Wolves, Witches and Bears...Oh My!

by Nicky Charles

  “I suppose, but...” The sound of the door opening had him turning as he spoke. Oh crap, it was Melody. She was meeting him for lunch.

  “I knew you’d see it my way!”

  “See what your way? Wait!” He turned his back and tried to speak quickly and quietly. “You expect me to tell him about Lucy? I don’t—”

  “You don’t mind? That’s awesome! Oh, here comes the doctor. I’ll text you an update. Bye!”

  He stared at the phone. She’d hung up on him!

  “Tell who about Lucy?” Melody was standing beside him now, a puzzled look on her face.

  He shoved his phone back in his pocket and tried to think of an explanation. His mouth opened but no words came out.

  “Ryne?”

  “Look, why don’t we go for lunch and we can talk about this later.” He tried to take her arm.

  She shrugged him off. “I know you too well, Ryne Taylor. You’re trying to distract me. I could hear enough of that conversation to know you were talking to a woman. You’re not having an affair, are you?” Her face paled. “Is that why you seem distracted?”

  “Melody, don’t be ridiculous.” He pulled her close for a kiss, but she stepped back.

  “No. If there isn’t another woman then who were you talking to? And why were you mentioning Lucy? She’s been dead for over two years. Oh!” An idea came to her and she relaxed. “Is someone interested in writing about her? A newspaper article or book or something like that?”

  She’d presented him with a perfect excuse except…he couldn’t do it. It had been easier years ago. They’d only known each other a short time when Lucy had supposedly died. They weren’t even officially mates back then though their relationship was heading that way. Since then, they’d grown so much closer, worked through some serious problems, had a pup together. They might argue and complain but she was his other half and she knew something was wrong. She’d been giving him odd looks, sensing part of him was locked off from their mental connection and it wasn’t fair to put that kind of stress on her.

  He took a deep breath. It was time to come clean.

  “Let’s go into the office where it’s warmer. We need to talk.”

  Back in Chicago…

  Lou lay in her hospital bed, one arm wrapped around her stomach while she used her other hand to wipe away the tears that dripped down her face.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying. I’m just so relieved.”

  “Totally understandable,” the doctor nodded and made a note on a chart. “You had a scare, but everything is fine. Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, however, given the circumstances, that’s not unusual.”

  “Can I go home now?”

  “Yes, but I want you to take it easy. Bed rest for the next two days and if you feel any discomfort at all, any spotting, you’re to come here immediately, understand?”

  Lou nodded.

  “Is there someone here to take you home?”

  “My friend is probably in the waiting room.”

  “Excellent.”

  After the doctor left, Lou swung her feet out of bed and slowly dressed. What was the saying about bad things happening in threes? She'd been mugged and kidnapped and now a bus accident all in a matter of months! Except….it hadn’t really been an accident, more a minor fender bender. Roxi really had overreacted by calling 911. Given the weather, there’d probably been dozens of similar accidents across the state. It was her own fault really. If she’d remained in her seat until the bus stopped, she would have been perfectly fine.

  But did that mean there was still one more episode of misfortune waiting for her? She certainly hoped not! Maybe she should start carrying around a good luck charm just in case!

  Roxi came in and helped her get her coat on. It was dirty from the floor of the bus.

  “I’ll have to wash it when I get home.” She wiped at the muddy stains, but only managed to make it look worse.

  “I’ll take care of it. The doctor said you needed to rest.” Roxi led her out of the room and towards the elevator. “I’ve called a taxi. We’re splurging tonight.”

  “Thanks. I don’t think I want to ride a bus again today.”

  “And once we’re home, you’re heading to bed. I’ll get you some soup and—”

  “I’m not an invalid you know.”

  “I know.” Roxi made a face. “It just really freaked me out. I’m not used to being responsible for someone, let alone a pregnant someone.”

  “You aren’t responsible for me. I can take care of myself.”

  “Says the woman who can’t even zip up her own coat.”

  “Well, I guess I do need some help.”

