The Fairy Tales Collection (32 page)

He nodded and she squeezed him tightly. 
“I’m sorry, honey.  Where is your mother now?”

“She remarried and lives in California with
her new husband.”

“You didn’t want to stay with them?”

“She married him about ten years ago.  I
was already living here again.”

“Why did you return?”

He stared at the ceiling, trying to decide
how much to tell her.  He wanted to tell her everything but that was
impossible. 

“When my mother first left my father, she
was – was eager to experiment,” he said.  “We moved around that first year and
she had many,” he paused and said dryly, “boyfriends.  After a year, I told her
I wanted to settle down in one place.  She refused, we argued and she kicked me
out.  I returned here.”

Rowan frowned at him.  “Your father
wouldn’t take you back?”

“I – he was still very angry with me for
abandoning the pa – our family – and refused to speak to me.”

“He sounds like an asshole,” Rowan said
indignantly.  “You’re still his son.”

Rafe shrugged.  “He believes that I
betrayed him.”

“Why did your mother leave him?”  She
asked.

“They were very…different and eventually
that difference drove them apart.”

“Was he older than her?”

He shook his head.  “No, they were close in
age.”

“Do you have siblings?”

He nodded.  “I have two younger brothers.”

“Do you see them?”

“No,” he said as a pang of loss, one he
thought was long buried, went through him.  “I do not.”

“Are you telling me you never run into them
in town?”  Rowan said.

“Occasionally,” he replied, “but they
refuse to speak to me.”

She studied him carefully.  “That hurts
you.”

“I’m used to it,” he said.

She squeezed his face.  “You don’t have to
lie to me, Rafe.”

He sighed loudly.  “I miss my brothers and
do I wish they would speak to me?  Yes.  But they will not do what I did and
break my father’s rules.”

“Rules?  What rules?”  Rowan asked.

“It doesn’t matter.  Can we stop talking
about this?  It is,” he paused, “painful.”

She hugged him and kissed his mouth.  “Of
course we can.  I’m sorry, honey.”

He buried his face in her throat and
inhaled her scent.  “Are you sleepy yet?”

“No.  Maybe you should give me another
orgasm,” she said cheekily.  “That will help me sleep.”

He laughed and nuzzled her throat. 
“Whatever you say, my mate.”

* * *

“Wait, what’s the operation code name
again?”  Belle asked as Rowan grabbed the plastic bag from Jeannie with a nod
of thanks.

“I told you, Belle-baby, it’s ‘Operation
show Rafe that no one cares about the age difference between us by forcing him
to be seen with me in public’.”

“Hmm, despite its cumbersome name I feel
like it might actually work,” Belle said.

Rowan grinned at her as they headed toward
the door of Snow’s diner.  “Of course it will.  In fact, I’m putting it into
effect right now.  I found out this morning before he left that he’s starting a
big landscaping job at the Farthen place today.”

Belle grinned at her.  “The Farthen’s live
right on Main Street.”

“I know,” Rowan said.  “Lots of foot
traffic and people will see us together.”

“If he doesn’t run away,” Belle said.  They
stepped out into the warm sunshine and she waved at Bennett who was coming out
of the hardware store.

“He won’t.  He can’t resist me,” Rowan said
cheekily.  “Besides, why wouldn’t he like a visit and a nice lunch from his
mate?”

Bennett, who had just joined them, gave her
a startled look.  “You’re Rafe’s mate?”

He studied her throat so intently that
Rowan frowned at him.  “What?  Why are you looking at my neck like that?”

“Uh, no reason,” he said.  “So, you’re
Rafe’s mate?”

She shrugged.  “He keeps calling me that. 
It’s just a weird endearment instead of girlfriend.”

“You’re dating Rafe?”  Bennett said.

“Yes,” Rowan said defensively.  “Why is
that so odd?”

“It isn’t,” Bennett said hastily as Belle
elbowed him lightly in the side.  “It’s just – Rafe has been alone for a long
time and I didn’t think he was the boyfriend type.”

