She sighed against his chest. “I guess we need to get up.”
“Are you okay?” Jack was still concerned about how Dottie was feeling about shooting Gigi.
Dottie snuggled against Jack. “I didn’t think I’d ever have to really kill anyone, though I’d been practicing shooting for self-defense after the situation with Jeffrey. But I wouldn’t have done anything differently to protect you.”
“I’m glad you did.” But he really wanted to be doing the protecting. He was glad he had a mate who could do so also, especially when he was away on a job though.
When they went down to breakfast with the kids, Dan dropped by and spoke to the caracal cat family. “We’d be happy for you to stay here, and you’ll have a whole town to protect you.”
Travis and Bridget had loaned clothes to the family so they could join them for breakfast.
“We have a business in Breckenridge, a ski lodge right on the slopes,” Mrs. Judy Summers said. “Edgar and I love it up there. We’ve been living there for seven years, and we’ve never had any problem before. I think we were just unlucky to have run into the men this time.”
Edgar agreed. “But if we want to retire, or things get bad there for us, we’ll sure consider taking you up on your offer.”
“Are there other caracal shifters in the area up there?” Dottie asked.
“Two other families. Which is another reason we’ve been happy there,” Judy said.
Jack understood it was probably easier for them to be around others like them. The cougars were so much bigger than the caracal cats, for one thing.
“We’ll fly you home,” Dottie said.
Jack figured she intended to use some of the money she had for any shifters in real need.
“Thank you. We’ll pay you back when—“ Edgar said.
“No problem. We have a friend who flies all over.” Dan was invited to eat with them. He declined. “Have to get back to work. I have to admit I had some of Mrs. Fitzgerald’s pastries this morning. As far as you flying out on a private plane, you won’t have to have ID that way.”
“That would be great,” Edgar said. “No need to make false documents. We have our ID cards at home. And thank you again.”
After the caracal family thanked everyone again and left to take a flight home, Jack said to Dottie, “As soon as the renovations are done, do you want to have that wedding?”
“I don’t want to put it off much longer.” She rubbed her belly. “Everyone’s been waiting for it. In the past two and a half weeks, we’ve made all the wedding arrangements. The ladies all have their burgundy gowns, you all have your dark gray tuxes with light gray vests. The burgundy and champagne roses have been ordered. I’ve already had my gown altered once. So I’d really rather just do it.”
Jack rubbed her back. “Okay, I’ll call Mom and Dad and tell them the new date.”
“I’ll get hold of my aunt. Let’s have it on Saturday, all right?”
Jack had wanted to take down Hellion and Ralph before they had the wedding. He knew the way Dottie was feeling with the pregnancy, she would be better off having it as soon as they could.
Hellion probably realized the money buried in the backyard was gone. His sister was dead. The weapons at Bishop’s place had been confiscated. The weapons at the house where the caracal had been penned up on the property had gone up in flames in the explosion. And the caracal cats had been safely freed.
So Jack and the team assumed either Hellion and his partner would return here for revenge, or they’d leave well enough alone and stay away so they could take up their life of crime elsewhere. Not that it meant the CSFD would turn a blind eye though. These men needed to be stopped. If regular police caught them in a case of murder and put them in prison for life? Then what?
No way could the cougars keep from shifting for that long. And why would they fight it? If they were going to die, they might as well do as they wished, and they’d get the rest of their kind in trouble. The agents would continue to hunt for them until they took them down.
“We’re ready for the wedding,” Bridget said smiling. “You never know when one of us newly mated cougars might end up pregnant and have the same trouble as you.”
Everyone stared at Bridget, Travis’s jaw dropping.
She patted his shoulder. “Not yet. But you know how it happens.”
Everyone laughed.
16
That Saturday, Jeff was so proud in his gray tux, and the perfect ring bearer. Trish and Shannon’s girls were the prettiest little flower girls in pink gowns, and Tracey’s professional photographer sister, Jessie Whittington, was on hand to take all the photos for the wedding. Dottie couldn’t wait to pick out a ton of the photos and put them up on the kids’ walls.
