The Wolf on the Hill (12 page)

He shrugged.

Her palm itched.

“We know Robbie trashed the place, probably to lower the price or scare me off. We can’t prove it, though. Even if we could, his is the only offer I have on the books.”

Mia’s blood ran cold. “You’re not seriously thinking of selling to him after everything?”

Rory moved over to Caleb’s chair, and for a split second she thought he might grab Caleb and give him the shake he deserved. “Don’t let the scumbag get away with it, Caleb. You’re worth ten of him.”

 Caleb narrowed his eyes. “Really? I thought I wasn’t worth the hassle?”

Horror filled her belly as he repeated her words. Rory tactfully left the room to let them speak in private.

“I didn’t mean it like that—”

“No. You’re right. It’s not worth getting into an argument with your parents over me when I’m nothing more to you than a leg-over.”

How she regretted those words—especially now as he stood before her, his wounds raw, and entirely her fault.

“I’m scared of loving you, Caleb. That’s the only reason I said it. I didn’t want to admit how I felt about you when you’re so dead set about leaving.” A sob ripped from her throat as her heart cracked wide open.

Caleb walked over to her, bridging that gap, and held her by the shoulders. “Forget everything else—Rory, your parents, Robbie, what might or might not happen—and look inside your heart. Figure out exactly how you feel about me and what it is you want.”

“I love you. I want only you.” She didn’t need time to figure it out. For all her indecisiveness and fears, of this she was certain.

The crushing weight of his silence bore down on her until her poor heart threatened to give up the ghost. Luckily, Caleb moved into action with some mouth to mouth to revive her.

“Does this mean you’ll stay?” As much as she needed this kiss, she also wanted to hear him say it.

“Yes. For as long as you want me here, I’ll stay. We might have to take care of our little rodent problem before we get to spend cosy nights in, but I’m willing to give us a go.” As romantic declarations went, it ranked somewhere alongside ‘get your coat, you’ve pulled’, but Mia would take it.

At least he was giving them a chance to be together, and if Robbie was the biggest obstacle on her path to happiness, she would take every step within her power to physically remove him.

Chapter Nine

“Remind me why I’m doing this.” Caleb sat slumped in the passenger seat, a cloud of impending doom settling over the car as they pulled up to the house.

“Because you love my sister, and you owe it to her to make this work.” Rory’s voice of reason only served to darken Caleb’s mood.

He didn’t want to be reasonable. He wanted to be headstrong and stubborn and run away before he faced the strength of his feelings for Mia. By agreeing to stay and invest in a future here with her, he was opening himself up for all kinds of hurt. No one had ever got that close to him. He didn’t know how to be what she wanted, needed, and it scared the shit out of him.

The car stopped and Rory got out, beckoning him to get a move on. Like a death row inmate walking the mile, he took his time, relishing his last moments before he faced his execution.

“Caleb.” Mr Blake nodded a welcome at the front door. At least he wasn’t brandishing a shotgun after the last eventful visit.

“Mr Blake. Mrs Blake.” He returned the civil greeting, although Mia’s mother clutched her husband close as if she expected some sort of attack.

Caleb took a deep breath, and the first step to reconciliation. “Can I just apologise for my behaviour here during the dinner. I was rude and obnoxious. I’m sorry if I ruined your evening.”

Gayle smiled a little too brightly, but accepted the olive branch. “Not at all, Caleb. I understand it was a difficult time, so soon after your father’s death.”

“Thank you.” While he didn’t agree with her assessment, he acknowledged the sentiment in hope that it would make tonight flow smoother.

To walk in on Robbie then, cosied up beside Mia in the lounge, nearly knocked him on his arse. Mia ditched the sleaze and rushed over to meet Caleb and Rory, grabbing two beers on the way.

“Thanks for coming.” She kissed Caleb on the cheek. He enjoyed both her touch and Robbie’s seething reaction.

Caleb splayed his hand around her waist in a possessive hold designed to wind him up even further. Mia ignored the one-upmanship and took him to meet the other guests at her impromptu drinks soirée.

“This is Mr and Mrs Carson. Robbie’s parents.” The well-groomed couple bore the same dark hair and pinched features as their son.

