His mouth tightened and he drew her closer to him as they continued walking down the street.
“Who is he?”
“My best friend, Tyler.”
Best friend? With the way the man had been glaring daggers at them, he didn’t appear to be too friendly to Harper.
“He doesn’t seem to be too happy with you.”
“He isn’t at the moment but he’ll get over it. He’s just being a pain in the ass at the moment.” A smile pushed Josh’s lips wide as he looked down at her. It looked a little forced to her but she refrained from saying so. “Let’s not worry about him. Come on, I’ll walk you to your door.”
29
Harper
Harper unlocked the door and led Josh inside and up the stairs to the door to the apartment. She prepared in her head what she would say to him to make it clear that she would not be inviting him in. Although she was tempted to ask him in for a coffee, she didn't want to send the wrong message. She was not ready to take things any further with him, and she hoped that he was understanding about that.
Once she got to the door, she turned to him and smiled.
“Thank you for dinner. I really enjoyed it.” And she drew in a deep breath to say what else she needed to say. Before she could get any more words out, he stepped toward her and cupped her cheek. She held her breath for a second as he leaned close to her, and his soft breath fanned against her skin.
“I enjoyed it too. We’ll have to do it again, but for now I’ll just say goodnight.” He smoothed his hand toward her hair, sliding his fingers through the thick blond strands. She held her breath for a second as he leaned close to her.
Only a fraction of an inch separated them, and she looked up into his warm, gray eyes before she slid her own eyes shut and tipped her head back a little, offering her lips up to him for a kiss.
It seemed to be all he was waiting for as she sensed him moving closer to her and then his mouth claimed hers.
It was everything she expected it would be and more. His lips were soft at first, tentative, as if he expected her to bolt at any moment. But she had no intention of bolting, at least not yet. She was willing to admit to herself that this kiss was something she wanted, something she had longed for from the moment she’s seen him when she’d come back to Lenox.
His aftershave, subtle and masculine, invaded her senses and for a moment she wished that they were not wearing heavy coats. She longed to press her body tighter to his as he put his arms around her and held her close. She wanted to know what his strong body would feel like against hers as he deepened his kiss.
She put her arms around his neck and tunneled her fingers through the thick short hair at the base of his neck. A soft sigh escaped her as his tongue slid smoothly between her lips and she wished for a second that this moment would not end. She could go on kissing him for hours, and it struck her just how lonely she had been and how much she missed this kind of contact.
The sound of ringing shattered the silence in the hall and she pulled back from him, startled. He smiled at her as he cupped her cheeks.
“For a second there I thought kissing you was making the sounds of bells go off in my head, but I see that it isn’t.”
It was her cell phone that was ringing and she pulled it out and looked at it. When she saw the name displayed on the screen it was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her. The languid, arouse feeling inside her that had sprung up during his kiss was shattered.
“What is it?” She looked up to see concern on Josh’s face and she made an effort to smooth her features. She hit the ignore button and the phone fell silent as she slipped it into her pocket.
“It’s nothing to be concerned about but I will need to call them back.” She stepped away from him and he sighed as his arms fell back down to his sides. Now that reality had returned with a vengeance, she could see that if the kiss had continued any longer, she would have invited him in. Perhaps the phone call was a blessing, even if it didn’t feel like that at the moment.
“I’ll leave you to it then. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Josh.” They stood there staring at each other for several long seconds. Her eyes darted down to his mouth and he moved forward, as if he wasn’t ready to leave. As if he wanted one more kiss.
The phone started ringing again and she smiled at him.
“Apparently they won’t wait for me to call them back. I’ll see you soon.” She turned away from him and unlocked the apartment door.
Once she was inside, she shut the door and leaned against it. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and stared at the number as if it would bite her. She slid her thumb across the screen and put the phone to her ear.
“Hello, Anna.” Harper kept her voice soft and kind as she spoke to Jack’s mother for the first time in several months. “How are you?”
“Today is always the hardest day of the year, but I’ll get through it.”
Harper wondered why today would be so hard for her, and then she remembered. Today was the anniversary of Jack’s death. And for the first time since he had died she’d forgotten about it. Every year since he’d passed away, this day had weighed heavily upon her and she was usually plagued by missing him. She usually went with Anna to the gravesite and placed flowers.
She’d missed it this since Jack had been laid to rest in Boston and she’d been here in Lenox.
“I just came back from seeing him. I missed you not being there.”
Guilt pierced Harper and she closed her eyes for a second. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it. I’m not in Boston at the moment. Lana had asked me to come to Lenox to help her with her bookstore.”
“I see. Well, perhaps you can go see him when you get back.”
“Yes, I’ll be sure to do that.” She talked with Anna for a few more moments, and did her best to listen to the older woman as she talked about Jack. At least until she couldn’t stand the heaviness of her guilt anymore and ended the conversation.