Jack asked Leyton to be his best man, and Travis, Stryker, Hal, Chase, and Dan were his groomsmen, all looking dapper in their gray tuxes. Despite that he was new to the area, the fact they all worked in a law enforcement capacity made them a brotherhood of sorts. Not to mention they’d all been in the military too. And they loved Dottie like a sister and were glad to see him taking care of her and the kids.
Even Chet and Chuck, the other CSF agents, showed up for the ceremony to wish them well.
Dottie included Jack’s sister, Roberta, as a bridesmaid, as well as Tracey, Kate, and Bridget. Shannon was her matron of honor. Tracey’s mother, Melanie, baked them a multi-tiered, white and lemon wedding cake. Dottie once again said her vows, this time while wearing a champagne-colored, empire, maternity gown, but, unlike the first time, she knew this marriage was right and would last.
She felt like a pregnant fairy princess and after the wedding and a dinner of steaks, asparagus, shrimp, and salads, the dancing began. She was ready for a nap.
She danced with Jack, loving him for being so good for her and the kids. Then she danced with Jack’s dad, and with her little boy. Jack likewise danced with his mom, Aunt Emily, Roberta, and Trish. Except he held his daughter in his arms as he danced with her. She looked ready to crash, just like Dottie felt.
Dottie finally was sitting down, drinking punch, watching the others dance when Tracey came to join her. “I know just how you feel,” Tracey said, having gone inside for a while to shift and nurse her babies all at once as a cougar. “Do you worry you might be carrying four babies?”
Dottie smiled at her. “Yours are beautiful. I knew I had to be carrying two at least, as fast as I was gaining weight. I’ll be happy with whatever I end up with though.”
“That’s the way I felt, though both Hal and I were in shock. Ted Weekum was so good. Here he is our foreman and what does he do? As soon as he dropped by the clinic to congratulate us, he left to pick up two more cribs that are identical to the other two. Though for now, the two boys sleep together and the girls sleep with each other. They’re happier that way.”
“I had my two together for quite a while after they were first born. They get used to listening to each other’s heartbeats and so they felt comforted by being with each other.”
“I agree. Shannon said she was taking Jeff and Trish home with them tonight.”
“Yes. Tonight is our ‘honeymoon’ night. We’ll pick the twins up tomorrow afternoon. We weren’t going to do this. Shannon and Chase insisted.”
“You’ll need the time alone what with the new babies coming.”
Hal came over with a baby in each arm. If he didn’t look like a loving dad. “Are you ready to go home?” he asked Tracey. He looked worn out too.
“Yeah. See? This is what happens. You have all these babies and no more late nights out. Now we’re just two tired old people.”
Dottie laughed. “Well, having been through that with twins, I can tell you it gets easier the older they get.” Especially when the mom had lots of help, unlike Dottie when she’d had Jeff and Trish.
“Congratulations again.” Tracey gave her a hug, then joined her parents and sister, who were taking care of the other babies right now.
Shannon c
ame over to see Dottie next. Dottie asked her, “Are you certain it’s not an imposition?” She felt she had asked Shannon way too many times lately to take care of the kids.
“Certainly not. My two girls are so excited about having the twins come stay the night again. And the two of you need the break. Once the babies come, you’ll have a much harder time finding time alone with Jack. Chase is getting ready to leave. My two are getting tired and I think yours are too.”
Dottie and Jack said goodnight to their kids and everyone else. Then amidst a shower of bubbles, they were whisked away in a limousine back home. Everyone that had been doing renovations on the house had worked overtime to get the place done before the wedding and Dottie had paid the men extra for the effort.