“Pleased to meet you.” He shook hands and exchanged pleasantries like any other civilised member of society, without revealing a glimmer of the intense hatred he bore for their offspring.

“I hear you’re selling the house.” Mr Carson got straight down to business while his wife exuded boredom beside him.

“Not any longer. I’ve decided to stay put.” Caleb made sure he’d said it loud enough for everyone to hear, especially Robbie. It worked.

“You can’t!” The snivelling little shit jumped in to interrupt their conversation.

Caleb watched the colour drain from his face with great satisfaction. “Why not, Robbie?”

“You said you were leaving. I want the cottage.” Caleb half expected Robbie to stomp his foot and demand that Daddy buy him anything he wanted.

Mia slipped her hand into Caleb’s. “You heard him, Robbie. He’s staying. And I’m moving in with him.” That surprised everyone in the room, Caleb included.

“You are?” The thought distracted Caleb from their game of ‘Get Robbie to Spill his Guts’. Yes, he found the prospect of making love to her every evening and waking up to her each morning very appealing.

“I am.” Her assertive response didn’t quite match the worry still showing in her eyes. Caleb squeezed her hand to show that he wholeheartedly supported the idea.

“You can still sell me the cottage and move somewhere else.” Robbie ran a finger around the collar of his buttoned-up shirt.

“Um, we don’t want to, Robbie.” Caleb gave him the same smirk Robbie had used with him once too often.

“Robbie. What on earth has gotten into you? You’re making a show of yourself,” Daddy dearest scolded his son but Robbie continued to splutter and sweat.

“I only bought the Henstridge place because I thought he would sell that piece of shit too.”

“I’m quite happy with that ‘piece of shit’. If only I could stop the sneaky bastard who keeps trashing it in the hope I’ll sell it for half of what it’s worth.” Caleb made the most of having the upper hand in the room, as both the Carsons and the Blakes gasped.

“I need that fucking land!” Robbie’s pale features bulged and flushed scarlet, until Caleb thought he might explode on the good Axminster. Revenge tasted sweet on Caleb’s tongue.

Mr Carson tried to bundle Robbie out of the room but he was too far gone to know when to stop. “I can’t develop a golf course on one poxy plot of land, you fucking moron. What do you need it for, except to use as a dog toilet?” Wrestling free from his father’s grasp, his hair mussed and clothes askew, he appeared even more deranged than his actions had suggested.

“What are you talking about? What golf course?” Mr Carson asked the question most prevalent in Caleb’s mind.

Robbie rolled his eyes. “We have some of the best land there is here in Olcan Hills. It’s wasted on scruffy mutts like him.”

“What golf course?” Mia’s father now demanded the answer.

“I’m in talks with an American investor to develop the land in a deal worth millions. A little scrote like Jackson here isn’t going to get in my way.” Robbie’s threats didn’t scare Caleb. Not now that he’d exposed his plans to all and sundry.

“You can’t build a golf course here,” Gayle Blake chimed in, apparently more horrified by Robbie’s dastardly deals than the idea of Mia moving into the cottage.

“It would ruin the community.” With female solidarity, Mrs Carson joined in the condemnation of her son.

“It’s not happening, son. I don’t care how much it’s worth. We won’t destroy our community by shipping in a load of tourists simply to line your pocket.” Mr Carson was right. They couldn’t hope to survive if they were exposed as wolf shifters to the world.

The one outstanding feature of this area was the privacy afforded the occupants to live as both wolf and human. An influx of new blood would destroy their civilisation.

“But, Dad, I’ve already bought the Henstridge place,” Robbie whined but he’d lost any power he’d once held.

“I bought the Henstridge place as an investment. Unless you want to end up in jail for the damage you’ve almost certainly caused to Mr Jackson’s property, you will sign it back to me.” His father took the last word on the subject as Robbie hung his head in defeat.

* * * *

Mia sat in stunned silence with Caleb and the rest of the family for a long time after the Carsons’ departure. She waited for them to digest the night’s information and steeled herself for whatever reaction it would solicit.

Rory spoke first, but on a professional rather than a personal basis. “Do you want to press charges, Caleb?”

