Lone Wolf

by Tracy Krauss

  “I left him at home with Whisper.”

  Thomas’s other niece, Tanzi, stepped up for a quick hug of her own. “Good to see you, Uncle.”

  Tanzi Lone Wolf was the true beauty of the two sisters. She was tall and slim, with flowing black hair from which sprouted one out-of-place streak of reddish-brown, right in the front. It had irritated her as a child, but she seemed to have grown accustomed to it. She had an elegance and grace not unlike her maternal grandmother, Thomas’s own mother. Their kookum had been stoic, philosophical, and proud.

  During the drive home, Renee hummed along to a song playing on her phone, her earbuds firmly in place and her singing slightly off-key. Thomas glanced at her reflection in the rear-view mirror and smiled. Inwardly, he felt some guilt for not playing a larger role in the young girl’s life. He could have—perhaps should have—taken her to live with him. But he’d had his own grief to contend with, plus moving around a lot. He knew Tanzi had taken over the role of caregiver, even though she was only twenty-two. Neither one mentioned their mother’s condition or the difficulties that living with an alcoholic entailed. It was almost as if ignoring it would make it go away. He knew that wasn’t the case, but he certainly wasn’t going to bring it up and spoil their weekend together.

  Thomas looked over at Tanzi’s profile. She was staring straight ahead at the road in front of them, not smiling, but not frowning either. “How are classes going?”

  “I’m done for the summer,” she replied, still not looking his way.

  “Right. I knew that.” He laughed at his own mistake. University students usually didn’t go to school in June, unless they were in summer school. “But you’re still in…” He frowned, digging for the answer he knew was right there at the back of his brain.

  “Engineering,” Tanzi supplied. “I have one year left.”

  Thomas nodded. “Right, right.” He chastised himself for not investing more time in his sister’s children’s lives. Maybe if he had, Manny, Tanzi’s older brother, wouldn’t be in jail. There was nothing he could do about that now, but Tanzi and Renee were still reachable, as far as he could tell. “And then?”

  Tanzi shrugged. “Get a job, I guess.”

  “Always a good plan.”

  “Thanks for paying for our bus tickets.” Tanzi gestured backward with her head. “It meant a lot to Renee to get asked.”

  “I’m…” Thomas hesitated, not sure how to word what he wanted to say next. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been around for you that much. Since Auntie Rhea died…”

  “It’s okay. We all have our own problems to deal with. I understand.”

  Tanzi’s philosophical attitude did little to appease the guilt Thomas was feeling at the moment. Or the confusion.

  ****

  Thomas shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. The folding chair was slightly off-balance and it creaked every time he moved. The high school gymnasium was decked out with balloons and tulle and a big banner at the front which read, “Congratulations, Grads!”

  Whisper leaned closer to her father. “When is it Ryder’s turn?”

  Thomas placed a finger over his mouth to signal that she needed to keep her voice down. Then he glanced at the program in his hands. “He should be coming up right after the next person,” he whispered.

  Whisper nodded and swung her legs under the chair. She was sitting beside him to his left, with Tanzi on her other side at the end of the row. Nicole was on Thomas’s right and Maggie was next to her. They thought it best to separate the girls for the ceremony to keep them from giggling and talking, which had become their habit. Thomas couldn’t have asked for a better relationship between his daughter and Nicole’s. They already acted like sisters, best friends one minute and arguing the next. He noticed a growing fondness for the other little girl entangling itself with the love and pride he felt for his own children. To a casual onlooker, they were already a family unit.

  “Ryder Lone Wolf” was announced over the speakers and Thomas’s heart swelled as he saw his handsome son, tall and straight-backed, pause under the arch, Renee at his side. They paused briefly before walking down the aisle toward the stage where he would take his seat with the other graduates. Thomas stood and snapped a few pictures before joining in with the applause. Rhea would be proud.

  The thought of his former wife made his stomach squeeze with a hollow emptiness that wanted to rise and choke him, and Thomas had to purposely tamp it down. He had loved Ryder’s mother fully, passionately. Nothing would change that. But she was gone now and God had finally given him release to move forward with someone new. He glanced over at Nicole’s profile. Make that with Nicole—as long as he didn’t blow it.

