Getting Wet (2 page)

Men and women walked alone or in couples. There were few, if any, groups larger than two.

“Don’t people clump up here?”

“Not usually. It is counterproductive. Ladies gather together for support and defense out in the world; here, they have to put themselves out where the men can find them. You have to let your beast rule.”

Augusta wrinkled her nose. “My beast isn’t very bossy.”

“Most otters aren’t. The tour will include a trip to the pond. I think you will enjoy it. Many semi-aquatic species gather there late in the evening.” Teal smiled. “Species like mine enjoy it during the day.”

“Swan?” Rayna had mentioned it, and Augusta tested it.

“Indeed. Now, this is the general store, there is the café, the restaurant and the new nail salon. Down this road are the hostels which are divided by gender and species type.” Teal waved her arm and pointed quickly. “The Crossed Star bar is down that way. It is the hub of activity for the Crossroads.”

The guardian walked Augusta down another lane filled with statuesque Victorian homes, some of which had signposts out front.

The Open Heart was cheery, painted a brilliant white and the front door opened as Teal led Augusta up the steps.

The blue woman with vivid purple hair smiled. “Welcome, Augusta Samuels.”

“Call me Gusty.”

“Gusty. I am Teebie, your host. Come along and I will get you situated, turned around and out for the evening.”

Gusty swallowed. “That quick?”

“No time like the present. Thank you for your guidance, Teal.” Teebie inclined her head.

Gusty turned and nodded. “Thank you for the tour. I suppose I will find the pond tomorrow?”

Teebie blinked, “You didn’t get to the pond? Geez, Teal.”

The swan blushed, “It is a busy night. There are two more incoming and four leaving at dawn. I forgot.”

Teebie smiled. “Well, Gusty, I will take you as soon as you are dressed for the evening. Come along, your room is at the top of the stairs.”

Swept along by the djinn, Gusty waved farewell to Teal and the woman inclined her head as she closed the door.

“I had no idea she was so busy.” Gusty felt a little guilty for taking up Teal’s time.

“Oh, it comes and goes. She tries to give all that she can to each new arrival, but sometimes, she forgets that time is a finite thing and it has to be divided.”

“Um, why are you here when this entire place is occupied by shifters?” It was easier to ask the question directly.

“Oh, my aunt owns the bed and breakfast. I am just running it for her while she is off learning the human world again.” Teebie paused outside a door and a key materialized in her palm. The blue face grinned, “Here you go. I marked it with a lily pad.”

Gusty blinked. “I love lily pads. How did you know?”

“Lucky guess. Your file was forwarded to me yesterday.” Teebie grinned. “Go on in, put something on that you think would be suitable of trolling for males and come on out. I will take you around.”

“Don’t you have other guests?”

“Not today. There is no one scheduled for two more days. Of course, that can change, but for now, I am confident that I am at your disposal this evening.” Teebie gestured for her to enter the guestroom, and Gusty figured that there was no time like the present.

The room, the four-poster bed and the large wardrobe were all very comfortable, but Gusty had struck out for a purpose and that purpose was to find a mate. Her inner otter was doing excited flips.

A pair of gem-spattered jeans, a fitted top and some comfy flats completed her quick change. She brushed out her braid and let the dark, smooth hair ripple around her. Some lip-gloss and she was ready to rejoin Teebie.

It was time for a night on the Crossroads.

* * * *

Rayna sat back with a bucket of popcorn. Gregory was out with his brothers, and she was enjoying girly drama night in without Gusty. It didn’t feel right but a routine was a routine.

The knock at the door jerked her upright. “That isn’t routine.”

She went to the door and sniffed. It didn’t smell like otter, but there was water about it. Rayna opened the door. “Hello?”

A man stood there with silky dark brown hair and rich brown eyes. His jaw was hard, his shoulders were massive and he had an uncertain expression on his face. “Hello. I am looking for Augusta Samuels, and the otters in Draycott told me that I might get in touch with her here.”

Rayna blinked rapidly. She inhaled and scented him. He was very nervous, but there was a locked determination to his jaw that she found endearing.

