Kat watched Brady disappear into the night. She’d heard the warning in his bark; he didn’t want her to follow, and she wouldn’t. But she wasn’t going to leave him out there alone.
Heading back to the bedroom, she redressed, then cleaned up the mess Brady left on the floor, before making her way to the front door to grab her coat and boots. Pulling her gloves from her coat pockets, she slipped them on as well as her beanie. Checking the slide bolts on the front door were locked, she went back to the kitchen and pulled out the ingredients for hot chocolate.
She’d need something to keep her warm while she waited and Brady would need warming up when he got back.
The kitchen was clean. They’d taken care of that before they’d… Kat shivered.
Jeez. She’d never felt anything like what they’d done. Sure, she’d taken care of herself over the years; it usually took far longer than it had just now, but still, she’d known she wasn’t frigid in spite of her lack of arousal with any of the men or boys she’d messed around with in the past.
She’d heard a mating bond could be intense. Gordie had been honest about her mating with Anthony all those years ago but that hadn’t been a true mating like she had with Brady. And Kat hadn’t thought about asking her sister about the bond with Steve. Not with everything else going on in recent weeks.
Gordie would be honest with her though. She could trust her sister’s thoughts and opinions because she’d never lie to Kat.
Glancing around, Kat spotted her phone on the counter, and grabbing it, shoved it in her pocket. She’d get a cup of hot chocolate, the quilt from the bedroom, and head out onto the back porch to wait for Brady.
Plan set, she made quick work of heating the milk, adding the cocoa, and stirring until the liquid was smooth. She filled a mug, left the rest in the pan, then ducked into the bedroom to grab the quilt.
Back in the kitchen, she picked up her cup and headed outside into the cold. Slipping out the back door, she shivered as the wind buffeted her. Small flakes of snow caught on the swirling wind wet her face and she looked for the most sheltered section of the porch.
The only place to sit was an old swing that didn’t look as though it would hold her weight, except it was out of the flying snow, and unless she wanted to huddle on the floor, her only option. Walking over she put her mug down, and gingerly lowered herself, slowly letting the seat support her.
When the chains didn’t creak or groan, she figured it was safe. Bending over, she lifted her mug and sat back. Slipping her phone out of her pocket, she draped the quilt over her legs and tucked it around her waist.
Three taps had Kat connecting to her sister.
“Hey, what’s up?” Gordie answered on the second ring.
“Hey.” Taking a deep breath, Kat dove right in. “What was your mating bond like with Steve?”
“Whoa. Whoa. Where did that come from?”
“I need to know if this is normal.”
“If what’s normal? Kat, where are you? What’s going on? You sound like you’re outside in the storm.”
Sighing, Kat started at the beginning. “Brady’s my mate.”
“I know. You told me, remember?”
She’d forgotten that. So much had happened since Brady arrived in town. “I’m at his house.”
“Oh. Did you mate?”
“No. I’m not ready for that. We haven’t even kissed.”
“Then what has you all worked up? I know you, you’re freaking out over something. Is it because you can’t control this?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s part of it. I asked him to wait. I don’t want to mark each other or mate yet and, well, I suggested we fool around with ourselves in front of each other and we did, except something happened and Brady ran, shifted, and took off into the forest.”
“Slow down, slow down, one thing at a time. Let me get this straight, you masturbated in front of each other so you wouldn’t be marked; is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, that sounds like a normal thing to do whether you’re a mated pair or not, and it’s probably sensible until you can come to terms with the hurt you both suffered when he left Whispering Springs. So what happened that made Brady run?”
“I don’t know! That’s why I’m calling you! God, Gordie, he couldn’t get away quick enough and he growled at me when I followed, the message to stay put perfectly clear. Did I do something wrong? We both got off and I thought we both enjoyed it but maybe—”
“Hang on a sec, Kat,” Gordie ordered before her voice muffled. She could hear her sister talking to someone and assumed it was Steve. Gordie’s next words confirmed it. They also confirmed that Steve had heard every word of their conversation so far. “I’m putting you on speaker so Steve can talk.”
Kat groaned as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. The action made the swing rock beneath her and she straightened—braced—ready for the thing to collapse. Nothing happened though, so she eased back into her reclined position and took a sip of cocoa.
“Kat?”
“Hmm…”
“Sorry to interrupt but I think I can shed light on what went on,” Steve explained.
“Okay.”
“It’s my opinion, and Doc agrees with me, that Brady came close to claiming you without your consent. Now I don’t know him, didn’t before, and I haven’t even laid eyes on him since he returned so I can’t make a judgement call on his character but I can tell you what it sounds like. Gordie has told me a little about him in the last few days, and I trust her assessment of him. He’s taken the immediate danger, danger as he perceives it, away from his mate. From you.”
“He took himself away because he thought he’d hurt me?” Kat didn’t understand how Brady could hurt her; he’d never be physically violent with her and she was sure he loved her and wouldn’t be emotionally abusive either. Gordie had been right to point out Brady was nothing like his father or brother because he wasn’t. He’d only ever been kind, caring, and protective.
“By claiming you before you’re ready, he’d be hurting you. And him.”
Steve’s words lit up all kinds of light bulbs. “Oh.”
Jeez, she was such an idiot.
Brady would never try to control her. He’d value her opinions, her wants; he’d even pushed his own wants aside to give her hers.
“Kat?”
“Yeah.”
“He’ll come back,” her sister said.
“Yeah, he will.” Taking a deep breath, Kat asked the question she was pretty sure she knew the answer to, but wanted to hear the words from Gordie anyway. “Will this be a problem for you, Gordie?”
