Second Chance Mates (21 page)

"You. Did. Not!"

Rose gave a smug smile.
"Did."

"How could you!"

"What? Was something wrong with what I
said?" Rose gave her the familiar raised-eyebrow challenging
expression, Cade remembered all too well. It always struck him as
funny how such a small woman could be so menacing.

"Well, no, but..."

"But what, young lady?"

"Oh! It's embarrassing!"

"Being sad isn't embarrassing," pointed
out Tom. "Sad just is. And we couldn't sit by and blithely let you
waste away."

Clara sat and crossed her arms,
scowling at the pair of them. "Don't take her side!"

"She's my wife, I take her side on
everything."

"And you're gonna have two husbands
who'll take your side on everything," pointed out Rose, the smug
expression firmly back on her face. "I'm going to call that a
success."

"If I didn’t know you mean well, I
would be really mad at you right now." She glared at
Cade.

"How come you're not mad at Luke?" Cade
asked.

"I'm getting around to it." She shot a
dark look at Luke who responded by sticking his tongue out.
"Silly," she scolded, her voice softening.

"So, now you're just a little mad at
me?" Cade asked in mock annoyance, turning as the older shifters
got to their feet.

"Get used to it, son," Tom told him.
"We need to head back but just call us when you have a date for
this party and let us know what we can do."

"Spread the word?" said Clara. "Let's
make it a big event."

"This is the Clara I know," said her
mother, enveloping her in a hug. "And I'm not sorry for
interfering. Not one bit."

"Wait until I stick you with serving
drinks through the whole party," giggled Clara.

"I'll do it gladly. Call us soon." She
stepped back, pulled Cade into a hug then Luke. "Well, won't you
both be fine sons-in-law. Welcome to the family."

"See, I told you everything would be
fine," said Cade, wrapping his arm around Clara's shoulders and
pulling her to rest against him as her parents drove away. As the
car reached the gate, her parents turned and waved. The three of
them returned the gesture before heading back to the house. "Your
parents love me."

"Me too, apparently. Looks like you're
never getting rid of us now," added Luke.

Clara turned to face them, placing a
hand on each chest. Unable to keep up the stern face she laughed.
"Who said I wanted to get rid of either of you?"

"You," laughed Cade.

"Several times," added Luke.

"Well...I took it back. And I'm going
to bed."

Luke's face fell ever so slightly.
"What about us?"

She paused, her foot on the first step.
"What about you?"

"I'd like to..." started
Cade.

"...Sleep with you," finished
Luke.

Clara tried to hold back the smile.
"You are talking to me right?"

"Most definitely." Cade nodded,
elbowing Luke’s ribs.

"Then last one up has to turn out the
lights." And with that, she raced up the stairs without a backwards
glance.

Chapter Sixteen

After sleeping together for several
days, sharing the big bed, albeit with a few grumbles from her men
that a bigger one would be in order, Clara had to admit, even if it
was only to herself, that she doubted she could ever sleep alone
again.

With only a week to go until the party,
and the fencing finally fixed, not to mention the evening before
when they shifted to their animal selves racing across the property
under the silvery moon, she finally felt relaxed enough to fall
into an easy slumber, her men both snuggled against her, dreaming
of all the other runs they would take together.

Awaking suddenly, she blinked in the
gloom. A small noise and a rustle came from behind her and she
shuffled over, reaching for Cade.

"Can't sleep either?" she
asked.

"Something woke me," he replied in a
low voice. He put a finger to her lips. "Shh! Do you hear
that?"

She shook her head lightly. "No. What
is it Cade? You're scaring me."

Cade pushed the covers back and sat up,
his head turned to the air. She waited, watching him. Finally, his
voice came again. "Do you smell that?"

This time, Clara pushed up on her
elbows, her nose flaring slightly as she sniffed the tepid night
air and...something acrid, something that immediately sounded her
internal alarm.

"Something's burning," said Cade,
immediately jumping to his feet and crossing quickly to the window.
He craned his head and turned back to her, concern marring his
face. "I see smoke but no fire."

"The barn!" Clara threw back the sheets
and grabbed her jeans and socks from the floor, tugging them on so
fast she almost tripped, would have if Cade hadn't grabbed her, his
grip softening as he put her to rights. "It's the only thing that
side of the house," she explained. "And it's wooden. If it's on
fire, and it spreads..." She didn't need to continue. The
implication was clear to them both. If they fire spread to the
house, it would be impossible to stop the fire claiming it
too.

"Call the fire department,” Cade
instructed. “Luke! Luke, wake up."

Luke groaned, sat up, rubbed his eyes.
"What?"

Cade quickly explained, adding, "We'll
go investigate."

Clara grabbed the cordless phone from
the nightstand, pulled on jeans and a sweater, and charged after a
bare-chested Cade. A moment later Luke clattered down the stairs
after them, catching the front door as Cade raced outside and
around the house. Clara barely recalled she only wore socks as she
crunched across the sharp gravel, skidding to a stop as the barn
came into view. Luke drew up next to her, his exclamation of shock
sounding as her own mouth dropped open in horror.

The barn was ablaze.

The doors stood open and fire licked
across the barn floor. The timber they'd stacked was alight
already, along with the brand new kitchen, not even unboxed yet.
With a yawning crack, one of the wooden supports plummeted to the
ground, taking with it a trail of fire that skittered through the
air to catch a strut. The wooden frame was ready to catch alight.
Heat plumed towards them.

"You smell that?" said Luke.

"Smell it! I can see it!" shouted
Clara. "My barn's on fire!"

"Not the fire. Accelerant. Gas,
maybe."

