Chapter Twenty
“So, what do you want from the Lunar Lantern?” Erica asked Dominic over the phone as she played with the tip of her braid.
In the living room, ABBA’s Greatest Hits CD played on the radio on the mantel, and she knew Dominic could likely hear it on the other end of the line, but she was done being shy about her music around him.
“Just tell Jaime to fix me up the usual.”
She could tell by the slow way he formed the words that he was distracted.
The antique shop reopened a few days after the two shifters had trashed it.
Some of Dominic’s pack came in to help clean, but reimbursement for losses through the insurance company proved to be the most difficult part of the recovery.
He must have been filling out more forms, comparing his claims to his old inventory sheet to see how much he’d actually lost.
What became affectionately called “The Battle for Tolstone” ended a few weeks ago.
All of Wyatt’s pack had been forced out, with the exception of Kaelyn and Nolan, who had completely disassociated themselves from the psychotic shifter’s scheme before it went too far.
It took more than a little convincing to get Cole to adopt them into his pack, but Dominic was sure the arrangement would work out for the better.
When it came to the fate of the remainder of Wyatt’s pack, Dominic wasn’t without mercy.
He called in a favor with a former pack that had moved on from Tolstone the prior year.
They were willing to accept the stragglers, and the Prime Alpha footed the bill for any expenses involved with the move, his final parting courtesy.
Only Wyatt and Nathan got the short end of the stick.
Nathan wouldn’t have been missed, but it took quite a bit of lying to cover up Wyatt’s sudden disappearance.
A secret love affair with an unknown secretary from Springfield and an impromptu elopement to the Bahamas were thrown in, and no one questioned it further.
Xavier stepped forward to testify against Nathan, saying that he was the one to put the drugs in Erica’s home, and this was further enforced when the criminal’s fingerprints were found on the drug bags.
One more warrant was added to his record, the drugs were turned over to county authorities, and Erica was acquitted of the charges against her.
It seemed as if all had gone back to the way it had been, with some obvious exceptions.
“So, an avocado tofu burger with sautéed mushrooms and loaded with pickles?” she teased.
“Yeah, sure.” More page flipping on the other end of the line.
Erica knew very well that he hated all of those things she’d just mentioned. “Dominic, you’re not listening.”
He let out a sigh, and she heard the creak of his office chair. “I am listening.”
“So, you do want that tofu burger?”
“God, no! Who said anything about tofu?”
Erica laughed. “I did! See, you weren’t listening.”
He sighed, and she could imagine him rubbing his hand over his face. Over the weeks, Erica had had the chance to learn all his little quirks, and by now, he was almost predictable. “I’m sorry. This stuff is driving me up the wall, and we’ve got the alpha meeting in a couple of hours.”
“Was that tonight?” She turned and looked at the calendar pinned to the wall.
Dominic took the liberty of marking the days with all the meetings and shifter-related events so she’d be aware of them in advance.
That was another thing she’d have to get used to.
These unavoidable meetings with all the alphas of Tolstone.
Hank and Cole would be there, along with Gage, and the new alpha from Kansas who had just arrived a couple of days ago.
It was a big night, and Erica could have sworn it wasn’t for another few days.
“Yep. And I’m so not prepared for it.”
“Well, let me get you some food and maybe that’ll help you transition from daytime antique shop owner to moonlighting as a Prime Alpha.”
He let out a low, core-quivering chuckle that never failed to make her smile. “Moonlight Prime Alpha. I like that.”
Erica stood from her chair at the breakfast nook table and walked down the hall, her bare feet slapping against the newly refinished, polished wooden floors. She loved that sound. “So, the usual? Anything to drink?”
“We’ve got pop upstairs.”
“All right. I’ll be there in an hour or so. Just let me get changed.”
Dominic’s voice drawled out in that sexy way she liked so much. “Man, I wish I were there to see that.”
Erica giggled. “I bet you do.” Even though he wasn’t there to see it, she subconsciously swung her hips as she climbed the stairs. It drove him crazy whenever she did that.
“You’ll just have to show me what I missed when you get here.”
A flash of heat plumed up her neck and into her cheeks. “Did you ever fix the lock on that office door?”
“No,” he groaned.
“Then I don’t think a strip tease in the shop is a smart idea.”
“Tonight?”
“You have the alpha meeting.”
“I mean after that.”
As she rounded the top of the stairs, her hand lingered over the smooth baluster, pretending she caressed Dominic’s firm, muscular body. “Maybe,” she teased. “Your place or mine?”
“I have the bigger bed … Ah, shit.”
Erica froze. “What?”
“Hank’s here. I’ve got to go.”
She rolled her eyes, hating that their playful conversation had to be cut short. “That’s fine. I have to get dressed anyway.”
“I’ll see you in a little bit. I love you.”
Those words, so simple and yet they always evoked such a stirring response from her heart, as if they were spoken for the very first time, every time.
“I love you too,” she replied before the call disconnected.
The last month had changed her life in ways she could have never predicted.
She didn’t come to Tolstone looking for love, but she found it in Dominic.
She didn’t think she would ever find a family, but Cole came out of nowhere, and every member of the shifter packs in the town was so welcoming to her as the Prime Alpha’s mate.
This community proved to be everything she needed but never knew she was missing.
They were a support group of people who were willing to root for her, her business, and do everything they could to make her feel accepted.
The house had improved by leaps and bounds.
People like Jaime and Gwen gave her old furniture that they were looking to get rid of.
Declan, one of Gage’s pack, was a competent architect who came over to either help with repairs to the house or give her pointers on how to maintain the Victorian architecture.
Some stuff she already knew, but she let him give his two cents worth.
Not a week went by when someone didn’t offer her help, furniture, cooking ware, or artwork to make her house into a proper home that she could feel comfortable in again.
