The Snow Leopard's Love

by Raines, Harmony

  “It has been a fun day.” Belle linked her arm through his and they continued up the beach. He could almost imagine that this was his wife, these were his children and they lived here in town. Happily. He glanced over his shoulder at the ocean, if only his wish would come true.

  If only this was his reality.

  If only we could figure out how to deal with the men who want Ivan’s treasure, his snow leopard said.

  That’s next on the list after ice cream and croaking candy, he assured his other side. There’s no way for us to move on and make decisions if that’s left unresolved.

  I’ll miss this place if we leave, his snow leopard sighed.

  Me, too. His arm tightened around Rosie. But we have so much to gain. Our lives will never be fulfilled if we live here without our mate and her family.

  They reached the parking lot where Belle had parked her car. Reggie’s stuff was still in the trunk. Belle and Katrina planned to go through it later after the children had gone to bed. After making sure the children were securely in their seats, Belle drove along the coast to an ice cream parlor where they enjoyed their ice cream while staring out at the ocean.

  When they reached the candy store, they were all relaxed and happy as if nothing had ever happened. Nothing bad at least.

  “Hi, there!” Penny rushed to meet them as Rift entered the store, with the others behind him.

  “Hi, Penny. How are you doing?” Rift hugged her gently. “Your baby is getting big.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Penny ran her hand over her swollen belly. “It’s getting harder to keep on the go all day. When I had Milo, it was easier, I could sit down and put my feet up when I got tired. Not so easy when I have an excitable son who wants to explore everything.”

  “I thought Milo might like to meet Jack and Rosie.” Rift stepped to the side and the children and Belle gathered around him.

  “He’d love to meet you.” Penny smiled warmly, her hand absently stroking her baby bump. “We’re newish in town, so he needs to make new friends. Maybe we could arrange a playdate?”

  “Oh, this is Belle, their mom.” Rift rolled his eyes. “I’m not good at this.”

  “You’re doing fine,” Penny assured him. “Hi, I’m Penny. Good to meet you, Belle. It’s great to have another woman to even things out in the family.”

  “I’m not...” Belle started but then grinned. “I’m not good at this either. It’s good to meet you.” She ran her hand over Jack’s head. “We were told that you have some croaking candies.”

  “We do!” Penny beckoned them forward. “Come on, you can try them. Milo thinks they are hysterical.”

  “They make you croak?” Jack asked.

  “They do.” Penny took a jar off the shelf and unscrewed the lid. “Here, try one.”

  “Will it hurt?” Rosie picked out a sweet and held it an inch from her mouth.

  “No, they don’t hurt. They are made from candy, but we sprinkle a little bit of magic into each one so that you croak like a frog.” She offered the jar to Rift. “Here, Rift can show you.”

  “I can.” He frowned and then laughed as he took a piece of frog-shaped green candy, complete with small bumps that looked like eyes, and popped it in his mouth. “Tastes nice.”

  “Not like frog slime?” Jack wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue to lick the green candy.

  “Not like...” His words dried up and instead he croaked like a frog. His eyes went wide, and the children and Belle collapsed into fits of giggles. He croaked again. There was no way to form words. It was as if his mouth was malfunctioning.

  “Let me try!” Jack popped the candy in his mouth, and Rosie did the same.

  “I like this,” Belle chuckled as her children croaked and hopped around the store. “They can’t answer me back when I ask them to do something.”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea!” Penny said. “We could make shut-up sweets, I could give one to Logan when he acts like I’m sick instead of pregnant.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Although, I might regret that since he often offers to do the dishes so that I can go rest in the evening. I do like curling up with a good book for half an hour while he cleans the kitchen.”

  “When are you due?” Belle asked as Rift and the children croaked at each other.

  “Not for another three months. I’m enjoying every minute of it.” She stroked her baby bump once more. “It seems more special this time around. I guess it’s because I know that Logan wants this baby so much.” She glanced at Rift. “There’s something to be said for a shifter mate. Even if they are a little childish.”

