Changing Hearts (20 page)

Slade trapped her against the counter and kissed her. She responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing close to him. He kissed her until they were both breathless then backed up a step.

“You get to me, baby, you really do.” Slade held his hand out and Joie put her hand in his. He started walking down the hall backward, pulling her with him.

“Where are we going?” She smiled as she asked the question and he grinned back at her.

“To bed.”

“Malcolm, it’s not even six o’clock.”

“Yeah? So?”

“Why are we going to bed?” The gleam in her eye told him she teased him again. He loved it when she did that. Loved it? Slade stopped suddenly and pulled her into his arms.

“We’re going to bed because I need you. I need to fu…make love to you. I need to hold you and know that you’re safe. I need to be inside you.”

He heard the catch in her breath and couldn’t believe he’d just spilled his guts that way. She really was turning him into a pet and the weird thing was, it didn’t freak him out! Joie tilted her head back to smile at him.

“I love you, Malcolm.”

Slade shook his head slightly then groaned as he leaned forward to kiss her. He kissed her over and over, holding tightly to her, stealing her breath, giving her back his.

“Joie, Joie,” he whispered her name as her cool hands moved over his waist and up his back. Slade tilted her head back again to stare into her eyes. “I…” the ringing phone startled him. He hadn’t even noticed a phone in the cabin.

“Say it, Malcolm.” Joie squeezed him, a smile hovering on her face.

“Get the phone, baby. It might be important.” Slade released her, leaning against the wall as she moved into the living room.

He could only hear her side of the conversation but the note of worry in her voice concerned him. Slade moved into the living room to stand beside her.

“Okay, just stay there, we’ll come get you.” Joie disconnected the phone then turned to him. “
Tante
’s stranded. The boat motor just died. She’s not sure what’s wrong with it and Boudreaux’s not home to fix it. I need to go pick her up.”

She started away from him and Slade grabbed her arm. “Wait. I think you’d be safer here. I’ll go get the old…” A look from Joie adjusted his verbiage. “Kay. Give me directions.”

Joie stared at him as if he’d just grown two heads. “You’ll go get her?”

“Yeah. Don’t look so surprised, baby.” For some reason her shock irritated him. It wasn’t as if he hated the old witch. She meant something to Joie. And he realized that Kay meant something to him as well. She’d fully accepted him into her family so he’d do everything he could to ensure her safety.

“Malcolm, don’t be silly, I’ll come with you.” Joie put a hand on his forearm. He waited a moment to enjoy the softness of her touch.

“No. You’ll be safer here.” And he realized just how important it had become to him that she stay safe. “Besides, I’m pretty sure I can get the engine up and running again. You just stay inside the cabin and keep that shotgun handy, okay?”

Her hair fell into her face as she nodded. Reaching out tentatively, he tucked a random curl behind her ear. The silky texture seemed to burn into his skin. He resisted the urge to pull her down the hall to her bed. Kay needed a knight in shining armor, since there wasn’t one around, this slightly tarnished outlaw shifter was apparently good enough for them. So be it.

He grabbed his shirt and shoes, sitting down to pull them on. Joie sighed as she found paper and pen. She wrote directions down for him on how to find Boudreaux’s place then stood in front of him until he looked up at her.

“Promise me you’ll be careful.” Her moss-green eyes reflected something he didn’t recognize at first.

“I promise. Swear you’ll stay inside with the shotgun handy.”

“I will.”

Slade pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. Joie buried her face in his neck and he felt her place a kiss just below his jaw.

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

Then it hit him. Joie was worried about him. She would wait for him to get back. That had to be the most amazing thing anyone had ever said to him. He couldn’t remember a time ever in his life that anyone had waited for him, worried about him. He felt his face split into a grin that allowed nothing but joy to shine through in that moment. Hell, he might even be able to forgive Maggie and Cutter. The smile fell off his face. No. There was nothing forgivable about either of them. Joie stirred in his arms.

“Malcolm? What is it?”

“Nothing, baby. Nothing. Just me thinking about some unfinished business.” Slade got to his feet slowly, still holding her in his arms. He released her legs, letting her slide down his body. Joie stepped out of his arms and followed him to the back door. Slade cupped her face in one hand.