She couldn’t wait to be home with Jack, just the two of them. Kate had said having sex should be fine up to about twenty-eight weeks, unless Dottie started to have contractions. So Dotty really wanted to continue to take advantage of the days she had left to make love to Jack like this. But really, with the cougars enhanced healing abilities, she thought they had longer to go since that was based on a strictly human time frame.
With Jeffrey, it hadn’t mattered because he hadn’t cared to make love to her at that point and hadn’t stuck around. With Jack, he did want to have sex with her, though he said he was fine, not wanting her to feel she had to do it if she wasn’t comfortable. But she knew he wanted it as much as she did.
As soon as they were inside, Jack hurried her into the bedroom. Lavender rose petals were strewn all over the bed. She loved her cougar friends.
“Shannon and the other ladies asked me what color I wanted them to be.” He began to help Dottie out of her sandals while she sat on the bed. “They told me lavender meant I loved you at first sight and was utterly under your enchantment. Which is completely true.”
She smiled up at him. “I love you.”
“I love you, honey.” He helped her up and began taking off her wedding gown.
“We could just leave it on,” she said, thinking she was prettier wearing it.
“I love looking at you just as you are, but it’s really up to you.”
She sighed. As much as he was always touching her, she knew he loved the way her body looked no matter how big she got. She loved him for it, especially since she was only bound to get bigger.
Once she was naked, he began taking off his clothes. She helped with his cufflinks and buttons, and finally pulled his tux and shirt off. She skimmed her hands over his hot body, his muscles taut, and she was looking forward to after the babies were born when she could get back into shape too. That was one really good thing about being a cougar. They could easily work off the pounds, and they could take the kits with them, when they were old enough.
Before she knew it, he was kissing her and helping her into bed, his hand rubbing her back, and then her belly. “If you are uncomfortable at any time, just let me know.”
He always said so, even when he’d married her the first time and was worried about the babies and the pregnancy.
“You’re beautiful, and I’m the luckiest man there is.”
She smiled at him and laid back on the bed while he pleasured her. Every stroke brought her higher, his kisses desperate as he plunged his tongue into her mouth and she enjoyed the taste of him, the champagne that she couldn’t drink while she was pregnant, and the sweet, sugary, lemony cake that she’d had two slices of.
She threaded her hands through his hair, kissing him back, desiring him as much as he craved her. He kissed her full breasts, licking her nipples, heating her up, continuing to stroke her harder between her legs.
With his fervent strokes, she felt the heat suffuse her as Jack took her to the moon. “Omigod, Jack, yes.” She came in a matter of seconds, and smiled up at him. She’d never expected to be with Jack like this, pregnant with his babies again, but this time married to him.
He growled low with satisfaction, kissing her mouth again. Then he kissed her cheek. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you if it’s not working for me.” Though she wanted more than anything to have sex with him, they didn’t want to trigger a premature delivery for the triplets.
Jack had found if Dottie laid on her side, using her maternity pillow to help with the weight of the babies that had worked well and he was able to enter her from behind. Or having her sit on his erection while she rocked on top of him, had worked well also. But they tried her lying on her side this time and then he planned on giving her a back and foot massage.
He slowly pushed inside her and then began to thrust, needing relief as much as he was paying attention to her needs. He was attuned to her—conscious that she might hurt, and he’d pull right out.
At the same time, he rubbed his hand over her belly, his mouth kissing her ear, her neck, her shoulder. Their heartbeats were racing to the finish line. He held himself still for a minute before he began thrusting again. And came in an explosive release. “I love you,” Jack said, kissing her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her. He felt spasms in her belly as he caressed her, and she sighed.
“I think we woke them up,” she said.
“Do you want some milk?”
“Thanks. Sometimes it helps. I’m going to the bedroom.”
Poor Dottie had to roll over to get out of bed. She couldn’t just sit up. He couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable it had to be for her to have to carry all that extra weight.
