Lee: Emerson Wolves—Paranormal Erotic Wolf Shifter Romance (4 page)

“You’ve always mattered to us, Lee. More than you know. And you like being in charge. That’s the alpha in you.” Lee shook his head. “Yes, it is. It’s in all of us. Some more than others, but it’s there. Look at Ellis. Not only is his pack doing better than it ever did, but he has a few members coming back to stay. That’s what a good leader does. And I’m betting you’re just like that too.”

Lee had no idea but went to his truck an hour later intending to go home and rest again. But he swung by the diner to get some dinner and decided to see if Jarrett wanted to come over and eat with him. Luke ended up coming with him as well.

The three of them sat at one of the booths way in the back of the newly expanded place. The dinner crowd had yet to come in, so they pretty much had the back room all to themselves. Luke was telling them about his new son, Kelly.

“What a pistol. I’m telling you that Jack and I have to cover our mouths more often than not when he comes up with these amazing things he thinks he’s saying right. He is adorable.” His brother flushed before he continued. “I never thought I’d use that term in my life. Adorable to talk about a kid. But Christ, I tell you, I could not be more in love with the little guy. And he and Dad are going fishing tomorrow, and I’m so jealous that I can’t be with them.”

“You should bring him out to the house with you tomorrow after his trip. I’d really like to meet him.” Luke asked him why he was coming to his home. “Oh, Hunter sort of kind of volunteered you guys to help me move some things out of storage. I’m hoping to move in tomorrow.”

“That’s great. We should make a day of it. I mean evening. I’ll bring some desserts if I can snag some from Dawn. Ellis and she were in last week, and I have like five of her pies in my freezer. She said that she’s trying out things and we get to be her guinea pigs. I told her to bring it on.” Luke smiled as he continued. “I think, however, I need to cut back on having an entire pie by myself. My suits are getting a little snug lately.”

When Mabel came back to ask them how dinner was, he noticed that she was looking a little tired too. He asked her if she was all right and she sat down with them. Lee had always loved this woman, and the fact that her and his dad were seeing each other was great.

“I was thinking about that new cart. I do love it. I could spend my entire life in it, just moving from place to place. Addie said she’s having her company make me two more of them with different designs on them. I’m going to be her tester. I just love that woman.” Nodding, Lee smiled at her. “But I hate having to interview people for working in here. Good heavens, you never know when they’re telling you a fib or not. I’m having Addie come in tomorrow when I have these three come in for a job interview. She can tell me right off what’s what. I’m going to have to hire someone to help out with the morning kids. There are so many of them now that word has gotten around. Even a few of those town kids.”

He knew that Addie could touch people and know just what sort of person they were. So could her grandmother, but not as well as Addie could. She could do all sorts of freaky stuff when she needed to, and he was glad that she was willing to help out Mabel with her employees. For some reason his thoughts went to the woman that he’d been asked to watch over.

He’d done nothing to make contact with her. Lee really wasn’t sure why he’d not done it when he’d made a promise, but as badly as he felt, he wasn’t sure that he could handle anything else right now. Money wasn’t a problem, though he wouldn’t mind making more. And he had a nice home that he loved, but it needed more work. And then there was the…. Whining really wasn’t something that he was proud of, but he knew that he’d been doing a lot of that lately and decided to stop.

When they all decided they had to get home, he went to his truck. He’d had groceries delivered yesterday, and had picked up the last of the few things he’d forgotten. Sitting in his truck, he tried to think if he could go one more day without milk and eggs, and decided he should get it over with and not have to get up tomorrow and go get them. He drove to the store and had gone inside with his cart when he saw the little girl.

He was just trying to decide if she was alone or if an adult was with her when she stood in front of the fresh tomatoes. He didn’t care for them himself, but she was staring at them like she was going to be tested on their weight and color later. When she reached for the one closest to her, also the one on the bottom of a neatly stacked row, he grabbed it before she pulled it off the stand and toppled the entire display of tomatoes.

“Thank you, sir. I guess that was dumb. They should make it so short people can get to the really pretty ones, don’t you think?” He only smiled at her and handed her two from the top. “I need three of them. She said that I had to replace the ones we ate. I only had one and a half, but the other one was bad so I threw it out.”

As he handed her the third tomato, he noticed that she had the strangest items in her cart for a kid. There was a head of lettuce, a can of beets, and a banana. He asked her what she was up to.

“I have to replace what we ate on account of we don’t have anything of our own. Momma said it’s not nice, but she owns our hiney and we have to do what she tells us.” Lee felt his wolf stir along his skin. The kid sounded like she was upset about what was said to her. But before he could speak to her about it, she continued. “Mom and me had a nice breakfast before she left me there, and that mean old bat came in and told me that we were freeloaders.”

