As if she’d heard, a waitress came by and took their drink orders. “I can give you a few minutes to look at the menu,” she said. “Unless you already know what you want.”
“I don’t know about you,” Eric said to JJ, “but I’m in the mood for a big bacon burger and fries.”
Her mouth watered and her stomach growled at the thought. “Oh, that sounds amazing. That’s what I want, too!”
The waitress grinned. “We have fantastic burgers. I think you’ll both be pleased.” She hurried away to turn in their order.
“I can’t remember the last time I had a hamburger,” JJ mused. “I try so hard to eat healthy, but every once in a while...”
Garth had finished his bottle. Lifting him to his shoulder, Eric began to burp him. “In California, just about everyone is obsessed with clean eating. I always felt like I had to sneak away when I wanted to eat red meat or fast food.”
“Around here it’s just the opposite,” she told him. “Red meat is absolutely focused on.” Because there were so many Pack members, though she didn’t say that out loud.
Garth let out a healthy burp, chortling afterward, which made Eric smile. “That’s a good boy.” Pride rang in his voice.
The waitress brought them their drinks, cooing baby talk to Garth before straightening and promising them their food would be out soon.
Their meal arrived and, true to the waitress’s word, the hamburgers were amazing. JJ ate slowly, trying to savor every bite, while Eric wolfed his down. Watching him, she hid her smile, enjoying the gusto with which he did most everything.
She had to wonder if that gusto extended to making love.
Chapter 12
As soon as JJ had the thought, accompanied with a vivid picture of him naked and on top of her, she pushed it away and focused on finishing her meal.
Having lunch with Eric relaxed her. The entire drive to the café, she’d been stressed. The way Greg had acted had unsettled her, to say the least. It had made her feel she’d stepped back into her old life, her old world.
Now, sitting across from Eric and Garth, she swore she could feel the tension draining out of her. The Realtor, though he looked nothing like Shawn, had acted just like her former boyfriend and most of his friends. If Eric hadn’t been there, she knew darn good and well Greg would have kept on badgering her until she’d finally given in. It had been, after all, the same tactic Shawn had used.
Before Shawn—or BS, as she liked to think of it—she’d viewed herself as a reasonably confident person. In the three years she’d been with him, he’d managed to not only erode her confidence, but to somehow make her feel as if she deserved to be treated like dirt.
Now, she felt like herself again. “Thank you for lunch,” she said, smiling.
“You’re welcome. I think next I’ll drop you off at Rhonda’s and let her know I’m going to keep the motel room.” Eric buckled little Garth back into his carrier.
JJ nodded. “I really wish you’d reconsider, but I understand why you’d rather not stay.”
It wasn’t long before they pulled up in front of Rhonda’s. JJ couldn’t help but glance next door at her house. Where before she’d thought the white frame structure looked cozy, it now looked damaged and sad.
Rhonda appeared at her front door the instant they got out of the car. “I was getting worried about you two,” she said, smiling tightly.
“I’m sorry.” JJ smiled back, uneasy again. “We met with Eric’s Realtor and had lunch. I hope we didn’t affect your plans or anything.”
“Of course not.” Rhonda hugged her, a quick, fierce movement more perfunctory than comforting. She turned to Eric, her smile wider. “I’m very excited to have you three staying with me. It gets lonely living by myself sometimes.”
“About that...” Eric scratched the back of his neck. “I’ve decided Garth and I will continue to stay in the motel. I appreciate your kindness, but I really can’t impose myself—and my baby—on someone I don’t know.”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I thought it was an imposition.” Rhonda’s voice wavered. “Seriously, what kind of neighbor would I be if I didn’t try to help you? Why waste money paying for a motel room when I have three perfectly good, empty bedrooms?”
Eric looked down.
As Rhonda stood there blinking at him, JJ realized the other woman was about to cry.
“It’ll be okay, Eric,” JJ told him. “If it doesn’t work out or if Garth is too fussy, you can always go back to the motel.”
Two against one. When Eric raised his face and met her gaze, JJ realized she should have stayed out of it. The expression in his eyes said he’d had her back with Greg, and she should have done something similar with Rhonda.
Except it wasn’t the same situation. Rhonda was just trying to help, not force him to date her.
“I guess I can give it a shot,” Eric finally said. “Let me go back to the motel and grab my stuff and check out.”
Slowly, Rhonda nodded. “Only if you’re sure,” she sniffed. “I don’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”
“I can watch Garth for you if you want,” JJ offered.
He exhaled. “That’d probably work. Come on.”
Following him to the SUV, she glanced back and saw Rhonda had gone inside.
“Look.” JJ grabbed his arm. “I’m sorry. If you don’t want to stay here, there’s no reason you should. I should have done better to back you up.”
The tightness in his jaw relaxed. Gazing down at her, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners, he smiled. For one skip of her heart, she thought he might actually kiss her, but then he looked away and the moment passed.
She raised her hand to her lips, unsurprised to realize they were trembling. As he unhooked Garth’s infant carrier, she reached past him for the diaper bag.
