Wednesday dipped her head, embarrassed. “That was incredible.”
Cameron and Connor came in from the kitchen.
“I didn’t know you two were coming. Is Caleb with you?” Wednesday asked.
“I’m right here. We’ve got everything moved in to our new place. I came to get you and the girls.”
Wednesday knew they were moving into their rental soon but didn’t realize it was today. She called to her animal as panic gripped her nerves. “Is everything ready?”
Caleb finished the last bite of food from his plate. “Yep. We’re set.”
Wednesday scanned Sybil’s face, silently pleading with her. If the woman understood her, she didn’t let it show. Sybil was the first one to stand.
She walked to Wednesday with open arms. “I guess this is it. I can’t tell you how much I loved having you here.”
“Are you sure?” Wednesday asked.
“You are always welcome here. I’ll miss having the company.”
Wednesday held her, not wanting to let go. “You can come by and visit anytime. And I need to bring the girls in next week for a check-up.”
Sybil stepped away. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Wednesday said goodbye to everyone and thanked them for the baby gifts.
Her mother walked out to the car with her. “Why are you so sad? You’re just moving into town. It’s not like you are going away forever.”
“It feels that way.”
Her mother put the baby carrier she held in the car. “I’ll be by tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
Wednesday’s face brightened. “I’d like that.”
Caleb got in the truck and they headed home.
The tension between them smothered her. She inhaled, put on a fake smile, and asked, “Did you get everything in with no problems?”
“I told you I would, didn’t I?” Caleb gripped the steering wheel tighter.
She didn’t want to argue again, so she tried a different approach. “It was nice of Cameron and Connor to help you.”
Caleb grunted.
She gave up. If he wanted to be moody, then he could sit and brood.
When he pulled into their driveway he looked over and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap at you. Cameron and Connor pissed me off and I’m tired.”
“What did they do?”
Caleb stared out the window and ran his fingers along the stitches of the leather cover on the wheel. “They want to open the resort again.”
Wednesday’s face brightened. “That’s a great idea. I know everyone is excited to go back—”
Caleb slapped his knee. “That’s just it. We can’t go back.”
She touched his arm. “No, but we can go forward.”
Both babies woke up, crying. Caleb’s shoulders sagged. He got one out of the car and asked if she could get the other.
There was so much she wanted to tell him. She believed in him and believed in their future. Her heart broke watching her mate walk away.
Caleb
On the third night they slept in their rental, Caleb reached across the bed. When he didn’t feel Wednesday, he shot up listening. Soft cooing and a dripping faucet were the only noises he heard. He rolled over putting his feet on the ground and rubbed his eyes and his two-day scruffy face. He inhaled all the smells of the house, checking for sure that there was no trouble.
Two doors down the hall, he pushed open the door. Wednesday lay on the floor curled around a body pillow. Iris and Maisie laid in their crib making noises and hypnotized by the circus animals dancing on the wall from the light mobile. A pang of guilt pulled at his soul. He’d been so busy working, there’d been no time to help Wednesday. She unpacked the house and took care of both babies by herself. Exhaustion rode him like a saddle.
He found a throw on the glider and tucked it over his mate. Then he picked up the twins and sat in the chair.
“Ladies, this is not the time to chat and play games. This is the time to sleep. See your mommy? She needs her sleep and can’t get it if you two are having a party.”
Both babies smiled a toothless grin and jerked their arms.
“Now are you thrilled to see your daddy or do you both have gas? Hmm? I promise you can tell me and it will be our secret.”
His daughters reminded him of the baby animals he saw flying over the canyon. Their mouths puckered, and they fussed. “Are you getting hungry?” Wednesday didn’t stir. “I guess mommy is exhausted. Can you ladies show me what to do? If you help me, I think I can get the bottles ready and maybe I can do this without mommy.” Iris scrunched her face preparing to cry. “No, no, don’t do that. We’ll wake mommy.”
He carried them to the small kitchen, strapped them in their swings, and found the bags of breast milk in the freezer. After preparing the bottles, he sat on the floor between the two girls and held their bottles for them. They took a few tries to latch on the bottle nipples.
“I know, I know. It’s not as good as mommy, but maybe we can make do just long enough to give mommy a short break.”
His watch vibrated with the alarm. “I guess it’s time for me to get up, anyway. Ya know, ladies, we could make this a regular date. It’ll be a breakfast date just for daddy and his pretties. Would you like that?” Both babies continued to stare off in space. “I’ll take your lack of response as a positive response.”
A soft hand slid down his shoulder and rubbed the top of his chest. “Sorry I didn’t hear them. I guess I just needed sleep.” His mate knelt behind him. “You’re good at that.”
He rubbed his face against her arm. “I don’t know if they would agree. They didn’t take it at first.”
Wednesday sat behind him. “They’ve been iffy on a bottle. My mom has given them bottles before and Ginger did pretty well the other day. I guess it depends.” She rested her forehead against his back. “Are you off to work, soon?”
He nodded. “I’m doing a double at the hospital.”
“So, when will you be home?” She pushed off the floor and opened a cupboard.
