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MANDY
“I’ll only be gone for a few hours. Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Ever since my father injured his leg, I’d hated to be away from him for too long. Call me overprotective, but the thought of coming home and finding him hurt again made me shudder.
Our home had two stories, and somehow he’d tripped and fallen down part of the staircase. I was the one to find him and still considered it a miracle he hadn’t broken his neck. Before the accident, he’d convinced me to temporarily give up my apartment and move back home to save money while I finished school.
With the resort scheduled to open in a few months and having to deal with our company’s regular customers, I’d been putting in some long hours. I’d done my best to check in with him once or twice a day and made sure I was home every night.
Thank goodness for Barb, the retired widow who lived next door. She’d been great about keeping an eye on my father. She was the sweetest person ever, but get out of line and she turned into a military drill sergeant. It was exactly what my father needed to make sure he followed the doctor’s orders and stayed out of trouble.
The way Barb doted on him made me wonder if she secretly had a crush on him. My mother had been gone a long time now, and I would have loved to see my father find someone special.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone out to have some fun—certainly not since Craig—and I was looking forward to spending some time with Berkley. One night where I could let loose and not focus on the past or all the things currently stressing me.
“I’m fine. You know the doc says I’ll be able to go back to work soon, so stop worrying about me.”
Like the not worrying was going to happen anytime soon. “We’ll see.” I’d come too close to losing him and wasn’t taking any chances.
“Go, have some fun. I can always call Barb if I have any problems.” He wiggled his brows, and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes making me wonder if maybe the crush went both ways. “You need to get out more. Find a nice guy, go out on a date, hook up or whatever they’re calling it now.”
I widened my eyes, and my mouth hung open. I couldn’t believe my father, the man who’d threatened to shoot any of my teenage suitors with his shotgun, was insinuating that I should get laid. “Dad, there will be no hooking up or anything else.” Well, maybe for Berkley since she didn’t have a problem going home with strangers. I, on the other hand, wasn’t having casual sex no matter how much my friend insisted a one-night stand would be good for me.
I was a great fan of sex, just not with a stranger. I preferred spending time with a guy and getting to know him before I jumped into bed with him. Though if I ever decided to make an exception to my rule, I would consider Nick. My mind filled with images of his intense silver-gray eyes, and I trembled, remembering how his strong hands felt when he’d held me.
“I want you to know if there is...if you do, I’m fine with it.” He cupped my cheeks with both hands and kissed my forehead. He gave me a reassuring smile laced with a flicker of pity. I knew my father too well and realized he was remembering what happened with Craig. Why wouldn’t he? He’d been there to witness the worst and most humiliating day of my life. One I’d spent the last year trying to forget.
***
“YOU READY TO HAVE SOME fun?” Berkley’s enthusiastic voice rang through the interior of her car. She was more than ready to have a good time, and it showed. She was decked out like a New York fashion model in a black spaghetti-strap top and slim-fitting pants that tapered at her ankles. Add in the matching heels that I couldn’t walk straight in on a good day, and my friend was dressed to kill. I wasn’t ready to “strut my stuff,” so to speak, and had worn a sleeveless blue blouse, jeans, and a comfortable pair of slip-ons.
“Sure,” I answered, filled with trepidation and not sure if I meant it. Even though our relationship had been long-distance for years, friends didn’t get any better than Berkley. She knew about Craig, and during the time we both referred to as “the incident,” had been away at college working on her marketing degree. I’d turned her down when she offered her support and had wanted to come to Ashbury and stay with me for a few days.
She’d even teased about ripping Craig’s balls off for me. Berkley might have insinuated that she was kidding, but I had a feeling she was serious and refused to let her miss school to help me deal with my love life.
She pulled her keys out of the ignition. “Great, then let’s go.”
She exited the vehicle, and I did the same, closing the door, then nervously staring at the intimidating wooden building. The Suds ’n’ Springs was an average country-style bar complete with an old-fashioned neon sign designed with gold lettering. As far as entertainment went, it was the nearest place within five miles of Ashbury unless you wanted to drive all the way to Hanford, which I didn’t. The likelihood of running into Craig was greater, and I was still feeling a little guilty about leaving my father alone. I wanted to be close in case something happened and he needed me.
