Chapter 7 #2
Then a group of five people came into the shop. One of the two women said, “We missed your grand opening because we were hiking, but before we leave Silver Town, we wanted to stop by.”
“Oh, I’m thrilled. Feel free to browse.”
They soon picked out some items—fall sweatshirts and Halloween items—and then purchased them and left.
“Well, that was good.” She was relieved to have made more sales.
“See?” Daniel said.
Then more people trickled in and purchased several items.
She continued to have a few sales throughout the day and was thrilled.
“See? You’re doing well.”
“Not like yesterday, but if I continue to have regular sales like this, I should be able to keep the store open.”
They had tuna sandwiches for lunch, and she said, “By the way, what do you think about checking the cemetery out again?”
“No. Peter and the deputies will be searching for the men, looking for more skeletons and any other clues that the brothers had been there.”
“Their scents.”
“You didn’t find any fingerprints on the bones. They had to have been wearing gloves,” Daniel said.
“So they were prepared somewhat. They just didn’t expect that we could smell their scents.”
“Right. What would you like for dinner?” he asked.
“Spaghetti?”
“You’ve got it.”
“So how long before we can get back to a cemetery to look at it?” she asked.
“A few days, I imagine. No one wants you facing those men again while they’re on the loose. It doesn’t matter that you have a gun,” Daniel said.
“You’re right.”
“You’ll be here for a long time so you’ll have all the time in the world to write about the cemeteries. In the meantime, you can enjoy the time with me.”
“I know I will. I’ll concentrate on the shop for now.”
“Perfect.”
The shop was now officially closed for the night, and she was eager to enjoy the time with Daniel. “Let’s go home and eat.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Then they went home and worked on the spaghetti together. She loved making meals with him in his large kitchen with a super large island that worked great for preparing meals and cookies.
“Parmesan cheese?” she asked.
“In the fridge.”
She brought it out, surprised at how well stocked his fridge and cabinets were.
Like his bedroom, the cabinets were all off-white, and all his appliances were stainless steel.
It was a dream working in his kitchen. Even though she’d owned a home in Fort Wayne when she lived there, it had been small and everything had been compact, including her kitchen.
He finished making the noodles. She helped with the hamburger sauce and with cutting up the tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic cloves, and onions.
Then he drained the noodles and plated them. She scooped up the sauce and added it to the noodles, then sprinkled Parmesan cheese on it. They placed the plates of spaghetti and glasses of wine on the dining room table.
“To another successful day at the shop.” He toasted her with his glass of wine.
She drank to the toast. “To a lovely day. And a wonderful wolf run?”
“Yeah, I would like that.”
“I wonder why the brothers would kill someone. Like father, like sons?” she asked, unable to think of what reason they had.
“Or maybe they didn’t kill the woman. Maybe their father did, and they tried to hide her body so that he wouldn’t get caught for another murder.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a good supposition, but why come here where I am?”
“To get their dad off by getting the file you had on their father, and figured this was far enough from home that they could dump the body at the same time in an old cemetery that no one visits. Until now.”
“Yeah, they didn’t expect me to explore cemeteries and find the body.” Which meant they had to hate her even more if they learned of it.
After finishing their meal, they stored the remaining spaghetti. She came to his side and wrapped her arms around him. "Shall we run in the woods tonight?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with the promise of transformation.
"Nothing I would want more," he murmured against her hair before claiming her mouth with his own.
It seemed he had other things in mind. And he almost changed her mind about going for a wolf run. But she really wanted to run with him as a wolf first, then go from there. Then they stripped off their clothes and shifted. Daniel proceeded her out the wolf door, making sure the way was clear.
He was a true hero.
She quickly followed him outside, and they ran together, playing with each other.
She knew she wanted this with him—not just his help and protection, but the meals and wolf runs.
The cuddling in bed at night—and more. She hadn’t had anything like it with her other boyfriends, and she knew Daniel was so much more special.