"Someone did this?" The wind changed,
sending smoke their way. Luke gathered her into his arms, pressing
her head into his chest to protect her from the stinging smoke. She
felt him take the phone from her hand and dial, his voice sharply
asking for the fire department, giving their address. "Where's
Cade?" Clara yelled, suddenly desperate to find him as she pushed
at Luke's chest to no avail.

"Go to the other side of the house.
I'll find him."

"No! What if he went inside the
barn?"

"He's dumb," Luke huffed, barely able
to hold back a mirthful laugh as he half-walked, half-carried her
back to the house. "But not that dumb. Let's find him."

They found Cade hooking up the hose to
the outside faucet, his face intent and smudged with
smoke.

"You can't fight that fire alone. It's
too dangerous," said Clara, rushing to his side. "Besides, Luke
smelled gas. Water won't help."

"I'm not going to let you lose
everything!"

"I won't lose everything." And in a
moment of clarity, Clara realized she wouldn't. The barn was just a
wooden structure. She could rebuild. Maybe even make it better,
rather than try and make it into what she needed. But more
importantly than that, she couldn't bear it if Cade or Luke got
hurt trying to protect something inanimate just because it was
hers.

Cade planted a kiss on her cheek. "I
know. I'm not going in there," he grinned, jabbing a finger at the
barn then to her house. "I'm going to wet the walls, roof and grass
between. Make it hard for the fire to catch hold of the house,
see?"

Clara blinked at him in surprise. "Oh.
Do it!"

Cade coiled the hose in his hand and
leaned in, whispering into her ear, "Then when I'm done, I'm going
to get you very wet."

Despite the heat, Clara felt a blush
creeping across her face. "That's not gonna happen," she sassed
back. "I'll be ogling the firefighters."

Luke held up the phone. "It's bad that
I'm thinking of calling to cancel the fire truck, isn't it?" He
picked Clara up, depositing her behind him. "Go shut off the gas
and electrics while we get everything wet."

Clara blushed again. Then, for once in
her life, did exactly what she was told to do. It would probably be
the last time too.

After shutting off the power because
the last thing they needed was extra fuel for the raging fire, she
retreated to the far side of the house, hopping onto a fence and
watched dispassionately as the barn turned from leaky,
temperamental structure to wild bonfire, the flames licking at the
wet grass.

By the time the fire trucks arrived,
sirens screaming, men shouting, as her sanctuary became a hive of
activity, Cade and Luke had soaked the grass and shrubbery between
the barn and her home. Her roof dripped with the constant onslaught
of water. Really, it could have been so much worse she thought
when, their backs patted by the firefighters, Luke and Cade gave up
their fight and joined her on the fence, each hopping up either
side of her.

"You saved my house!" She threw herself
at Cade and he caught her, holding her tight. "Thank
you!"

"I can't believe you're smiling,
honey." Cade wrapped an arm around her, tugged her into him. Clara
planted a delicate kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you so much," she said, reaching
for Luke. "Thank you so much, Luke."

Cade's forehead puckered into a frown.
"But you lost the barn."

"Win some, lose some. I know what’s
important to me and it’s you two, not that barn." She circled an
arm around both of them, holding them against her because that was
their rightful place. "You were very brave."

"Wasn't I brave too?"

"Cade, I swear that's a pout on your
lips! Of course I think you’re brave."

"I'd rather something else was on my
lips," he teased, leaning in to her.

"Such a dirty mind," she castigated,
but it was with a laugh. When they inched against her, their big
bodies protecting her from either side, Cade's arm about her waist
and Luke's slung about her shoulders, she relaxed into them.
Nothing felt more right. These were the men who would fight for her
no matter what. She would always be able to rely on them to save
her and look after her...and to make her laugh even in the face of
danger. How could she ever have wanted them to leave? They were
hers, through and through.

It seemed it was a time of epiphanies
for her. No matter how hard she'd tried to make them leave, no
matter how much she thought her heart was closed to love, it wasn't
and they stayed, waiting for her. She accepted it for what it was.
Cade had always been her mate, and no matter how much she hurt him
in the past, he still loved her; the depth of his love for her ran
deeper than she ever imagined.

And Luke? Her big, brave tiger who just
seemed to want to see her happy. She wanted him to be happy too.
Most of all, she wanted them both with her, at the same time, to
love them together. But how was she to broach such a delicate
subject? To tell them that she felt ready to take their
relationship to a new level.

"I...," she started, looking up as the
fire chief approached them.

Cade hopped off the fence and walked
towards the man, his hand outstretched. The fire chief shook it and
clapped Cade on the back while they exchanged a few pleasantries.
Clara realized she recognized the older man. Ron Anderson was an
old friend of Cade and Colton's family.

"I hate to say it," said Anderson as he
pulled off his gloves, brushing them against his protective jacket,
"but that barn is gone."

"I figured," said Clara, sliding to the
ground. She gave her palms a quick rub over her jeans before
shaking his hand. "Thanks so much for trying."

"If it wasn't for Cade and his friend
here, this could have been a lot worse. You're very lucky your
house is completely untouched."

"I have a feeling I'm going to be
making it up to them for quite some while." Clara ignored Cade's
arched brow. "Is it a big mess back there?"

"I'll say. I can get you some guys out
to clear it. They won't ask for much. The foundations still look
good, but I can't say for sure just yet." Anderson shifted his feet
and looked back over his shoulder. When he turned to them, his face
was serious. "We found traces of accelerants. There's going to be
an investigation."

"I swear I..."

"Hold up now. I'm not going to insult
you by implying it was you. I've known you years, Clara, plus Cade
and your husband since they were boys. I know you wouldn't do
anything like this, but can you think who would? Is there anyone
who would want to damage your property?"