The lot was already three-quarters full, and several couples were linked hand in hand and headed for the entrance. As soon as they opened the door, the low drone of music and bass filtered outside. For some reason, my feet wouldn’t move, and I contemplated whether to let Berkley drag me inside.
Coming here on Friday nights with Craig after our dinner dates had been a regular thing. Something I hadn’t attempted since I’d broken things off with him. He’d been the one to cheat on me, and I hadn’t wanted to deal with the memories or the sympathetic glances from the people we used to hang out with.
I’d been a tomboy growing up and had a small circle of local female friends. A couple of them had moved away, and the rest were either planning their weddings, raising families, or currently in relationships.
I’d grown tired of hearing how I should get back out there and find another guy. Having my heart ripped out once was plenty. After I’d refused numerous invitations to go out with the girls or be set up on dates, my friends finally stopped asking.
Berkley, on the other hand, wasn’t one to take no for an answer. She was convinced all I needed was a great night of sex—no names, no strings—and she was determined to make sure I got it.
Before I had a chance to change my mind, Berkley had me by the arm and was dragging me inside. The place was already packed, not surprising for a Friday night in a town with one movie theater and two restaurants.
“Over there.” Berkley pointed at two stools next to the bar. After we were seated and ordered our drinks, I shifted sideways to face my friend and scan the room’s interior. The music, usually a mix of country western and rock, filled the room via some overhead speakers. An upbeat two-step was playing and the dance floor in the corner on the opposite side of the room was full of couples spinning and moving to the beat.
“My name’s Derrick,” the bartender said and set our drinks, a beer for me and a margarita for Berkley, on the counter. His hair, the color of beach sand, was layered away from his face, the soft curls lightly brushing over the collar of his buttoned shirt. He was built like a tank with broad shoulders and a thick frame and made me think he could double as the bar’s bouncer. He pretty much ignored me, his dark gaze locking on Berkley with appreciative interest. “Please let me know if I can get you anything else.”
“We’re good, thanks,” Berkley flippantly replied and slapped a ten-dollar bill on the counter. She picked up her drink, then dismissed him completely by turning away from the bar.
Derrick pressed his lips together tightly and shot daggers at Berkley’s back, then roughly grabbed the money off the counter. Apparently, disappointment wasn’t something he experienced frequently.
Being rude was so out of character for Berkley. Normally, she was friendly and outgoing with any man she met. I’d seen her flirt relentlessly whether she was interested in a guy or not. “He was cute, and interested.” I nudged her arm. “So why the cold-shoulder treatment?”
“Cats are sneaky, devious, and not to be trusted.” Berkley stated her belief in a matter-of-fact tone as if it were a written rule.
I glanced over at Derrick, who’d moved to the other end of the long counter and was talking to another customer. “He’s...I never would have guessed.” I took a sip of my beer, quickly averting my gaze so Derrick wouldn’t catch me staring. Even though he’d worked at the bar for a few years, I didn’t know him all that well. On the few occasions I’d chatted with him, he’d always been nice to me. “What kind?”
Berkley sneered. “A mountain lion.”
Bad luck with men was one of the things Berkley and I had in common. Though she’d never given me many details, I knew she’d been in a relationship a few years ago. A serious relationship that had ended badly. I couldn’t remember Berkley ever expressing a dislike for cats before, not even the domestic kind. Had the guy who’d dumped her been a cat shifter? If he was, it would explain her aversion to getting involved with one.
“The cute cowboy headed this way, however, will do very nicely.” Berkley took another sip of her drink, her eyes sparkling with interest.
I followed the direction of her perusal to the man stalking toward us with a confident swagger. His black suede hat was tipped back on his head. He was tall, wore a short-sleeved shirt that accentuated his broad chest, and his jeans clung to a nice set of thick thighs and long legs. Cute was an understatement, and even I had to admit the guy was drool-worthy. Now that I thought about it, a lot of the guys in the bar were lean towers of muscle. Were they also shifters? Had I been living in my own little world for so long that I hadn’t noticed? “Is he...”