Rowan paused, “Well, he hasn’t exactly said
we were dating but it won’t be long until we are.”

Belle laughed as Bennett grinned at her. 
“Rafe doesn’t stand a chance, does he?”

“No,” Rowan said happily.  “We’re meant to
be together.  I’d better run, it’s almost lunch and I want to get this to
Rafe.”

She kissed Belle on the cheek before
walking quickly to her car.  Bennett waited until she had driven away before
saying in a low voice.  “Does she know he’s a wolf shifter?”

Belle shook her head.  “No.”

Bennett frowned.  “He needs to tell her. 
If he’s calling her his mate, his wolf has already decided.  If Rafe tries to
go against his wolf’s wishes…”

He trailed off and Belle gave him a curious
look.  “What, Ben?”

“He’ll go mad,” Bennett said simply.  “Frankly,
it’s already surprising that he’s gone this long without a pack without going
crazy.  If his wolf wants Rowan as its mate and he denies it repeatedly, his
human side really will go insane.”

“Seriously?”  Belle said.

Bennett nodded.  “Have you, uh, seen any
bite marks on Rowan’s shoulders?”

“No,” Belle said.  She gave Bennett an
alarmed look.  “Is Rafe going to bite her?  Is he trying to turn her into a
werewolf?”

Bennett shook his head.  “He’s not a
werewolf, Mirabelle, he’s a shifter.  And he can’t turn Rowan by biting her. 
But wolf shifters do claim or mark their mates with a bite.”

“Why do you look so worried?”  Belle asked.

“Shifters, especially wolf shifters, aren’t
like humans.  When they find their mate it really is for life.  They don’t have
affairs and they will never leave their mate for another.  Rafe and Rowan
aren’t even dating yet and I know Rowan really likes him but…”

“But what?”  Belle asked.

“Duncan says Rowan’s never really been into
dating anyone.  If she isn’t serious about him and he bites her and then she
moves on to someone else, it won’t be good, Mirabelle.”

“Would he hurt her?”  Belle asked.

Bennett shook his head.  “Of course not. 
Shifters would never hurt their mates.  But he might go after the next guy she
dates.”

“She’s not going to move on to someone
else,” Belle said.

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’ve known Rowan my entire life and I’ve
never seen her act like this over a guy.  She’s usually, well, aloof with the
guys she sleeps with.  They’re always chasing after her and she keeps them at
arm’s length.  She’s not like that with Rafe.  Plus, she’s had a crush on him
since she was fourteen.”

A look of relief crossed Bennett’s face and
Belle squeezed his arm briefly.  “I think we need to be more worried that Rafe
is going to break her heart.  He’s adamant about the age difference being a
problem.”

Bennett shrugged.  “If he’s already calling
her his mate, then it won’t be long until he claims her.  I’m surprised he hasn’t
already.”

“Ben, maybe we should,” Belle hesitated,
“tell Rowan about Rafe.  She already suspects something weird and if he bites
her without telling her what he is, she’ll freak out.”

“We can’t,” Bennett said firmly. “I’m
sorry, Mirabelle, I know that Rowan is your friend but you cannot tell her
about Rafe.  Promise me.”

Belle sighed.  “But if he bites her…”

“I will speak to him about telling Rowan,” Bennett
said.  “But you have to promise me you won’t say a word to her.  Please,
Mirabelle.”

“Ella thinks we can nudge her into figuring
it out on her own,” Belle said.  “Technically that’s not telling her, right?”

Bennett gave her an anxious look and she
sighed loudly.  “Okay, fine.  I promise, Ben.”

Rowan slowed to a stop, her hand tightening
around the plastic bag she was holding and a very odd sensation coursing
through her belly.  After a moment she recognized it as jealousy and she
grinned to herself.  For the first time in her life, she was jealous because
there were other women around her man.