  “There! See? I told you so.” Roxi gave a satisfied smirk and jabbed at the elevator button.

  They made it home without incident. Roxi relented on the soup and they ordered a pizza instead. Lou sat with her feet up munching on the melted cheesy goodness while Roxi bustled about the apartment actually tidying up between bites of pizza. How long this change in her roommate would last, Lou had no idea, but she’d enjoy it while she could.

  “Do you want another slice?” Roxi held the box up.

  “No, I’d better stop. I’ll probably have heartburn as it is.”

  “Maybe we should have gone with the soup after all.”

  “No, this was perfect. I was starving.”

  “Me, too.”

  “You always are.” She pushed herself to the edge of the chair, tired and not wanting to stand up. “You eat the last slice. I’m going to head to bed.”

  “Okay. I’ll hang up your coat when it’s done washing. Do you want me to get a hold of Ashton and tell him you won’t be at work tomorrow?”

  “No, I can take care of it. I have him programmed into my phone.” She looked around for her purse and spied it on the floor near the foyer. “Roxi, can you hand me my purse?”

  “Sure! Oh…” Roxi started to move and then stopped. “No. You go rest. I’ll call him. He might ask you a bunch of questions and get you all worked up.”

  “I won’t get all worked up. Ashton’s really mellow, you know that.”

  “Well,” Roxi looked at the purse again, still hesitating. “You go lie down and I’ll bring it to you in a minute.”

  “My purse is not that heavy. I’m perfectly capable of carrying it.”

  “But—”

  “Oh for heaven’s sake, I’ll get it myself!” She started to cross the room but Roxi stepped in front of her. “Now what?”

  “I…um…have a confession to make about your purse.”

  “A confession?”

  “Yes. About your purse.” Roxi slowly walked over to get it. “While we were at the hospital, I got hungry waiting for you.”

  “That’s not a surprise.”

  “There were no vending machines and I didn’t dare leave to go to the cafeteria and there was nothing in my purse, so I looked in yours to get some gum.”

  “That’s your confession? That you took some of my gum?” She shook her head. “Are you sure you didn’t get hurt on the bus? Bump your head or something?”

  “There’s more.” Roxi took a deep breath. “I saw your phone and I know your PIN.” She held up her hand probably anticipating a protest. “I can’t help it that you don’t shield your phone when you enter your PIN. I notice things like that. It’s a gift and a curse.”

  Lou folded her arms and sat on the edge of the chair. She had no idea what Roxi was getting at but decided it would probably take a while.

  “Anyway, I was really worried. I didn’t know if you were hurt or if the baby was okay, so I started to look through your contacts.”

  A bad feeling began to creep over her even though her contact list was quite limited and certain people weren’t even listed on it.

  “I was looking for Armand’s number because—”

  “I know, I know. You feel he has a right to know. Keep going.”

  “Well, he wasn’t in your contacts, so I got to thinking may
be his number was in your call history.”

  “I’ve never called him.”

  “Which I now know but I didn’t know then so when I saw this number I didn’t recognize, I called it.”

  She searched her memory trying to think of whose number Roxi had stumbled upon. Work, the doctor, the drop-in centre…

  “I ended up talking to this guy named Ryne.”

  “What?” She surged to her feet, then grabbed the back of the chair to steady herself.

  “I thought it might have been Armand’s number and when this other guy came on, I found out he knew Armand and—”

  “He didn’t give you Armand’s number, did he?”

  “Well, he did but I didn’t call him.”

  “Thank goodness.” She sank back down again.

  “I told Ryne what had happened and asked him to call Armand instead.”

  “You didn’t!” She stood up again, staring at Roxi in utter shock.

  “I did.” Roxi winced. “But it was because I was worried and I—”

  “You had no right! No right at all!” A wave of fury surged through her so strong she was shaking, her vision blurring, her voice raised. “It was my decision as to whether or not Armand was told and when.”

