His Wolf (Wolf of My Heart) (18 page)

"I'll buy you a new car."

"I'll buy my own when I get a job," I told him.

"You're just nineteen. I should be paying the bills."

"You can co-sign on the loan," I retorted with a teasing smile I hoped would soothe him.

"At least your savings is still intact. Since my name was on the account, too, I just let it ride." He dug his wallet out of his back pocket. "Do you need any money?"

"I have enough for now. If I get in a tight, I'll call you."

"On what?
I canceled your phone."

"Now
that
pisses me off."

Chuckling, Dad invited us to dinner the following weekend to celebrate Megan's thirty-fifth birthday. He was planning something special. Of course we said we'd be there.

In parting, my father gave me the longest, tightest hug ever, so naturally I cried once Erik and I were back in his car. I realized I'd felt that relieved only once before in my life: when the
Corteggio
carted Yarbrough off to prison and told me I was free to go. Erik's springing that trap in the woods rated very high, too, making those events a three-way tie.

Had I hurt my dad by not moving back home? If so, he hid it well. Though I was pretty sure he was disappointed on some level, he'd raised me to be independent, and that meant letting me live my own life. At least I'd given him the peace of knowing I was alive and happy. As for the memorial plaque in the family plot next to my mom's grave, Erik and I took care of that before we left town. We pulled the thing from the frozen ground and tossed it in a big green trash barrel.

On the drive back to the cabin, I asked Erik questions about job opportunities in Branson. I didn't want to mooch on him much longer, even if we might be mated for life. He told me about the College of the Ozarks in Lookout Point, which was just a couple of miles from Branson. Erik said that a few of his friends were going there and according to them, tuition was free because students participated in work study programs and got state and university scholarships. He also said a guy he knew was majoring in Computer Information Science, which sounded right up my alley.

"So you think I should go back, too, huh?" I asked.

"Just trying to keep your pop happy."

"And what about Bronte?
Shouldn't she be happy?"

"Yes,
which is why I don't want you to settle for a waitressing or secretary job somewhere.
You've got skills. I know for a fact you'll be better satisfied if you use them."

I smiled even though he probably couldn't see my expression in the dark. Was my guy brilliant, or what?

Erik didn't take his eyes off the road, which was icy in places. "We'll go to their website when we get to the cabin. You can check out everything."

"And speaking of websites, I want to Google Titus Leopold and see what kind of stories are circulating about him. Megan hit a little too close to home this afternoon."

"Yeah.
That was wicked weird."

"And the last thing I expected."

We got to the cabin around 9:00 thanks to slick roads and one pit stop to buy drinks we sipped the rest of the way there. Once we were indoors with flaming logs in the fireplace, I was so wired I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep for hours. So I turned on Erik's iPod and listened to his playlist. We had similar tastes, but were not an exact match by any means. I realized I liked not knowing everything about him; I looked forward to all the surprises awaiting us. I also realized he had a point about taking things slow. Why rush through this time of discovery? After all, spending days and days together might actually increase the chances of his falling for me as hard as I'd fallen for him. With luck, forever would eventually happen for us.

Forever.
Wow. If we lasted that long we'd certainly defy modern odds. How could two people who'd known each other less than
a week actually believe
they'd be together that long? They couldn't, that's how. It was just too crazy, which totally explained Erik's doubts.

Of course
crazy
depended on point of view.

From where I sat, the possibility of spending my life with Erik wasn't loco at all. In fact, it made perfect sense. I could've crashed anywhere in the Ozarks, but I did it within walking distance of his cabin. That trap was buried under snow on a two-by-two patch of earth in a forest that went on for miles, yet I'd somehow found and stepped in it. Erik could've been the trapper who'd set it. Instead, he was a photographer with a big heart and a determination to set me free. And then there was his reaction to my dual nature. Not only had he accepted my reality, something most people probably couldn't, he'd asked to be included in it.

I called those things destiny.
Fate.
Our karma.

And that made me one lucky girl. Now all I had to do was convince Erik he was one lucky guy.

We shared a bed again that night. I cuddled up to Erik, who played with my hair.

"Is this real?" He wrapped some strands around his finger.

"If you're asking if you and I are actually lying in your bed, then I'll have to say yes."

"I'm talking about our feelings for each other--our so-called chemistry. Is it real? Will it last? Evolve into something more permanent? I guess what I'm asking is does anyone actually mate for life these days?"

So he was still stewing about that. Good. That beat giving up on it. "Not as many as used to."

"But it's possible, right?"

"I believe so, yes."

"And why do you believe that?"

I raised my head to look into his dark eyes.
"Because sometimes people are perfect for each other, Erik.
Two of a kind meant to be together."

"You're talking about predestination," he murmured sleepily.

"Yes."

