How to Howl at the Moon (17 page)

He brought me a fucking dog.

That was a nice man. Right? Someone with a good heart. But then, he’d already sensed that about Lance, despite his peculiar intensity. Or maybe because of it.

Tim made himself take his gaze off the dog and meet Lance’s blue eyes. Lance was staring at him. A tingle went through Tim, right down to his toes.

“Oh,” Tim said softly.

Lance leaned in and kissed him.

*                          *                         *

Lance could have planned this better. Maybe kissing Tim for the first time when there was a thirty-pound puppy between them wasn
’t the best idea. But Tim had looked at him so openly and hopefully and Lance couldn’t hold himself back.

Tim apparently didn’t mind. He opened his mouth immediately, deepening the kiss to a warm and sexy play of tongues. And when Lance tried to get ahold of himself and pull back, one of Tim’s long-fingered hands slipped around his neck and held him in place.

Tim kissed him like he was starving to death, and all Lance could feel was joy at being accepted this way, as a man, as a lover. And all he could think was:
mine, mine, mine
.

The kiss stripped away the remaining tatters of his doubts and defenses, and Lance knew with certainly, by the swelling of his heart, that he had bonded with Tim completely. He was in love. He was a one-man dog, and Tim was it for him. At this point, he no longer cared what Tim was or wasn’t up to. Lance would protect him to the bitter end, and that was all there was to it.

The puppy gave a little wiggle and a yip of discomfort. Tim finally let Lance go and leaned back.

“Wow,” Tim said. His eyes had a sparkle Lance wanted to see there forever.

Lance swallowed. “Truer words.”

Tim drew in a shaky breath. His pupils were dark and large, and he had a flush along his neck. Lance c
ould sense how aroused Tim was,
could smell the release of tantalizing pheromones and hear the tripping of his heart. It surged under Lance’s own arousal, pushing it higher, and it called to every instinct in him. He wanted to herd Tim into a bedroom
right now
. And maybe that was broadcast on his face because Tim
’s eyes widened and he
held up the ball of fur between them.

“Puppy!” he said with a
nervous
laugh.

Whether he was reminding himself or Lance was unclear, but Lance forced himself back from DEFCON 4. He didn’t want to scare Tim. He leaned out of Tim’s space. “Right. He’s, um, he’s a little uncertain because this is a new place. Best not leave him alone.”

“Or scar him for life,” Tim nuzzled the puppy’s head. It was a comfort-seeking gesture, and Lance thought maybe Tim was a little unsure how far they should progress, despite his physical hunger. Lance reminded himself that Tim didn’t know him, not really, not the way Lance knew Tim.

“Just wait til your mom sees him,” Tim added.

“Oh. Well, it’s best not to take him out in public until he’s had all his shots. Bill McGurver has the little guy’s records. He only needs his last set, and that’s next week.”

“Okay,” Tim said agreeably. “But I’m sure your mom’ll stop by sometime today. If not today, tomorrow.”

A chill of pure ice ran up Lance’s spine, killing his arousal. “What?”

“Oh, she’s always coming by and bringing me food. She’s been so generous. It’s really helped with my grocery bill.”

Fuck. Lance should have noticed. Those occasional nicer meals Tim had—chicken roll-ups with real chicken, a fresh green salad, a cherry pie. A cherry pie
like his mother made
.

Lance was suddenly furious that his mother had interfered like this, insinuating herself into Tim’s home. But there was something else, something dark and horrifying just on the edge of his conscious mind.

“When… When was the first time she, um, came out here? To the cabin. Was it just before the party Saturday night or…?”

“Oh, no! It’s been a couple weeks,” Tim assured him.

Lance felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and his fingers curl inward. For the first time since he was a teenager, he felt like he might lose control, like his emotions were so wild he might give himself away without being able to help it. He was fighting not to bare his teeth. He had to get out of there.

“Lance? What’s wrong? Did I say something?” Tim had gone pale.

Lance forced a grim, toothy smile. “No. I’ll be back to check on you and the pup later.”

Without explaining further, Lance turned on his heel and marched to his cruiser.

*                          *                         *

“Where are they?” Lance yelled as he stormed into his mother’s house. He threw open her front door so hard, it crashed into the wall and left a dent.

His sister-in-law Nona, the baby
on her lap, and her twin boys playing on the living room rug, all looked up at him, mouths open.

“Um—” Nona said.

“Where is she? Do you have any idea what she’s done this time?” Lance had never been more furious. If he were a car, he’d be venting steam from under his hood in a thick cloud.

“And… that’s my exit cue.” Nona got up smoothly. “Come on, kids. Let’s go outside where there won’t be any flying limbs.” She added under her breath, “And I don’t mean trees. Though no doubt, Granny deserves it.”

Ricky and Randy protested that they really wanted to see flying limbs, and they never got to do anything fun, but Nona herded them out the door.

Lance found his mother at the kitchen table. Of course, she had to have heard his entrance, loud and irate as it was, but she sat there clipping coupons and looking perfectly calm.

“Well? Where the hell are they? You’d better goddamn tell me you didn’t toss them out! Because I swear to God, Mother—”

“Oh, hush!” Lily said. “They’re in the Franklin’s greenhouse all snug and sound. And coming along nicely, I must say. The tomatoes are over two inches high!”