  “I know. And technically I didn’t tell him. It’s Ryne—”

  “Forget it.” She made a slashing movement with her hand. “Forget the ridiculous games and excuses. You made the call and now Armand knows. This is your fault and yours alone!”

  Roxi’s face paled, her eyes appearing large and dark as she realized she wasn’t going to be able to talk her way out of the situation. “I was worried…”

  “I don’t care what the hell you were. Everything in my life has been screwed up lately; my plans, my dreams. This was the one thing I still had control over. The one and only thing and now you’ve taken even that from me.”

  “I’m sorry.” Roxi’s voice cracked, her chin trembling.

  “Everything in life is like a game to you. You twist things around to suit yourself. You try to joke and fast-talk your way out of situations. Well this wasn’t a game. It wasn’t one of your scams, or a piece of information to be sold to the highest bidder.”

  “I…I didn’t sell it.”

  “This is my life and you’ve completely screwed it up!” She turned to go to her room, needing to get away, but the room was spinning and she stumbled into the wall.

  “Lulu!” Roxi rushed forward.

  “Stay away! And quit calling me Lulu. It’s a ridiculous, childish name. Grow up!”

  “Okay.” Roxi’s voice sounded small and quiet, barely above a whisper. “But you don’t look too good.”

  “I don’t care. Just stay away and leave me alone!” Tears blurred her vision and her head was pounding. She staggered to her room and collapsed on the bed.

  Chapter 27

  Armand stood back and looked at the print Jenna had found for him to hang in the bar. It was a football helmet and a football with a jersey hanging in the background.

  “There’s a series of these featuring different sports and different teams—hockey, basketball, baseball—if you like this one, I can purchase the rest of them.”

  “But not everyone likes the same teams.”

  “So it could spark conversation. Plus, it will go with any other décor changes we make.” Jenna scanned the room. “There are quite a few things we could do to brighten this place up. We could take a shopping trip to Timmins to get some ideas.”

  A shopping trip? Even his bear roused enough to shudder at the idea. “No, whatever you choose will be fine.”

  “Really?” She smiled up at him. “Thanks for trusting me. I’m not an interior designer but I do know how to market a place.”

  Market a place. It sounded very calculated and profit oriented, not at all what he’d had in mind when he’d purchased the Broken Antler. He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded regardless. “It’s time for a change. I’ve been in a rut, unable to see there are other possibilities.” He spoke the words not sure he believed them.

  “It happens. In all areas of our lives.”

  There was a hidden meaning in her words, in the look she gave him. He knew what she was referring to but didn’t respond. Jenna was a friend. Taking the step beyond friendship still had him hesitating.

  She sighed, possibly realizing he wasn’t going to act on her hint and picked up her coat. “Well, I need to get some groceries. I might stop by the hardware store and see if there are any paint charts so we can discuss a new colour for in here. This barn board look is so dated.”

  Paint the wood? He felt his eye brows shoot upward but was saved from replying by the sound of the door opening.

  “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Jenna patted his arm and left, side-stepping around Ryne and Melody who were entering the bar accompanied by a swirl of snow and cold air.

  The Broken Antler wasn’t officially open until four, however it wasn’t unusual to have someone drop in to visit ahead of time. He wouldn’t serve them alcohol, but they were welcome to a cup of coffee or tea.

  “Bonjour, mes amis.” He picked up the hammer and box of nails he’d used to hang the print and placed them back in his tool box.

  “Hi Armand!” Melody pulled off her toque.

  Always to the point, Ryne jerked his chin towards the new artwork on the wall. “What’s that?”

  “A sports poster. Jenna said it would inspire conversation.”

  Ryne cocked his head “Yeah, I can see there being a lot of conversation about it. Most will start with ‘that team suc…Oomph!” He grunted as Melody elbowed him in the ribs.

  “It’s very interesting.” Melody barely glanced at it, instead looking out the window where Jenna could be seen crossing the road, carefully stepping over the mounds of snow piled at the curbs. “You and Jenna seem to spend a lot of time together these days.”

  He shrugged. “She’s helping me upgrade the bar.”