“What? You and Brady being mates? Why would that be a problem for me?”
“Because he’s a Connelly. I’ll be living in the Connelly home.” Oh God, when had she made that decision? “He’ll be a constant reminder of what happened.”
“The only thing Brady will be is the man who makes you happy. Who helps you give me lots of nieces and nephews to spoil.”
Kat laughed. “Jesus, you two need to give me nieces and nephews first.”
“We could do it together,” Gordie whispered. “Mum and Dad would be over the moon if we did.”
“I’m not even mated yet. Shit. We haven’t even kissed.”
“Then when he gets back, kiss him.”
Kat didn’t think they were ready for that but couldn’t deny the desire was strong. There was something else she needed to ask her sister. “Hey, Gordie, do you remember Mrs. Connelly being pregnant?”
“No. I didn’t live here when Brady was born.”
“I mean when you were about nine.”
“Nine…? No, I don’t remember her ever being pregnant. Kat, what’s going on?”
“You transferred all Dad’s old medical records to digital form, right?”
“Yes, you helped. Why?”
“So if there was another Connelly boy, it would be recorded in Dad’s files and you’d have put them in your database.”
“Kathren Joy Monroe, you tell me right this second what the hell this is about. There’s only two Connelly children that I know of, and I’m pretty sure I would have remembered seeing a record showing Mrs. Connelly having another baby whether the baby lived or not, and I don’t.”
Kat could hear the frustration and curiosity in her sister’s voice. She owed it to her to explain, especially seeing how she was going to ask to see those records. “We found a birth certificate for Jacob Connelly in Brady’s mom’s things.”
“Jacob? It doesn’t ring any bells. And I’ve got a good memory.”
“Brady said that.”
“So you want me to search the files?”
“I was going to ask to do it.”
“I’d let you but patient confidentiality has to be considered.”
“I’m only asking to see Michelle Connelly’s records and she’s dead. Believe me, I have no intention of gossiping about what I find at the Den or anywhere else.”
“Okay, if Brady agrees, yes, you can go through her file. When?”
“After the snow lets up?”
“I’ll be at the clinic as soon as that happens, so come in whenever, and I’ll set you up in the office.”
“Thanks, Gordie.”
“What are you thinking?”
God, her sister knew her too well. “I’m not sure yet but something doesn’t sit right with Brady’s mom leaving Marcus behind. I can’t pinpoint what, but it doesn’t jive with the woman I remember.”
“Yeah, I never understood that either and if I’m honest, I actually thought Malcolm had killed her and Brady, and hidden it. That was why I left after the accident. I don’t remember it, anything, until I came to in the hospital but I always got a bad feeling around Malcolm and I had the nightmare where I was trapped and could hear him laughing.”
“You never told me about that. But I know what you mean about Malcolm, he always gave me the creeps even before I had that run-in with him after Brady left.” She didn’t have the right to tell her sister Brady’s revelation about the Wilders. He’d have to be the one to share that if it was going to get out. And she wasn’t ready to voice her suspicion about her sister’s accident either. So many things were clicking into place for her. For Brady’s sake, Kat hoped she was wrong about most of them.
“Do you want to stay on the phone until Brady gets back?” Gordie asked.
“No. I’m good. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Message me every day.”
Kat laughed. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
“I know. I just worry with you being at the Connelly place.”
“The threat the Connelly place held is long gone; you saw to that.”
“I think there’s more damage those men can do from the grave.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
“Right back at you.”
“Fine. We’ll keep our secrets for now.”
“Secrets always find their way out into the open.”
“They do, but these aren’t mine to tell.”
“Okay, let Brady know there’s no rush on making a decision. He’s got time.”
“I think we should put that decision off indefinitely.”
“Why?”
“You might want to do some research.” God, she hoped she didn’t give anything away. But her sister was good at reading between the lines, finding the pieces and putting the puzzle together. It was one of the many things they had in common. “Just don’t do anything yet.”
“All right.”
Kat thought about the journals inside, the secrets they held, the one she thought might strip away everything Brady believed about himself and the family he’d been raised in.
“Call if you need me,” Gordie said. “Any time. Day or night.”
“Thanks. Give Steve a hug for me.”
“Already on that,” Gordie said with a laugh.
“’Night, Kat.” Steve’s deep voice reminded Kat she hadn’t only been talking to her sister.
“’Night. And thank you.”
“You’re welcome. If he’s not back in a couple of hours, give us a call. I’ll head out and see if I can round him up.”
“No need. I’m sure he’ll be back when he’s ready.”
“Don’t stay outside waiting too long, Kat; it’s going to get cold fast,” Gordie warned. “You can wait inside just as well as out there.”
“How do you know I’m outside?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
Kat chuckled. “No. ’Night, you two.”
“’Night,” they chorused.
She disconnected and lowered the phone to her lap, her gaze on the dark shadow of the trees lining the yard.
She’d give Brady another ten minutes, then she’d go back inside. She doubted she’d be able to sleep until he returned but she could make herself useful while she waited. If the snow kept up, and it was supposed to, they’d be housebound for a few days, and nothing beat a nice pot of homemade soup on snow days.
She’d brought plenty of fresh vegetables with her earlier. The steak she’d brought would be better for stew but the whole chicken would make a nice accompaniment to all those veggies.
The wind howled through the trees, snow flying in every direction. Shivering, she tucked the quilt up under her chin.
It really was getting colder. Deciding Gordie had a point and not wanting to worry her or Brady if he came back and found her shivering on the back porch, Kat stood, gathered the quilt and mug, and headed inside.