  After the ceremony, they joined the graduates in the lobby for some cake and coffee. Later that night there would be a banquet and a dance for invited guests, but this was a chance for the community at large to mingle with the graduates and offer their congratulations.

  “Way to go, cuz.” Renee punched Ryder in the arm. “Now that’s two Lone Wolfs who graduated high school.”

  “Two?” Tanzi raised her brows.

  “Yeah. You and now Ryder,” Renee explained.

  Thomas pointed his thumbs at his chest. “Excuse me? What am I? Chopped liver?”

  Renee giggled. “You don’t count. You’re too old.”

  “Thanks a lot, young lady,” Thomas replied in mock offense.

  “Never mind,” Tanzi said, her face sober. “You’ll be graduating soon enough and then it’ll be four.”

  Renee shrugged. “Maybe. Or I might run away and join the circus.” She giggled again.

  Thomas rolled his eyes and smiled. “Fourteen-year-old girls. I suppose I better get used to it. Whisper and Maggie will be going there soon enough.” He stopped and blinked, realizing he’d just assumed he’d be part of Maggie’s life when she reached that stage.

  “You should introduce me to some of your friends,” Renee said, tugging on Ryder’s arm.

  As if on cue, another young man called over to Ryder. “Lone Wolf. Get over here for a group photo.”

  “Don’t worry,” Ryder directed at Tanzi. “They’re all nice guys. I’ll look out for her.” He gestured for Renee to follow and they moved into a circle of other graduates and their escorts.

  “So, Tanzi,” Nicole said. “Thomas tells me you’re studying to be an engineer at the U of S.”

  Tanzi nodded. “That’s right.”

  “I enjoyed my time there. Of course, dentistry wasn’t quite the same as engineering. No rivalries with any other colleges like the engineers and the agriculture students have going.” She stopped and smiled. “They were fun times, though. Saskatoon is a nice city.”

  “My, but you’re sounding old,” Thomas teased. He put on a falsetto voice. “I remember the good old days…”

  Nicole gave him a playful nudge. “Stop that.” She turned back to Tanzi. “What are you doing for the summer?”

  “I’m a flagger for the department of highways.”

  Thomas nodded along with Nicole. Even he hadn’t known that. “They pay pretty well, I imagine.”

  “And you get a great tan.” Tanzi smiled for the first time, and her face lit up.

  “So do you have plans for after you graduate?” Nicole asked.

  Tanzi quickly sobered. “I’ll probably look for something out of Saskatoon and then move Renee in with me.”

  Thomas hadn’t realized the kind of pressure his young niece was under. “Good idea.” An understanding look passed between them. “I’ll keep my eye out.”

  “Mommy, I’m thirsty.” Maggie tugged at her mother’s skirt.

  “How about if I get you and Whisper some punch?” Nicole’s suggestion was met with hoorays from both Maggie and Whisper. She took each little girl by the hand and led them through the crowd toward the refreshment table. Thomas watched them, a slight curve forming at the corners of his mouth.

  “She’s really nice.” Tanzi’s voice cut into Thomas’s momenta
ry reverie. “I’m happy for you.”

  He blinked back to his niece. “Yes, she is. And thanks.”

  The moment was broken when Thomas’s old friend Con McKinley came up to Thomas and slapped him on the back. “Congrats.”

  Thomas turned with a wide smile and the two men shook hands vigorously. “Con. Good to see you. Thanks, although it’s the kids who really deserve the congratulations.”

  Con laughed. “I don’t know about that. I’d say the parents have had the tougher job. I know my brother Ivor is glad to get one more out of the house, although Tyson was a pretty easy one to raise. Ivor lost most of what hair he had left when Bonita graduated.”

  Just then Con’s wife, Rachel, joined them, their eight month old son, Kohl, on her hip. “Hi.” She smiled but her eyes flickered downward after the briefest connection.