Caleb shook his head. He probably didn’t want any further ties to Robbie. “All I want is peace to get my home restored.”

His home.
My home. Our home
.

“He should pay for the damage, at least.” Her father’s suggestion brought mumbled agreement from everyone.

The clock on the mantelpiece ticked through another lull of silence.

Mia took up the challenge. “Are we actually going to discuss the fact that I am with Caleb? That I’m moving in with him?”

“What’s to discuss? You two are together. Go be happy.” Trust Rory to make it sound all so simple.

“Mum?” She went straight to the source of her main worry. Her mother would never be his number one fan and she wouldn’t be surprised if she blamed him for tarnishing Robbie’s halo too.

“Do you love him, Mia?” She got straight to the point, never minding that Caleb was within hearing distance.

“Yes. I love him.” Mia reached out to rest a hand on his knee, declaring it loud and clear.

Her mother gave a resigned sigh. Preferable to the tears and dramatics she’d grown used to. “I guess I’m not much of a judge of character, going by the choice I made for you.”

Mia’s heart hammered, threatening to burst through her ribs. She was putting everything on the line here—her family, her security, her heart—all for Caleb. But he was worth it. Nothing frightened her as much as the thought of losing him. They belonged together. They both knew it, even if they’d been too stubborn to admit it up until now.

“And you love Mia?” Her mother asked Caleb the question Mia feared the answer to most. ‘No’ meant a broken heart. ‘Yes’ meant a giant leap into the unknown. Either way her life would change forever.

“Mr and Mrs Blake, I love your daughter with all my heart. Even though she kinda sprung it on me too, I’d love nothing more than to have her move in with me. When the place is habitable, of course.” Caleb placed his hand on hers and jump-started her breathing, which she’d forgotten to do since he’d started to speak. It didn’t matter that the first time he’d said he loved her had been in front of her family, at least she now knew for sure.

“So, we’ll have our little girl for a while longer at least.” The shine of tears in her father’s eyes startled her. In contrast to her mother, he didn’t normally share his feelings so openly.

“It’s not like I’m emigrating abroad or anything. I’m only moving up the road.” Mia swallowed the lump in her throat, unprepared for this level of emotion. Yes, she’d expected drama, but this almost silent acceptance was both a surprise and a relief. She couldn’t help but wonder if Rory had cleared the way beforehand.

“We know. But over these last years you’ve been so lost drifting from one dead-end job to another with no clear goal. Now you seem to know exactly what you want. It’s almost as though you don’t need us anymore.” Even her mother now shed a tear, and not in that guilt-trip way she usually employed. Mia knew they were a genuine display of her fears.

“I will always need you. Just in a different way.” She was already looking forward to her new life and finding her way in the world with Caleb by her side.

“If you hurt her, I’ll use your hide as a foot warmer.” Her father let his wolf warn Caleb, his eyes glowing and his claws tapping the arm of his chair. A serious display of alpha male. The Blakes didn’t shift in front of anyone.

“He knows the score. I’ve already threatened him with dismemberment.” Rory joined forces to try to end their relationship before it had begun.

“Hey! What’s with the chest-beating, people? He said he loves me. What more do you want?” There was nothing to spoil a precious moment better than your father and brother snarling like a pack of wild dogs.

“Don’t worry. You have my permission to kick my arse if I ever step out of line.” Caleb took their threats in his stride, allowing Mia to unclench her fists.

“Does that go for me too?” Now that the law was laid down, she joined in the banter.

“You, sweetheart, have permission to do anything you want to my arse.” Caleb wiggled an eyebrow in his dastardly villain manner, leaving her family recoiling.

“Oh, now that’s too much information.”

“You’ve overstepped the line there, Caleb.”

“There are some things better kept private.”

It broke the ice to send them all into delicious echoes of laughter. Although he would always be rough around the edges, she knew her family would soon accept him as one of their own.

* * * *

“I think that went better than expected.” Caleb held Mia in his arms, out on the porch of her family home.

“I particularly liked the bit where you said you loved me.” She snuggled into his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.

“Really? I preferred the part when Robbie’s mother slapped him around the head and he cried like a girl.”

She slapped his chest. “Take that back.”