“Not until after ten tonight.” He saw his daughters. “Well, will you look at that? Iris finished her bottle and fell asleep.”
Wednesday peered over his shoulder. “And Maisie will be asleep soon. Good job.”
Caleb popped the bottles out of their mouths and left them on the counter. He yawned and stretched. “I feel like I could sleep for a whole year.”
“You’ve been working hard, baby.” Wednesday faced him leaning against the counter with crossed arms. “Maybe you can take a day off soon.”
“That would be nice, I’ll see what I can do.” He kissed the top of her head and left to get ready for work.
Two hours later, his boss’s assistant distributed paychecks while the cleaning crew sat around the break table. Caleb opened his envelope and growled.
He went to the man. “Why is this check a day short?”
He snorted. “You left early the first day you started.”
“I worked before I left. My wife had our babies. I didn’t just leave for the hell of it.”
“You didn’t work a full day, why should I pay you for one. There is not sick time around here. I don’t care what the reason was. You must finish a shift to get paid for a shift.”
“I’ve never heard of that before. That’s insane.” Caleb puffed out his chest and struggled to calm his bird.
“Are you threatening me, Mr. Hanson?” The screaming assistant stepped back.
He clenched his fist. “I don’t know. Do you feel threatened?”
The greasy man scanned the workroom, the smell of his fear and stress mixed with cigarettes rolled off him like steam.
“If you have a problem with your pay, you need to take it up with Human Resources, but you have invaded my personal space and I need you to step back.”
Personal space? The man was a half a foot taller and probably almost a hundred pounds heavier. There was no invasion. “I want you to fix this.” He punched his finger
into the guys chest emphasizing each word. Even as he did it, he knew there would be consequences, but he didn’t care.
“You need to step back. This will be your last warning.”
“Warning? Warning? I’m giving you a warning. I’ve been at this job almost twenty-four-seven since I started here, and I’ve done every crap job you’ve given me.” His falcon screamed, and his vision narrowed in on this sniveling man.
Before he could react, two other men stepped between them and corralled Caleb away from the assistant.
“I’m pressing charges,” the man screeched.
“Charges? For what?”
“You assaulted me. You invaded my personal space and made me feel uncomfortable.”
Caleb had had enough. He pushed through the two men holding him back and rushed forward. He hit the supervisor in the face. The man dropped to the floor and howled about his face.
Caleb watched the man and then saw his reddened knuckles. His body felt the power of the impact, but it was like he watched through someone else’s eyes. His falcon puffed out his chest and strutted back and forth.
A security guard came in and together with the other two men, he tackled Caleb to the ground. It wasn’t until his head hit the hard vinyl floor that he realized he made a terrible mistake.
“I never thought the day would come when I’d be on this side and you’d be on that side.” Eli pointed between them.
“Shut up. I’ve bailed out your ass plenty of times.”
Caleb’s friend leaned a shoulder against the bars. “Yeah, but people expect it of me. I am Scottish.”
“What does that have to do with it?”
“Well, we Scots are ballsy lads.”
“Whatever. Are you here to get me out or what?” Caleb stretched his legs and got off the cot.
“I should leave you in here and make you think about what you did. What made you hit that man?”
Caleb propped the back of one foot against the wall and crossed his arms. “I didn’t hit him.”
“That’s not what he said. According to him, your eyes flashed into demon eyes and you hit him. He’s convinced you were possessed.”
“Do you believe him?”
“Nah, I don’t believe him. No one around here believes him either. Good thing for you, your sheriff is a bear shifter who’s known you since you were in diapers.”
“What can I say. The Hansons have been in Rio City for a while. Is he pressing charges, or what?”
A guard came in and unlocked the cell door.
Eli said, “Nah. They talked him out of it. But you lost your job.”
“Great,” Caleb mumbled.
Caleb and Eli followed the guard to a counter where the sheriff waited for them.
Caleb stared at his feet. “Hey, Sheriff Rentschler.”
The sheriff exhaled and harrumphed. “Son, I’m disappointed. You are not the Hanson boy I pictured behind bars.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re the one with sense. I’d expect this of Cameron before you. What’s going on in that head of yours? You’ve got three little ladies at home who deserve better from you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Eli snickered. Caleb elbowed him.
“Are you starting trouble, again? You still aren’t free. I can lock up your tail for a long time.”
Neither Caleb nor Eli said anything.
Sheriff Rentschler slid a clipboard and pen across the counter. “Sign here and here.” He pointed to the clipboard.
Caleb signed and passed it back. The sheriff shook out the contents of a manila envelop, shared his disappointment one more time, and told the men to get the hell out of his sight.
Caleb followed Eli to his car. “Can you give me a ride home?”
“Already planning on it.”
Fifteen minutes later, Eli pulled off the interstate into the empty parking lot of the resort. He drove to the back where Connor’s cabin sat like a lone guard over a toppled kingdom.
“This isn’t where I live anymore.”
Eli turned off the car. “I know, but it’s where you need to be.”
“Hmm.”
“Look, we’ve got booze. At least come in and have a beer.”
They headed up the stairs and into the cabin. Cameron and Caleb sat on the couches, a beer in their hands.