“Wolf, definitely all wolf.” Berkley swiped her tongue across her lower lip as if someone had been dangling a delectable piece of chocolate in front of her.
The guy, wearing a cocky grin, didn’t stop until the front of his thighs were inches from Berkley’s knees. He gave me a brief glance, then trained his dark gaze on my friend. “Hello, sweet thing. Care to dance?” He held out his hand, his question more of a statement, as if turning him down was not an option.
Berkley swept her hand across her neck, flicking dark chestnut curls behind her back. She let her gaze slowly roam up and down his body, the specks of amber sparkling in her dark brown eyes, then gave him a satisfied smirk. “I’d love to.” After draining the rest of her drink, she set the glass on the counter and took his hand. She leaned forward, her tall, shapely frame gliding gracefully from the stool. She winked at me, then held out her hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.
I watched my friend go and envied the way she embraced everything in life. Part of me wished I had Berkley’s confidence when it came to men. Another part sat there silently hoping no one would notice me.
The second part of my wish went unnoticed when I heard someone calling my name. I glanced in the direction of the man’s voice and smiled at the guy walking toward me. “Adam,” I said, taking note of my old friend. He was dressed in a pair of casual slacks and a button-down shirt, and appeared more businesslike and professional than the kid I’d grown up with. His dark hair was cropped short to his head, no longer worn in the straggly shoulder-length style I remembered.
I leaned forward and accepted his hug. “Tired of the big-city life already,” I teased and motioned for him to take Berkley’s vacated seat. From the time we’d become friends in high school, all Adam had talked about was his dream of becoming a highly paid IT consultant. Five years ago, his determination had paid off, and he’d acquired a great job in Colorado Springs.
“Not quite.” He grinned, straddled the stool, and set his drink on the bar. “I’m here on vacation. Came down to see the folks for a few days.”
“I’ll bet they’re glad to have you home.”
“Yeah. My dad still refuses to leave town, so it’s the only way I get to see them.”
I knew a lot of the older residents who’d been born and raised in Ashbury felt the same way. This was their home. They were comfortable here and had no interest in going anywhere else.
“You’re looking good.” He didn’t bother to hide his appreciative perusal, which lingered a little longer than you’d expect from a casual friend. “How have you been?”
Honestly, this new side of Adam made me a little uncomfortable, and I squirmed on my seat. “Good, staying busy...you know, the usual.”
“I was sorry to hear about you and Craig.” He flashed me a sympathetic smile. “I never believed what he was telling everyone.”
I flinched, remembering the rest of the humiliation that haunted me every time I ran into one of Craig’s buddies and had to endure their condescending sneers. The lying asshole had the audacity to tell all his friends—people I’d believed were my friends too—that I’d been the one who’d cheated on him.
Adam reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “For the record, I always thought you were too good for him.”
“Thanks.” Craig was a touchy subject, one I didn’t enjoy discussing with anyone. Adam continued to hold my hand, and for the first time, I noticed a hint of desire in his gaze. I’d never been interested in him that way and was sure I never would. I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression, so I pulled my hand free and reached for my drink. After taking a long swallow, I glanced down the bar and waved to get Derrick’s attention. If this was the direction the rest of my night was headed, I was going to need another drink, maybe several.
––––––––
NICK
My wolf and I were beyond agitated by the time Reese pulled his truck to a stop next to the jeep parked in the gravel drive. My plans for heading to the bar and finding Mandy and Berkley were put on hold when we received a call from Bryson Cruise, the bear shifter Reese had hired to patrol the perimeter and check on the cabins located farthest from the lodge. He’d reported that some vandals had broken into one of the unoccupied cabins on the eastern side of our property.
As soon as we got out of the vehicle, Bryson lumbered down the porch steps, the wood creaking under his weight. He was naked and clutching the tattered pieces of what appeared to be his uniform in one hand and his cell phone in the other. I assumed by his appearance that he’d recently shifted and hadn’t bothered to take off his clothes first. I’d found myself in similar situations over the years.
