Cougar's Mate

  A gun went off—a crash, and she made a small cry of distress. Not meaning to. She just hadn't expected the gunfire and it had scared her—the thought flashing through her brain that she could be the one being shot at and the reminder that Chase had shot her.

  The bear quickly took off and Shannon saw Chase with his rifle at the ready, then he moved back into the shadows of the woods and disappeared.

  For a long moment, she just stared out the window, then coming to grips with the fact that the bear was gone for good, and Chase would be all right, armed as he was, she returned to bed and closed her eyes, grateful again for everything Chase and the townspeople had done for her. If only someone could put Hennessey down, prove he had killed her boyfriend, and remove her from the family's hit list. Then… well, she could even stay in a place like this. With someone like Chase. And raise a family of her own. And then she drifted off to sleep, dreaming about making love to Chase and creating those babies with him when Hennessey’s knife-wielding figure transformed her dreams back into nightmares again.

  ***

  Dan called Chase right after he'd scared the bear off. He'd seen Shannon watching out the living room window or he would have called her and told her it was just him and he'd been chasing off a bear. That must have been what Shannon had heard last night, too. But Chase had gone out, just in case, to ensure it truly was just a bear and not someone skulking around.

  "Yeah, Dan?" Chase said, locking up the place again, and then locked his rifle away in the gun cabinet.

  "Yvonne and Rick sure wished Shannon had said which branch of the service her father had been in. And wished we knew his last name. I’m sure she saw how much it killed us not to know as she nearly made the slip. But they'll use their resources to learn what they can about her. They said that the utensils she used and the wine glass were still too smudged to get any clear prints off."

  "All right, but I wished we could just let her tell us what was going on for herself."

  "I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of time. We might, but if someone is after her who can track her, they'll learn where she is eventually. Not that any of our people will give her location away, but if whoever is after her smells her scent, he'll know."

  "She has trust issues."

  "I understand, Chase. But we have to know what this is all about. We have to learn what we're going up against. Listen, several of our people have started making up a cover story for her also."

  "So it sounds like she's lived here always?"

  "Right. Only… well, the word that is getting out is that… she's your wife."

  Chase stared at his living room floor, not really seeing it as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That won't work. You know it won't. She's not about to go along with it."

  "Okay, look. I didn't figure you'd like it. But think of it this way. If she's your wife, that's going to look a lot less suspicious than any other scenario we could come up with. A single woman, staying at one of your cabins, who's the age that she is automatically calls suspicion to the situation. Everyone else in town either has a mate, is too old to fit the bill, a lot too eager, or too young. And you have the military and police training to keep her safe. Besides, she’s already staying with you and you're my deputy sheriff."

  "Part-time."

  “Right. Which is perfect because you’re free to watch over her. If I need extra help, I’ll call Hal or Rick. Besides, she already trusts you."

  Chase ran his hand through his hair. "What if this scares her into running?"

  "I'm certain you can convince her how sound the plan is. As long as you are all right with it.”

  Chase knew his friend was worried about him being okay with it because of having lost his wife and baby daughter. He would never forget them and often thought of them, but he didn’t have a problem with this. He just worried that Shannon would.

  “I've considered every possible candidate and unless you're completely against it, or she is, I really think it's for the best. You know Hal would jump at the chance, but he’s moving to that ranch and he’s got a lot on his mind right now. My deputy would, too, but he’s got to keep his mind on business. He has a job to do. You’re free up there at your cabin resort to protect her 24-7."

  "I'll speak about it to her tomorrow. If she's agreeable, we'll do it. But we need to learn what this is all about."

  "Agreed. And tell her Dottie has a birthday party for her kids tomorrow afternoon, and she wouldn't want Shannon to miss it."

  "I thought her kids' birthdays were closer to Thanksgiving."

  "She's having it early just in case Shannon decides to leave."

  Chase suspected that meant Dottie was going to try and learn something about Shannon in a woman-to-woman way. Then he thought about the party for a moment. “What if she’s not into kids?”

  "Just ask her, all right? The Kretchens's thirtieth wedding anniversary is the night after that."

  Chase smiled. "And the day after that?"

  "Their wedding anniversary is at that time."

  "All right." Leave Chase to have forgotten the date.

  "We’re still trying to come up with something for the next day."

  Chase chuckled. "Remember, she's tired."

  "She needs to feel as though she's part of the community. The more she can be around our people, socializing and making a connection with them, the more she’ll fit in. She won’t feel she’s an outsider and hopefully she’ll stay and trust we’ll help her out."

  "Then maybe she'll want to stay through Thanksgiving and beyond." For the first time since he’d moved back home, Chase thought spending Thanksgiving with Shannon at the Muellers’ place had real appeal.

  "Right. We'll have to determine why she's run, but yeah, that's the plan. She's a cougar shifter without a home. We're ready to take her in. All of us. If she's free and available, someone's got to be just right for her."

  Chase shook his head. "Which is another reason to encourage her to attend all of the social gatherings." He wanted to say that if Dan started to invite her to single cougar gatherings, he wasn’t going for it.