  Rift opened his mouth and croaked the longest croak that had ever been croaked. Jack immediately copied him while Rosie made a croaking song.

  Penny is right, you are childish, his snow leopard said.

  That’s because we have waited for children for so long. And now they were here. They might not be his flesh and blood, but they were a part of him, and he would always be there for them.

  As he watched Penny and Belle talk, he couldn’t help wishing that he might one day be lucky enough to have a child of his own. He’d love to watch Belle’s belly swell, to feel the child inside of her kicking and moving around.

  But if it didn’t happen, he’d be okay. Jack and Rosie were wonderful, and he planned to show them the world.

  Our world, his snow leopard said. The world we grew up in.

  Yet there was still that nagging thought that they might have to leave their home. But wherever they were, wherever they lived, there was a world to explore.

  “Okay. Are you going to choose some candy?” Belle asked. “We need to get back to the hotel so I can unload the boxes from the trunk. And you both need some downtime.”

  “Choose whatever you want. It’s on the house,” Penny told the children.

  “Are you sure?” Belle asked. “I have money.”

  “I’m sure. You’re family.” Penny grinned and touched Rift’s arm as she passed him.

  “Thanks, Penny.” He couldn’t remember not having his brother’s mates in his life even though they hadn’t been together for too long.

  Just as he could no longer imagine not having Belle in his life.

  But it was time to face reality. Time to unpack the boxes from the car and try to figure out what exactly was going on and how Murray and Reggie were linked to Ivan.

  Chapter Seventeen – Belle

  “I don’t see anything in this stuff that helps us.” Belle stood with her hands on her hips surveying the items they’d boxed up from Reggie’s house. For the last hour or more, they had sifted through it, separating it into piles. Books, clothes, paperwork, including invoices and receipts for everything from gas to toilet paper.

  “I agree.” Katrina straightened her back and stretched her hands over her head but didn’t get up from the floor where she sat on a cushion, leaning against the wall. Valerie had given them the use of one of the hotel storerooms.

  “Look, I need to get the children into bed. Rift has been watching them for the last couple of hours and I’m sure he needs a break.” She stifled a yawn as she headed for the door.

  “We’re going to leave it like this?” Katrina asked.

  “Yes. I want to come back and take another look tomorrow with fresh eyes. Maybe we’ve missed something but right now I’m too tired to see straight.” She held out her hand for her mom. “Valerie gave us a key. No one is coming in here. It’ll be exactly the same in the morning.”

  “You’re right, I was just hoping that we would find something today.” Katrina’s eyes misted with tears as she stared at the neat piles of Reggie’s belongings. “I want this over. I want to put Reggie behind me. I can’t believe it. It’s like he’s haunting us from beyond the grave.”

  “He’s not haunting us, and we will figure it out. Rift said their detective friend will come over first thing tomorrow. Maybe he might see something here that we missed.” Belle slid her arm around her mom’s shoulders and hugged her close
. “We’re lucky there are so many people here that want to help us. We’re not alone.”

  Katrina hiccupped and a sob erupted from deep within her, leaving her trembling in her daughter’s arms. “After I moved away because of your father, I was alone. I always felt as if it was a curse I passed on to you. When Landon left you, it was as if I’d tainted you in some way.”

  “You know that’s not true. You are not responsible for any of this. Life happens. You can’t control how other people behave.”

  “But I knew what Reggie was into. I should have steered away from Murray.” Katrina slipped out of her daughter’s arms, miserable and haunted by the past.

  “And then I would never have been born. And neither would Jack or Rosie.” Belle shrugged. “Let go of any regrets you have, Mom. Maybe it’s time for us to both move on and begin to trust others around us. And believe that they are good and won’t disappear on us. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Katrina wiped her hands over her face and sniffed loudly. “When I see you with Rift, when I watch him with the children, I can believe that things will change.”