Not that she blamed them, she thought as
she hurried down the sidewalk toward the Farthen’s front yard.  Rafe was
looking unbelievably sexy.  He was wearing jeans and a plain white tank top. 
It clung to his lean abdomen and wide chest and the dirt that was smeared
across his arms and the sweat that was trickling down his neck just made him
look even more fuckable in her opinion.  He was sweaty and dirty and so goddamn
manly she wanted to ride him in the Farthen’s front yard.  She wondered briefly
if Rafe had any damn clue how many of the women in this town lusted after him.

She slowed to a stop again, standing
unnoticed behind the group of five women – no, not women but girls, she
realized - who were clustered together in front of the Farthen’s home.  Rafe,
leaning against his shovel, was giving them a polite, but clearly puzzled,
smile and Rowan swallowed down her laughter as the leader of the group stepped
forward.

“Mr. Taggert, Andy Tonks said that you were
looking for some part time employees for the summer.  We wanted to give you our
resumes.”

“All of you?”  Rafe asked in surprise.

“Well, not Jenna or Tillie, they’re only
fifteen, but the rest of us are all eighteen,” the young girl said.

“Unless you’ll hire us before we turn
sixteen?”  A chubby dark-haired girl said.  She smiled brightly at Rafe, her
braces gleaming in the sunlight, and he gave her a confused smile in return as
the leader took another step into the yard.

“What do you think, Mr. Taggert?  Can we
give you our resumes?”

“Oh, well, the thing is, Erin, I only need
a couple employees and it really will only be a month of work so you’re
probably better off trying to get a job where you can keep working part time
while you’re in high school.”

The girl, she was wearing a tiny little
sundress that revealed a healthy amount of cleavage, thrust her chest out the
tiniest bit.  Rafe’s gaze remained firmly on her face and her smile faltered
before she cleared her throat.

“I’m finished school, Mr. Taggert.  I
graduated in May and I’m all grown up now.” 

She reached out and touched his arm,
letting her fingers linger on the curve of his bicep and Rafe stared at her
hand with an odd look.  Rowan could barely keep the laughter from spilling out
as understanding dawned in his eyes and he immediately took a nervous step
backward, shaking free of Erin’s touch.  Taking pity on him, she ducked around
the group of girls and looped her arm around Rafe’s waist before standing on
her tip-toes and kissing his jaw.

“Hi, honey.  I brought you lunch.”

Rafe gave her a clear look of relief before
dipping his head and kissing her on the mouth.  “Thanks, Rowan.  That’s really
nice of you.”

She reached down and squeezed his ass
briefly before smiling at Erin.  “Hi, Erin.  How are you?  I heard you
graduated this year.”

“I did,” Erin said.  “Uh, me, Christy and
Tammy all graduated.”

“Congratulations,” Rowan said cheerfully.

“Right, thanks.  Um, so you and Mr. Taggert
are dating?”  Erin asked with a quick look at her friends.

“We are,” Rowan said.  “I just brought him
lunch actually so if you’ll excuse us…”

Christy grabbed Erin’s arm.  “C’mon, Erin. 
Let’s go.”

Erin hesitated a moment longer and the
blonde rolled her eyes.  “Erin, c’mon, I wanna hit the mall before my mom picks
me up at three.”

“Bye, girls!”  Rowan called cheerfully as
the group trudged down the sidewalk.

She waited until they had turned the corner
before grinning up at Rafe.  He gave her an uncertain look and said, “Were they
– did they want a job or were they kind of hitting on me?”

She burst into laughter and squeezed his
waist.  “They were hitting on you, honey.”

“I’m old enough to be their father!”  He
gave her an aghast look and she laughed again. 

“Those girls, yes.  So maybe don’t hire
them.”

He shook his head as she took his hand and
led him toward his truck.  “Definitely not.  Thanks for rescuing me.”