“She isn’t here right now. Where do you know her from?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t. I mean I have never met her. May I come in?”

Rayna flexed her left hand and popped her claws. “Sure. Come on in. I am Rayna.”

“Randal Forester.” He extended his hand, and she blinked at the courtesy.

Shaking his hand, she kept her left clawed and at the ready. “Please. This way.”

The huge hulk of a man followed her into her home, and she settled on the couch with her popcorn. “Now, tell me why you are looking for my sister.”

He blinked. “Sister? You don’t…you aren’t…”

Rayna laughed. “So, you have actually met her. Yes, I am adopted. The otters in Draycott sent you here in case you were up to no good.”

He relaxed. “Well, I met your sister a few weeks ago, and I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind. Finding her was my focus, but it was a lot more difficult than it had to be.”

Rayna blinked. “You are the stripper!”

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I was helping out at my cousin’s club that night. I go on stage when there is a cancellation. By the time I finished my set, she was gone, and I have engaged all of my family members to find her. I finally got a name last week, but I had to finish a job before I could come out here. So, that leaves me with a question.”

Rayna winced, knowing what was coming.

“Where is she?”

Rayna sighed, “Have you ever considered going to the Crossroads? I hear it is nice this time of year.”

Randal bolted to his feet, panic on his face. “She went…when?”

“Yesterday. She isn’t home yet, so you still have a fair chance. Are you willing to pursue her there?”

He nodded. “I am, but I haven’t made any preparations.”

Rayna pulled her phone out and flipped through saved numbers. “Just a moment.” She dialed and bit her claw tip. “Hello, Kris?”

“Hello.”

“This is Rayna.”

“Hiya, Rayna. Are you going to trade Gregory in for another model?” Krisia chuckled.

“No. I need a favour. Remember how you sent Augusta to the Crossroads yesterday?”

“Yes. I have not yet surrendered to dementia.”

“Well, the man that triggered my sister’s urge to find a mate is sitting right here in my living room. I was wondering if I could send him to the Crossroads…soon.”

“I am on my way. Does he have the necessary samples?” The transporter asked the practical question.

“I am sure that we can arrange something suitable. I will make some calls.”

“Good. See you in three hours?”

“Excellent. Done and done.” Rayna hung up and looked at Randal. “So, do you have any local family?”

He blinked for a moment, and then, a slow smile crossed his charming features. “I think I can make a few calls.”

Rayna looked at the stunning features and devastating physique. Augusta was in for a wild ride.

The first night had been fun. Teebie had shown her the pond where several water-loving species were frolicking. After that, it was straight to the bar to learn the ins and outs of dating in the Crossroads.

During breakfast, Teebie walked her through the men of the night before. “So, which was your favourite?”

“The redhead with the penchant for salsa music. I think he was an elk.” Gusty grinned. “It is so weird not being sure what people are.”

Teebie snickered and pushed another platter of muffins across the table. “That isn’t usually an issue in djinn gatherings.”

Gusty looked at the blue skin and shrugged. “Okay, I can see how it would be a little obvious.”

“Not really. My sisters don’t share my pigmentation. My name is Teebie. It stands for Totally Blue. My aunt named me.” She laughed. “I was a bit of a surprise.”

“Oh. Wow. Okay. I was a middle child, so I have my own issues.”

Teebie giggled.

They continued their discussion of the previous evening, and suddenly, Teebie went silent and sat up as if hearing a distant sound.

“Teebie, what is it?”

“I just got a reservation. Funnily enough, it is on your sister’s account.”

“What?”

“You heard me. There is a man arriving shortly and your sister is sending him. Do you know anyone she would post here?”

Gusty was perplexed. “Not a clue. Do you know when he is arriving or who he is?”

“Nope. Just that it is male and arriving later tonight. I am guessing it was a rush job.”

“Does that happen a lot?”

“Often enough. Some folks reach a tipping point and head here as a personal affirmation. Others dream for years of coming to meet their true mate and find themselves in the arms of the one person they never expected. Love is as complicated as it gets, and when you throw destiny into the mix, you end up with quite a tangle.”

