Beck (Winter - Shifter Seasons Book 2)

by Harmony Raines

  “I know. I wish there was a way I could make it up to him. I wish there was a way to thank him,” Beck said sincerely.

  “Me, too,” Hex admitted. “I suppose for now the best thing we can do is help get the sawmill back on its feet after the snowstorm. So, let’s get to work.”

  “So, what’s the plan?” Beck asked as he finished his coffee and grabbed the tools.

  “The plan is we cut up the large maple that came down overnight. Then we go back to the sawmill and I go and eat cake.” Hex smiled. “A simple day, just as I like it.”

  “You always did like a simple life,” Beck replied. “Maybe if I’d been more like you, I would never have left Bear Creek.”

  “A simple, happy life is all I want,” Hex admitted. “One with my mate and a bunch of kids to raise. I just hope I’m not too late.”

  “It’s never too late,” Beck replied. “And if anyone deserves to be happy, Hex, it’s you.”

  Chapter Twelve – Kassia

  “You look happy.” Dr. Bradford made his diagnosis as Kassia opened the front door and let him in.

  Kassia put her hand to her cheek. “Do I?”

  “Yes. And I don’t suppose it’s because you are looking after your aunt. Did something else happen? With Beck perhaps?” Dr. Bradford asked expectantly. “I saw the connection between you two yesterday.”

  “We’re the talk of Bear Creek.” Kassia still had no idea why people were so intrigued by her relationship with Beck.

  “It’s been a long winter, they have to talk about something.” He grinned and pointed upstairs. “How is the patient?”

  “Stir-crazy. She’s insisting her ankle feels much better and that she could easily walk down the stairs.” Kassia put her hands on her hips. “It might be easier if I could take my aunt out in a wheelchair. Beck has offered to help me get her up and down the stairs.”

  “I’ll get that arranged for you.” The doctor headed toward the stairs. “But I’ll take a look at Betsy first. I just want to check that her blood pressure has come back down. I also want to double-check she doesn’t have any signs of concussion before I give her the all clear to move around more.”

  “She had high blood pressure?” Kassia asked, catching hold of the one piece of information she was unaware of. “She never said.”

  “It’s normally fine and I suspect her fall caused it to spike, but I just want to check.” He headed for the stairs. “Betsy’s blood pressure and head injury worried me. I don’t usually make house calls for sprained ankles.”

  “I appreciate you doing this for Betsy. Does she know?” Kassia asked.

  The doctor shook his head. “She knows I was worried. But not how worried. If you hadn’t arrived last night and I couldn’t find anyone else to sit with her, I would have admitted her to hospital. Betsy would not have gone quietly. It’s a good thing Brad came and picked you up.” He winked as he took the stairs two at a time.

  “Coffee?” Kassia called after him, grateful that Betsy had been in such capable care.

  “Yes, please.”

  Kassia went to the kitchen and gave Betsy some privacy while the doctor examined her. It also gave Kassia a break from her patient. Since Kassia returned from her visit to the diner, Betsy had seemed more agitated and she had no idea why.

  As she put on a fresh pot of coffee, her phone beeped and she grabbed it from her pocket and checked her messages. There was a photo attachment from an unknown number.

  Her fingers trembled as she tapped the screen and opened the attachment. It was a photo of Kassia walking down the street with Avery and Dahlia.

  Bile rose in her throat and she covered her mouth with her hand as she stared at the photo. The photo was taken today. Someone was spying on her.

  Cold fear prickled down her spine and she reached for the back of a chair and held onto it so tight, the whites of her knuckles showed. What did the photo mean?

  Why would anyone want to spy on her?

  She tapped the screen and the photo disappeared. It might not mean anything. Perhaps someone in town was pranking her. Perhaps it was Avery. She might have gotten the photo from someone else and was just sending it to her.

  That made no sense. If it was Avery, there would be a message accompanying the photo.

  Her phone beeped again. The same number. Another photo.

  It was a picture of her at the door of Betsy’s house. Someone had followed her.

  The chair legs scraped across the linoleum as Kassia dragged out the chair and sat down heavily. Who would do this?