“Freeloaders. Why would she call you that?” The little girl moved to the front of the store, and he didn’t want to lose her company just yet. “That’s not a nice word, did you know that?”

“I didn’t, but looked it up. I guess we are kind of. Mom is looking for a job that will pay us well enough to get out from under her thumb. I’m not sure what that means either, but I couldn’t find anything about it in my dictionary.” He briefly told her what it meant. “Oh. Well, then I hope she finds one soon, because she’s about to crunch us to death with her rules.”

Lee laughed, and the little girl smiled up at him. “You’re cute. Where is your mom now? You shouldn’t be here alone.”

“I’m to do the shopping. I already told you that.” He nodded but looked for her mom. “She’s still trying to find someplace for us to live and a job. It’s not easy for her though. I think people are afraid of her. I don’t know why. She’s the best mommy in the entire world. I think it’s the old bat.”

Before he could ask her why, he saw the woman up front glaring at the two of them. Lee knew that it wasn’t her mom, but she was eyeing the little girl like she was pissed to be with her. The little girl whispered to him that she was the cook where they were staying.

“She’s making you buy this stuff?” She nodded, and Lee wanted to go to the woman and hit her for some reason. “She does know that you’re just a kid, doesn’t she?”

“I’m hoping so. I’m not very big, now am I?” He grinned again, despite his wolf wanting him to take her into his arms and protect her. “I got my stuff, mister, so I’d better get going. The old bat said I was to have my proper manners lesson today. Thanks for saving me a paddling.”

“I’m sure your mom wouldn’t have paddled you for knocking over a few tomatoes.”

She only nodded at him and put her basket of items on the conveyer belt so that she could be rung out. As she was escorted out of the store by the cook, Lee watched her. She was carrying her purchases, and he could tell that it was sort of heavy for her. When they got to the car, he watched as she struggled with getting it open without any help from the woman to get in. Lee went to get his things. Standing in line, the cashier asked him if he knew the child.

“Not really. She is cute, isn’t she?” Lily, a member of Hunter’s pack, smiled at him and agreed. “I don’t think she has a very happy life right now. Who would make a child shop for things that she’s eaten? Do you know why?”

“No. The reason I was asking you is because she left her purse here.” He looked at the small change purse that looked fat with change. “She gave me exact change, but she left it on the counter when she was picking up her bags, I guess. I thought if you knew her, you could give it back.”

He debated with himself. If she came back to get it, he’d have it. If she didn’t, then he wondered if she’d have to work off the money that she used and repay the person that was making a child shop for food. Lee told Lily that he’d make sure she got it. He had no idea how he’d do that, but he would. Taking the small change purse to his nose, he could smell strawberries and soap. Little girl smells.

Chapter 4

Kimber stood at the grill at four-thirty the next morning. It was hot now and she was waiting on her first order. Mabel, true to her word, had told her that she could work for her starting today and for as long as she needed. Kimber had never been so grateful in her life. And now that her daughter was registered for school, next week she’d be safe there as well.

Kimber tried not to think about her little girl having to use her own money to buy the things the two of them had eaten for breakfast. Or the fight that Kimber had had with her aunt after she’d found out. Her arm and back still hurt from the cane that her aunt had used on her when she’d dared to argue with her. Kimber brushed her fingers over the sore place and winced.

“And I suppose you think that I should simply let her eat me out of house and home while you’re off doing who knows what?” Kimber told her aunt she’d been job hunting. “Of course you were. This had nothing to do with you not having to worry about someone to sit with the brat, did it? For all I know, you could have been laying with someone else to have another child that you think to bring into my home. Well, I won’t have that either.”

“I don’t know anyone here well enough to sleep with them, even if I did want to. I think you’ve told enough people around here what sort of person you think I am. You do know that you’ve made it nearly impossible for me to get a job, don’t you? Or is that your plan?” Kimber had been devastated when she’d been told at the laundromat where she’d gone to look for a job that her kind wasn’t welcome. When she asked him what he meant, he called her a whore and slut. She’d left there, intending to go to the police about him, when she noticed that other people were moving to the other side of the street to avoid her. Not all, but enough to make her realize what was going on. “How do you expect me to make any money if you keep bad mouthing me?”

“Well, you could do it on your back if you wish. I’m sure that’s how you managed to stay afloat all these years anyway. But you got caught once, didn’t you?” Kimber felt as if she’d been slapped. “Get out of here. And know that I will keep a running total of all the things that you steal from me from now on too. Don’t think I don’t know that you had my driver killed when you got here. That alpha will pay for his part in your ploy to ruin me. I’ll be tacking that onto your bill as well. The expense of having to replace him, as well as any incidentals that come from hiring someone to replace him.”

Kimber looked at the woman standing next to her when she touched her arm. The smile was beautiful, but Kimber backed away from her. Her level of trust was pretty low right now. The woman—Kimber thought her name was Mary—handed her a slip.

