Between a Wolf and a Hard Place

by Terry Spear

  “Ellie? Hasn’t Brett arrived home yet?”

  “No, he’s a couple of hours overdue for dinner, which can be expected because of the weather. I didn’t know when he’d left your shop exactly.”

  “He left two hours ago,” her aunt said.

  “Okay.”

  “The weather has been so bad that he could still be driving in it and on his way.”

  “Right.” Ellie still worried since she hadn’t been able to get ahold of him.

  “You tried calling him on his cell, I take it.”

  “Yes. I can’t get through.”

  “Did you call Darien?”

  “Not yet. I wanted to first learn exactly when Brett left your shop.”

  “He could still be on his way. Visibility is nearly nil. I slipped twice just walking to my home. It’s a real mix of ice and snow on the roads.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll let Darien know, just in case. He’s put out word that no one is to be out in this weather except for emergency vehicles.” Ellie looked at her sisters and raised two fingers.

  Laurel got on her cell phone right away. “Darien, there may be no reason for alarm, but Brett was interviewing my aunt Charity in Green Valley and left her shop two hours ago. He hasn’t made it home yet. Ellie isn’t able to get ahold of him on his cell either.”

  Ellie said to her aunt, “We’ll let you know when we hear from him.”

  “All right, dear. You stay home. I don’t want you or your sisters out in this weather looking for him… Uh, Ellie?”

  The way her aunt said her name sounded like she was concerned about something else. “Yes?”

  There was a long pause.

  Ellie said, “Are you still there?”

  “Uh, yeah.” Aunt Charity let out her breath on a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what to say about this, but I care about you and your sisters. You’re my nieces after all. I’d like to think you don’t mind if I act like a mother hen every once in a while.”

  “No, of course not.” Now Ellie really wondered what was going on.

  “Brett threw a manila envelope in the trash container in front of the store before we had the interview.”

  Ellie barely breathed. Omigod, her aunt couldn’t have looked at naked Brett in the prints.

  “Um, well, I had just emptied it before he came along because the shop was closed and trash day is tomorrow morning if the trucks can get through. So I was going to toss his trash in my city trash can, but I got curious because it wasn’t junk mail. It was a brand-new envelope with his name written on it in a woman’s handwriting. I just thought it was odd, and you know how we wolves are. Curious.”

  “He was a model for art classes when he was in college,” Ellie said before her aunt could continue.

  She saw both Meghan and Laurel’s eyes widen.

  Her aunt didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she said, “Oh, okay, so you’ve seen them.”

  “No, I haven’t seen them.” Ellie explained about lunch and the artists.

  Her sisters’ mouths were gaping, and then Meghan smiled.

  “Oh, did you want me to save them for you?”

  Yes! But not to keep. Well, maybe to keep under her pillow at night. “Um, thanks, I’m sure they’re beautiful, but no. Okay, I’ll let you go. Laurel’s telling Darien that Brett’s still on the road. I’ll call you when we know anything.” Once she ended the call with her aunt, Ellie waited to see what Laurel had to say.

  “All the emergency crews are out. CJ’s on one of them, looking for a missing teen driving to the grocery store. Eric’s stuck at the park, and Sarandon’s with him, having had to cancel a hike with a group because of the weather.”

  “Then the three of us will go and find Brett,” Ellie said. “As wolves.”

  Laurel lost her frown and smiled. “I’ll tell Darien.”

  Meghan began stripping. “So what’s this about with Brett being a male model? Nude and bear rugs?”

  Ellie knew this would be the next hot topic of conversation.

  “And women are chasing him down in Silver Town?” Meghan laughed. “I can’t believe Aunt Charity saw the pictures when we haven’t. Why didn’t you tell her to overnight them?”

  “I don’t want them.”

  Meghan shook her head. “Yeah, you do. You’re fantasizing about him when you go to bed at night. What better way to help you with imagining that hunk of burning love?” Meghan shifted.