  She put her head in her hands and thought hard about who would take the time to follow her and send photos. More importantly, why would anyone do this?

  Mindy. Travis’s sister. She’d always maintained his innocence and after his arrest had verbally threatened Kassia. Would she really risk everything and follow Kassia to Bear Creek for revenge?

  If the authorities found out, she would lose her business. There was no way she would be allowed to care for children if she was caught. As the owner of a preschool, Mindy was expected to be honest and trustworthy. If the parents of the children in her care found out she was a stalker, they would move their children to another preschool rather than put them at risk.

  Somehow it didn’t feel right. Mindy was very good at making threats and snarky comments, but this seemed out of character for the woman who Kassia had worked for. They’d been friends before Mindy introduced Kassia to Travis.

  Perhaps that friendship had been a lie, too. Perhaps Kassia didn’t really know Mindy at all. It was entirely possible that Mindy had befriended Kassia simply to make it easier to introduce Travis. They could have hatched the whole plan between them.

  “What to do?” Kassia stood up abruptly and made the coffee. She would have to act normally around Betsy so that her aunt didn’t worry. If she had high blood pressure already, this news would only make it worse by adding more stress. Kassia didn’t want to put her aunt in any danger.

  But she was in danger. With Kassia as her niece, Betsy had a target painted on her back.

  There was nothing she could do right now other than taking Shawn and Betsy cups of coffee and pretending everything was okay.

  Shaking her hair back from her face and puffing the air out of her cheeks, she poured two cups of coffee and took them upstairs. “Here we are.”

  “That smells good,” Betsy said as she shuffled to an upright position in bed. “Kassia has been limiting my coffee intake.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” the doctor told Betsy, who looked mutinous. She’d been expecting Shawn to tell Kassia it was fine to drink as much coffee as she wanted. “Or maybe you could switch to decaffeinated.”

  “Decaffeinated?” Betsy asked in disgust.

  “I’ll set it down on the nightstand.” Kassia carefully placed the coffee cup down even though her hand was shaking. Receiving the images on her phone had shaken her so much that adrenaline pumped through her veins, making her nervous and on edge. It was a good thing Shawn wasn’t taking her blood pressure.

  “Thank you, honey.” Betsy’s little tantrum passed, and she lay back on her pillows. She looked so damn vulnerable lying there in bed, her face pale in the artificial light. “I’m just frustrated at being stuck in the house. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

  “I know.” She gave Betsy a reassuring smile, even though she didn’t feel reassured about anything. “Here’s yours, Shawn.” Kassia handed the doctor his cup but avoided meeting his eye. “What’s your verdict on Betsy’s ankle?”

  “It’s healing well, the swelling is starting to go down. We’ve discussed using a wheelchair, so Betsy doesn’t feel isolated at home.” Shawn held up his hand. “I don’t mean because you abandon her, but it would mean Betsy could go and sit in the diner for an hour or so a day, keep an eye on her business and have people to talk to.”

  “It would also give you a break from worrying about me,” Betsy told Kassia.

  “I think it’s a great idea.” K
assia tried to summon more enthusiasm. “The fresh air will put some color in your cheeks, too. Although, you’ll have to wrap up nice and warm, probably have a blanket over your legs, too. It’s very cold outside.”

  “Yes, keep warm,” Shawn warned as he finished his coffee. “That hit the spot. Now I must go to my next patient. I don’t think I’ll need to come and see you again, Betsy, unless your ankle gets worse, which I don’t expect it to.”

  “You can come and visit any time,” Betsy teased. “I’d like to treat you and Jane to dinner at the diner. Just pop in when I’m back on my feet.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Betsy.” Shawn stood up and headed toward the door.

  “I’d like to. As a thank you.” Betsy picked up her coffee and held it in her hands. “And I know Jane loves ice cream, just like her dad.”

  “Ahh, ice cream. Jane and I do have similar tastes.” Shawn glanced at Kassia, who was only half-listening to the conversation as her mind ran around and around in circles as she tried to figure out who had taken those photographs and sent them to her phone.