"I believe we make our own destinies."

"If we do, I must've done something really bad when I was little."

Since Erik softly snored instead of answering, I soon nodded off, too.

****

Friday the two of us pretty much goofed around all day. We hiked for starters. He took me to a natural spring, where he took more pictures. Around noon, we sat on a flat rock near it and had a winter picnic.

"I can't believe all this land is yours," I said, looking all around in appreciation and awe. A bright blue sky curved over us. To our left, a stream flowed past, twisting and turning its way to lower ground. To our right, lay the woods. I heard birds singing, the bark of a squirrel, wind rustling through the evergreens. The snow sparkled as if someone had strewn glitter on it.

I cherished the normalcy and companionship without a thought of Red, Buzz Cut and Blondie, who were still out there somewhere. I realized Erik was so much a part of my life that I couldn't imagine living without him. So when he stuffed our trash into the bag that had once held our lunch and then turned to me with that sexy smile of his, I naturally took advantage of our solitude and gave him a tender kiss. He naturally returned it.

"How long are you going to live with me?" he asked moments later, playing with my natural curls.

I took his question very seriously. "That depends."

"On?"

"You, of course.
I don't want to be a moocher or wear out my welcome."

"As if.
You can stay as long as you like. Forever, even. The cabin won't be home without you in it."

I liked the sound of that. "Thanks.  I'll pay my share of everything, of course."

"So you're thinking of staying forever?
Because if you are, we should add some girl things so it won't be such a man cave."

"Good idea. I know exactly what we need."

With that in mind, we drove to the nearest Wal-Mart in the afternoon. I bought a television that I intended to buy a satellite dish for as soon as I had a job--just planning ahead. I missed my shows on the
SyFy
channel. I also bought some scented candles, a couple of throw pillows, a hair pick and
detangler
, and, once we left there, our dinner. We ate at a restaurant where Erik wasn't known. I thought of it as our first date but didn't mention that to him. Whether or not he knew it, we'd officially begun a journey I intended to end in the intimacy I craved with him.

As always, we shared his bed that night with moonlight spilling over the blankets. Saturday morning, I cooked us a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and biscuits. We were seated at the table eating when the distinct whine of an engine broke the usual early morning silence of his winter woods. Erik and I looked at each other in surprise and listened. A truck or car was clearly getting closer by the minute.

He was up in a flash with me right behind. I handed him the gun I'd snatched from the corner. He quickly loaded the chamber. By then our visitor had reached the back of the house. My heart pounded in my chest; my hands shook. Whoever was out there had made no attempt to approach quietly.

I hoped that was a good thing.

Chapter Thirteen

With our gazes locked, Erik and I listened to the crunch of feet on frozen snow as someone rounded the back corner of the house en route to the front porch. The sound of a conversation confirmed more than one visitor. I naturally thought of Uncle
Greger
, though Erik surely had other relatives and even friends who knew where he lived.  I was actually a little surprised when I realized he'd had no phone calls but the one since I'd been living in the cabin.  How could a guy with his personality not have tons of friends?

Shoes thumped on the front porch. Someone knocked. I grabbed Erik's arm, my heart now jack hammering wildly. He pushed me behind him and, careful to keep the rifle out of
sight,
opened the door a smidgen. I saw him relax. "Hey."

"Hey," answered a familiar voice. "Is Bronte home?"

It took me a second to place the speaker. Levi Crane. I stepped around Erik and opened the door wider so I could see. Yep. It was him and Ben
DeLuca
. I breathed a sigh of relief even as I wondered why they could possibly be there. Did they have news about The Arm, maybe? "You guys are out early. Come on in. We're having breakfast and there's actually enough for everyone."

"No thanks," said
DeLuca
. "But you two go ahead."

We stepped back so he and Crane could come in. Both noticed the rifle, but didn't comment on it. As I pointed to the couch, I noticed they were wearing suits today, which probably meant official business of some kind. They walked over to that part of the living area and sat.

Though I'd actually lost my appetite, I did try to finish eating, as did Erik. We exchanged several speculative glances. Was this visit a good thing or bad thing? I didn't like the vibe I was getting, so finally pushed my plate away in defeat and got up to join them. Erik did the same, sitting in the side chair.

I perched on the arm of it. "What's up, guys? Are you here with an update on those jerks
who
broke in to get the laptop?"

"Partly," said
DeLuca
, as usual the spokesman of the pair.

I waited.

DeLuca
continued. "Whit Wilson, leader of the pack that attacked you here in the cabin, has apparently moved his headquarters from south Texas to Missouri. We think he's broadening his territory."

"Shit!" Erik exclaimed.  "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing yet," said
DeLuca
. "And at the moment we think it's best to observe them until we figure out what they're up to."

"Okay." We waited for him to speak again.