“You were so gone that I wondered if you had on some headphones or something.” Kimber took the order. “I’ll get the toast for him. He likes it with extra butter. Cash is something else if you ever get to go meet him.”

Kimber said nothing. She didn’t want to meet anyone right now. A job and money had to be her first concern. But at the rate she was going, and the amount of rent her aunt was charging on top of everything else, she was going to be an indentured servant for the rest of her life. Hopefully, and this was her biggest hope, her daughter would be out long before Kimber broke down.

As she broke up the eggs for a western omelet, she wondered what her teachers at the college would think of her now. Kimber Gray, they’d told her, was going to be the best in the world. Now she only wanted to cook bacon crispy enough and the hash browns firm like requested for her very first short-order meal.

It took her less time to do the order than it did the toast to be done. Keeping it warm while she made two more orders, she tried her best not to think of anything but what she was doing. Four hours into her shift and at the end of the breakfast crowd, Mabel came to get her.

“Your little girl is here.” Kimber tore off her apron, wondering what had happened. Mabel stopped her with a hand to her arm, right where the bruise was. When she cried out, Mabel started cursing as she pulled her sleeve up. “That damned woman. I swear to you…she did this, didn’t she?”

“Yes. I have to go to Hannah, please?”

She went out to see her daughter, who had been put into a booth near the counter. She was just sitting there, staring out the window, when Kimber said her name. Hannah launched herself at her, sobbing that she hated the old biddy. Kimber held her until she was quiet.

“She said that I was a bad person.” Kimber lifted her little chin up to look at Hannah’s tear-stained face. “I didn’t do anything, Mommy. I swear to you. I was just sitting in the chair by the big fireplace and listening to my book. She tore it from me and threw it in the fire. Why does she hate me? Then she told me to get out of her room. It wasn’t her room. I asked the cook. She hates me too. But I wasn’t doing anything. I even had on my headphones like you told me to when I was there. She’s just mean. I think she has that stick up her bottom like you told that one lady.”

When Hannah started crying again, Kimber knew that she wasn’t going back. There was nothing at that place that she couldn’t replace, and her aunt would just have to sue her if she wanted her money back right now. Kimber was glad now that she’d never signed the papers that had been put in front of her last night when she’d gotten home. But for now, she had to care for her little girl.

“Do you think you can stay here while I work, baby? I need to finish up my job so I can keep it. Then you and I will go and find us someplace else to live. I know that your bunny is there and you love him, but I don’t want to go back there and I don’t want you to either.” Hannah told her she would be all right without it. “I’m so sorry, Hannah. I didn’t mean for you to be hurt by her.”

“I don’t want to go back, ever. I know you said we can’t go home, but can we maybe try?” Kimber told her that there just wasn’t any money for it. As she sat there holding her, Mabel came and sat across from her.

“I can’t go back there.” Mabel nodded. “And I don’t have anywhere to go. I just don’t know what to do.”

Mabel patted her on the hand and got up. Kimber knew that she was going to fire her, and she really didn’t blame her. She was sitting on her ass with her sobbing child in her arms when she should have been working. When Mabel returned, she had a stack of coloring books and three boxes of crayons, as well as a box of what looked like crafting items. Kimber felt her eyes fill with tears as the elderly woman talked to Hannah.

“You have yourself a nice little work place here, child. And when Mom is done for the day, we’ll see about getting you two a safe home. Do you think you can do that for me?” Hannah nodded at her and sat on the seat. “Did you have something to eat? I can have Mom here whip you up something. I’ve been having nothing but raves about her taters. And Cash was beside himself with his omelet today.”

“I didn’t have any more money for food, so the old bat wouldn’t let me have even a piece of toast today.” Kimber looked at Mabel when she drew in a sharp breath. Kimber explained to her what had happened yesterday. Hannah spoke when she’d told her what had happened, all of it. “And I lost my purse too. Fern gave that to me for my spending money, and I can’t find it. I wonder if she took that too. The old bitch.”

“Hannah.” Kimber was trying her best not to laugh, but she’d hit the nail on the head with the description of her aunt. “We don’t call people names like that. And that’s a bad word.”

“Yeah, honey, even though it fits her, you shouldn’t call people that.” Mabel winked at her. “I have a few nice names I’d like to call her myself. When I’m alone.”

Hannah said she’d be fine, and Kimber went back to work. Every few minutes she’d go and check on her, and was nervous that every time she did, someone was sitting with her. She asked Mabel about it when she came in for a plate of food.

“Oh, they’re keeping an eye on her. There won’t be nobody going near her that I don’t approve of. I’ve taken that little thing under my wing, and nobody is going to hurt either of you again.” Kimber could only nod. It was nice to be told that, but she knew her aunt. She’d get what she wanted at all costs. And Kimber was actually afraid of her.

