Christmas with Two Alphas (6 page)

Yoga?
Hadn’t
Maisey said she wanted to open a yoga studio? Just
what was Nick up to?

****

Maisey
put her key in the door of her parent’s house and went inside, hearing a vacuum
running. She had seen Lilly Renner’s cleaning van parked outside and guessed
it was the day she cleaned for her parents
. As she turned
the corner, she saw Lilly pushing a vacuum with her daughter Kaitlin following
behind wearing a matching apron and pushing a bright pink, plastic vacuum with
neon green bead bubbles floating up and down in its transparent canister.

Maisey
smiled and then jumped when her mother walked out of the living room catching
her unaware.

“Isn’t
that the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?” she asked. “Lilly said Christopher saw
the play vacuum at a garage sale and thought it would be perfect for Kaitlin.”

The
little girl turned around as if she knew they were watching her and waved.
Maisey
waved
back before the Kaitlin
returned to her work.

“Makes
me sad to think we only had time to make you and not more siblings for you to
play with,” said her mom putting her arms around Maisey’s shoulders.

Maisey
wished that too.
Others to talk to, an understanding ear
about wanting to do your own thing in life.

Lilly
turned off the vacuum and spotted Maisey.

“Hi,
how are you doing?” she asked.

“Really good.”

“Now,
why don’t we ladies go into the kitchen and take a break and try some of the
chocolate cookies I just made. In fact, let’s eat them before your dad comes
home, picks up the scent, and devours every single one.”

“Cookies,”
said Kaitlin following behind with her vacuum in
tow
.

Lilly
lifted her up and put her on one of the stools by the island in their kitchen
as Maisey’s mom handed Kaitlin a cookie.

“What
do you say to Mrs. King?” Lilly asked her.

“Thank
you very much.”

“Maisey,
did you stay the night with your friend?” asked her mom. “I didn’t hear you
come in?”

Maisey
took a cookie and nibbled on the edge. “Yes, I got tired and didn’t want to
drive.”

Liar, Liar.
Having sex with two men.

“Is
everyone looking forward to the wedding this weekend?” asked her mom.

“I
am because Melanie caught my wedding bouquet, so I want to see who gets hers.”

“And
is Charlotte feeling better? I’m so excited, well we all are, about the baby,”
asked her mom.

Maisey
pulled a face at Kaitlin who giggled.

“She’s
doing great. I’ll be throwing her a baby shower in the New Year, so I hope I
can count on both of you attending,” said Lilly.

“Absolutely,”
said her mother.

Babies, babies, babies.
The last thing
she wanted to think about this morning.

“How’s
Christopher’s business going?” asked Maisey.

“It’s
really taken off. In fact,
he’s
in Seattle for two
days. Which reminds me, I should get a move on because Kaitlin and I are having
dinner with Aiden and Charlotte tonight. I said I’d take a couple of dishes so
she doesn’t have to rush home and cook.”

Maisey
followed Lilly out into the hallway where she began dusting the picture frames.

“Something
wrong?” she asked Maisey.

“Is
it that obvious?”

Lilly
nodded.

“Have
you ever done anything really foolish? I mean it was fun at the time but after
you
realized
it was just downright dumb?”

“Who
hasn’t,” said Lilly.

Chapter Nine

“Whatever
you do, do not breathe a word of this to Maisey because I’m in the just
checking things out phase,” said Nick as they walked around a piece of land
outside of Kalispell.

“Is
this what you do? I mean property development?” asked Lucas.

“Sort of.
I put money
into start-up businesses and most of the time I stay a silent partner.”

Lucas
whistled. “When I first saw your cabin I thought maybe you were a recluse who
lived in the woods.”

“I
am, well, sort of, and I love it. I have a house in
town,
but I prefer the cabin. Guess I love my wolf half best.”

“You
said you lost your parents, so how did you get started?”

“I
guess when you’re fifteen and suddenly all alone you over compensate to
survive. I worked two jobs, saved up a couple of hundred dollars, and invested
in it in some guy’s t-shirt company and that turned into $10,000 for me and it
went from there.”

“And
you’re thinking
that a yoga studio could
be built on this land?”

Nick
nodded. “This land’s got lots of room for expansion so if it takes off we can
add a spa. I’m thinking of putting up the money for Maisey to get the thing
going and be her partner.”

Lucas
leaned against Nick’s truck. “Are you doing this because you like her or
because you think it could make you some money?”

“A little of both.
Instinct tells
me you think she might be your mate, right?”

Lucas
wasn’t
crazy after all. Nick had seen it too.

“I
was thinking maybe that’s why I was drawn to her, but then you picked up her
scent so I guess any wolf-shifter in the area could say the same thing.”

“But
you picked up her scent first. I like her,
don’t
get
me wrong, but I don’t think she’s my mate. I think mine’s still out
there
someplace.”

****

“It
says
and guest
. I don’t have one so I
don’t really feel like going,” Maisey had told her parents two hours before
they
were supposed
to head out to Dane and Melanie’s
wedding. The truth was she
didn’t
want to run into
Nick and Lucas with her parents in tow. Not that
they’d
probably say anything, but she’d feel awkward.

“No
honey, that’s not the way it works. These are the type of events where you’re most
likely to meet your mate,” said her mom.

