Changing Hearts (29 page)

“Yeah? Or maybe I’ll tie you down.” Malcolm propped himself up slightly.

“I’m already tied to you, sugar.” Joie winked then kissed him as he stared at her in what she took to be shock. For sure he’d been struck speechless. “Don’t you know that by now? Those people back in New Orleans called it like it is. I’m your mate and you’re mine.”

“You have no idea what you’re saying.” Malcolm pushed himself up off the bed and started to pace from one side of the bedroom to the other.

“I know exactly what I’m saying, Malcolm. You’re mine and I’m yours. That mark on your chest? That’s where you had me bite you, marking you as mine. This mark here, on my neck? It’s where you marked me.” Joie got to her knees, ignoring her nudity just as Malcolm ignored his.

“You’re home now, Malcolm. Home. With me.” Joie got off the bed, planting herself in front of him, halting his pacing.

She put her hands on him, placing one hand right over the mark on his chest. “We belong to one another, sugar. We’re a family, or we will be in about eight and a half months.”

“How can you say that? You saw what happened in the Challenge circle. You saw me submit. How can you want me?” he shouted as he closed his hands on her upper arms, practically forcing her onto her toes.

“Malcolm, you are the man I love. You’re a very special man who can turn into a wolf. You love me. You love making love to me. You’re the most honorable man I know. You may have run from the first fight, but sweetheart, no one can ever accuse you of being a coward.”

He yanked her against his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Joie smiled slowly as she hugged him back. “I love you, Malcolm. That isn’t just for one day, not just for one night. It’s forever.”

He made a sound, somewhere between a laugh and a shout then backed up to the bed. He flopped onto his back, holding her against his chest. Joie propped herself up, touching his face, waiting for him to open his eyes. When he did, she saw tears there though he blinked them back.

“I love you, Malcolm Slade.”

“Joie…” his voice trailed off as he pulled her head down to his, kissing her as though he wanted to crawl inside her.

Joie gave herself over to his kiss then pushed against his chest. She sat up, smiling down into his face. “Can I tie you up now?”

He laughed, wrapped his arms around her and rolled over with her as she shrieked. “You have to catch me first.”

Malcolm planted a huge kiss on her mouth then moved quickly off the bed to the doorway. He grinned at her over his shoulder then took off through the cabin.

“Malcolm!” Joie sat up, grabbed the t-shirt he’d tossed on the floor and ran after him. She got to the door only to see him disappearing down the path.

Joie grabbed her tennis shoes, pulled them on and took off after him. She ran down the path until she was short of breath then stood bent over with her hands on her knees. The crack of a branch behind her was the only warning she got that he drew close.

Malcolm scooped her into his arms and started running back toward the cabin.

“What are you doing?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, placing short kisses on his cheek and jaw.

“I caught you. I get to tie you up.”

“No fair! You shifted, didn’t you? You shifted as soon as you hit the woods and you hid from me. That’s cheating!” Joie bit his neck as he started up the stairs.

“Nope, that’s taking advantage of every opportunity, baby. I’m going to fuck you ‘til neither one of us can walk.” He set her on her feet, lowering his head so that their eyes were level, a grin firmly in place.

“No fucking!” She slapped his chest and he grabbed her hand.

“Okay. No fucking.” Malcolm crawled back onto the bed then held his hands out to her.

Joie smiled as she climbed back into bed with him, knowing he’d be true to his word.

Slade opened his eyes. The cabin lay shrouded in darkness as crickets and frogs sang loudly outside. He sat up then glanced at Joie. She lay curled on her side, her hair a wild cloud around her head, a faint smile on her face. He leaned over, kissed her softly then slipped out of the bed, her scent clinging to his skin.

He pulled his jeans on, shoved his feet into his shoes and walked to the door. He turned to look at her again, knowing this was another sight he’d never forget. “I love you, Joie Landry. Take care of yourself and our baby,” he whispered toward her. “Take care of the old woman, of Kay too.”

