book.”
“Will do,” he said with a wink.
He turned to leave, and yes, I stared at his ass as he walked to the door. Sue me. But he had a tight ass and a body that would make Chris Hemsworth jealous – how could a woman not stare?
He turned around suddenly, very likely catching me ogling him as he walked away. I blushed some more and tried to look like I was really concentrating on something other than his backside. I was doing my best to recover some of my dignity – and was failing pretty hard at it.
“Rose?” he said, making my name sound prettier and more exotic than it actually was. “It's been a pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoy your stay in Black Salmon Falls, and I hope to run into you again sometime.”
The bell jingled as he left the store and I stood there grinning like a fool, hoping he would stop by again. Not just because I wanted to hear his thoughts on the book, but just because I'd enjoyed our conversation – brief as it was. And yes, because I'd enjoyed the view too, and wouldn't mind another peek.
A few minutes later, Mary came inside, sandwich from the deli a few doors down in hand, and gave me an odd look.
“What's that look on your face for?” she asked me.
“Oh nothing,” I said. “Just happy to be working here.”
Chapter Five
Asher
“Dad, you home?” I called out.
A slight tingle of nervousness rolled through me when I saw the front door had been left open. My father was usually at the cannery this time of day, I often had the place to myself. I walked in, cautiously, my body tensed and prepared to fight if it came to that.
“Yes, I'm here,” my father answered.
I breathed a sigh of relief and put my book down on the coffee table. His voice had come from the kitchen, but as I walked down the hallway, that sense of concern flared up within me once more. It looked like a raging bull had run down the hallway, knocking down everything thing in its path.
“Dad, everything okay?” I asked as I rounded the corner into the kitchen.
I found my dear old dad – Marshall Blackwood – sitting at the kitchen table, a bottle of whisky in front of him. I noted with a twinge of concern that there was no glass – just the bottle. My dad didn't drink much these days, and when he did, there was often a reason for it. He sat there, like an older version of me, with his fists clenched on the top of the table, a murderous gleam in his eye.
“No,” he said. “Everything is not okay.”
I joined him at the table. “What's going on?”
“You didn't hear yet?” he asked. “God almighty, Asher, this is bad. Real bad.”
“I figured that out by the amount of whisky missing from that bottle,” I said.
I reached for the bottle to put it away – he'd had more than enough. My dad stopped me by grabbing my hand. We stared at one another in a tense silence for a moment before I relented and let go of the bottle. He nodded to himself and let go of me, sitting back in his seat again – picking up the bottle and taking a long pull of it as if just to prove a point – he was still the man in charge. The top of the Blackwood food chain.
“What's going on?” I asked. “Trouble at work?”
“Nah, I wish it was something that mundane,” he scoffed, scratching a beard that had more gray than black in it these days. “It's much worse than that, son. Luke was found dead this morning.”
Luke was my cousin. We were close, having grown up together, though he was a bit older than me. I looked up to Luke and he'd taught me a lot of things about our family, culture, and of course, about women. He was more like a brother than a cousin.
And now he was dead. The news hit me like a solid punch to the gut – nearly taking the wind out of me and putting a lump into my throat.
“What happened?” I asked, feeling like someone had stabbed me in the heart.
“He was murdered,” my dad said. “Found dead in the woods not far from the N'gasso compound.”
“Whoa,” I said, leaning back in my chair, absorbing it all. This was huge. “Any idea who did it?”
“Of course,” my father said. “We know. It was the goddamn N'gasso. People are afraid just to trespass on N'gasso land, much less kill somebody else on it. I don't see how it could have been anybody but N'gasso.”
My mind shot back to Mariana, my betrothed. Everything was set for me to marry her and the ceremony was supposed to happen within the year. She had already started planning the wedding, and this marriage formed an alliance between the two clans. Why would the N'gasso risk everything by doing something stupid like that? It didn't add up in my head.
“Why would they do something like that?” I asked, still stunned by the revelation. “It doesn't make sense.”
“It makes plenty of sense,” my father said. “They hate us. They always have. They feel like we impede on their territory with our business and –”
“But I'm marrying Mariana in less than a year,” I said. “We are combining our clans, uniting as one. Why would they risk that? We are going to be the most powerful clan in the nation, if not the world, once Mariana and I wed. Killing one of our people – and letting him be found on their land – it doesn't make sense to me.”