“You’re welcome,” she said as she popped
down the tailgate of his truck.  She sat the bag on the tailgate and boosted
herself up before patting the spot beside her.  “Sit down, Rafe.”

He glanced down the street.  “Rowan, there
are people all over the place.  Thank you for bringing me lunch but I probably
should work through lunch.  I have a lot to get done.”

“I brought my mate lunch and now he won’t
even eat with me?”  She said teasingly.

His eyes lit up when she called him her
mate and she watched the brief flash of happiness cross his face as he sat down
beside her.  She squeezed his thigh before opening the bag and handing him the
sandwich.

“Roast beef on whole wheat with extra
pickles, no mayo and Dijon mustard,” she said.

“How do you know what my favourite sandwich
from Snow’s Diner is?”

“Well,” she said as she unwrapped her own
sandwich and took a bite of it, “don’t judge me for this but I’ve had a crush
on you since I was fourteen years old and I may or may not have done some
slight stalking of you from time to time.”

“Fourteen,” he said.  His sandwich was forgotten
in his hand and she nudged him lightly.

“Eat, honey.  And yes, fourteen.”

“Why?”  He asked before taking a bite.

She laughed and held out a bottle of
water.  “Can you open this for me?  Also - do you even have a mirror in your
cabin, Rafe Taggert?”

He opened the bottle of water and she took
a drink then handed it back to him.  He took his own drink before saying, “Of
course I have a mirror.  What does that have to do with your crush on me?”

“You have no idea how hot you are and it’s
really quite charming,” Rowan said.  “You just had a group of teenagers hitting
on you and you didn’t have a clue.”

“Does every teenage girl in this town have daddy
issues?”  He grumbled under his breath before taking a huge bite of his
sandwich.

She scowled at him.  “Do you think I’m with
you because I have daddy issues?”

“Don’t you?”

“Of course not,” she said.  “I have a
perfectly normal, perfectly healthy relationship with my dad and I’m not
looking for a father figure.  I had a crush on you - I wanted to be with you -
for the same reason that a good seventy percent of the women in this town
masturbate to internal fantasies starring you.  Because you’re damn fucking
hot, Rafe Taggert.”

His mouth dropped open and she grinned at
him before taking another drink of water.  “It’s true, Rafe.”

“Women don’t – don’t masturbate to
fantasies of me,” he said.

“Whatever,” she replied.  “The point is,
I’m with you because you’re kind, because I think you could be a lot of fun to
hang out with when you’re not freaking out over our age difference, and because
you have a really big dick and your pussy eating skills are fucking incredible.”

He bushed furiously and she leaned in and
kissed him before taking another bite of her sandwich.  “Also,” she said when
she had finished chewing, “you’re irresistible when you blush.”

“I don’t blush.”

“Of course you don’t,” she said before
throwing her leg over his and placing his hand on her thigh.  His wolf made a
happy whine and he rubbed her firm thigh as she leaned against him and finished
her sandwich.

“How is work going?”

“Good,” he said.  “I’ll be here for the
next couple of weeks which is why I’m looking to hire some part time help.  Are
you working tonight?”

She nodded and produced an orange from the
plastic bag.  She peeled it and gave him half before eating the other half. 
“I’m working tonight but I’m off Tuesday and Wednesday.”

“I could come by your place after you’re
finished work tonight,” he said hesitantly.

“I’d like that,” she said.  “It’ll be
pretty late though.”

“It’s fine.”

“I could come by your place after work,”
she said.  “Then you don’t have to drive all – “

“No,” he said quickly.  “I’ll come into
town.”

“I don’t mind driving out to your cabin,”
she said.  “You could sleep if you’re tired.  Just leave your door open and
I’ll let myself in.”

He shook his head again.  “No, it’s okay. 
I don’t need that much sleep.”

She studied him, trying to ignore the small
trickle of hurt that he didn’t want her at his place, before smiling at him. 
“That’s good, because I plan on fucking your brains – “

“Rowan?”

