by Diane Leyne
He’d even lied about having a meeting in Seattle so she’d let him drive. He’d just gone to a couple of movies and puttered around before driving back. He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to stay in Seattle. He was pretty sure no one else knew about the fake appointments, but just in case Penelope told anyone, he’d stayed in the city for the day.
It hadn’t been altogether unproductive. While watching the second movie, an idea came to him. He knew Lena had done a great job with Otis, the crippled mutt she’d adopted, and he was in no pain, but he still walked with a pronounced limp. With his mind wandering during the movie, it came to him. He was pretty sure he could get rid of the limp, and the solution was ridiculously easy. If Otis was a human or a shifter, it would have come to him sooner, but Otis was just a little dog.
Feeling good that he’d had a productive afternoon, he pulled into his driveway, looking forward to seeing the little guy, but instead saw two pickup trucks in his driveway. Feeling sure he knew who it was, he pulled up beside them and killed the engine. He had been expecting their visit and, frankly, wondered what had taken this long. If a stranger had been sniffing around his woman, he sure as hell wouldn’t have waited two weeks to confront him.
They were sitting on his porch when he walked up to the house, four large wolf-dogs, two light gray and two a bit darker. Ignoring them, he unlocked the door and caught Otis as he jumped up into Oliver’s arms. He was a delightful little guy, full of personality. Someone had abandoned him and Lena had adopted him after saving his life. From what he’d heard, Alex had fallen hard for the little guy as well, since they’d both had similar injuries. But now Alex was almost one hundred percent, and Oliver hoped he could do the same for Otis.
But first, he had four pissed-off wolves to deal with. He turned and held the door open for them, and one by one they entered. When the last was inside, he shut the door and carried Otis to the kitchen where he replenished his food and water before returning to the living room.
As many times as he’d seen it, the transformation still fascinated him. One minute he was looking at four very aggressive-looking wolf-dogs and the next, four naked men.
“You know, guys. I’d really appreciate it if you could get dressed before we talk.”
He watched as the biggest of the men blushed and stomped out, followed by the others. He took the opportunity to grab a beer from the fridge. Hesitating, he grabbed the rest of the six-pack and placed in on the coffee table before he sat down and turned on the game.
A few minutes later there was a knock on his door.
“It’s unlocked.”
Abashed, they trooped back in. Oliver indicated the beers. They each took one and then settled in the chairs and on the couch, sipping and watching the game. Finally, Kent spoke.
“What are your intentions toward Penelope?”
“I want to get to know her better.”
“Do you love her?”
“I don’t know. I feel something very strong for her, but I barely know her. I can’t know if I love her until we spend more time together, but the lady is pretty darned busy. And with Lena’s clinic to look after for another couple of weeks, I don’t have much free time either.”
They all sat in silence for a few minutes, ostentatiously watching the game, when Oliver spoke again, asking the question that had been bothering him for a while.
“Clearly you four are wolf-dog shifters.”
They nodded.
“Are you all brothers, part of the same pack?”
Kent, who seemed to be the spokesperson, answered him. “Not exactly. Tucker and I are brothers, as are John and Jack. Our mothers were sisters, identical twin sisters of human blood, not shifter, so although we are technically cousins, we’re closer than that, almost brothers.”
“Must be nice. To have a brother.”
“It has its moments. But it’s not like you are an only child. I’ve heard that your sister is married to a wolf-shifter. That’s how you know about us.”
“My parents are shifters, too.”
“Then why aren’t you one?”
“I was adopted.”
“Oh. Um, sorry?”
“It’s okay. My mom died when I was born. I never knew my dad. Apparently he walked out when she got pregnant.”
“Sorry, Doc. That’s tough.”
“It happens.” He shrugged, trying to act like it didn’t affect him. “I was lucky. I was adopted by a great family.”
They all drank in silence for a while, none of them wanting to be the first to speak. Eventually they all got engrossed in the game and started arguing in the way that men do and Oliver was content to enjoy the game with them.
As was the way with football, the final fifteen minutes took almost an hour to play and by time it was over, something had changed. Oliver wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt an acceptance he hadn’t felt when they’d arrived.
The wolves rose to leave and again, it was Kent who spoke. “Look, Oliver. You seem like a good guy, and under different circumstances, I think we all could be friends. Hell, maybe we still will be. But we have to deal with the Penelope situation.”
“Are you warning me away from her?”
“Yes. No. Hell, I’m not sure. We all love her and she should be our Mate, but she isn’t and now we are stumped. As a human, she can’t handle four Mates. As wolves, we don’t easily let go what is ours. Unless the mating issue can be resolved, we have to decide if we love her enough to let her go.”
“What if she doesn’t want you to let her go?” Oliver asked.
“I thought you’d be happy to hear that?”
“I want her to be happy. From a selfish perspective, yes, I’d like you all out of the picture. But it would kill her if you go. And it will kill her if you don’t. So I don’t know what to say. Yes, I want a chance with her, but most of all, I want her to be happy.”