  "Right. I'll talk to you tomorrow," Dan said.

  After they ended the call, Chase thought Dan's plan had merit. But he wasn't sure that Shannon would agree.

  ***

  Every little sound woke Shannon that night. She thought the bear had come back and was snorting around outside in the middle of the night. Just about the time she had drifted off to sleep, something screeched in the distance. Much later that morning, Shannon climbed out of bed and headed to the kitchen for a glass of milk.

  The house was quiet, Chase’s bedroom door standing ajar, and no sound of him moving about in the living room or kitchen. The phone rang in her pocket, startling her, and she fished it out and checked the caller ID. She was glad to see it was just Chase. She wondered then if he’d told everyone to call him on the police phone and not this one. "Hello?"

  "I need to talk to you. I’m just finishing up some painting I’m doing in one of the cabins. Are you ready for me to make us those omelets for breakfast?”

  "What's wrong?" she asked, instantly wary when he sounded like he needed to talk to her about something that could be trouble. No good morning, no—how are you this morning, did you sleep well? But—he had to talk with her.

  "Nothing’s wrong. Dan had a suggestion that might work and I wanted to talk with you about it."

  She still didn’t think it sounded good. When people had to speak face-to-face, that usually meant trouble. "All right. I just got up. I’m grabbing a cup of hot tea."

  "Another bad night?"

  "I thought I heard the bear prowling around again last night, and… I just kept waking for other reasons." He didn’t say anything for a moment and she frowned, thinking they had gotten disconnected. “Chase?”

  “Yeah… you’re not… feeling like you would be more comfortable at someone else’s place in town, are you?”

  He sounded so anxious that she might say she w
ould prefer staying somewhere else that she smiled. “No. I love it out here.” She swore she heard him sigh over the phone. She couldn’t let him know the reasons that she wanted to stay out here though—that his place was in the wilderness and she could easily take off at any time, but she also felt he could protect her and himself better if they did have trouble.

  "Okay. I’ll wash up the paintbrushes, and I'll be right over. Ham and cheese omelets all right? Or do you want something else? French toast? Pancakes?"

  She smiled. "Omelets would be great. But I can fix them."

  “Nothing doing. My treat.”

  Now how could she say no to that? She wasn’t used to being pampered like this and she wondered if he was always this way or if he was only trying to make her feel more comfortable so she’d tell him the truth.

  When he arrived, he was all smiles as if seeing her waiting for him was the best thing ever. He wore jeans, boots, and a red plaid flannel shirt and looked as sexy as always. His eyes were bright and his smile just as cheerful. And that worried her a bit. What if he hoped to encourage something more… permanent between them? When she knew it couldn’t happen—not given her current circumstances.

  He headed into the kitchen and began banging around in a cabinet for a pan. "First, Dottie invited you to her kids' birthday celebration. It's a little earlier than usual, but I guess she really wants to make sure you're going to be here and can attend. It’s in a couple of hours. I certainly would understand if you don’t want to go." He looked hopeful that she would say yes.

  "That would be fun as long as you’re going," Shannon said, looking forward to it. She didn’t know why she said the part about him going. That made her sound horribly clingy when she wasn’t normally like that.

  He smiled a little at her. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Because he was dying to see the kids, or because he wanted to stick close to her at all times? Then she realized she had no money for gifts.

  "No gifts expected," he said, as if anticipating her next comment.

  When he served up the omelets, she brought over a couple glasses of milk. He seemed so serious now, and she wondered what was up. She suspected something else had happened that he hadn’t wanted to talk to her about over the phone. And it wasn’t about going to a kids’ birthday party.

  "Okay, the other thing Dan called me about last night was a suggestion, really. In case anyone's looking for you," he said.

  She began eating some of her cheesy omelet and thought she was in heaven. Especially after having to catch her own meals in the wild. And not being very good at it. "Hmm, these are so good."

  He smiled, but he still looked concerned. "Well, he had the idea that we'd have the cover story that you've lived here all your life."

  "Okay." That would work for her. She had no problem with that. She lifted her glass of milk and took a sip.

  "And… that you are my wife."

  She practically choked on her milk.

  "It would look less suspicious if you were married and had lived here all your life than if you were a single woman who suddenly just showed up in our town, should anyone come looking for you,” he said quickly as if trying to convince her what a good idea it was. Then he paused and said, ”So… will you be my wife?"

  ***

  She’d had three boyfriends, all dead now, and not one of them had ever asked Shannon to marry him. Though she knew it was all pretend with Chase, she almost wished it was for real because she couldn’t think of any man she’d ever met who could be more ideal. Chase had finally—and she thought a bit reluctantly—told her just how many people, single males included, had wanted to take her in. How could she not love it out here with the beauty of the forest, lake, and mountains so close at hand? And being with him. He was a dream come true. But didn’t all dreams come to an end?

  For her they did. And then the dreams turned into nightmares. She had three dead boyfriends to prove it, too.

  “It was just a thought,” Chase said, and began to pick up their dirty dishes, looking a little hurt.

  Even though this was all a ruse, she guessed even for pretend, a guy getting turned down could feel—rejected, and she hated to see his hurt expression.