At about eleven-thirty, Kimber took Hannah a sandwich and some chips. She was chatting away to an elderly man, but he only winked at her. Mabel was sitting with the two of them or Kimber might have asked him to move on. He appeared charming, but they were always the kind of people you had to look out for. After that the orders starting coming in, and she never looked up other than to see what was written on the paper in front of her.

“Hello there.” She turned swiftly and looked toward the male voice that was behind her. Kimber didn’t speak, but she did nod at him. Christ, he was huge. “I’m Hunter. We sort of met yesterday.”

“You look different today.” He laughed, and she was still trying to figure out the joke when a lovely woman came into the kitchen with him. She looked ready to explode, she was so heavy with her child.

“I’m Sloan Emerson. Mabel told us you needed a place to stay that was safe.” Kimber nodded again. “You’re not very talkative, are you? But that little girl of yours is. She’s just the cutest thing. I understand that you’re the niece of Kimberly Schroeder. Is that right?”

“Grandniece. And please don’t hold that against me. I don’t think I could take much more in bad vibes today. I—my daughter and I have only just moved here from France.” Sloan nodded and smiled as she rubbed her belly. “When are you due?”

“Three weeks and counting. We’re having a girl too.” Kimber congratulated them both. “Thank you. But about your living situation. It just so happens that we have a nice little cottage here in town that is empty.”

“I couldn’t. I’m sorry. But Hannah and I are going to have to think of something else. I don’t want to be rude, but we’re a little on the…we’re in a tight way, if you want to know the truth, and I don’t think we’re going to be any richer in the next few hours. But I do thank you.” She didn’t want to think of the shelter that she’d called, but that was all she could afford right now. “I really appreciate you thinking of us, but money is low right now.”

“Be that as it may, you still need a safe place, even if it’s just for Hannah. And you don’t know what the rent will be, so how do you know you can’t afford it?” Kimber started to argue but was cut off when Sloan spoke again. “Don’t lie to me, Kimber. If you don’t have something, or have something to say, then say it. I find it annoying when people beat around the bush.”

Kimber let her temper soar. She rarely did that, having a tight control over it and her mouth, but she’d had a really shitty week so far and a crappy life too. When the woman smiled at her as if she knew what was going on, Kimber let it go.

“All right, I’m broke. The fact that I get a free meal here with each shift I work means I can feed my daughter today with the little money that I had with me when we got here. We had to sell everything that we owned. Next week, or even tomorrow, I have no idea, there might not even be any of that left. The school where she’s been registered wants me to pay her dues. I’m not sure what sort of dues they think she might need with only three weeks of school left, but I can’t get her tested for her grade level until I pay the twenty-four dollar fee for that as well.” Kimber wiped at the useless tears. “I was fired from my job because I did a better job of doing it than the man that was too drunk to do it on his own. And when that happened, because money is forever tight when you’re only fourth chef, I could no longer live in the house that we had since my daughter was born, and had to beg my bitch of an aunt to help us out. Now, not only do I have to pay her back for the tickets for us to come here, but she’s making my child, my eight-year-old little girl, pay for her meals while I’m not there. According to my aunt, I’m going to have to pay for every meal we eat, in addition to the rent. And let’s not forget about the money I’m paying back to her for a man who attacked me the other day and was killed for it.”

Kimber turned back to the grill. She was hurting all over. Not just from the beating she’d taken last night, but she was broken inside as well. When arms wrapped around her, to no doubt toss her out the door, Kimber screamed at the pain. The man standing in front of her wasn’t one she knew, so Kimber backed away from him.

“Don’t.” She stilled when Hunter spoke to her. “This is my brother, Lee. If you run, he’s going to shift. And this is not the place to let that happen. We’re going to be calm and rational, aren’t we, Lee?”

“I just want to go.” Hunter was looking at Lee, so Kimber looked at Sloan when Hunter ignored her. “I’m all right now. I just…when you touched me, you touched an old wound.”

“When did they happen? I’m guessing that they’re less than twenty-four hours old and that someone beat you with her cane.” Kimber nodded at her, not sure how she knew. “I know, Kimberly. And that cane of hers is famous. But I would ask that you put your hand on Lee’s arm. It would go a long way to calming his wolf.”

“I don’t know why you’d think I could do anything to calm him. I’m barely calm myself.” Sloan moved closer to her and Lee growled deep in his throat at her. “What is wrong with…what the hell is wrong with you?”

Grabbing the man by the arm, she jerked him around to face her. There was fury there, and she nearly backed away from him again. But she could see his wolf and knew that Hunter had been right…he was close to shifting.

“He hurt you.” His words were slurred, and she wondered if he was drunk on top of everything else. “No one will touch you.”