  “Then it’s a date. As soon as I’m back on my feet. Bring your daughter to the diner and I’ll make you dinner.” Betsy settled down on her pillows and picked up the remote. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with another doctor.”

  “Go ahead. I know Dr. Daniels is swoon-worthy.” Shawn grinned at Kassia, who forced a smile onto her face.

  “Betsy is his number one fan,” she agreed.

  “I don’t know what people see in those medical dramas,” Shawn said as he followed her down the stairs. “Being a doctor is nowhere near as glamorous as they make it out to be. Believe me, if you saw some of the things I saw then you would not be thinking romantic thoughts.”

  “No, I can imagine.” Kassia admired Shawn. She admired all doctors, it certainly wasn’t a job she’d like to do. Blood and germs were not her thing. “I didn’t know you had a daughter. Does that mean you are married, too?” She rubbed her forehead. “Sorry. None of my business.”

  “No, it’s fine. I’m sure if you asked Betsy, she’d give you a different version of events.” He dropped his voice. “People do like to gossip.”

  “No, shocking!” Kassia put her hands to her cheeks and gasped in mock surprise.

  “I know!” Shawn grinned before his expression turned serious. “Jane is my daughter. I was in a relationship in my younger days and the lady in question got pregnant. She didn’t want me or the baby. So I came home with Jane.” He shrugged it off as if it was no big deal.

  “Wow, that’s tough. On you and Jane.” Kassia raised her eyes to the ceiling. “I can only imagine how that story gets twisted around.”

  “People like to talk. It’s human nature,” Shawn answered. “I don’t think anyone means to be malicious.”

  “People like Betsy.” Kassia’s bottom lip trembled. “She would never be malicious.”

  “I know and Betsy has been nothing but kind to me and Jane. But people still talk.” Shawn studied Kassia for a moment as she looked away, fighting back tears. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Kassia put her hand to her temple. “I have a headache coming on. I think I need to catch up on some sleep.”

  “You’ve had an exciting time since you arrived.” Shawn didn’t ease up his scrutiny. “Meeting your mate.”

  “Yes, unexpected.” She nodded and blinked away her tears. As she sniffed loudly, she turned to face the doctor. “You must have another patient to get to.”

  “You know, I’ve been a doctor long enough to know when something is wrong and when someone is trying to get rid of me.” He tilted his head to one side. “What’s wrong, Kassia?”

  “Nothing.” Her forehead creased as she held his gaze. “I’m fine, honestly.”

  “Now who is the terrible liar?” His tone was serious. “Is this because of being mated to Beck? I know it can be a shock for some people if they had no idea about shifters before.”

  “No,” she insisted quickly. “This has nothing to do with Beck. Nothing at all.” Her hand went to her phone where it nestled against her hip. It was as if the damn thing weighed more than a ton of bricks, making it impossible to forget for one second that someone was spying on her.

  Shawn stepped forward, keeping his voice low. “What happened?”

  A tear trickled down her cheek as she pulled out her phone and scrolled through to the pictures. “Someone is watching me.”

  Shawn stared at the images before he looked up. “You should call Beck. Then you should call the sheriff.”

  “And say what?” Kassia asked. “This might be something completely innocent. It might be someone messing around.” She looked down at the phone. She’d overreacted.

  “That’s not what you think, though, is it?” Shawn asked.

  She shook her head and wiped away another tear. “I helped put someone in jail and now I think someone is out for revenge.”

  “I’ll call the sheriff.” Shawn took out his phone as he looked up at Kassia and said, “You should call Beck.”

  “I don’t want to bother him, he’s working,” Kassia insisted.

  “Call him.” Shawn started speaking on the phone as Kassia tapped the call button.

  The phone rang for a long while before a woman’s voice answered. “Hello.”

  “Oh, I think I must have the wrong number. I was looking for Beck. Beck Winter.” Her voice shook as she spoke.

  “Oh, so that’s whose phone it is,” the woman answered. “I’m at the local bakery and someone handed it in. He must have dropped it when he was in earlier.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell him. Thanks.” Kassia ended the call and turned to Shawn who had finished talking to the sheriff.