As she dressed, her gaze fell onto the box that had shaken her world.
Erica had pushed it back into the closet, and it remained untouched since that day she discovered Cole was her father.
The open box lids taunted her, calling her to take one more peek into the past that was so perfect before she was born, before her parents split up.
She didn’t think she was ready to dive in again and look through the photo albums full of smiling faces or touch the movie ticket stubs that her mother had once touched. As she stared down at the lonely box of memories, it invited her to look again.
Erica gave in. Just for a moment. She wanted to find one particular picture of her mom when she was a teenager that she liked. Maybe she could take it somewhere and have it enlarged to hang in one of the rooms on the second floor.
With all the impartiality she could muster, Erica sat down in front of the box and pulled out the albums. She flipped through the pages.
Her eyes skimmed the photos, looking for the right one, but all the objectivity in the world couldn’t keep her stomach from fluttering when she saw the first few pictures of Cole standing with her mom.
Steeling herself again, she put one album aside after another, looking for that picture she remembered.
When she finally found it, the one of her mother in a sparkling blue prom dress with puffy sleeves that came off her shoulders, Erica peeled back the thin plastic sheath.
Careful not to damage the old photo, she pulled it off the black backing.
Her mother was stunning with her light brown hair done up in a curly perm, eyes bright and cheerful, and with the white corsage on her wrist. Erica tenderly stroked the edges of the photo as a slight smile found its way to her lips.
Another month had passed, and the loss wasn’t any easier to bear, but these pictures eased the pain somehow.
Before she stacked the albums back inside the box where she never had to see them again, Erica caught a glimpse of something white at the very bottom among the other paraphernalia.
An envelope, a little faded with age, was stuffed beneath all the albums. Her name was scrawled across the top in her mother’s handwriting.
Erica greedily reached for the envelope and stared at the face of it.
The handwriting always conjured up memories of little notes her mother stuck in her school lunchbox.
Simple things like I love you, have a great day and I’m so glad you’re my daughter.
If they had a fight the night before, her mother used these notes to apologize in some way or another.
If she wanted to make plans after school, she’d tell Erica about it this way so she’d jump out of her seat to hurry home after the dismissal bell rang.
By the bulkiness of this envelope, her mother had one last thing to say to her that couldn’t be crammed on a sticky note.
Unsure whether it was wise or not, Erica tore open the envelope and read.
Sweetheart,
I’m writing this while you’re in the backyard taking pictures of the flowers.
You were always the creative one. I want to say you got it from me, but that would be a lie.
If you’re reading this, you must have opened the box of things that belonged to me and your dad before he left.
I hope wherever you are in life, you’re in a place where you can forgive your dad for not being here.
I’m not going to waste this letter trying to convince you to forgive him. I want you to forgive me.
I lied. I told you that your dad abandoned us, but it was a mutual decision.
There are many things in this world that I hope you never come to understand, but I do want you to know one thing.
I loved your dad. If I’m honest with myself, I’d say that I still do.
He is the best, most honorable man I know.
Life has a funny way of bringing people together who should have never been together in the first place, and that’s what happened with your dad and me.
There are things about him that made our marriage difficult.
He was dedicated to his job, and years later, I understand why.
I don’t have many regrets in life, but I do regret taking you away from your dad, or at least not allowing him to visit when he wanted.
What’s done is done, and we can’t change the past. I might be rambling, but I need you to know that for better or for worse, you are a gift.
A treasure. Never think that our separation had anything to do with you.
It happened during a time when everything wasn’t going well for your dad, and I was too young and blind to see that it was possible for a man to love two things at once.
His family and his job. He was so good at his job, but all I saw was my own pain and how he wasn’t there when he said he would be.
I was selfish and stubborn. I threw away a good man, and I’m writing this letter because I don’t want you to do the same.
You take after me in so many ways, but I don’t want you to follow in my footsteps.
If you find love, which I hope you do when the time is right, I hope you hold on to him with both hands and don’t let go.
Don’t let your pride force him away. You’re already showing signs that you’re going to be just as independent as me, but don’t let that get in the way of letting someone in.
I chose this life. I made the decision not to rely on any man because I was afraid of being hurt again, like your dad hurt me.
But that doesn’t have to be the way you live.
Learn to trust, learn to open up, and let someone open the door for you once in a while. No one needs to walk this life alone.
So, forgive me for being a terrible role model. Forgive me for making a decision that changed our lives without any consideration for you or your upbringing. If I could have gone back and done things over, I would have tried to work things out between your dad and me.
I know you’re going to grow up into a strong, confident, talented woman. You’re only ten right now, but I can already see so much of your dad in you. Just learn when to hold your ground and when to let things go.
If you have the chance, if you want to see your father, his name is Cole Spradley.
He’s a sheriff in Tolstone, and I’m sure everyone knows him.
If you don’t want to see him, I understand, but at least consider it.
He wants to know you so badly. He always hoped you’d grow up to be beautiful and smart, and I want him to know that you are and so much more.
He loves you so much, Erica. And I hope you can learn to love him too.
Love you to the moon and back,
Mom
The bottom was signed with X’s and O’s, the way they used to finish off each of their letters to one another, but Erica could barely see them through the tears.
She had expected something like a farewell letter, or something to echo what she thought her mom believed of Cole from the start.
She expected hateful words about how he abandoned them and threw away his family. She didn’t expect an apology.
She rubbed her knuckles into her eyes to wipe away the tears, but the damage had been done.
Now she knew that her mom never held a grudge against Cole.
She regretted everything. If only they could turn back time and do things over, like the letter said.
Then again, if they did, she might never have met Dominic, and then she’d never be able to follow one of her mom’s last requests.