Gusty finished breakfast and got to her feet. “Well, if you don’t mind, I am going to hit that pond. It was quite tempting last night.”

“Be my guest. Well, you are my guest, so go nuts?” Teebie laughed and cleared the table with a wave of her hand.

Gusty grabbed a towel and headed out to the pond. Her shifted form wasn’t dramatic; it was cute. She had lived her life being cute and nothing else. Next to Rayna’s vivid colouring, Augusta was a shadow.

No one else was at the pond, so she peeled off her clothes, folded them and put them on a rock, and then, she shifted and slipped into the water, turning on her back and tumbling endlessly as her mind giggled madly.

Freedom of her other shape was something that she always embraced. If her otter wanted to slide down the hill to splash in the water, she would do it. If it wanted to pick up water plants and wear them as a hat, she would do that, too.

She splished and splashed for hours, scampering around the pond until the sky turned red. Her inner otter sighed happily and encouraged her to take her human form again. It had dancing to do, and it needed her limbs to do it.

Dancing was the otter’s favourite human activity, and if it needed to get dressed to do it, it would suffer clothing and shoes.

Gusty towelled off and climbed back into her clothes. With a swing in her step, she headed back to the Open Heart.

Time to dress for dinner.

The Crossed Star was bustling with energy. New arrivals introduced themselves, men who had met her the previous evening asked for another dance and Chuck renewed his acquaintance with her preferences for soda.

It was nearing midnight when a murmur ran through the ladies in the crowd.

Gusty turned in the arms of a handsome moose and stumbled as her legs refused to hold her up. She knew that jaw, those shoulders and those eyes.

“Gusty, are you all right?” Daniel, the moose, held her tight as she fought for balance.

Gusty’s mystery man came directly to her.

“May I cut in?”

His voice shook her from the inside out. She blinked up into his dark brown eyes.

Daniel made a small sound and let her go.

She went into the arms of the man from that weird night, and he placed one of her hands in his while covering most of her back with the other.

The song wasn’t particularly slow, but he moved easily through the crowd without a hint of rush. Her mind scrambled for things to say, but his hands on her were so delightful, she enjoyed the moment.

When the song ended, he kept hold of her hand. “I am pleased to have found you, Augusta Samuels. My name is Randal Forester.”

She smiled and bit her lip. “I am pleased that you came looking, Randal. How did you find me?”

Another slow song started up, and he pulled her against him. “It is a long story, but I can tell you that my family, your family and several guilds and packs in between have all put in that extra effort to help me track down the woman that I spoke to that night.”

Augusta blushed. “I didn’t mean to be any trouble.”

“You could have called the club and asked about me.”

She snorted. “Like dozens of other women? I am sorry, but I could not ask for the number for the
Handiest Man Alive
.”

His cheeks darkened, and she realised she had triggered a blush.

“I didn’t pick the name, and it was far less perverse than the other monikers my cousin could have picked. I was subbing in for the
Silken Shadow
. He called in sick, so I had to go on.”

“Why?”

“My cousin’s establishment promises no less than ten dancers per night. None of the alternates were available, so I went on as a last resort.”

She licked her lips. “Do you do that a lot?”

“Not anymore. After this little disaster, it became clear to me that my time on the stage was over.” He smiled.

“Disaster?”

“Well, I suppose it could be filed under event. If I hadn’t been there, I never would have seen you, never would have tried to find you and certainly, would not be here.” He bent down and whispered, “I am really glad that I am here.”

She turned her head and whispered, “So am I.”

“I don’t suppose you know anywhere to swim at this time of night?”

She leaned back and smiled, “Funny you should ask.”

He raised one eyebrow, and her heart thudded in her chest. His slow smile crept into her heart and made itself at home.

She was in so much trouble and her inner beast was delighted. With a grin on her lips, she pulled him out of the Crossed Star and down the lane.

“Where are we going?” Randal chuckled.

“A pond where we can frolic in the moonlight.”

“It sounds charming. Will we be alone?”

“I doubt it. Last night, there were two couples dabbling in the water.” She blushed but kept forging onward past the buildings, onto the path and through the woods.