My dad sighed and stared down at his hands. They were bleeding – likely from putting them through a glass window somewhere, which he was apt to do. My father had a wicked temper – one of the less charming qualities that I inherited from him. But I'd been learning to temper my emotions. Control them a little better than he did. If I was to be the clan Chief one day, I wanted to be sure I ruled by reason and logic, rather than emotion and passion.
I didn't blame him for being so upset. I was pissed. Luke was my cousin, my blood, my friend. I just didn't want to start something with the N'gasso without all the facts. I didn't want to start throwing accusations without having the truth of the situation on my side.
“I don't want us going after the wrong people, that's all,” I said. “This could cause a war between the two clans, dad. If we went to war with the N'gasso and they weren't behind this, everything we worked for would be over. Gone. We'd lose more of our men. Resources. We could eve
n conceivably be wiped out as a clan. And for what? Let's make sure they're truly guilty before we go after them. It just doesn't make sense.”
“You're right,” my dad said, rubbing his temples like his head was throbbing – which, given the amount of drinking he'd done, it very well might have been. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd heard him right, but he repeated himself, “You're right, son. Leave it to you and your logic. You're the reason this clan is going to go places, Asher. You think before you act and can always see the entire board, while the rest of us are locked into our own narrow little view of the game. I agree with you thought – it doesn't make sense. I want somebody to pay for this. I'm just so mad –”
“As am I, dad,” I said, reaching for his bloodied hands. “As am I.”
My poor father was showing his age. His mind wasn't as sharp as it once had been. His emotions ran a little more freely and sometimes he jumped to conclusions without thinking them through. His mind was slipping and as much as it pained me to see, being his son, it worried me in regard to the clan. I worried that the decisions he made on behalf of the clan wouldn't be made during his more lucid periods. It could have a seriously detrimental impact on the clan.
“We'll get the people who did this,” I said. “I promise you that. We'll get them.”
“You're going to make a damn fine leader, son,” my dad said, staring at me, his eyes shining with unshed tears.
His praise meant the world to me, but it was also a bittersweet thought. Me being a leader meant that he wouldn't be. And the only way he wouldn't be leading the Q'lapa was –
“Yeah, well, you're not Walking anytime soon, dad,” I said. “So, let's not rush things, okay? Can't lose you and Luke at the same time now. The clan needs you. I need you. So, no, you're not Walking anytime soon. Get that thought right out of your head.”
My dad nodded. As much as I loved the idea of leading the clan and the family business, the idea of my father leaving my life killed me. It was tradition, of course, and one that was supposed to be celebrated rather than mourned. My father had led the clan for a lot of years. Had made us prosperous. Vital. Had done more good things for the clan – and the town of Black Salmon Falls – than I could count. He deserved the rest and the freedom the Walk would give him. But selfishly, I wasn't ready to let go of him just yet.
My father would have the opportunity to live out the rest of his life in the woods, where he belonged. Where he could be happy and wild and free in his bear form until his final days. He would be happy. At peace.
Still, knowing that didn't make him leaving any easier for me though.
Chapter Six
With the death of my cousin and everything else that seemed to be going wrong lately, I needed something to smile about. Something to take my mind off of everything happening. Maybe it was wrong of me, but I stopped back in at the bookstore with a coffee and scone in hand, hoping to find Rose working.
It was early, right after the store had opened, and she was alone, putting some books up onto the shelves. When I walked in, she smiled at me and I felt my pulse race a little. Many would probably think I was crazy for letting myself feel a little bit infatuated with someone else when I had a fiancé like Mariana. But Rose was different. Yes, she had more curves to her than Mariana, a little more roundness to her hips. Her auburn hair fell in natural waves over her shoulders, and she wore very little – if any – makeup. She was a natural beauty. And I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since that first day I'd met her.
Her blue eyes looked startled when I stepped into the bookstore. But she still smiled brightly showing off the dimples in both her cheeks. She was a beautiful woman. Not in the made-up, almost artificial way Mariana looked sometimes. There was something wholesome about Rose. Something natural. She definitely had that girl-next-door vibe about her and it was something that was incredibly appealing to me.
“Well, welcome back,” she said as she put some books on the shelf nearby. “Finished with the book already? Looking for something else?”
“Actually, I've had a lot going on lately and not nearly as much time to read as I would have liked,” I said, putting the coffee down on the counter. “But I was in the neighborhood and thought I might stop by to say hello and bring you a little something to thank you for your help the other day.”
She looked down at the coffee, her smile fading slightly. I could see the discomfort in her as her body tensed, as if she was afraid of something. Afraid of me? Of course, it wouldn't be the first time, I tended to have that affect on women, especially more timid women like Rose seemed to be. Which was why I'd approached with caution.