  Belle swallowed hard, her emotions were simmering just under the surface, ready to erupt and she didn’t want to cry. She didn’t want to go back to the hotel room with red-rimmed eyes. “I think I could love him.”

  “Of course you can love him,” Katrina said fiercely. “Open your heart to him.”

  “My heart is open,” Belle replied. “I mean I think I could already be a little bit in love with him.” Her brows knitted together. “And that scares me. I don’t want to make a mistake. Not when I have the children to think about.”

  “There’s no mistake. And the children deserve a man like him to call their dad.” Katrina scooped her daughter up in her arms. “Take a breath. Accept your fate.”

  Belle laughed and wiped her eyes before her tears fell. “Fate. What the hell is that all about?”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t question it. Maybe we should just accept it as it is.” Katrina pushed Belle away from her and placed her hands on her upper arms. As she looked into Belle’s eyes, she said, “Seeing you together makes me happy. Even with all the rest of this crap going on, I can see a glimpse of the future and it’s a good future.”

  “If...if I decide to stay here...”

  Katrina’s eyes widened and an equally wide smile spread across her lips. “You’re thinking of moving here to Wishing Moon Bay?”

  “I’m thinking this would be a wonderful place for the children to grow up. The beach and the ocean are amazing and the mountains... Jack would love it.” She pressed her lips together. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

  “No, I think for the first time in a long time you are making choices that are right for you and the children. That you’ve found the courage to make changes in your lives for the better.” Katrina nodded.

  “If we do, would you move here, too?” Belle couldn’t imagine not having her mom around. She also hated the idea of her mom being far away and on her own. It had been the two of them against the world for so long. Too long.

  How would Katrina live alone against the world?

  “Don’t you think it’s time you cut the apron strings and lived away from your mom?” Katrina asked. “You’d have a man in your life, a good man. You don’t want me around cramping your style.”

  “Firstly, I have no style,” Belle laughed. “And secondly, I love you. The kids love you, and I don’t know how we’d have coped without you these last few months. And Rift is all about family. He would want you to be here.”

  Katrina tilted her head to one side and arched an eyebrow. “So you already know how that man of yours thinks.”

  Belle chuckled. “A little. He’s pretty transparent where family is concerned.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Katrina linked arms with Belle as she opened the storeroom door and went out into the cool corridor. “But I want you to think about it, too. Make sure it’s what you want.” Her eyes lingered on the boxes before Belle switched off the light. “I don’t want me to be a constant reminder of the past. Not when you have such an amazing future to look forward to with Rift.”

  “My past is part of who I am,” Belle replied as she locked the door and pocketed the key. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to completely forget who you are. A little part of me wants to remember how miserable I’ve been so that I can genuinely appreciate how happy I am.”

  “I love you, Belle. And I’m incredibly proud of you.” Katrina hugged her again.

  “I love you, too, Mom. It’s because of you that I’m who I am.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Look at us.”

  “It’s been an emotional day.” Katrina wiped her eyes and then turned away from the storeroom and headed along the corridor.

  “Once the children are in bed, I might go out for some fresh air. I need to clear my head. If you don’t mind.” They reached the reception area. Jeremy, the receptionist, gave them a curious look and Belle lifted her hand and waved to him.

  He nodded to her. “Good evening.”

  “Evening, Jeremy.” Belle smiled, wanting him to like her. She wanted all the people here to like her. Would she find a way to fit into Rift’s life?

  “Hi there, Jeremy.” Katrina lifted her hand and gave him a brief wave, which he returned with a smile and then went back to work.

  “I love the hotel.” Belle looked up at the ornate ceiling as they walked upstairs. “It’s so quirky.”

  “Do you wonder how many secrets this place must hold? It’s so old, there must have been some scandalous behavior by the guests.” Katrina stopped halfway up the stairs and turned around to look at the reception area below. “If we do move here, I might ask Valerie if there are any vacancies.”