  “It was just such a shock,” Shannon said, helping him to clear the table. “I’ve… I’ve never been asked before.” She hated to admit it, but it was true. She seemed to hook up with guys who hadn’t had the marrying gene. Which, considering what had happened to them, was for the best or she would have been a widow three times over. Maybe with kids to raise as well.

  Chase’s gloomy expression quickly brightened. “Hell, Shannon, what kind of idiots have you been dating?”

  Criminals, she thought morosely. Even Ted, who was supposed to have been upholding the law.

  Then she gave Chase a small smile. “I’d love to be your wife. Where should we take our honeymoon?”

  He smiled right back, only his smile was much broader, his eyes sparkling with pleasure. “Hmm, I don’t know. Where would you like to go?” He finished loading the dishes and silverware into the dishwasher.

  “Fiji Island? Grand Cayman? Virgin Islands?” She slipped her arms around his waist as if this was for real.

  He rubbed her shoulders, smiling down at her, a good sport about playing the game. “One of the islands, it is.” He leaned down then and kissed her as if sealing the bargain, and she realized this was another reason she wouldn’t have considered staying with anyone else.

  She loved this, their movie night and the promise of more, their… well, just being together. It felt good to be with him, around him, talking to him, or just sitting quietly beside him.

  He broke off the sweet kiss and cleared his throat. “I’ve got something for you.”

  He couldn’t have picked up a ring, or intended to loan her his dead wife’s ring. She tried not to stiffen at the notion.

  “I’ll be right back.” He left her quickly and headed for his bedroom.

  She attempted to put on a cheery face, no matter what, after all he’d done for her, but she couldn’t help feeling apprehensive. She didn’t want him to get the notion she was staying.

  When he returned, he was carrying a pink box with a bright pink bow on it, a clothes box, not a jewelry box and she breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s the toddlers’ birthday celebration today. Not mine,” she reminded him, but she was dying to open it, even if she shouldn’t have been.

  She hadn’t gotten a gift in forever. Even when her on-the-lamb boyfriends had given her the rare gift, she always had to ask if they’d bought the item and hadn’t stolen it. So she had much preferred they didn’t bring her anything in the form of a gift or she could have been charged with receiving stolen goods.

  Chase smiled as he handed the box to her, looking eager to see how she liked what he’d picked up for her. She wondered when he’d done so. Before she’d awakened this morning?

  She felt some trepidation, afraid of what it could be, that it might be something too personal. With trembling fingers, she unwrapped the bow, then handed it to him. She opened the box and saw something pink vaguely hidden beneath the pink tissue paper.

  Her heart was thumping harder in anticipation and a little thrill of expectation building. She pulled the tissue open and smiled to see the hot pink sweater she had admired at Millicent’s Dress Boutique, but wouldn’t have gotten for herself in a million years.

  “I thought for the party you might like something a little more… colorful,” he said, sounding like he truly hoped she liked it.

  But she also thought he’d gotten it for her to ensure she didn’t blend in so much that he could lose her in a sea of people. “I’d say this is the nicest thing you’ve ever gotten for me and I adore it, but you’ve done so much for me that everything—well except for the tranquilizer dart in my shoulder—that you’ve given me, I’ve truly treasured.”

  He smiled a little at the mention of the dart.

  Then she gave him a hug that said she loved
him. Not in a “forever, I’m marrying you kind of way,” but to say she really, really loved the way he had been so good to her. But then she felt guilty again about not telling him what was going on with her.

  He’d want to take everything back, his deeds, his gifts, everything and turn her out before he was a target next.

  “I love it, Chase,” she said, and kissed him full on the mouth, breasts pressed against his chest, the whole nine yards, wanting to be about as close as she could without getting herself in over her head.

  His arms went around her again and he kissed her back. She felt his arousal, knew she’d incited him too much already, but she wanted this for the moment. She loved their sweet intimacy.

  He finally broke off the kiss, his heart pumping as fast as hers, his eyes lusty and dark, his breathing hard. “As much as I regret having to say this, if we want to make it to the birthday party—“

  She figured he was the kind of guy who was never late for anything. But if she’d pressured him to take this further, would he have skipped the party? She wouldn’t have done that to him or to Dottie, yet the devil in her wanted to see if he would.

  “If it’s all right with you, can we stop to get the kids a gift each?” she asked.

  “Just the thought I had. Which is why we need to leave a little early.” He sounded as though he truly regretted that they had to leave so quickly.

  “I’ll just change.” And then with tears in her eyes that she tried damn hard to hide from Chase because at every turn, he’d been so good to her—but she was certain he saw her tears anyway—she slipped into her bedroom and closed the door.

  As soon as she took off the gray sweater she’d been wearing and put on the hot pink one, she saw the transformation right away from a gray look to bright and vivacious. She thought she looked good for the first time in over a month.

  When she left the bedroom, Chase was waiting for her in the living room, his mouth curving up in a generous smile. His appreciative expression stated how much he liked her in it and made her feel like she was rocketing to the moon. “I told you that you’d look hot in that.”