“Let me guess, you're more of a tea drinker?”
“No, it's not that,” she said, taking the cup from me. “Thank you. I just wasn't expecting it, that's all. I love coffee actually. That was very thoughtful, so thank you.”
“Smart girl,” I said with a wink and handed her the scone. “The place down the street makes the best pastries. You absolutely have to stop by if you get a chance. Donna is an absolute wizard. And pro tip, they're even better first thing in the morning – fresh out of the oven.”
“I probably shouldn't wait to try it then, huh?”
“Probably not,” I said.
Rose took the pastry and the coffee and motioned for me to follow her to a small table in the corner of the bookstore. We sat down as she took dainty, delicate little bites from the scone. Her eyes widened slightly and she nodded, a smile spreading across her face.
“Wow, that is really good. Thank you,” she said.
“You're very welcome,” I said. “Thank you for helping me find my book the other day.”
“I didn't really help with anything. It was just sitting right there –”
“Don't sell yourself short Rose,” I said. “You helped me, and you made my day on top of that. It's not too often that I can talk astrophysics with someone. Most people have no idea I'm even interested in the subject. Most of them wouldn't be interested or able to actually speak intelligently about it. So, it was nice to find a fellow nerd.”
“Yeah, I understand,” she said. “It happens to me a lot too. Since I'm a woman, they assume I couldn't possibly want to read about science. Or even worse, understand science. Even though I was a science teacher –”
“You were a science teacher?” I asked. “Where at?”
She looked down at her hands on the table. “Uhh – in Seattle,” she said.
“Very cool,” he said. “Why did you leave?”
“I didn't really have a choice,” she said, a bitter, haunted look in her eyes. “But I really don't want to talk about it, if that's okay?”
She still didn't look me in the eye and I could hear the emotion choking her voice. Whatever happened to her had to have been bad.
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories. You're here now though. And you seem happy, so that's good. That's a step in the right direction.”
“Yeah,” she said, smiling a little for me as she glanced up and blushed. “I guess I am.”
My phone buzzed – Mariana's ring tone. I reached down and silenced it.
“I can let you go if you –”
“No, it's fine. Probably just a telemarketer.” I said, meeting her gaze and giving her a gentle smile.
Her eyes were so clear and blue, I couldn't help but stare into them. She was so sweet, gentle and modest. After months of being with Mariana, it was nice to be with someone who seemed down-to-earth and so – real.
“So, ask me anything,” I said. “I feel like I've pried into your life enough. At least for now. So, ask me something. I promise to answer.”
Her smile brightened a bit, and I could tell she had questions swimming in her brain. There were so many things she could ask that might get me in trouble if I were honest, so I knew that I had to tread a bit carefully.
I half expected her to ask about my family, our business or about what we were. Most people in town knew we weren't
fully human, though they tended to look the other way. No one really talked about it, but it was the elephant in the room during most conversations.
The bottom line was that the clans had basically founded the town a long time ago. The clans were what kept the town prosperous. Kept the town safe. We wanted Black Salmon Falls to be an idyllic place to live and raise a family – for human and bear alike. And we bent over backwards – sometimes even did things I couldn't be proud of – to ensure that our town remained that way.
And because of that, the people of Black Salmon Falls didn't pry too deeply into our lives or our businesses. They accepted us as just another part of the town's charm and mystique. In other words, they didn't poke the bears with spoons. It was a beautifully symbiotic relationship.
But instead of asking me what I'd thought she was going to, she asked me something simple. “Why didn't you go into astrophysics if it interests you so much?”
Her question took me by surprise. Few women seemed to care about that. About what I was interested in or what I wanted out of life. Most of the women who put themselves in my path were pretty much focused on my money and family name. It was just another reason I liked Rose.
“To be honest? I had no choice in the matter. I was always slated to run the family business. I probably would have made the choice to do it anyway, it's a point of pride for my family,” I said. “But science is fascinating. I absolutely love it, but part of me thinks it would lose some of its magic if I studied it for a living, you know?”
“I know exactly what you mean,” she said.
My phone buzzed again, and instead of simply declining the call, I put it on silent. I knew Mariana would be pissed, but I didn't care. For the first time in a long time, I was having a conversation with someone who actually seemed to understand me. Someone who wanted to listen to my thoughts and opinions, who didn't automatically want something from me. Somebody who was interested in me as a person, rather than in what I could do for them.