“Lock the door and shoot anyone you don’t know.” He leaned down, kissed her again, then loped around the side of the cabin. He started his bike and roared off down the drive.

Joie watched until his bike rounded the curve to the main road then she closed and locked the door. He’d been on the verge of telling her he loved her, she just knew it. Just as she knew that she most assuredly loved him. Twice he’d made love to her without protection. She put her hands on her stomach as she thought hard about having Malcolm’s baby.

Could it be possible? Could he have impregnated her this afternoon? She wanted to know more about moonlust, wanted to know more about shifters and their emotions. No, that wasn’t quite true, she only wanted to know more about Malcolm’s emotions. She could go the rest of her life without ever seeing Maggie again! But not Malcolm.

“Pregnant? Oh
Mon Dieu
, would he want a baby? Would he be glad if I lost the baby? Would he ask me to…” Joie couldn’t let herself voice the words. And nothing, not even Malcolm’s fury, would prevent her from carrying his child to term if she was so blessed.

Joie caught herself humming as she wandered through the cabin. Malcolm had gone off to check on
Tante
. Whether he admitted it or not, she knew he cared about
Tante
, she also knew he felt something strong for her. Perhaps those feelings could be enough to keep him here with them and not cause him to lose his freedom.

“Girl, don’t go there. Malcolm’s a wanderer even if he isn’t running. He needs his room, his space, his freedom. I can’t ask that of him.”

But maybe, just maybe she could talk him into giving her the child she would so dearly love to have.

Twenty minutes later Slade pulled up in front of a ramshackle cabin. Joie’s directions indicated he’d have to go on foot from here. He pocketed the bike keys, glancing around as he did so. There was a rusty car up on blocks, all the windows busted out of it, no tires visible and the interior shredded, probably by animals. Nothing but raccoons and squirrels had been living around here for a while. He sniffed again and caught the faint scent of water, herbs and humans from his right. That way led to Kay.

Slade skirted quickly through the woods to the edge of the bayou. A newer cabin had been built here. It stood off the ground about four feet, held by sturdy posts. A wide porch angled down both the sides he could see. Faint music came from inside the cabin, a woman’s voice joining the singing from the radio. The air also held the smell of chicken, making his stomach rumble even though he’d just eaten. Kay’s small boat bobbed gently at the dock. He noticed three small blond kids watching with big eyes as he came down the path and stepped down into the boat. Kay waited there with them.

“You know what you’re doing, boy?” The old woman seemed to stare into him. For a moment he imagined she asked him about something other than the pirogue. His eyes narrowed as he considered her. Her direct gaze held his until he let his eyes slide away.

Slade shrugged off the odd feeling that came with that gesture. Kay knew what and who he was. That hadn’t been a dominant display, therefore he hadn’t just submitted to her. Her leathered skin crinkled as she began to laugh.

Slade felt slightly claustrophobic as the kids moved closer together, then moved, almost as a unit, toward the boat. They acted so smoothly and without words that he imagined them to be a wolf pup pack. But they just stood there watching.

“Better than most, old woman.” He removed the engine casing and checked the small outboard motor. “Spark plugs are wet. You got any spares?”

“In the tackle box by your feet. I didn’t think about them.” Kay lowered herself into a lawn chair on the dock as he found the spark plugs. He pulled his shirt off, pulled the useless spark plugs out, dropping them onto his shirt, and started replacing them.

Slade glanced up as the children moved even closer. “Who do the rug rats belong to?”

“Those children are all Boudreaux’s. Their momma be having a brother or sister for them just any day now. I thought it would be tonight but this baby, it’s stubborn. Just like some other folks I know. You like kids?”

“Never been around them much.” Slade glanced up again to find the smallest of the children grinning a mostly toothless grin at him from mere inches away.

“Well, little Chantal seems to like you plenty.” The old woman cackled at him as the little girl reached out to touch his shoulder.

Slade forced himself to stand still as her tiny hand touched his tattoo. He’d never felt such a tentative touch before.

“Pretty.” She lisped at him as she patted the wolf’s head on his shoulder.

“She likes your tattoo.” A second child, this one a boy, stepped forward to stand behind his sister.