  Thomas nodded his greeting. “Hello.” He felt absolutely neutral toward this woman, and the thought made him glad. At one point when he’d first moved to Marshdale, he’d initiated a relationship with her…or was it the other way around? In any case, it almost ruined his friendship with Con. Fortunately, things hadn’t worked out. He was happy that Con and Rachel had gotten together. He now knew that God had someone else in mind for him. “By the way, this is my niece, Tanzi.” Thomas pointed to the group of young people where Ryder, Renee, and Con’s nephew Tyson, had congregated. “And that’s her sister, Renee. They came down from Saskatoon.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Con and Rachel took turns shaking Tanzi’s hand.

  Nicole returned with the girls in tow. “Don’t spill,” she ordered, gesturing at the orange liquid hovering close to the rim of each little girl’s glass. She looked up and caught Con’s nod of acknowledgment and smiled tentatively as she passed Thomas a clear plastic glass of punch.

  Thomas put his hand on the small of Nicole’s back in a possessive manner and drew her closer. “I’d like to introduce you to some friends of mine. This is Con McKinley and his wife, Rachel. This is my friend Nicole Ducharme.”

  “Hello.” Nicole reached out with her free hand and touched hands briefly with both Con and Rachel. Then she focused on Kohl. “And who is this handsome boy?”

  The boy turned his face away and buried it in his mother’s shoulder. “His name is Kohl. He’s kind of shy,” Rachel apologized.

  Ryder, Renee, and Con’s nephew Tyson McKinley bounced up to the group.

  “Congrats, Tyson.” Thomas pumped the young man’s hand.

  “Thanks.” Tyson, always a shy and somewhat gangly individual, looked down at his toes.

  “So I hear you’re going off to university in the fall?” Con directed at Ryder.

  “That’s the plan,” Ryder said.

  “Where are you headed?” Con asked.

  “Dad thinks I should go to Regina,” Ryder said, “but I’m leaning more toward Saskatoon.” He looked his father straight in the eye.

  “What?” Renee squealed. “Sweet!”

  “I went to Saskatoon,” Con said. “Their agriculture program is top notch—the best in the world.” He turned to his nephew. “Tyson is going there, too. Right, Tyson?”

  Thomas nodded his understanding. “Oh. So that explains Ryder’s preference for Saskatoon over Regina.”

  “It makes sense. We could get an apartment together. Be roomies,” Ryder said.

  “I thought we agreed you were living in the dorms for the first year,” Thomas said.

  “Well, yeah…but after that.”

  Con smiled and shook his head. “I’d say these two have it all figured. You’re fighting a losing battle, my friend.” He clapped Thomas on the shoulder.

  “So it would seem.”

  “So what are your plans after the center opens?” Con turned to Thomas.

  Thomas took a sip of his punch before answering. “Well, now that Ryder’s done with school, we’ll be moving on somewhere. Can’t stay in Marshdale without a job.”

  “Any prospects?” Con asked.

  “Um, not really.” Thomas patted Whisper on top of the head.

  Ryder laughed and turned to Con. “He got an offer in BC, but I think he’s afraid to go too far away. He wants to keep tabs on me.”

  Nicole’s eyebrows rose and she turned her gaze to Thomas. “BC?”

  Thomas shook his head. “Nothing official. Just an offer.” He tried to smile but he could see that Nicole was distressed. He gestured toward Whisper with his head and lowered his voice. “We haven’t exactly talked it through as a family, so…” The two little girls were giggling about something and hadn’t paid any attention to what the grownups were saying.

  “Mum’s the word,” Con said.

  “Thanks. So…how are the crops looking?” Thomas changed the subject.

  “Excellent. Looks like a bumper year ahead.”

  As Thomas listened to Con’s description of his agricultural prospects, he could also see Nicole trying to make small talk with Rachel. He could tell by the tightness around her lips that she was angry with him, though. They would obviously need to have a talk later.