Once she got off the phone, she moved slowly to take her coat off. She couldn't believe that she'd forgotten what today was. She’d been so busy thinking about Josh that she’d forgotten all about Jack. While Anna had been making her annual pilgrimage she’d been having dinner with another man. Had been kissing him.
She sank on the sofa. How could she have forgotten him? How could she have gone out and had fun today of all days. She slowly leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. How could she have forgotten about Jack?
30
Harper
The next day, Harper was at the shop and the guilt over her date with Josh still weighed heavily on her. Lana had asked her how it went, and Harper had refrained from telling her about Anna’s call. All she said was that she had a nice time and when Lana had asked her if she would go out with Josh again, all she’d done was made a noncommittal noise. If Lana thought her behavior was odd, at least she kept it to herself.
She was putting out the rest of the stock when a woman on the other side of the bookshelves spoke.
“Those...people out at Shadowbrook are going to be the death of this town, make my words.”
Harper paused as she slid a book onto the bookshelf. She stood still as she waited to hear more. The woman was talking about Josh and the others who lived on the big estate on the outskirts of town. Why would she say something like that? As far as Harper knew, Shadowbrook housed the fire station and surely the firefighters were good for the town and not a detriment to it.
“I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that.” Another woman spoke, and if she was alarmed by what her friend had said her voice didn’t show it.
“Mark my words. History is going to repeat itself. I wouldn't be surprised if the blood feud started up all over again. It’s the town that’s going to get caught in the middle.
Blood feud? Harper was arrested by the conversation happening on the other side of the bookshelf and abandoned any pretense that she was not eavesdropping.
“It’s been o
ver a hundred years since there was trouble out at Shadowbrook. Surely the Canergies wouldn't hold a grudge for that long.”
“How else do you explain Josh Stokes getting shot in the middle of town? Things like that don’t happen here, at least not for the past hundred years. I have a bad feeling about that. I just hope an innocent person from town doesn’t get hurt. The woman who was with him that night was lucky to escape with her life.”
“Stop talking about it. She’s here in the shop and it wouldn't do for you to be overheard.” The woman moved away and Harper made sure that she stayed out of sight until the women had left the shop. She longed to stop them as they made their way out the door, to demand that they tell her what they were talking about. But it was clear with the way that the one woman had told her friend to be quiet that any information from either of them would not be forthcoming.
Harper finished putting the rest of the books on the shelf as her mind turned over what she had heard. As far as she knew an innocent person had been hurt on the night of the shooting, and that person was Josh. It was weird the woman who’d been speaking hadn’t thought so. Did she think that Josh deserved it somehow? Was there more going on in Josh’s life that had courted the kind of situation that ended with a bullet inside his body.
Harper turned away from the bookshelf and her eyes went to Lana, who had just finished ringing up another customer. Lana now made her home out in Shadowbrook. Maybe she knew something about the history of the place. Maybe she knew more about the shooting that night than she was letting on.
She walked over to the counter and Lana looked up at her and smiled. Harper didn’t smile back.
“What’s wrong?” A concerned look crossed Lana’s face, and Harper’s curiosity was too much for her to ignore. Lana had to know something.
“I overheard the weirdest conversation. The woman that was in here said something about a blood feud between a group of people called the Canergies and the residents out in Shadowbrook. Apparently it happened a hundred years ago. Do you know anything about it?”
Lana’s face went pale and she looked away. “Why would I know something about the town that happened such a long time ago. You know I’m not much of a history buff.”
Something about her words didn’t ring true. Harper had a feeling that Lana knew more about this than what she was telling her.
“Surely you know something about that house? Didn’t Ben tell you a little bit about the place where you now live?”
A smile crossed Lana’s face and she turned to look at her. “Ben and I have other things to talk about besides ancient history.”
That might be true, but Harper found it odd that a group of people chose to live out of town as if they were in some sort of commune. They lived separately from the town and there was something about the way the woman she’d overheard talking about them that made Harper think that there was something about them that members of the town were suspicious over. Why else would the woman refer to them as those people?
“The woman I overheard seemed to think that whatever this blood feud is, that it’s starting up again. Do you think Josh could still be in danger?” That was what really troubled her. The thought that something might happen to Josh sent a shaft of fear through her. What if whoever had shot him the first time came back to finish the job?
Lana looked at her, and her eyes narrowed for a second. “I think I know what this is about. You’re looking for an excuse not to see him anymore, aren’t you?”
Harper straightened up and she blinked at her friend for a moment.
“What are you talking about? All I’m doing is asking for a little history about the town and if you think that Josh might be in further danger. I would think if anyone would know it would be in you. Surely Ben had discussed with you what happened to his brother.”
“And I told you that I don’t know anything about the history of the house. Why can’t you let it go?”
“Because I need to know if something could happen to him.” Harper watched as Lana crossed her arms over her chest and she got a stern look on her face.