“Thanks for this,” he said, handing her the carrier. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
Nodding, she turned and carried Garth to the front door, waiting until he’d driven away before going inside.
“Rhonda?” she called, standing in the foyer and feeling uncertain.
“In the kitchen,” Rhonda said. “All the way back to your left.”
JJ remembered. She hefted Garth’s carrier and went to the large and bright kitchen. Sniffing appreciatively, she smiled. Rhonda had bread baking in a bread machine and a large pot of something that smelled like chili simmering on the stove.
“Do you want a glass of wine?” Rhonda asked as she turned around. Her smile faded as she took in the baby.
“No, thanks.” JJ’s chest felt tight again. Maybe Eric had been right to want to stay in the motel. “It smells amazing in here,” she said. “I had no idea you liked to cook.” Of course, she didn’t actually know Rhonda very well at all.
“I love to cook.” Rhonda sighed. “I thought I’d make a special meal to welcome you both to my home. But your tenant acts like it’s going to be torture for him to stay here.”
“Oh no, I’m sure he doesn’t. He really just didn’t want to impose. Babies are noisy and you’re used to having peace and quiet...”
Rhonda motioned to one of the kitchen chairs. “Please, sit.” She pulled out her own chair and dropped into it.
JJ took the seat across from her and began unbuckling little Garth to lift him out of his carrier. As she did, the baby started to cry.
Rhonda winced. “What does he need?” she asked. “Is he hungry? Thirsty? What can I do to help?”
Rocking him gently, JJ smiled. “I need to change his diaper, that’s all. He ate when we did. Is there somewhere I can take him to do that?”
“Sure. Follow me.” Rhonda led her down a hallway toward a bathroom. “This is the guest bathroom. You and Eric will be sharing it. Will this countertop work?”
“I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re finished.”
Once Rhonda had gone, JJ made short work of changing the baby’s diaper and cleaning him up. Funny how she’d become almost expert at this, despite having known Eric and Garth only a couple weeks.
Still holding the little one, she picked up the carrier and made her way back to the kitchen. When she took a seat, she moved Garth to her shoulder so he could look around.
Rhonda poured two glasses of wine and brought them over, placing one in front of JJ, despite her earlier refusal. Amused, JJ restrained herself from shaking her head and simply smiled.
“Any word on what caused the fire?” Rhonda asked, taking a small sip of her own wine.
“They think electrical. My insurance company promises to have someone out tomorrow, and after that, I’m hoping I can get things to kick into gear fast. It’s bad enough that I’m displaced, but poor Eric. His furniture is scheduled to arrive any day now.”
Rhonda narrowed her eyes. “He has furniture? I sort of got the impression he was one of those drifter kind of men. You know, a free spirit, moving from town to town as the mood struck him.”
Surprised, JJ shook her head. “No. He used to be a college professor. He took a leave of absence when his son was born.”
“Seriously? He doesn’t look...academic at all. I bet all his students had crushes on him.”
“Probably.” The subject made JJ uncomfortable. Mainly because she didn’t like gossiping about someone she considered a friend. She decided to change the subject. “Did you do anything interesting when you went into the city?”
Rhonda crossed her arms. “Why?”
“Just making conversation,” JJ retorted. “You’ve been acting weird ever since you returned. Is everything okay?”
“Just fine. And I’m not acting weird. It just scares me that my house could have caught on fire and I wouldn’t have even known.”
Such a strange comment. But then, maybe Rhonda had been homeless before. Who knew? One thing JJ firmly believed was never judge other people without knowing what they personally had gone through.
“I get it,” JJ finally said.
The hard look on Rhonda’s face faded. “Thank you. But I don’t think you do. How could you? Actually, I got some bad news about a friend of mine while I was gone. They say she committed suicide, but I don’t believe that. I think she might have been murdered.” She looked down. “Anyway, I apologize if I was acting off. I’ve been trying to deal with the news the best I can.”
Shocked, JJ stared. “I am so sorry. Now I feel awful.”
“Don’t.” Rhonda shrugged. “I don’t really want to talk about it anymore, so let’s change the subject.” Considering, she brightened. “Hey, I know we’ve discussed this before, but I thought I’d go ahead and double-check. Sort of like giving you a heads-up. If you’re not interested in Eric, now that he’ll be staying here I’m definitely going to make a play for him big time. So speak up now or have no regrets.”
Horrified, JJ searched for the right words. If she didn’t claim Eric as hers, then he’d definitely—and rightly—feel like she’d sold him down the river.
* * *
While Eric wasn’t a hundred percent certain staying at Rhonda’s was a good idea, he hated to let JJ down. Clearly, she’d really wanted him to stay. Not only did he have the absurd instinct that he should protect her, but the Rhonda who’d returned from her time away seemed a hell of a lot more tightly wound than the one whose driveway he’d shoveled a week ago.
Quite frankly, he had to wonder what had happened to her while she’d been gone. Not that it was any of his business, unless her behavior affected his son.
He shook his head. Worrying too much had always been one of his flaws. He’d hoped he’d left it behind when he’d traveled across the country, but maybe not.