“Hey there’s my brother the jail bird.” Cameron toasted Caleb.
“Was that supposed to be a joke?”
“Huh? I don’t get it,” Connor said.
“You sit there and be pretty, Model Boy.” Eli sat next to him. “Caleb get me a beer when you get yours.”
“Whatever.” Caleb found the beers then joined the others. “So, what’s this all about?”
“You’ve been an ass. That’s what this is all about,” Cameron said.
“There’s no beating around the bush with you is there?”
“I’m just calling it as I see it. It’s been three weeks since the fire and you won’t talk to any of us about what to do next.”
“Cam, this isn’t how we planned it,” Connor said.
Cameron threw a pillow at his baby brother. “Shut the fuck up.”
“You have a plan? Is this an intervention?”
Connor pulled out a stack of index cards from under his leg. “No, we think it’s time to talk about the future.”
Caleb popped up. “Shit. This is an intervention. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine. Wednesday is fine, and the babies are fine. Leave us alone.” He stomped across to the kitchen.
“Caleb, we’ve got to decide what to do,” Cameron said. “The insurance guy wants to meet with all three of us.”
Caleb glared at his brothers. “You want to rebuild?”
“Why wouldn’t we rebuild?” Connor asked.
Caleb faced them. “Maybe I’m done. I gave everything to that place.”
“So, did we,” Cameron said.
Caleb rushed his brother and pulled him from his chair. He snarled in his brother’s face spittle flying out of his mouth. “What did you give? Did your home burn? Hell, I didn’t even have a pair of underwear to change into after it was over. Now, I have two baby girls and a mate who are depending on me for everything. Everything. What do you have?”
Cameron pushed him away. Caleb lost his balance and fell on the floor. He pounced up and hit Cameron in the jaw. Cameron lost his balance, fell back in his chair, and the chair tipped backward. Connor tackled Caleb and pinned him to the floor.
“This is not the plan. Stop this shit.”
Eli crossed his feet, rested them on the coffee table, and had another drink of beer. “Don’t stop them. This is ring-side seats in Vegas. Wanna make a bet?”
Connor grabbed his brother’s shirt. “Sit over there.” He shoved him against the couch. He reached down to help Cameron. “Follow the damn plan.”
Caleb sipped his beer. “Nah, ya know what. Don’t worry about your plan. If you want to open the resort, open it. I don’t care. I need to focus on finding a job. Eli, take me home, and I mean my home this time.” He stomped out and waited by the car.
Eli jogged down the steps a few minutes later. “Am I your chauffeur?”
“Whatever, you brought me here. I didn’t ask.”
They rode in silence. Caleb fumed and stared out the window. “I’m tired.”
“Wednesday told me all you do is work. I’d be tired too.”
He faced his friend. “I was tired before the fire, the fire just did me in. I don’t know what to do.”
“Remember the last time you and I got together?”
“Not really.”
“It was right before you opened. You wouldn’t shut up about this place. I hated it by the end of the night. It’s easy to see, this is in your blood. You always took care of anyone who came your way. The resort is just your way of taking care of everyone.”
Caleb didn’t have a response to that. He watched the road race by outside the car.
“Whatever. Chan
ge the subject. Are you and Ginger getting anywhere?”
“Oh man. That woman makes me rock hard every time I see her. I smell her, and I go nuts.”
“She’s a great lady. I think you should go for it.”
“I don’t know. She’s a bear and I’m a wolf.”
“Do you think she’s your mate?”
“Yeah.”
“Then go for it. It’ll sort itself out.”
They pulled into Caleb’s driveway. Eli turned off the car.
“Look, for what’s it worth, you got a lousy deal, but get your head out of your ass. This isn’t you. You’re better than this.”
“Probably.”
Wednesday walked out to the porch.
“There’s your lady. She must be worried sick,” Eli said. “Go have a good night with your family.”
Caleb twisted to see Eli. “Thanks.”
“Get the hell out of my car before you get all pansy.”
Caleb walked up the stairs, enveloped his mate, and sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
She stretched back. “We don’t need you to do better. Whatever you’re going to do, do it with us.”
They sat on the top stair. Caleb inhaled the night air and listened to the crickets.
“That’s easier said than done.”
Wednesday rested her head on his shoulder. “Work on it.”
“The harder I work to take care of everyone, the more I seem to mess up.”
“Caleb, none of us asked you to take care of us. We are all grown adults. The only two people in your life who you need to take care of are asleep in their crib.”
He put his hand on her knee and kissed the top of her head. The sun sunk below the horizon and for the first time since the fire, Caleb relaxed and felt peace.
Wednesday
Three months after the fire, Eliza, Sky, Tatum, and Wednesday met for coffee. The four friends met once a week as many times as possible. Wednesday counted on these meet-ups. Sometimes it was her only adult interaction. It kept her sane when both babies screamed and demanded attention. Caleb helped when he was home, but he was rarely home.
“Where are my beautiful nieces?” Sky asked as they sat at a table by the window.
Shelter For My Mate: Sassy Ever After (Sanctuary for My Mate Book 3) Page 10