  “Uh-huh.” Ryne shoved his hands in his pockets. “Are you sleeping with her? Ouch!” He glared at Melody who had stepped on his foot.

  “Subtle I said.” She hissed the words at her mate and then cast an apologetic look his way. “Sorry Armand.”

  He chuckled. “Ryne believes in plain speaking. As for Jenna, we’re friends, that’s all.”

  “Oh. Good.” Melody looked relieved and even Ryne gave a satisfied grunt.

  Armand cocked his head. “I thought you were encouraging me to move on.”

  “I was,” Ryne rubbed his neck, “but things change.”

  “What things?” He had no idea where the conversation was headed.

  “Why don’t we all sit down?” Melody suggested. “Maybe head to the kitchen and have some tea?”

  “You have news for me? Bad news?” He glanced between the two of them, not liking the undercurrent he was picking up.

  “She knows about Lucy.” Ryne explained. “She overheard me talking to Roxi.”

  Melody knew about Lucy still being alive. Interesting but nothing that would upset him. However, a call from Lucy’s roommate had him bracing himself. “Why did Roxi call?”

  Melody placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Armand. Lucy’s been in an accident.”

  He gripped the back of a nearby chair, his legs feeling weak even as his bear surged to life, rumbling in his voice as he spoke. “An accident? In Chicago? Is she badly hurt?”

  Ryne pulled out a chair and shoved him into it. “Sit down, before you fall down.”

  He did as he was told while continuing to demand answers. “What happened? It must have been serious if Roxi felt the need to call. And why contact you?”

  Ryne shrugged. “She found my number on Lucy’s phone.”

  “She’s resourceful like that.” He replied absentmindedly while trying to control the emotions roiling about inside him.

  “The important thing is that Lucy’s okay.” Melody sank down into the chair beside him and placed her hand on his. “Roxi sent Ryne a
text saying the hospital sent Lucy home with instructions to rest a few days, but beyond that she should be okay.”

  Relief washed over him and he relaxed his tense muscles for a minute before frowning. “If that’s the case, why did you tell me? Unless you were testing the strength of my heart?

  Melody and Ryne exchanged a look then Melody eased back in her chair. “Well, there is more. I’m not sure how to tell you this—”

  “Lucy’s pregnant and you’re the father.” Ryne leaned against a nearby post, legs casually crossed. “I guess you missed the ‘no glove, no love’ talk somewhere along the line.”

  “Ryne, that is so rude!” Melody gasped at her mate.

  Ryne shrugged. “No point in pussy-footing around.”

  Armand barely heard their exchange, his brain trying to process the news.

  Lucy was pregnant.

  He was the father.

  And she didn’t tell us, his bear added.

  His bear’s comment played over and over in his head, each repetition slicing a chunk out of his heart.

  “Are you okay?” Melody looked at him in concern.

  “Oui.” He looked around the room, for some odd reason focusing on the empty spots where his pictures used to hang. The absence of their bright colours suddenly seemed especially prophetic. “I’m fine. I’m glad Lucy is fine.”

  “We’ll watch the bar for you, of course.” Ryne spun a chair around backward and sat down on it, his forearms resting on the back. “You’ll want to fly to Chicago, of course.”

  “Chicago?” He blinked. “Non.”

  “No?” They answered as one.

  “No.” He stood up, grabbed the tool box and placed it on a shelf behind the bar, suddenly needing to be busy. “I won’t be leaving. She knows where I am and what I have to offer.” He swept his arm out to encompass the bar. “She wants her life in Chicago, not this. If she changes her mind, she can contact me.”

  “But…” Melody gaped at him. “I thought…”

  “That I’d go running after her? She left once, created an elaborate ruse to cover her trail. I should have gotten the message, but I didn’t. I followed her to Chicago, did my best to protect her and show her how I feel. It wasn’t enough.” He began to walk around the room, tucking chairs in, straightening tables. “I’m a patient man but even I have to admit when I’m chasing a lost cause.”