  “Brad will be over in a few minutes. What happened with Beck?” Shawn asked as he edged toward the door.

  “I couldn’t get hold of him; he left his phone at the bakery.” She pulled a face. “That’ll teach him to go and eat at one of Betsy’s competitors. He should have gone to the diner.” She tried to keep her voice light, but her heart ached. She was scared for all of those around her.

  “Okay, I’ll call Mac. He’ll know where Beck is and how to get hold of him.” Shawn opened the front door and stepped outside. He stood for a moment looking around. “There’s no one lurking around. Shut the door and lock it and only open it for Beck or Brad. Okay?”

  Kassia nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Shawn.”

  “What are friends for?” He placed his hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. It’ll all be okay.”

  Kassia nodded but she wasn’t so sure. Revenge was an emotion that caused people to react unreasonably. It drove people to do the worst.

  As she watched Shawn reach the street and wave, she closed the door, wanting to shut out the world and barricade herself in. Until this was resolved, she wouldn’t feel safe and a sick dread settled at the pit of her stomach.

  Perhaps whoever was out there knew she’d decided to make Bear Creek her new home and wanted to drive her out. Wanted to make her afraid to stay. They wanted to rob her of her happy ending just as she had helped the police rob Travis of his.

  Chapter Thirteen – Beck

  “Does she have any idea who it might be?” Beck asked as he spoke to Mac. His brother had called Hex’s phone and asked to talk to Beck, since Beck had somehow dropped his phone in the bakery.

  He never dropped his phone.

  It must have been when that woman knocked into you at the bakery, his bear suggested as their fear for their mate grew.

  It must have been. She did bump into me quite hard. It didn’t really matter how he’d dropped his phone, he just needed to get it back so that Kassia could call him if she needed him.

  “No, she doesn’t. Shawn said she was trying to downplay it as if it’s nothing at all. But you should get over there and make sure she’s okay.” The worry in Mac’s voice unnerved him.

  Beck looked over his shoulder to where Hex was busy loading the timber onto the truck. �
��We’re finished up here anyway. Is it okay if I stay in town and hitch a ride back later?” Beck wanted to get over to Betsy’s house and check on Kassia as soon as possible.

  “Sure, call me if you need a ride or if you want help.” Mac paused. “We’re here for you. You know that, right?” Mac’s uncertainty shook Beck.

  “I know it. I never stopped knowing it.” Beck’s finger hovered over the end call button. “Thanks, Mac. I appreciate everything. I know I messed things up between us when I left.”

  “No, you didn’t. I was just surprised, that’s all. We’re good, Beck. All good.” Mac ended the call and Beck sprinted over to the truck and handed Hex his phone.

  “Go,” Hex grunted as he hauled a large section of the tree trunk onto his shoulder and dumped it into the back of the truck.

  “Thanks.” Beck hesitated. “Oh, here’s your phone.”

  “Call me if you need me,” Hex told him. “Martha will understand if we need to postpone the cake tasting.”

  Beck nodded and then turned around and ran toward the street, retracing his steps back to the bakery. He sure didn’t remember dropping his phone. In all the time he was away, in all the scrapes he’d gotten himself into, he’d never dropped his phone.

  Maybe it just wasn’t deep enough in your pocket, his bear answered.

  Maybe. He reached the bakery and slowed his pace before he went inside.

  “Oh, there you are. I had no idea this was your phone when it was handed in,” the young woman chattered on. “I didn’t like to go through the contacts to see who it belonged to. I figured someone would miss it eventually and find their way here.”

  “Thanks.” He took the phone from the young assistant. “Who handed it in?”

  “Oh, it wasn’t anyone I know. A woman. Dark shoulder-length hair.” She nodded and then looked behind Beck where a customer was hovering, waiting to give their order.

  “Sorry.” Beck sidestepped out of the way. “And thanks.” He lifted his hand and backed out of the bakery.

  “No problem.” She smiled at him but was already taking the order from the customer.