  Ellie finished stripping, not commenting, and shifted, as Laurel ended the call with Darien. “He doesn’t want us to stray from the road Brett will be taking. He says that Brett will stick close to the road in case anyone is out looking for him.”

  Unless he was injured, Ellie thought morosely. Then she woofed, telling Laurel to hurry up and shift already.

  Once Laurel had shifted, the three of them were out the wolf door in a heartbeat and took off down the road, hoping that if any human was traveling through the area, they wouldn’t notice any of the wolves in the whiteout.

  They had run, trotting sometimes and sniffing the air, but the wind direction was wrong. Every once in a while, Laurel or Meghan would bump into Ellie because they were trying so hard to pick up any sign of Brett’s scent trail.

  Then Ellie thought to howl. She stopped, lifted her chin, and let out a long, where-are-you howl.

  Immediately, a male wolf howled back, and her heart raced across the snow-filled sky. It was Brett. She howled again, eagerly, exuberant.

  Her sisters howled too, as if to let him know they had all worried about him.

  He howled back, letting them know he was all right and on his way. Maybe he was only about a quarter of an hour away, she thought. She was so glad to hear from him, and he sounded fine.

  They alternated between trotting and sprinting to reach him, and when they didn’t find him quickly, she realized he’d been farther away from them than she’d envisioned. She kept thinking she saw a glimpse of a wolf headed their way, but she was just imagining seeing him in the curtain of snow.

  And then she observed his hunky wolf body, his ears held erect, his eyes squinting in the blowing snow but looking straight at her. He sprinted for her, and before long, they were nuzzling and licking each other. Her sisters joined in, nipping and licking him, telling him they were glad he was safe. Then they headed home, Laurel and Meghan in the lead, while Ellie nuzzled Brett, keeping her body next to his, wanting the closeness until they arrived home.

  When they reached the house, Laurel had already shifted, dressed, and was on the phone with Darien, updating him. Meghan was upstairs getting dressed.

  Ellie realized they didn’t have any men’s clothes at their house for Brett.

  She raced up to her bedroom, shifted, dressed, and hollered down, “Brett will need some clothes if someone can drop some by.”

  “All we need is a bear rug,” Meghan said.

  Ellie could have socked her.

  “Calling CJ next,” Laurel hollered back.

  Meghan called out, “I’m calling Aunt Charity to let her know Brett’s safely back home.”

  “Thanks!” Ellie said. When she went back downstairs, she found Brett peering out the front window in his wolf coat. “Attic light on?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Well, Meghan’s date canceled on her because the sheriff is helping to coordinate rescue activities, and the same thing with CJ. If you don’t mind, we can all have dinner together.”

  He woofed, indicating that was fine with him. It would be nice for them all to be here together during the brunt of the storm.

  “I’ll bake some chicken and potatoes,” Ellie said.

  “I’ll make a spinach salad,” Meghan added.

  Laurel was still on the phone with CJ. “All right. Love you too. I’ll let him know.” Laurel ended her call. “Well, CJ said it
would be a couple of hours before he can drop by your place and then get here. He’s really tied up helping stranded motorists. He said maybe you could wear something of ours?” She looked at Ellie to emphasize that he should wear something of hers.

  “Pajama loungers? They’re flannel, might be a little short on you, but that way you can shift.” Ellie waited for Brett to agree.

  He woofed his assent.

  She placed the baking pan with the seasoned chicken and potatoes in the oven and set the timer. “I’ll be right back.”

  Jogging up the stairs, she tried to remember which pajamas she’d washed. Pink hearts, snowmen on a blue background…oh, her Irish plaid ones. She hoped they would fit okay. She crossed the floor to her dresser and pulled open the drawer. She’d forgotten a fragrant lavender sachet scented her clothes. Hoping he didn’t mind, she guessed he’d rather eat dinner as a human wearing sweet-smelling clothes than have his meal as a wolf.

  “I’ve got some,” she called out to Brett. He might as well change in her bedroom instead of in the smaller bathroom downstairs. She smiled when she heard him loping up the stairs.