  “You’d work in the hotel?” Belle asked, pleased her mom was making plans about their possible move here.

  “I’d need a job. I don’t want to take on anything too stressful. I think working here would be a good way to meet people and become part of the town.” Katrina turned around and they continued up the stairs. “What about you?”

  “I have no idea,” Belle confessed. She currently worked as a PA at an investment firm. Did they have such things in Wishing Moon Bay? “I’d like to explore the town some more and maybe talk to Rift about it. Although, I don’t want him getting his hopes up.”

  “I think his hopes should be up.” Katrina nudged her daughter gently. “I think you have already made up your mind about moving here.”

  “I haven’t.” Belle still had doubts. She didn’t want her decision to be a knee-jerk reaction because of the events of today. “I’m not making any decision until we figure out how to deal with those guys. This has to be a decision we make based on what we want, not based on fear of what might happen if we go back to our old lives.”

  “This is what you want, Belle. I see it in your eyes.”

  Belle sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She needed a shower and bed, but her mind was racing around and around in circles and she needed to quieten it if she was ever going to get some sleep. “This is what I think I want. But am I just clutching hold of the dream I had of what family life would be like? Am I trying to insert Rift into the role of father to the kids even though I don’t really know him?”

  “Then get to know him.” Katrina stopped outside their hotel room door. “Why don’t I put the children to bed while you go for a walk with Rift?”

  “No, I can put them to bed.” Belle stared at the door as if she could see behind it, the temptation to take up her mother’s offer was strong.

  “Do it. Spend time with him. We have no idea where tomorrow will take us, so why not get to know him a little better.” Katrina opened the hotel room door before Belle had a chance to answer.

  As they went inside, the sound of giggling filled the room. Rift was playing a board game with the children who seemed happy and relaxed. The scene made Belle’s heart squeeze and her eyes smarted as she blinked away her tears.

  “Mommy! I�
��m winning,” Rosie declared when she saw them.

  “You are?” Belle knelt beside her daughter and kissed the top of her head.

  “I am.” She nodded. “Rift found the game in the attic, he used to play it with his brothers when he was young.”

  “The attic is filled with stuff from when we were kids,” Rift told her. “Valerie is not good at getting rid of things. I think she kept them all this time hoping that her grandchildren would play with them. She’s had to wait a long time.”

  “I’m the same,” Belle confessed. “It’s hard to part with things when the kids grow out of them. My attic will be full to bursting by the time the children are grown up.”

  “Can we see all the things you’ve kept?” Rosie’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “When we have time,” Belle confirmed. “But, right now, you should get to bed.”

  “We haven’t finished our game.” But Jack yawned all the same.

  “We can finish it tomorrow,” Rift promised. “You’ve had a long day. You don’t want to be tired in the morning.”

  “Oh!” Rosie clapped her hands together excitedly and got up from the floor where she’d been sitting beside the game board which was on a small table that hadn’t been in the room earlier. “Can we go play with Milo tomorrow morning? His Mom called Rift and asked us to go to their house. Can we?”

  “I hope you don’t mind,” Rift began. “Valerie told Penny that Oscar was coming over and she thought it would be easier for you.”

  “It would be easier,” Belle agreed. “They don’t need to listen to us grown-ups talk.”

  “So, can we go?” Rosie asked hopefully.

  “You can.” Belle glanced at Jack. “If you want to.”

  “I do.” Jack got up slowly from the floor. “I just wish I had some of my toys here. And some other clothes.” He looked down at the clothes he was wearing. “We don’t have any of our stuff.”

  “Valerie can help there, too,” Rift replied. “She dug out some clothes for you to wear. Luckily, jeans and T-shirts never go out of date. And she found some overalls that should fit Rosie.” Rift stood up and stepped toward the door. “Which reminds me, she said she’d put them through the washer. They should be dry by now. She also found some pajamas, too.”