“Your
mother’s right, they’ll know you’re unattached and you’ll be looking beautiful.
This could be your big chance to find your one and only,” said her dad winking
at her.

There
was no getting out of this and maybe Nick and Lucas had changed their minds
about going or maybe
they’d
found dates.

Both
of them being with other women after
they’d
been with
her. How did she feel about that exactly?
Strangely
she wasn’t too jealous about Nick, but deep in her heart she was hoping that
Lucas might have at least called her during the week.

“So
put on your best dress and let’s show those wolf-shifters what a catch you
are,” said her mom.

****

Nick
spotted Maisey as soon as he
was shown
to his seat.
She was even more beautiful today than
she’d
been the
other evening, but he knew by conceding to Lucas, he was doing the right thing.
She finally looked his way and smiled. He lifted his
hand and
waved
and noticed Lucas sitting two rows behind. They exchanged head
nods, having planned how the evening would play out. Maisey was in for two
wonderful surprises.

Nick
looked around. The shifters were a great group of people; loyal,
close-knit
, and all sharing one dark secret. He
glanced at Dane standing at the front with Trent as his best man. Both dressed
in dark suits. He was happy for Dane. The poor
guy
had
lost his wife and child—that couldn’t have been easy for him. Music began
playing and everyone, including Nick stood as Trent’s wife Emily headed down
the aisle followed by the bride Melanie accompanied by a man who had the shape
nose and face, and was clearly her father.

She
looked stunning and Dane was beaming from ear to ear as he turned to watch her
approach him. The front of her dress was
loose,
but he could see a distinct bump. They
hadn’t
announced it yet, but rumor was Dane was going to be a dad again.

Wife, baby.
A lot for a
guy
to take on all in one shot.

They
sat and Nick glanced over first at Maisey and then at Lucas. Yeah, he was doing
the right thing.
His turn
to find the perfect
mate would come one of these days.

****

Lucas
focused on the back of Maisey’s head. He remembered the other night when
he’d
looked at it while pounding away inside her. He crossed
his legs, feeling his cock begin to stir again. He glanced across at Nick. The
guy
was one of a kind and what he’d planned for him and
Maisey, well, he’d never be able to thank him enough.

Maisey
fidgeted in her seat, turning around and catching his glance. She smiled and he
had the same feeling wash over him that
he’d
had in
school when he’d gotten a crush on the teacher. Just like back then, his heart
was beating double time. If everything went well, and Nick pulled this off,
he’d
get to be with Maisey later tonight.

Lucas
pulled down the tie from his collar just a notch. Was it getting hot in here or
was it seeing Maisey and remembering their night together? In fact, he
hadn’t
realized that the ceremony was over until he heard
everyone clapping and Dane and Melanie heading back down the aisle holding
hands and waving to everyone. He stood and clapped at the happy couple. Maisey
was looking his way again. He winked at her and she winked back.

Lucas
made his way out of the room where the ceremony
had been
performed
and down the hall to where dinner would be served followed by
a band playing music into the wee hours of the morning.

He
followed behind Aiden and Charlotte Renner, and saw Christopher holding his
wife Lilly’s hand as their daughter Kaitlin skipped along ahead of them.

Once
inside the room, he looked for his place card on the table. Just so happened he
was seated with
Aiden and Charlotte
and two cougar
couples.

“No
date today?” asked Aiden.

“Nope,
I’m flying solo.”

“Lots
of single ladies here,” said Charlotte.

“How
are you adjusting now you’re back in town?” Aiden asked him.

“Pretty good.
Nice to be back
in my old apartment and I think I might have some work lined up.”

“That’s great.”

“Aiden
tells me you’re in construction,” said Charlotte.

“Yep,
that’s right. You need any work done?”

“Actually
we do. We’re in the middle of building a new clinic and hospital that I’ll be
running,” she said.

“A
hospital for…”

Lucas
stopped talking when a
waitress
hovered around the
table.

Charlotte
nodded and winked at him. “We have to get a move on if I’m going to have my
baby there,” she said patting her belly.

“Give
me a call because it’s definitely something I’d like to be part of.”

He
leaned back. Two
job
prospects. Things
were looking up. He glanced over at the next table and saw Maisey and her
parents just taking their seats.

She
was wearing a red dress with a zipper down the front, and the color
complimented her dark locks. He threw his napkin over his lap hoping no one
would see his erection.

****

Maisey
knew she was blushing because her cheeks were burning. Lucas was at the table
next to hers, Nick just two tables over and sitting almost directly opposite
her. The salad in front of her looked
delicious,
but she
couldn’t
eat because guilt was washing over
her again. What if Lucas was supposed to be her mate because
he’d
found her first? What if
she’d
ruined her chances with
him by suggesting Nick join in? Did he think her a slut who
wasn’t
worthy of being a mate to anyone?

“What’s
wrong honey?” Her father’s voice startled her. “You haven’t touched any of the
salad.” She knew her father well enough to know that he was probably eyeing
everything on the plate. Since
retiring
he’d gained
ten pounds and now her mother nagged him to go running more.

“I’m
watching my weight,” she finally said.

“Since
when?” asked her mom.

She’d
lingered over
the salad so long that the waitress arrived with the main course.