  He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t mentioned the job offer to her before, and it had certainly not been his intention to have it slip out unexpectedly without telling her first. Not that he was taking it. At least he didn’t think so…

  ****

  Angry silence reigned in the confines of the vehicle as they drove to the banquet hall. Nicole sat in the passenger seat, her arms crossed over her chest. Ryder and Renee had gone ahead earlier, so it was just Tanzi and the two little girls in the back seat.

  “Why don’t you drop us off at the door?” Tanzi suggested. “I can take the girls in and you two can go park the car.”

  Thomas nodded his agreement and pulled up in front of the banquet hall. His niece was quick to see that they needed some time alone, and he appreciated her offer minus any fuss. She bustled the little girls out of the SUV and up the walkway into the building.

  “I was going to tell you,” he offered as soon as he started driving again. “It just never seemed like the right time.”

  “When would be a right time?” Her voice had a sarcastic edge and she raised one brow in question.

  He maneuvered the vehicle into a parking space along a side street one block away and cut the engine. “I didn’t want to alarm you. It just came up.”

  “Oh? How recently?”

  He shrugged. “Last week…maybe the week before…”

  “And how many times have we talked since then?”

  Thomas let out a frustrated sigh. “I probably won’t take it anyway.”

  “But you might.”

  He shrugged.

  “Or maybe you want to?” It sounded like a question.

  Thomas turned as much as possible in the seat in order to look directly at Nicole. “Look, my job takes me all over the place. You knew I’d be moving somewhere this summer.”

  “Yes, but not out of the province!”

  “It’s not so bad. I’d still have to come home a few times a year to keep an eye on Ryder.”

  “In other words, you do want to take the job.”

  “I didn’t say that. You’re making something out of nothing.”

  “Am I? I’d say not telling me that you might be moving thousands of miles away is definitely something.”

  “Maybe it’ll be good for us. Like a test or something. We have been moving awfully fast.”

  “Oh?” Her voice raised another notch. “So that’s what this is about? You’re looking for a way to get out of this relationship?”

  “You’re doing it again. Putting words in my mouth.” His own voice had started to rise. He had never seen this side of Nicole. Angry and defensive.

  “Well? Are you?”

  Thomas took a deep breath and then let it out in measured increments. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now we need to get to the banquet.”

  “You bet we’ll talk later. And soon,” Nicole said. “For Ryder’s sake—and the girls—I’ll pretend like
everything is fine.”

  He had all but ruled out taking the job before tonight, but for some reason—call it stubborn pride—he felt suddenly attracted by the prospect. Maybe it was fear that he and Nicole were moving too fast that had him even considering the job in BC. Or maybe it was a way to test how much they really meant to each other. In either case, he clamped his mouth shut and exited the vehicle, not even bothering to open Nicole’s door.

  Chapter Six

  The banquet and dance went off without a hitch. Renee was in her glory, getting lots of attention from the local boys, while Thomas and Nicole managed to smile and carry on like nothing was wrong. Nicole left the dance early, using Maggie and the long drive back to the city as an excuse.

  It wasn’t until the next day at breakfast that Tanzi approached her uncle with the question. “Is everything all right between you and Nicole?” They sat at the small kitchen table in Thomas’s home. The rest of the family was still asleep.

  “You could tell?” Thomas cradled his coffee mug between his two hands.

  Tanzi shrugged, the movement almost imperceptible. “It wasn’t anything major. I just tend to notice things more than other people.”

  “You watch. You’re like your kookum. She always said we had two ears and only one mouth so we should listen twice as much as speak.”

  “So? What’s the problem?” Tanzi asked.

  Thomas let out a gust of air. “She’s mad about the job offer in BC.”

  “I guess I’d be mad too, if it was me.”

  “I was planning to discuss it with her. I just didn’t expect Ryder to blow the whistle like that in front of everybody.” Thomas frowned. “Almost like he wanted to get me in trouble or something.”

  “Maybe his way of showing you he won’t be pushed around.”

  Thomas surveyed his niece. “Is that what I’m doing? Pushing him around?”

  “I don’t know. Are you?” Her gaze was steady. Unflinching.

  Thomas shook his head and looked away.