Slade picked up his backpack and left the cabin. He went down the stairs slowly, looking around, making sure nothing was out of place. He hated leaving her like this, asleep, vulnerable. There was no real danger to her, the Pack wouldn’t come after her now that he was dead to them. The people around here would take care of her and Kay.

Slade made his way to the dock. He wouldn’t take the boat, she’d be stranded if he did. Unsure how deep the water ran here, he followed the bank until he found a place where the bayou narrowed. He made his way across it slowly, keeping an ear open for alligators and snakes, stopping every time he heard a noise in the water around him.

Eventually he made his way back to the cabin. Surprised to see a light on in the kitchen, he paused in the yard. The old woman appeared in the doorway as though she had been expecting him.

“What are you doing here, boy? Where’s Joie?”

“She’s okay.”

“You’re leaving us, aren’t you?” She stepped out onto the porch, staring down at him.

“I have to. I can’t stay here. Joie deserves more than me.”

“Joie deserves a lot of things, boy. Happiness most of all. For whatever reason you make her happy. You wouldn’t be my choice for her but you’re
her
choice.” The old woman crossed her arms across her chest, staring hard at him through the darkness. The light from the kitchen behind her cast most of her frame in shadow but he could see her well enough.

“She deserves someone who can take care of her.”

“You done that.”

“She deserves someone who can love her.”

“You love her, boy. You love her more than you’ll admit. Let me ask you this, just how far can you run before you run out of places to go?”

Slade stared, her words striking at him like physical blows. He shook his head, swallowed hard, then met her eyes. “I don’t know.”

Slade turned away from her, moving toward the carport and his bike. The old woman took another step toward him.

“You’re making a mistake, boy. You leave enough times you won’t have anyplace to come back to. Don’t make my Joie unhappy, boy. She done had enough unhappiness in her life.”

“She’ll be happier without me.” He pulled a key out of his backpack then straddled the bike.

“You believe that and you a bigger fool than I first took you for.” The old woman shook her head and turned her back on him. She went into the cabin, slamming the door behind her.

Slade stared back at the house, a muscle twitching in his jaw. He wanted to yell and scream. He wanted to kill something, really. He dropped his head for a moment, breathing deeply.

Getting off the bike, he rummaged around in his backpack until his hand closed on his keepsake box. He pulled the small box out, stared at it for a long moment then headed for Joie’s shed.

The cat hissed at him though the other animals cringed from him, shrinking back against the sides of their cages. Slade found a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote down the number for a savings account and instructions on how to access it. Folding the piece of paper, he opened the wooden box. The picture of his parents caught his eye.

Slade picked it up, staring at the happy family in the picture. Had he really been that kid? Would he ever see his own kid? Shaking his head, he put the picture back in the box then put the paper on top of it. He left the box on Joie’s workspace. Staring around, he realized the shed didn’t feel so close anymore. In fact, it felt like home.

Something rolled down his face but he ignored it. As he turned away, he caught a scent.
Lilacs.
Joie had left lilac water in the shed. Slade picked a small bottle up off a shelf and filled it with the fragrant water. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them, capped the bottle and left the shed. He placed the small glass bottle carefully in his backpack then secured it to the back of his motorcycle.

Straddling the bike, he started it and took off down the gravel driveway before he could weaken any further. In just a short time he hit the highway, heading north and west. He’d outstayed his welcome here. It was time to move on.

* * * * *

Joie knew he’d gone when she opened her eyes. The cabin felt too empty, the silence too complete. She felt the tears gathering but refused to let them fall. “He’ll come back. I know he’ll come back.”

Joie got out of bed, pulled on the t-shirt she’d dropped by the bed earlier, then wandered out into the kitchen. She put the kettle on to make some tea then went out the back door. The moon wasn’t evident though stars filled the sky. Crickets and frogs sang their nightly song.

She leaned against the side of the cabin with a deep sigh. Her hands moved protectively to her stomach. Less than nine months to go and she’d welcome her baby.
Will Malcolm be back in time to see our child born?

Joie shook her head, banishing the questions. For now, she’d focus on eating properly, getting enough rest and taking care of herself. The miscarriage she’d suffered wouldn’t be repeated with this child. Her doctor had told her she shouldn’t have any difficulty having another child when she was ready.