She glanced up, moving Rafe’s hand back to
her thigh when he automatically yanked it away, and covered it with her hand,
forcing him to leave it where it was.

“Hello, Mrs. Staples.  How are you?”

The older woman leaned against the truck as
her dog, a beagle named Betsy, barked excitedly before standing on its hind
legs and leaning its front paws against Rafe’s lower legs.  He petted it
roughly with one hand and avoided looking at Mrs. Staples as the woman gave
them both a long look.

“I’m good.  Just taking Betsy for a walk. 
I do love summer holidays.  Not that I don’t love teaching, but it’s so nice to
take her for a walk in the middle of the day.”

Rowan smiled at her.  “I bet.  Not teaching
summer school this year?”

“No, took the summer off for a change,”
Mrs. Staples said.  She shifted against the truck before saying bluntly, “Are
you and Mr. Taggert dating?”

“We are,” Rowan said.

“About time,” Mrs. Staples said.  “Why, you
had a crush on Rafe back when I taught you grade twelve biology.”

Rowan laughed.  “I did.”

Rafe looked up from Betsy’s madly-wagging
tail when Mrs. Staples poked him in the shoulder.  “You treat her well, Rafe. 
Rowan was always one of my favourite students.”

“You were my favourite teacher, Mrs.
Staples,” Rowan said warmly.

Mrs. Staples poked Rafe again.  “Did you
hear me, Rafe Taggert?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.  “I – I’ll treat her
well.”

“Good.  Come, Betsy.”  Mrs. Staples tugged
lightly on Betsy’s leash and the dog dropped to all fours and trotted happily
after her, her nose to the ground and her tail still wagging madly.

“You okay?”  Rowan asked before rubbing
Rafe’s back.  He stared at his hand still resting on her thigh and nodded.

“Yes, I – “

“Hey, Rafe.”

He looked up and forced a smile to his
face.  “Hey, Clark.”

“Working on the Farthen yard?”

Rafe nodded as Rowan studied the short,
balding man who had stopped beside the truck.  His face was red and he was
puffing loudly, and he marched in place as he held two fingers to the pulse at
his wrist.  He was one of two barbers in their small town and she grinned at
the bright green fluorescent striping that ran down his track pants.

“You haven’t been in for a haircut in a
while,” Clark said.  He studied Rafe’s head before turning his gaze to Rowan. 
“How are your parents enjoying Newport, Rowan?”

“They like it,” Rowan said.

“They aren’t thinking of staying there, are
they?”

“No, sir,” she said.  “They’ll be back in
another year or so.”

“Good,” Clark said.  “Beautiful weather
we’re having for this early in the summer, don’t you think?”

“It is quite nice,” Rowan replied.

“Last year at this time it was pouring rain
every day.  I didn’t get my daily lunch run for nearly two weeks,” Clark said.

He glanced at the sky before giving them
both a small smile.  “I’d better go.  Rowan, get your man into my shop for a
haircut.  He’s looking raggedy.”

“I will,” Rowan said with a small grin. 
“Have a good day, Clark.”

The barber nodded and jogged away as Rowan
squeezed Rafe’s hand.  “That’s two.  Now how are you doing?”

“Rowan, just because a couple of people
aren’t shocked doesn’t mean – “

“No one cares,” Rowan interrupted.  “And if
they do – fuck them.  It’s our life, we can live it the way we want.”

“What happens in twenty years when – “

“Hello, Rafe!”  A blonde woman waved as she
pulled into the Farthen’s driveway.  Her thin body was clad in a sweatshirt and
a pair of yoga pants and she wandered down to the truck with a look of shock on
her face.

“Wow, I can’t believe how much you’ve done
already,” she said before staring delightedly at the yard.  “Boyce is going to
be so happy.”

“It’s been going pretty well,” Rafe said. 
“Not as much rock as I thought and I should have the new flowerbeds dug out by
the end of the day.  I’m just taking my lunch but I – “