Up until this second, Lance hadn’t completely believed it. He paced back and forth in the kitchen so… so flabbergasted and amazed and horrified, he was speechless. “I… I can’t… How did… What the hell were you….”

His mother remained calm on the surface, clipping her coupons, but the scissors in her hands trembled and he could sense
the tension in
her
body
. “You said you were only going back to his house until the seeds sprouted. And I wanted to give you a little more time to… to get to
know Tim. That’s all. No harm done.”

“NO HARM DONE?” Lance felt an overwhelming urge to destroy something. Ripping the cabinets off the wall would be a good start, though, ultimately, not helpful. “Do you have any idea how fucking upset Tim’s been? He thinks none of his seeds sprouted! He thinks we have OCD rodents or fucking evil elves in Mad Creek! He thinks he’s going to be homeless! He thinks he’s a failure! How could you do that to him, Mother?”
How could you hurt my boy?

Lily put down her scissors. She looked guilty and a little shaken. “Well. I didn’t intend to hold on to them for so long. And it was really very clever of me, Lance. I got the same seed trays and the same potting soil and everything. Made a special trip to Fresno for it all. Gus and Wilson helped me move all the trays and swap all the little tray tags one day while Tim was at the market. They looked just the same, and all of them containing nothing but dirt!” She looked pleased with herself.

“Arg!”

“I only meant to leave them a few days. But then I could tell the two of you were getting along, that… that your dog was bonding with him. And then there was the party coming up—I couldn’t have you giving up on Tim before that! And then the two of you were getting along so
famously
that night. I thought just an
eensy
while longer.”

“Arg, arg!” Lance yelled, pulling at his hair.

“Lance, honestly, I didn’t mean to upset the boy. I am sorry about that.” His mother sniffed, her eyes going all sad and droopy. “But his plants are fine, really. You know Bev Franklin’s a good gardener, and she’s been taking care of them. Tim will be happy again when he gets them back, won’t he?” She smiled tremulously.

Lance breathed in and out through his nose, in and out. Inside, his dog was howling.

He spoke through gritted teeth. “We’re going to get
those plants back to
Tim. And they’d
better
be all right. And then, once we have fixed the damaged you’ve done, we’re going to have a long, long conversation about your meddling.”

“All right,” his mother said meekly. But Lance knew that puppies would grow bat wings and fly before anyone changed Lily Beaufort’s fundamental nature. He
knew
that, and usually he stayed on top of her antics better than this, but Tim had been so distracting.

“Why on earth did you do it? What was all this for?” he demanded. “Why would you
want
me to bond with Tim?”

“Oh, honey.” Lily got up and made Lance stop pacing. She took his hands in her warm ones. “He’s the one for you
.
”

Her eyes were so full of hope. Lance’s chest hurt at the surety of her words. “You mean…. But he’s a man,” he said roughly.

“Well, it doesn’t seem to bother you. And as you’ve pointed out, repeatedly, I have enough grandpups already.”

“And he’s a full-blooded human! You don’t approve of intermarriage!”

Lily rolled her eyes. “You’re always so black-and-white, Lance. I don’t
prefer
it, because there’s less of a chance of quickened children, as you well know, and I don’t trust humans to be a spouse that’s loyal and true. But I’ve accepted plenty of intermarriages in this community, haven’t I? I just wanted the best for my own children. But you, Lance, you’ve always needed someone special. And… I knew it was right when I met Tim. He needs you too, so much.”

Lance just looked at her helplessly, unable to say anything.

“Oh, my dear son.” She squeezed his hands. “He makes you
dance
.”

The words sent shivers down his spine. Lily. How could she make him want to rip apart the house with his claws one minute and make him weak in the knees with love the next? He hugged her to him, but it was a bit tight and she grunted loudly.

“I swear to God, if you
ever
….”

“Oh, hush,” Lily said.

Public Disclosure

AT
6
o
’clock the following evening, Lance knocked on Tim’s door. When Tim opened it, thirty pounds of puppy charged out and jumped up on Lance like he was covered in bacon grease.

“Hey,” said Tim
. He looked
a little nervous and very handsome in
a white button-down shirt,
navy cardigan
, and
nice
jeans
.

Lance’s inner dog was wagging its tail so hard, he had difficulty keeping his hips still. There was no chance of reining in the grin that spread across his face.

“Oh, don’t you two look handsome!” Lily came up behind Tim, her cell phone in hand.

“Mother—”

“Come on, boys! Tim, why don’t you step onto the porch so I can get those nice trees for a backdrop? Put your arm around him, Lance. There you go. Say ‘puppy dog tails’!”

Lance gave hi
s
mother a flinty, warning smile. “Honestly, it’s easier just to go along with her,” he said through his gritted teeth.

“I’ve figured that one out,” Tim muttered back.

“Now don’t you worry about a thing, Tim! Stay out as late as you want. Renfield and I will be happy as clams.”

“You be a good boy, Renny!” Tim rubbed the puppy’s ears firmly and kissed his nose. Lance’s ears twitched, remembering how nice that felt.

Lance’s mother was watching him with a smirk, and he felt his face heat.