“What? But I have another slice of pizza to eat.”
“It’s getting late, and I need to get the trailer back to the sawmill.”
“All right.” Okay, now she was confused. He hopped down and made his way to the driver’s side of the truck, leaving her to scramble down and across the icy asphalt to the passenger side of his truck.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked as he pulled out of the tree lot.
“Nothing at all.” But his tone was completely shut down. He was upset.
He drove her home in silence, and when he pulled in front of her tiny house, she told him, “I don’t understand what happened.”
“Nothing happened. We got caught up in the moment, and I lost my head.” He gripped the steering wheel tighter and stared straight ahead. “Did you have fun?”
“Yeah. Tonight was amazing.”
“Good. Good. That’s what I wanted.”
He just sat there, choking the steering wheel, so she steadied her plate of pizza in her hand and shoved open her door, slid out of the seat and onto the snow.
“Okay, well…have a good night.”
With a curt nod, he said, “Goodnight.”
And then she shut the door and watched in utter bafflement as he drove away.
She’d just had the best, most meaningful kiss of her life, and then it had been thrown away like it was nothing.
Half an hour later, she got a text from him.
It was a simple one.
Can you send me a schedule of holiday events you would like me to attend with you?
Why was he being so formal? None if you’re gonna be fuckin’ weird. Send.
I won’t be weird. I will be completely professional as our arrangement requires.
Arrangement. Ouch.
December 21st – caroling with the family in Tidas Heights (or as I call it, Fancyland)
December 22nd – the lighting of the town Christmas tree, 6:00
December 23rd – A Holiday Story play at the community center
December 24th – Christmas Eve and gift exchange at the Wilson house
Christmas Day – Holiday dinner at the Wilson’s, pay you in full for your services
She didn’t know why she added that last part. Maybe because she was stung by how he’d acted tonight. Perhaps because he’d blurred the lines between real feelings and a business interaction.
He responded formally. Thank you. See you tomorrow at Tidas Heights.
And that was that.
That. Was. That.
Chapter Eleven
Shit.
Shit, damn, double shit.
Burke knocked again. “No!” Kieran yelled. He hadn’t slept all night and was in the worst mood. No amount of coffee would fix him if he had to talk to Burke this morning.
When the lock rattled, Kieran snarled. Of course, Burke still had a key to this place. Jackass.
“What in the hell is wrong with you?” Burke demanded. “You just bailed on me last night. No explanation, you just didn’t show up.”
“I…” Kieran frowned. There wasn’t an excuse to miss poker night with Burke and the boys. “I forgot.”
“Lie.”
“I was with her, okay?”
“Her who?”
“The girl you told me to call. The human.”
“Oh.” Burke’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh,” he said softer as he sat in a chair. “And?”
“And what?”
“And what’s she like? Is she crazy?”
With an explosive sigh, he poured two cups of coffee from the pot on the counter. He brought one to Burke. “She’s not crazy at all. Just tired, I think, of the holidays and she’s desperate for something to distract her. Leslie is actually…well, she’s actually pretty cool.”
Burke’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You look like crap.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“I’m serious. It looks like you haven’t slept in days.”
“I kissed her.”
“Oh, shit.” Burke leaned back in the creaking chair, his eyes round. “But she’s human.”
“Yeah, I’m aware.”
“You can’t fall for a human, Kieran. There’s rules.”
“I know, Burke!”
Burke cocked his head to the side and watched Kieran busy himself with pouring cream into his coffee. “What are you doing, Kieran?”
“I don’t know.” He hung his head and shook it. “Burke, I don’t know what I’m doing. She filled up my head, and I forgot it was a job and messed up. After two days, I got in too deep and I still have four days left. And on top of that?”
“Oh, it gets worse?” his brother demanded.
“She’s the daughter of Bert Wilson.”
“Oh, you’re fucked, Kieran! What if he digs into what kind of shifter you are?”
“I don’t care about him. I care about Leslie.”
“Leslie. Leslie Wilson. You’re neck-deep in shit, little brother, and with a Wilson. You know how it is for the animals. You put a girl in front of them, and they choose. There’s no turning back if your lion bonds with her. You know that. Mom and Dad beat that into our heads.”
“Yeah, well Mom was born human, and she said she never regretted Turning for Dad.”
“Mom wasn’t a Wilson with a fortune and a dad who is the most powerful man in town! Mom was in love with dad and willing. Is Leslie willing? Does she even know what you are?”
“No! Because you fucking told me to lie! She thinks I’m an otter shifter.”
“Ha! God, Kieran. An otter. You have gold eyes and you growl thirty times a day. An otter? Really?”
“Just go, man.”
“I thought you were just going to do the job and get paid and keep the house for another year. That’s all you had to do.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Make me understand!”
“She’s fucking amazing, Burke! She’s different— happy, cute and sexy, and she is open and doesn’t have any walls up. None. She’s an open book. She’s been hurt and maneuvered and manipulated and insulted, yet she still became exactly the woman she wants to be. Who can even say that? She’s strong. She’s funny and pretty and she looks at me like…”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m a man.”
“But you aren’t a man,” Burke said softly. “And if you care so much about her, maybe you should back out of this. Leave her alone. Leave her human.” There was sympathy in Burke’s eyes. “Let her live the life she was supposed to live.”
Chapter Twelve
December 21
He’d stood her up.
Leslie blinked back tears as she read the text again. Can’t make it tonight.
No explanation, no apology, just…can’t make it tonight.
“Sing, honey,” Mom said. “The photographer is taking pictures for the family album.”
With a sniff, Leslie lifted her face and sang the second line of the chorus to “Silent Night” with the other thirty people gathered in front of Mr. Havershaw’s mansion. He stood on his porch with his grandchildren, swaying to the acapella song.