  “Hope these aren’t too short in the legs. You can wear my fluffy robe if you want instead of the shirt. You’re probably too broad shouldered for it. Or we can turn up the heat for you.”

  He shifted and she smiled at him, trying not to look at his nakedness. “They smell a little flowery, but—”

  “Like you,” he said, pulling her into a hug and beginning to kiss her. “I was so afraid I’d miss our date. Well, we have a few more for dinner than we’d planned, but I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  Her whole body was on fire, pressed against the hot, naked wolf-man, yet knowing she should let him get dressed, she wrapped her arms around him. Her sisters would be sure to speculate about her not leaving the room when he must be shifting. She was always so good. Never doing anything she shouldn’t. With Brett, she wanted to have fun, misbehave, be a wolf.

  His burgeoning arousal pressed hotly against her, and she felt utterly wicked in his arms. “Hmm,” she murmured against his mouth, really loving the way he made her feel sexy and desirable. “I’d better help my sisters with dinner before they send a rescue party.”

  He smiled and pressed a warm kiss against her forehead. “For me? Or for you?”

  She chuckled. “For me, probably, but they would be mistaken.”

  He grinned. “Why, Miss Ellie MacTire, I believe I haven’t even begun to know all there is to know about you.”

  If he only knew how much more there was to her. “I could say the same thing about you! I had to hear from my aunt Charity that she was concerned about you because you threw out that manila envelope in her trash can in front of the store, and she had to look inside to see what it was.”

  Brett’s eyes rounded.

  “Yeah.”

  “What did she say?”

  “I told her what it was all about. I think she was worried you were posing for a male escort service.”

  He laughed.

  “Why did you throw it out there?”

  “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Far from here. I didn’t know she was watching me or that she would go Dumpster diving. So what did you tell her?”

  “To toss them.” She smiled and pulled away, glancing at his beautiful, fit body. Then taking her eyes off him for a moment, she pointed to the plaid pajamas lying on her blue bedspread that she’d left out for him. “If those don’t suit, I have others in the drawer.”

  “Is that your MacTire plaid?”

  “Aye.”

  He smiled again. “I will be proud to wear your plaid, lassie.”

  She laughed. “See you downstairs then.” She didn’t make a move to leave him alone.

  “And piano lessons after dinner, right?” He began to pull on the pajama bottoms.

  She swore he was more interested in the lessons than anything else. He must really want to learn how to play the piano, and she admired him for it. “Sure. Of course. Then I can drive you home.”

  “I can run home as a wolf. No sense in you going out in this weather in your car. Besides, what would the neighbors think if they saw me returning home in just a pair of pajama pants?” Since the pajamas puddled around her ankles when she wore them, they weren’t a bad fit on him.

  She smiled at him. “Don’t like living dangerously, eh? Afraid of idle gossip?”

  “In a pack, the news would spread like wildfire.” He pulled her close again. “And then you would have to agree to mate me so my reputation wouldn’t be tarnished.”

  She laughed again. “You’re so funny.”

  “I don’t think the shirt will fit. I don’t want to rip it.”

  “I’ve got a fluffy white robe you can wear so you don’t get chilled. Or we can turn up the heat,” she reminded him.

  “Unless your sisters don’t want to see me shirtless at dinner…”

  “We’re wolves.” Not that she really knew how her sisters would feel about that.

  He smiled and snagged her hand. So much for her leaving Brett alone to dress. She was just comfortable around him, when she wasn’t usually that bold with a guy.

  They headed downstairs where her sisters were sitting on the couch watching The Three Musketeers, the sound so low it was nearly muted. Both Laurel and Meghan looked in their direction.

  “Well, the pajama bottoms look like they fit really well,” Laurel said.

  Meghan considered Brett’s torso. “Shirt wouldn’t fit, would it?”