“I’m really sorry, boss.” Bryson set the items on the hood of truck, then glanced sheepishly between Reese and me. “They were in their vehicle and out of here before I had a chance to catch them. I followed them as far as the border near Bishop’s property.” He rolled his shoulders, seemingly proud of his endeavor.
Bryson was well over six feet tall, huge for a guy in human form and not a person anyone wanted to mess with. If he’d been able to catch the intruders, I had no doubt he would have caused some serious damage.
“I didn’t think it would be a good idea to keep going, but I can if...” Bryson appeared eager about the prospect.
Reese shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. You did the right thing by calling us.” He frowned at the tree line, then glanced back at me, and I knew what was going through his mind. Hearing that the truck disappeared onto Bishop’s land wasn’t a surprise to either of us and confirmed our suspicions about the man’s involvement. His lust for our land had been a topic of quite a few of our conversations. We knew he was dangerous and had spent quite a bit of time speculating what Bishop’s next move might be.
On at least one occasion, Reese had voiced his concern about the crash that had ended our grandfather’s life. According to Reese, who’d been close to James, the old man had spent his entire life in this area and knew every road, trail, and path. The old pickup James had been driving when he died was found at the bottom of a deep ravine, too beat up to tell if it had any help going over the ledge. Though he couldn’t prove it, Reese didn’t believe it was an accident and suspected Bishop was somehow behind it.
Since using his influence to cut off our local suppliers hadn’t worked, it appeared Bishop was trying a more direct approach to shut us down. Damaging our property wouldn’t stop us, but having to make additional repairs would be costly and slow down the opening of the resort.
Reese opened his truck door and reached behind the seat. He pulled out a pair of sweats and tossed them to Bryson.
“Appreciate it.” Bryson caught them with one hand and quickly tugged them up his legs. The fit was tight, and the length barely reached his ankles.
“Since we’re here, why don’t you show us the damage?” Reese nodded toward the cabin.
The longer we were here, the more time Mandy was at the bar and around other males. My wolf was growling, anxious to get going. I wasn’t thrilled either, but this was important, and I didn’t want to let my brother down.
“Most of the damage was done to the plumbing.” Bryson took the lead and headed for the porch.
Once inside, Bryson stopped in the kitchen and pointed at the wrench lying on the floor next to the open cabinet underneath the sink. “I don’t believe they were expecting me. It looks like they were planning to do a lot more damage but dropped everything when they heard me coming.”
The presence of a tool meant the intruders had come prepared. If they’d been regular vandals or teenagers bent on destruction, they would’ve destroyed the furniture or gone after easier targets like the television sitting on a stand in the corner.
Bryson scratched the stubble covering his chin. “The bathroom was torn up pretty good, but I was able shut off the water and used some of the guest towels to clean up the mess on the floors to save the tile and carpeting.”
“Did you get a good look at them?” I asked. I wasn’t fond of law enforcement and avoided them as much as possible. If Bryson could recognize those responsible, then maybe we could stop them before they had a chance to do something worse.
Bryson gave a disappointed shrug. “There were two males, and I only saw them from behind. Did catch a scent, though, and they were wolves.”
The one advantage to being a wild wolf was the ability to hunt and track better than any of the other breeds. Instead of picking up the wrench, I left it lying on the floor and crouched beside it. After one deep whiff, I was able to get the scent of the person who’d handled it last and logged it into my memory. I moved through the remainder of the cabin, picking up Bryson’s scent. Because he’d cleaned in the bathroom, the intruder’s scents were faint, harder to detect. It took me a little longer to find an odor for the second man. Now if my path crossed with either of them, I’d recognize them immediately.
We spent the next ten minutes checking the rest of the building and locking everything up. After a few parting words to Bryson, Reese returned me to my cabin. Before I could get out of the vehicle, he turned to me and said, “Why don’t you come by the lodge for breakfast in the morning so we can discuss hiring some more security to help Bryson patrol?”
“Sounds good.” I quickly exited the vehicle. I would have agreed to pretty much anything if it hurried my brother on his way so I could leave to find Mandy.