“Why? So that the next time he calls you can tell him that you aren’t interested in seeing him?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Harper bit her lip and turned her face away. Despite her claims, deep down there was a part of her that was afraid to continue to see Josh because something might happen to him. She’d barely survived when violence had taken Jack from her. She didn’t want to put herself through that again and considering that on the night she and Josh had started getting to know each other he’d been shot, she thought perhaps she was right to worry.
“I know that losing Jack was hard for you. But you can’t keep pushing people away because you’re afraid of being hurt again. But if you continue doing that, you’re going to end up alone.” The look on Lana’s face softened. “I don’t know anything about a blood feud. What happened to Josh was unfortunate but I doubt anything like that will happen to him again.”
Harper nodded and ended the conversation. She still wasn’t sure she believed Lana but it seemed pointless to press her. She went back to what she was doing, putting out the new stock and trying to forget what she heard.
But the more she tried to put it from her mind, the more it was there. There was something strange going on in this town. And if there were people who were out to get the residents of the Shadowbrook estate, that meant that Josh could be a target. Did she want to risk continuing to see him if there was a possibility that he might find himself on the wrong end of a gun?
She didn’t know the answer and the more she turned it over in her head, the more confused she got. She likes Josh, was deeply attracted to him and that frightened her. It would be so easy to grow closer to him, to fall in love with him. And if the danger that had stalked him before came back for him, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to come back from the devastation of losing him. She’d barely survived going through something like that once. There was no way she wanted to do it again.
31
Josh
It was three days since Josh had gone out for dinner with Harper, and thus far she seemed to be avoiding his calls. He had tried not to make a nuisance of himself, had only called her a couple of times. His calls had gone straight to her voicemail and she hadn’t returned the message he’d left for her.
Had he fucked up somehow? He didn’t think so. She’d seemed open to his kiss, had willingly returned it. Who knows what would have happened if she hadn't gotten that phone call. She’d changed as soon as she’d looked at the screen to see who it was.
Could it have been another man? He didn’t think so, since Harper didn’t seem to be the type to run around with multiple men. And Lana certainly hadn’t warned him about anyone else in Harper’s life when he’d talked to her about it.
He went downstairs, debating on if he should try calling her again or if he should go into town to see her. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, Derek was on his way to the great room.
“Alpha has called a meeting with me and Tyler.” Was all he said as he walked away from the stairs.
Great. Another meeting. Josh was getting tired of the tension in the house since Ben had dropped the bomb about Lana’s pregnancy. The pack had been quiet and subdued since, and there was a tension running through the members. Josh knew that it was only a matter of time before there was an explosion of emotions among them. And if he was honest with himself he was getting tired of the drama that existed inside the house. The only time he didn’t feel like that was when he was with Harper. Being with her calmed him and he had a feeling he knew why.
Considering that his brother had gone through the same thing when he’d met Lana, told Josh that there was more between him and Harper than just attraction. It might be too early to tell, but there was a possibility that she was his mate, or at least the one that fate had intended for him.
He wouldn't think about that now. Harper wasn’t even returning his calls, and that
was a hurdle he had to get over before he thought about anything serious happening between them.
To Josh’s surprise, only Tyler was in the great room with Ben. His face was grim and there was venom in his eyes when Josh walked into the room.
“What’s going on?” Josh was cautious as he moved further into the room
“I’ll tell you what’s going on. My sister is missing and it is all your fault.” Tyler took a menacing step toward him and Ben grabbed his arm.
“I know this is difficult for you but aggression toward Josh will not help anyone, especially not Eloise. I only informed you of this so you would know what is going on. Eloise will be found. I suggest you go for a run or whatever else it is you need to do to help you deal with this.” The firm thread of authority was in Ben’s voice and Tyler gave Josh one last look before he ripped his arm out of Ben’s grasp and stalked out of the room.
“What do you need me to do?” Derek turned to face Ben, and Ben sighed.
“I need you to go out and look for her. You might have an idea where she went to start her search for the Canergies. Keep in contact with me, and be careful. Having one missing pack member is more than enough.”
Derek nodded and walked away, leaving Ben and Josh standing in the middle of the room.
“Is there anything I can do?” Guilt pierced Josh. Was it his fault that Eloise was now missing? Had there been a way for him to let her down easy without hurting her and driving her away from Shadowbrook?
Ben shook his head. “One going out after her is enough for now. I don’t want the pack to be alarmed by this. It could be that she’s fine and just hasn’t had the opportunity to get back to us.”
Josh could see doubt in Ben’s eyes and further guilt swamped him. The feeling of it pressing down on him was almost claustrophobic and he had to get away from the house. He needed to see Harper, to feel something other than the sense of dread that something had happened to Eloise and it was all his fault.
Firefighter Wolves Shifters (A Paranormal Romance Series Boxset) Page 14