“You’re a good man, Doc. For our sakes, I hope this latest trip actually gives us the answers she’s seeking. For her sake, I’m glad you are around if we do have to leave her for her own good.”
“You’re assuming a lot, aren’t you? You can’t just hand her to me. I know she has feelings for me and I care for her, but she’s not just a piece of property you can give away.”
“I know. And no matter what happens. We might be happy. You might be happy. But Penelope’s going to be unhappy. Either she loses us or she loses you. This would be a lot easier if you were a wolf, too.”
“Not really, given that trying to please four wolves is killing her.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Scratch that last comment.”
The four walked toward the door, and Oliver opened it for them. As they left, they each shook his hand.
“Look, Doc. This is a fucked-up situation. We came here expecting to hate you, but you are a good guy. If we can’t have her, I hope it works out for the two of you. Sincerely. I mean, we hope like hell that it works out for us and you have to find your own woman, but if it doesn’t…”
“Thanks, Kent. Good luck to all of us.”
Chapter Nine
The plane landed with a light bump. Penelope found she was clutching the arms of the seat. She normally wasn’t a nervous flyer, but it wasn’t the flight that scared her. It was what she might find out or, worse, not find out.
She looked to her left and right. Sam and Ginger were with her this time. Why had she spent so much time trying to do this on her own? She knew that it was best that the men not come. With their impatience, it was better to do it without them, but she didn’t need to be alone, especially if the answer wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
The airport hadn’t changed much, or at all. It had only been a month since she’d been here last. The airport was clean and modern and very, very empty. Theirs was the only flight to arrive. She called the number she had for Abuelita Marta and was told by a man that she had to go to the christening of her great-grandchild, but would be back within three days. In the meantime, he’d taken the liberty of
booking her and her friends into the Riu Santa Fe in an ocean-view suite so they could enjoy themselves while they waited.
Before she could ask him how he knew about her friends, he’d hung up. There were only two options available. Go home and give up or go to the hotel, so they went to the hotel. It was bright and new and built in the style of the US southwest. Their rooms overlooked the ocean, and she could see the famous Land’s End arch from her balcony.
And so they waited. And waited. She thanked her lucky stars that Sam and Ginger were with her. Deciding to accept what they couldn’t change, they bought swimsuits and enjoyed the pools and the beach. Penelope couldn’t remember when she’d been so relaxed. She had no pressure on her. No café. No horny wolves. There was nothing to do but relax and enjoy the warm sun and refreshing water.
For two days they played. Penelope expected that she’d get tense or impatient, but she found herself enjoying the situation. She was in a kind of limbo. As long as she was here, she could pretend that none of her problems existed. She was single and didn’t have a care in the world.
And then on the third day, right on time, she got the call. The meeting would be held at the McDonald’s at the Walmart near their hotel.
* * * *
Oliver thought about Penelope every day. He thought about her wolves, too. He looked after Lena’s clinic and Lena’s dog Otis, and he thought about the situation and came to a conclusion. He wasn’t as big a man as the wolves. If he couldn’t have Penelope, he wouldn’t stick around. He couldn’t stand seeing her Mated to the wolves, so if that happened, he would have to leave town.
And so he dawdled on finalizing the lease on the clinic and going over the plans with the architect.
What he didn’t dawdle over was Otis. He knew that he could fix him, and after contacting Lena and getting permission, the night after Penelope left town, with Moe’s help, he operated. Things went well at first. Otis came through with flying colors, but then he developed an infection. It was a tough one, and Oliver couldn’t leave the little guy, so he started sleeping in the office on the couch in Lena’s office.
He also met up with the wolves. John and Jack invited him to play basketball, and this time he took them up on their offer. Then Ken and Tucker took him to a football game. They were becoming friends, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea or not.
* * * *
They met at McDonald’s. That was not what Penelope was expecting. But when they walked in, they found Abuelita holding court at a corner table with a man she assumed was the nephew Jose, whom she had spoken to several times on the phone, and several younger children enjoying the play area. She was wearing a traditional peasant dress and the wide grin. She was small, not even five feet, and her face was a roadmap of wrinkles.
Jose did not look like his aunt. Frankly, he didn’t look like he was from Mexico. But he did remind her of someone, but she just couldn’t place the resemblance, not that it mattered. They were here to find the answer to completing the Mating Ceremony.
Jose came out to greet them.
“Thank you for your understanding about the delay. Abuelita is the matriarch of our family. She likes to visit when a new child is born in our extended family, especially the girl children. The child is not related directly by blood, but she is family. In our pack, it is the female of the line who is in charge, a true matriarchy.”
“Female? You mean Abuelita Marta is your Alpha?”
Jose smiled. “She is the Alpha of the Los Cabos Pack, yes. But not my Alpha. I am not wolf. I am the son of her younger sister who married a Scotsman, which makes Abuelita my aunt. She became of the wolf when she married my uncle. When his mother died, Abuelita became the Alpha of the Cabo Pack as well as the family. On my eighteenth birthday, the gift was offered to me, but I said no. I was on my way to the United States to attend university, and I thought the gift would separate me from the others. But my wife and children are of the wolf.”