  “Afraid not. As long as you ladies don’t object to me eating dinner with you shirtless…”

  “We’re wolves,” Meghan said, casting Ellie an amused look as if she’d heard her say the same thing in private to Brett minutes ago. Considering the way they had the TV turned down so low, they probably had heard.

  Ellie was grateful her sisters didn’t mention the nude modeling. She made hot eggnog with brandy and served the Tom and Jerrys to everyone in the living room. Meghan brought out a bag of chips to snack on before dinner was served.

  Laurel asked, “Are you hot enough?”

  Ellie smiled. She couldn’t help herself. As soon as Brett glanced at her, looking like he was waiting for her to answer that question, she felt her face heat again. She swore she never blushed as much as she did when she was around him.

  He finally said, “I’m hot enough.”

  “I’ll say,” Meghan said, laughing and stretching out on the couch, while Laurel sat on one of the chairs.

  That left another chair and a love seat.

  When Ellie didn’t automatically sit on the love seat, Brett took her hand and led her there. “Live dangerously,” he whispered in her ear.

  Both Laurel and Meghan were smiling. Ellie knew this was all well and good, but only if Brett believed in her abilities.

  When the timer went off, alerting them that the food was done, they all headed into the kitchen to serve up dinner and then settled in the dining room to eat.

  “So, Brett,” Laurel started. “We know you really care for Ellie—”

  “This is between Brett and me, Laurel,” Ellie said so vehemently that Laurel looked a little taken aback. Ellie didn’t need her sisters setting down rules about her dating life.

  “We just worry about you, Ellie,” Laurel said, frowning at her.

  “Because of the ghost issues.” Brett sat down at the table.

  “Right,” Laurel said.

  “Laurel,” Ellie warned. She would handle this in her own way. It was her gift, and she’d decide when the time was right to approach him about it. She didn’t want to ruin things between them.

  Laurel raised her hand and made a dismissive gesture. “We think you’re wonderful, Brett. Don’t get me wrong. We’re just looking out for Ellie’s best interests.”

  “I don’t ne
ed anyone to look out for my best interests. I do just fine on my own.” Ellie took a bite of her chicken.

  “Uh,” Brett said. “I would never hurt Ellie.”

  “Not intentionally,” Laurel said.

  “Table. The. Discussion. Now.” Ellie gave Laurel a look that said she meant it. Or hell, she was going to shift and run as a wolf to Brett’s house and have wild and crazy almost-sex with him. Because she couldn’t consummate the relationship or she’d be mated to him forever.

  Meghan was watching to see how Laurel reacted. She was the alpha among the sisters, always in charge. Though they always had a say in things, Laurel made the final decision. It looked like it was killing her not to have the final say this time. She wasn’t mean; she was just the eldest triplet and she always felt responsible for Ellie and Meghan. It was part of their wolf upbringing.

  “I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Laurel said, her eyes brimming with tears.

  Ellie had never expected her sister to get upset like this. Ellie left her seat and gave Laurel a hug. “I know. And I love you for it. Really. I can deal with this myself.” She sighed. “Really.”

  Laurel nodded, but she didn’t look like she believed Ellie. Which was probably because of the last time when the guy had left her at the restaurant and Ellie had been devastated. Even though she’d repeatedly told herself he hadn’t been worth the energy and upset, she’d really thought he was the one for her. Yet she should have suspected Fred Pippin wouldn’t believe in what she could do, considering how many times she’d tried to broach the subject and he’d abruptly changed the topic of conversation.

  Ellie swore she wouldn’t fall apart if it didn’t work out with Brett. She returned to her seat, the mood quiet. Meghan took up the slack and started talking about Victorian Days and their first ball to celebrate the occasion, since they hadn’t participated last year with all the renovations going on at the inn. She engaged Brett in conversation, while Ellie and Laurel ate their dinner in silence. It was really awkward between all of them.

  They were almost finished eating when the doorbell rang, and Laurel hurried to get it.

  “Oh, CJ, thanks so much. Come in and have supper with us. We’re nearly done eating, but the rest is still in the warmer and ready for you.”