“Yeah, I guess.” Slade put the engine casing back in place. He turned to face his audience. The little girl, Chantal, held her arms up to him. Slade looked helplessly at Kay. “What?”

“She wants you to pick her up, boy.”

“Me?” Slade stared at the kids for a moment then held his arms out slowly. Chantal launched herself into his arms, giving him a wet smacking kiss on the cheek, her tiny bare feet thumping into his chest. Slade flinched even as his arms tightened around her. She squealed and he stared at Kay with what a look of complete horror.

“You’re holding too tight, boy. Ease off a bit.” Her cackle punctuated her humor.

He relaxed his hold slightly to be rewarded with a ripple of laughter along with soft, sticky lips pressing against his cheek. She smelled of apple juice and pudding. Her hair gleamed almost white it was so blonde and her eyes were as blue as the sky. She grinned at him again and he could see the glimmer of teeth breaking through her pink gums.

“How old is she?” He couldn’t take his eyes off the child. In his mind he could see a baby girl with Joie’s burnished curls. She continued to pat his face and shoulder, saying “pretty”, over and over again.

“Chantal’s two. My name’s Tyler. I’m seven and Jackie’s four.”

Slade looked at the little boy with a slight grin. He recognized another Alpha when he met one, and this kid had it in spades. Protective of his sisters, a little wary of this stranger, but willing to put himself out there. Slade tried to remember the last time he’d interacted with kids.

The Pack members had known his feelings about children and kept the kids away from him. Tyler’s skinny arms stuck out from his t-shirt and his hands were fisted on his hips.

“You the oldest, then?”

“Yeah.” The kid puffed his chest out and Slade’s grin widened. Yeah, this kid definitely had Alpha potential.

“Hey, you kids, get on back to the house.” A masculine voice intruded and Slade moved his gaze from the boy. A man in a dirty blue shirt and faded jeans stood at the foot of the porch. The older kids whooped as they ran toward him. Chantal squirmed until Slade set her on her feet, then she took off after her siblings. Slade flinched as she fell, but she got right back up, scrambling up to her father.

The man hugged all three then picked the little one up, holding her quite naturally against his chest, brushing the dirt off her knees. He kissed her cheek then set her on her feet, gently patting her bottom. “Y’all get washed up for supper, now. Miss Kay? You and your friend will be staying?”

“No.” Slade shot a quick look at Kay. “I mean, you can stay if you want. I need to get back to Joie.”

She laughed at him again! “Thanks just the same, Boudreaux, we’ll be heading home. You, boy, get back on that fancy motorbike of yours and I’ll take my time in the boat. You tell Joie I’ll be home by dark, you hear?”

“Just make sure you are. I’d hate to have to come looking for you.” Slade pulled himself easily out of the boat and onto the edge of the dock then handed Kay down into the boat. The engine roared to life with a quick pull on the starter and Boudreaux helped him untie the boat.

“I appreciate you coming down here, mister.” Boudreaux held his hand out for Slade to shake. He shrugged and grinned. “Me, I was still at work over to the mill or I’d have helped Miss Kay. She’s a nice lady.”

“Yeah. So, those are your kids?” Slade had shaken the other man’s hand, not exactly comfortable with the process, but knowing it was something human males did.

“Yep.” Slade watched as the man’s chest expanded with pride. “They’re all mine. Number four is on the way. You sure you don’t wanna stay for supper? My Evie, she makes real good fried chicken.”

“No, thanks. I’d better go.” Even though his stomach rumbled disapproval, he still didn’t feel comfortable talking to humans for any length of time. The man nodded then shook his hand again as they parted by the house. Slade took off down the path back to his bike.

Slade took a quick look around again before he started his bike. These people didn’t have much but they seemed to be happy. The kids were well fed, clean, obviously cared for. The man’s pride in his family had been so obvious. Slade wondered what it would have been like to have had someone be proud of him. His uncle had terrorized him, his aunt had been afraid of him and he didn’t really remember his parents at all.

Shaking off the past, Slade straddled his bike and revved the engine. Still, he touched the side of his face where Chantal had kissed him. He grinned as he put the bike in gear and took off toward the cabin.