“Do you still live in the US now?”
“No. I didn’t finish school. Something happened, and I returned home to finish school here in Mexico. A few years later I married and settled down to help run the family businesses.”
“Jose, bring them over to me, all of them.”
“Si, Abuelita.”
Jose escorted them to the corner table and then took up a seat at a distant table, watching over two toddlers who were playing.
“So, Miss Penelope, we finally meet. Have you thought about the words of Abuelita Marta, little one?”
“Yes, Abuelita. I wanted to apologize for my rudeness last time. I have been searching for answers for four years and have been despairing of ever finding the answer I sought.”
“I understand, and last time we spoke, you were not ready for the answers and the time was not right. You were too early.”
“Early? I don’t understand.”
“Jose, please bring over the photo I asked you to bring. The photo of your father and mother.”
Jose disengaged himself from the small girls who were clinging to him and walked over to them.
“My first grandchildren. I didn’t think I would ever be happy again after my first love died, but then a few years later, I met Maria and we have now been married almost thirty years and have two daughters and these two grandchildren. Even when you despair, never give up. Life has a way of working out.”
“I am happy for you, Jose. It sounds like you earned your happiness. But I don’t understand about the photo.”
Jose shrugged. “Neither do I, but when Abuelita makes a request, we all jump to do her bidding.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo, laying it gently in front of Penelope. At first she was confused. The picture looked old and showed a tall, redheaded man with his arm around a petite dark-haired woman who looked a lot like Marta might have when she was younger.
“Why do you have a photo of Oliver and Abuelita?”
“Abuelita’s younger sister, Luisa, and my father Hamish McGregor. My correct name is Joseph McGregor. I use Jose, the Spanish version now, but the name on my birth certificate is Joseph.”
“But it looks exactly like Oliver. What a coincidence.” Penelope knew that there was something she wasn’t seeing because she was too focused on her own problems, and then it hit her all at once.
“Oh my god. Jose, did you go to school in Oregon?”
“Tell them, Jose. Tell them all and then bring them back to me.” Abuelita gestured them away, and Jose led them to a quiet corner of the restaurant.
“When Abuelita commands, I obey,” he said with amusement in his voice.
“No, I met my Rose in California. When she died. That was the worst day of my life, holding her hand while her life slipped away. I was distraught. The baby survived, but I couldn’t deal with fatherhood. I was nineteen. We were in love and thought we could conquer the world. We got married right away, just as soon as we knew the baby was coming, and then we went to visit her parents. They were closer than mine, who were on an extended visit to Scotland to see my father’s family at the time. The visit did not go well. We didn’t even have a chance to tell them about the baby. They were just livid that she got married so young and to a foreigner with no prospects. They threatened to get the marriage annulled.
“At the time I thought they were horrible people and racists to boot, but now that I have daughters of my own, I understand their anger and pain. In time, I think they might have come around, but when Rose died, I couldn’t bear that my child, Rose’s child, would be raised by those people. But we were married, so it was my decision as to what happened to my son.
“It was Abuelita Marta who helped me find him a family. I couldn’t bear to meet them. I just walked away. I didn’t care. I just wanted to know that he would be well-looked after, and I came here to Mexico to be with my family and mourn my Rose.
“It was not for several years that it began to gnaw at me, wondering how Rose and my son were doing and if I had done the right thing
. It was Maria who encouraged me to look for him. I didn’t know where to start, so I started at the end, and Rose’s grave. I went there on the fifth anniversary of her death and imagine my surprise when I saw a little redheaded boy with his family, including a baby sister. They were visiting Rose’s grave. I knew then that he was with good people and that I couldn’t disrupt his life, but I could rest easy. He was loved.
“I did keep an eye on him after that. I learned of every success, every failure, every triumph, and every heartbreak. I’d hoped he would be a father himself by now, but he never married. I guess he never found true love, unlike me who was blessed to find it twice.”
“Jose, bring her over to me now!”
“Yes, Abuelita.”
“And her friends. I want to get a look at all of them.”
They walked slowly up to the small woman with the big personality seated in the corner, her bright, dark eyes boring into Penelope. It was the face of someone who had known both happiness and sorrow but who had embraced the positive, the good in life. The face also radiated power. Abuelita Marta may like to present herself as a simple old lady, but she was anything but. If Penelope’s eye wasn’t mistaken, that handbag was Hermes and probably cost more than Penelope made in a month.
“I am happy to finally meet you, Señora Montoya. Thank you for seeing me.”
“No need to be so formal, child. Call me Abuelita. All the children do, although I was not blessed with grandchildren of my own.
“I’d be happy to, Abuelita, but I don’t understand. Why did you have Jose tell me about Oliver? Shouldn’t he be talking directly to Oliver? Or do you want me to tell Oliver for him? And, I don’t want to sound selfish, but what about my problem? You said you would be able to help me.”