Even though she had been considering getting an apartment for the time being, but couldn’t with the three brothers on the loose, she was now thinking about how much she would like to stay with Daniel. But of course, he would have to feel the same way.
Then she heard rustling in the fallen leaves nearby, and instinctively, she ran off to check it out. As a wolf, she could run so much faster than a human. But she was hoping it was just a deer.
They were about a mile from Daniel’s house, so too far away for the men to know that’s where she was staying. Yet it still bothered her that they might learn she was staying with him there.
Daniel ran beside her once he figured out what she was up to. Had he heard the movement also?
She finally reached the spot where the sound had come from—deer, four of them, but they were long gone now.
She still felt uneasy about the men learning that she was staying with Daniel.
All they had to do was wait for her to go to the shop with him in the morning, then leave the shop with him at the end of the day so they could assume she was living at his home.
He finally nudged at her, indicating he wanted them to return home.
It was time to call it a night. She felt spooked.
They went a long way around, checking their surroundings, then reached the house and bolted inside. If the men had been following them and happened to see them leave it as wolves, at least it would have looked like they had big, scary dogs—maybe wolf dogs—protecting the house and Daniel and her.
Inside the house, they dressed and then headed for their respective bathrooms to shower.
When they joined each other in the bedroom, he said, “It was just deer. I didn’t smell any sign of the men.”
“Me either. But I did think if they saw us going into the house, or leaving it as wolves, they might be too scared to try and break in and learn if I was staying with you.”
He rubbed her shoulder. “I don’t want you to leave here, but if you think they’ll come after you here and you would feel safer, you could stay with someone else for a while. One of the other deputy sheriffs, or the Silvers even. Any of them would take you in, and all are safe to be with.”
“And forgo my nightly wolf run with you?”
He smiled and crawled into bed with her. “You don’t have to get an apartment. You can stay with me until you’re ready to look for a house. That’s after the threat of the three brothers is gone.”
It sounded to her like he wasn’t ready to declare she was the one for him.
Not that she had done so for him either, but she really wanted to be with him exclusively.
What if she told him she really cared for him and he rejected her?
What if he was only doing this as his job?
Then she felt she couldn’t stay with him because it could hurt his chances of being with someone else he truly cared about.
Wolves had exclusive relationships, and that would stifle his ability to find his one and only. Though thinking of such a thing hurt her deep down. She even thought staying here wouldn’t be worth it. That’s how much she was already tied up in how she was feeling about him.
Then they cuddled, and everything seemed all right between them.
“Do you ever think about your long-term plans?” he asked.
Staying here forever if he were in her life. “I love it here,” she blurted out. “A wolf-run town, friendly and helpful wolves, you.” She sighed. “Especially you.” She had never opened up to a guy like that before. But it was true. He was what made her want to stay more than anything.
He smiled.
“What are your long-term plans?”
“Settle down and have a mate, children, and continue to work as a deputy sheriff.”
A mate. He sounded like he was still looking for a suitable mate.
“Nice plans,” she said, trying not to sound disappointed that he hadn’t said what she wanted to hear.
“Yeah. I wanted to propose you stay with me, forgo the apartment for the month, and when you’re ready, find a home you want.”
That cinched it. She wasn’t the one for him. Which meant she wanted to move out right away.
“You know, the brothers probably realize I’m living with you. I think it would be a good idea for me to stay with others until they’re caught.”
He didn’t say anything for a long time. Then he finally said, “All right. I’ll arrange with Peter to have places available for you to reside.
Knowing him, he and Meghan will have you settle at their home for as long as you want until you feel unsafe and want to move to another home where someone can protect you. ”
“Okay, good.” Then she rolled over to go to sleep.
As if he didn’t know how hurt she felt, he drew close and cuddled with her, but she wasn’t in the mood. She didn’t snuggle him back and waited for dawn to arrive so she could pack and move to another house.
And start seeing other wolves.