He headed into the kitchen, where the fridge light was on in the water dispenser part of the stainless steel fridge door, while she went to the bathroom. As soon as he turned on the kitchen light, several shots were fired through the kitchen window, shattering the glass. He dove to the wood floor, his heart racing. Adrenaline shot through his veins. He quickly made his way to the antique console table in the dining room, moving around the oblong pine table, and several of the blue and beige high-backed chairs where they had one of the house phone handsets. He immediately called Leyton.
“I’ll call everyone. Keep your heads down. We’re on our way,” Leyton assured him.
Back home in Missouri, Jack would never have had this kind of support from other cougars because they just didn’t have this kind of network of cougar law enforcement officers back there. He was glad they had that kind of help here.
Jack hurried toward the bathroom. “Dottie?”
She’d closed the bathroom door. When she didn’t answer, he feared the worst. That someone had abducted her from the house.
He yanked open the door and found she was gone. The window in the bathroom was closed. He rushed back into the bedroom, looked in the closet, checked under the bed, though he’d been certain she couldn’t fit under there in her condition. He couldn’t imagine she would have left the house.
He quickly checked the bedrooms and other bathroom. Damn it! No way would she have run outside by herself, but there was no sign anyone had forcibly entered the house. Then he heard someone scream outside near the stack of firewood, a man, he thought, the sound chilling. Jack had two choices: run outside as a cougar, or dress and take his gun to hunt the men down.
He unlocked the cougar door, shifted, and raced out into the cool night air. He ran straight to where he’d heard someone cry out and found Ralph with his throat torn out, blood soaking the grass. Definitely a cougar had done it. And he smelled Dottie’s scent. Jack suspected his wife had taken care of Ralph out of a need to end this before these men killed Jack or the rest of the family.
No heartbeat, Ralph was very much dead. Where was Hellion? Had they brought more men with them?
Cats could be so much quieter than when they were running around as humans so Jack didn’t hear any sound indicating where Dottie was. But he did hear someone moving around in the brush nearby. He also heard the sirens wailing, telling him at least three cop cars were on their way. Someone started to run in the brush away from the house and in the same direction as the two of them—Hellion and Ralph—had run before to reac
h a getaway car. The guy must have been wearing hunter spray so Jack couldn’t follow his scent trail. He listened to his running footfalls.
The breeze suddenly shifted and Jack knew the man would be able to smell Jack following him because he was not wearing hunter’s concealment. The man whipped around and fired several rounds at Jack. He dodged, and then leapt over some fallen trees for cover. As soon as the perp was on the run again, Jack raced after him. When he was within forty feet of Hellion, Jack leapt at him and landed on his back, digging his claws into his flesh. Hellion might not have a scent but in the early evening hours, and with a cougar’s enhanced ability to see at night, Jack knew it was him.
He bit Hellion’s arm, forcing him to drop his gun. Hellion tried to grab a knife from his boot. Jack had no intention of letting Hellion live. He knew as long as the guy wanted revenge, he’d be a danger to Jack’s family and others. Jack made a final lunge, grabbed Hellion’s neck, and bit down hard. Hellion collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.
Dottie came out of the woods where she’d been watching, ready to help Jack if he’d needed her to. He was glad she’d left Hellion to him, considering her condition. He couldn’t believe she’d left the house and killed Ralph.
Car doors slammed out front. Banging on the front door ensued. Jack and Dottie called out in their cougar way near the woods on the property.
The men all raced around the back, flashlights shining all over, seeing Ralph dead nearby, and Dottie and Jack sitting near a dead Hellion.
“Hell,” Leyton said first. “I thought I told you to keep your heads low.”
Dottie licked Jack’s cheek, then headed back toward the house, and Jack raced after her. She still looked like she was carrying cubs as a cougar but not quite so pronounced as in her human form. As they went through the cougar door, Jack shifted and unlocked the back door. Then he followed Dottie into the bedroom where, to his surprise, she curled up on the bed as a cougar to sleep.