After gathering up his and Garth’s meager belongings from the motel room, he checked out and paid. With her attention focused on the television, the motel clerk barely acknowledged him. A quick glance revealed she was watching some kind of news conference.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“A burned and dismembered body was found near the performing arts center,” she said. “And one of the college students has been missing. The police haven’t identified the body yet, but everyone thinks it was her.”
“Here?” he asked, still not understanding.
“Yes.” Her tight lips, worried expression and the fear in her eyes told him this hit too close to home. “The girl that’s missing...she was—is—my friend.” Abruptly, she handed him his receipt and disappeared into the back room.
Once in his vehicle, he heard the rest of the story on the radio. Several small wild animals had been found, ripped apart but not eaten, as if they’d been killed just out of cruelty.
A chill snaked up his spine. As if on cue, his cell phone rang. When he saw caller ID, his stomach clenched.
“There are reports of a possible Berserker near you,” Detective DeLeon said, his tone casual. Too casual. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“Of course not. I just learned about what happened. I’m as shocked as anyone else.”
“Are you? What are the odds?” Instead of waiting for an answer, the other man continued. “You remember I told you we didn’t think Yolanda was acting alone. And since Jason’s cell phone never turned up, there’s a good chance one or more of these cult members has made their way to Forestwood looking for you and your boy. While we’re investigating, I wanted to give you a heads-up. Watch your back and, especially, keep an eye on your son. We’ve got people in the area, but our resources are stretched too thin to offer you a protection detail.”
“Thanks, Officer DeLeon.”
“Frank. You can call me Frank.” With that, the other man hung up. Heart pounding, Eric dropped his phone into the console and started the engine. Damn. The man had a point. And worse, Eric had left his son alone with a woman he’d known for only two weeks, and another woman he barely knew who’d been acting strange.
He made it back to Rhonda’s house in half the time it would have taken if he’d driven the speed limit. Luckily, no police officer stopped him to give him a ticket.
After he pulled up in front of Rhonda’s house, he slammed on his brakes, completely forgetting about the potential of icy patches. The rear of his truck fishtailed, which made him feel slightly foolish.
Still, he needed to calm his racing heart and then go inside and act as if nothing was wrong. Though he’d started to trust—and like—JJ, for now all bets were off. He’d watch her like a hawk. And make sure neither she nor Rhonda were ever alone with Garth again.
When he walked up to the front door, uncertain whether he should knock or just walk in, he heard the sound of the television and figured they were just learning about the girl’s murder. Instead of interrupting, he opened the door and went in, making a mental note to talk to Rhonda about locking the place up.
Both women’s gazes were glued to the television, though JJ waved a quick hello. She was holding Garth, rocking him back and forth gently. From the broad smile the baby wore, it was clear he loved it.
For a second, Eric felt bad for suspecting JJ. But then he reminded himself how he’d once trusted Yolanda, too. Until the cult members were caught, he could trust no one. Still, the attraction sizzling between them would be no less difficult to resist.
A commercial came on.
“Wow,” Rhonda commented. “In our little town.”
“Did you hear about this?” JJ asked him.
Before answering, he reached down and took Garth out of her arms.
“I saw a news report at the motel office w
hen I was checking out, plus that’s all they were talking about on the radio,” he said. “It’s awful. Just awful.”
“Yes, it is.” Rhonda bowed her head. “One of my friends in the city recently died. Too much death and suffering so close together.”
He offered his apologies, understanding now why she’d been acting so strange. Maybe he had been overthinking things.
“Looks like you had a beautiful day to run errands.” Smiling sadly, Rhonda changed the subject.
“It was nice,” he replied. “I hope it stays this way for a few days longer. While I knew winters could be brutal in the Northeast, I hadn’t expected to be slammed by one major snowstorm after another, with barely a break in between.”
Rhonda laughed. “It’s not usually like this.” At his unconvinced expression, she laughed again. “You’ll get used to it. Either that, or you’ll go back to the West Coast, where it’s always warm.”
The West Coast? He tensed up. “How did you know where I’m from?” he asked, keeping his voice casual.
“JJ told me.”
No doubt picking up on his distress, JJ flashed an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was a secret.”
“It’s not,” he assured her. Then, addressing Rhonda, he managed to smile. “I have no intention of going anywhere, no matter how awful the winter becomes. I like having four seasons, which is one of the reasons I chose to move here. Cold, I can deal with. Snow, I usually enjoy as well, especially considering my ancestors are from Norway. I still have family there.”
“Norway?” Rhonda asked, arching her brows. “Wow. That’s pretty cool.”
“More similarities to Thor,” JJ chimed in, flashing a quiet, quirky grin that he found sexy as hell.
Though his heart flip-flopped, he ignored that. “I just need the movers to be able to get through, even though I’ll have to store everything at my shop until the house is ready. Is that too much to ask?”
Apparently taking pity on him, she squeezed his shoulder. While the gesture had been meant to be friendly, her touch seared him. He fought the urge to pull her close for more.
Her Guardian Shifter Page 12