“I’ll let her know. We got this. You know that, right?”
“Yeah. Love you, David.”
“Love you too.”
Sheri answered the phone on the first ring. “Dinner sounds perfect,” she said. “Are you sure you’re up for it though? It’s been a long day.”
“I have to do something. Anything. It’ll be good to be distracted. I think I’ll visit the park now, clear my head. But I’m so happy you’re coming tonight… Thanks. I’m going to go to one of the parks that I used to go to when Grandma could come.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Sheri sounded hesitant, like she didn’t want to intrude.
“No, thanks. I just want to be there and remember the way it was.” Elizabeth could have offered to take Sheri with her, she supposed. But she was a little afraid she might let something slip. It was going to be difficult enough seeing her at dinner with Amelia and not giving anything away. But she was glad Sheri would be driving her because it appeared Elizabeth was going to have a tail wherever she went for now. Whatever would they do once they lost Elizabeth when she flew south to the States? They would have to find something else to occupy their time.
“Oh, sure. Well, if you change your mind, let me know,” Sheri said.
“I will. Thanks.”
After they worked out the details, Elizabeth drove to Rotary Centennial Waterfront Park. She and her grandma used to come here before she got too sick. They’d sit and talk and look out over Yellowknife Bay, and for a split second, Elizabeth could feel her grandmother next to her, could smell the flowery shampoo she loved, could hear her soft laugh. And then, like a leaf caught in a warm summer breeze, she was gone, leaving behind a soothing sense of comfort.
Not even Bentley, sitting in the parking lot and watching her like a hawk, could shatter the peace that had settled over her. After a couple more minutes, Elizabeth took a walk along the boardwalk to stretch her legs. She hadn’t walked here in so long, and it would be the last time she would ever visit. She wished she could take David to see all the beauty Yellowknife had to offer. She would love to do so many things here with him before she left her home for good.
She returned home and cleaned up some more—she just had to keep doing something—until it was finally time for Sheri to pick her up. The ease she’d felt at the bay had slowly eroded, and Elizabeth’s nerves were on edge. When Sheri’s parents had called to offer their condolences, the sound of the phone had nearly given her a heart attack. And when Sheri rang the doorbell, even though Elizabeth knew she was coming, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She grabbed her purse—the purse that held the only pieces of her life she could bring with her—and headed for the door, her heart pounding. She needed to breathe deeply and still her wildly beating heart or Sheri would hear it. That was the problem with their wolf hearing. And wolf sense of smell. Sheri could probably smell her anxiousness, but Elizabeth could easily explain that away. Her grandmother had just died, for goodness’ sake. Of course Elizabeth was anxious.
She climbed in the car and put on a smile. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“I’m so glad we’re going out to dinner. You haven’t done this in eons. It’s good for you to get out and do something you enjoy for a change. How was your trip to the park?” Sheri asked.
“Really nice. I had a lovely time there. I miss my grandmother terribly, but it brought back so many happy memories of being there with her. Of course I had a couple of watchdogs following me this time. It’s so annoying. I wish they would just leave me in peace.”
Sheri narrowed her eyes. “Was my jerk of a boyfriend still following you?”
“Yep. The whole time and all the way back home too.”
“Well, not that it makes a whole lot of difference to you probably, but I told him for sure I was breaking up with him. I told him I thought he was despicable for doing that to you after all you’ve been through.”
“Thanks. He’s being a jerk.”
Silence filled the air. Trying to overcome her nervousness, Elizabeth concentrated on her breathing, deep breaths in and out through her nose, silently, without Sheri noticing, if she could help it.
Sheri parked at the café and asked, “Has your friend ever had a bison burger before?”
She needed to keep her answers vague. “I don’t know. Maybe. They might have them in Alaska, too, or she might have eaten them somewhere else.”
“I’m so glad she came when you’re free to see her. Does she know your grandma died?”
“Yeah, when she called to get together, I told her.”
“I don’t remember you ever mentioning her to me before.”
Elizabeth’s heart stuttered. Why hadn’t she thought about that? Of course she would have told Sheri. She told Sheri everything.
Well, nearly everything.
“I saw her before I went with the pack members who were going to Maine. You had just gotten together with Bentley and couldn’t spare time for me so I just took a couple of trips hiking.” She was talking too much, too fast, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “You know how I am when I just want to go and walk, even if I can’t do it as a wolf.”
Sheri pressed her lips together. “Yeah, I’m sorry I was that way. With Bentley, I mean. You were right to be annoyed and go without me. I guess we weren’t talking as much then, were we? Stupid Bentley,” she mumbled.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Elizabeth said, the guilt building. Here Sheri was apologizing to her, while Elizabeth lied straight to her face.
“So she’s a gray wolf?” Sheri asked as they walked toward the restaurant.
“Arctic, like us. From Alaska.”
“Sure. Right.”
It almost sounded like she suspected something else was going on. Was she fishing for information? “She’s nice. You’ll like her. And thanks again for coming out with me tonight. It helps me to get my mind off everything that has just happened.”
“Did you want to stay with me at my parents’ place for a while?”
“No, thanks, I’m sure I’ll be okay.”
But as they walked into the Wildcat Café, Elizabeth had no idea if that was true.
Chapter 5
David was dying to go in Amelia’s place to the restaurant to be with Elizabeth. Just to pick her up and run like hell back to the airport. He knew he couldn’t be seen there though. Not if Kintail’s people were still tailing her. But what if Amelia was found out? Could she get hurt—or worse? Could Elizabeth? If either of them were harmed in any way, he’d never forgive himself.