She hadn’t even told
Tante
about losing the baby, only that Bill hadn’t wanted her to have a child, that he’d been opposed to being a father. Joie hadn’t felt the need to tell
Tante
that Bill had suggested an abortion when she’d first discovered her pregnancy. No sense upsetting her godmother when Nature had ensured there was no child to abort.

That suggestion had been the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. His unfeeling response when she’d lost the child had been the figurative headstone. Joie shoved those thoughts aside again as she moved back into the kitchen.

“No matter, little one. We’ll have each other, and your daddy when he comes to his senses.” Joie knew
Tante
Kay would worry about her when she discovered Malcolm had gone. There wasn’t anything she could do to avoid that.

Joie went back to bed, deciding to wait until morning to go back to the house. There was no rush, after all.

* * * * *

Early the next morning Joie opened the door to the kitchen to see
Tante
Kay sitting at the table.

“He’s gone.” Joie spoke as she came into the room.

“I know. He’s a fool.”
Tante
Kay moved around the table to hug her.

“He’s going to come back,
Tante
.”

“Now, child, don’t be making plans for that. That boy, he don’t know which side his bread’s buttered on.”

“He’s going to come back,
Tante
. I know he will.” Joie gently eased out of her godmother’s arms, smiling at the older woman. “Malcolm will come back to me and our baby. I just know it.”

Touching her godmother’s cheek, she moved to the stove. Joie started to pour a cup of coffee then thought better of it and moved to the fridge. She poured herself a glass of milk then winked at
Tante
Kay as she left the kitchen again.

Her shed was just as she’d left it, all the animals still in their cages. Something seemed out of place, though. She couldn’t put her finger on it until she moved toward her workbench.

Her sudden intake of breath was the only sound in the shed. Joie moved toward the small wooden box, annoyed to see her hand shaking as she reached out to touch it. She opened the box, read the note and instructions Malcolm had left for her then set the paper aside. She wouldn’t need that because he would come back.

She removed the picture with shaking hands then clasped it close to her chest. Tears threatened then but she wouldn’t allow them to fall. The gold medal to Saint. Blaise gleamed at her from the box, only the thirty-eight slug was missing. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Joie replaced the paper in the box then carried the box and the picture into the cabin.

She went straight into her own room where she found a picture frame that held photos of her family. One side held a shot of her parents with her in the middle, on the other, a picture of her mother’s family. Joie removed the backing on the frame and replaced the picture of her mother’s family with Malcolm’s family photo.

She sank down on the bed, holding the frame in her hands, studying the two families. The smiling faces seemed to be delivering a message, that it was possible to find happiness, no matter how fleeting. She’d hang on to that thought until Malcolm returned. Of course, she’d have to give him hell when he first got back, but forgiving him could be wonderful.

Joie put the frame on her nightstand then stood with renewed determination. She had a lot to do—she’d neglected her herbs long enough.

* * * * *

A week later, Slade got off his bike in a small town on the border between Oklahoma and Texas. He was hot, tired and had a kink in his lower back from too many hours spent on the bike. He stretched briefly, easing the aching muscles in his shoulders and back.

Shouldering his backpack, he went into the bathroom of the gas station. Removing his shirt, he washed the dust and road grime from his upper body. He reached into his backpack for a clean shirt and caught the small bottle of lilac water before it hit the floor.

Uncapping the bottle, he took a deep breath. For as long as he lived he’d associate that scent with Joie. He recapped the bottle and shoved it far down in the bottom of his backpack. Raking his hands through his hair, he pulled it back tightly against his scalp in a short ponytail.

Gas for the bike, hunger and thirst, all things he could take care of here. He’d spotted a bar next to the gas station and hoped they had some decent food there. A beer would taste good after eating dust all day too.

He left the bathroom and wheeled his bike up to the gas pump. He filled the tank then went back inside to pay. A few minutes later he entered the bar. Cigarette smoke, whiskey and stale beer were the first scents to greet him. Slade wrinkled his nose slightly, trying to shut out as much of those scents as he could.