Chapter 5

Owen had risen before dawn while Candice was still sleeping. He showered and dressed, then went out to check around the house to make sure the intruder hadn’t returned. The snow had filled all the tracks, leaving nothing but the ones he was making.

When he returned, Candice was up and dressed, her bags packed. He heard a snowblower in the driveway, and Candice explained, “Oh, that’s Stanley. He does my yard work in the summer and blows the snow off the driveway in the winter. The county will have cleared the road. Did you find any sign of the guy?” She returned to her bedroom and then brought out a couple more bags.

“No sign of him. Do you want me to fix something for breakfast?” He took her bags to the front door.

“We ran out of eggs and bread for toast. Why don’t we go to the local coffee shop and bakery? We could eat breakfast there and head out. They have excellent food, everything from full-course breakfasts to home-baked goods.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

“About the driving…”

“I’ll drive. You can just leave your car here. I’ll bring you home when you’re ready to return. Just in case you can’t hold your form. I rarely have trouble now, except sometimes a couple of days before, during, and after the fullest full moon.”

“Are you going to tell my uncle that you found me?”

“That’s kind of a problem. I don’t want to charge him for expenses when I’ve already found you, but he’s going to wonder why you can’t return at once to claim your inheritance. We’ll have to make up a story for why you can’t, so I can tell him I’ve found you and he’s done paying for my services.”

“Okay, so how long is the drive to your place, and where will I be staying?”

“It’s about thirteen hours, depending on road conditions and traffic. Each of us has our own log home. You’re welcome to stay with me. Or, if you’d prefer, you can stay with Faith and her family and have some female company.”

“That might be awkward for Corey…and maybe the parents if they feel guilty about me.” She hauled out the last bag while Owen packed the groceries she needed to take so they wouldn’t spoil.

“Good. Then I want you to stay with me.”

She smiled at him, and he figured she’d wanted to hear that she wasn’t going to be an imposition. Some people didn’t like change in their living arrangements, particularly if they were used to living alone. “I’ll need to take my computers. I’ll have to write while I’m at your place. I need to proof a manuscript I just finished before I turn it in. We also need to take the gingerbread cookies, to show you made them and to share them with the others.”

“They won’t believe it. Yeah, I cook. But I’ve never baked cookies or pies or anything.” He hauled out her PC, and she grabbed her laptop. “If you need me to read over your book, I can. A second pair of eyes might help.”

“Thanks. As long as you don’t critique my werewolf world too much.”

“You mean because your wolves aren’t true to our way of life? It’s fantasy. Your world, your way.”

After they were packed, Owen started the car, and Loving the Arctic Wolf by Candice Mayfair began playing in the MP3 player. He quickly turned off the sex scene where the heroine was wearing the Dear Santa, I’ve been very naughty… apron while cooking dinner and the hero was distracting her.

They were both quiet for a moment as Owen drove them to the Yoke Café and Bakery, not sure how to explain that he’d been listening to her book.

“That—” he began while she commented at the same time, “You—”

“Are listening to your book? Uh, yeah. Great way to get to where I’m going and learn a little about you at the same time. I’d never listened to an audiobook before.”

“That’s not me.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Your heroine had the Dear Santa, I’ve been very naughty… apron in this book, and it reminded me of…”

“I mean…” She was blushing beautifully and seemed to change her mind about what she was going to say. “I hope you’re enjoying it.”

“Hell yeah. I’ve listened to this part three times already because I missed my turnoff and had to listen to it over again.”

She laughed. “Two more times?”

“Yeah, it was a really good part. I might even learn a thing or two.”

“Yeah, right.”

He just chuckled. “Hey, I wondered about the money situation with your family. If they’re so well-off—”

“Why do I live in a modest-sized house? Well, my dad worked his way up the ladder in the oil industry. My parents had nothing starting out. They didn’t come into money; they had to earn every cent they made. They were careful how they spent it. They had a really nice home, but I was expected to earn my way too. That’s the only way to appreciate what you have, you know. If you have to work for it.”

“Okay, gotcha.”

“What about your parents?”

“My mother abandoned me when I was twelve. My dad was in enough barroom brawls that I decided I wanted to be on the side of the law, not constantly in jail. Cameron, Gavin, David, and I lived in the same general area. We went to school together and were best friends from the beginning. I was at Gavin’s house more than at my grandparents’. Gavin’s dad was a war hero, having saved five men when their Humvee hit a mine in Afghanistan. He joined the police force after that, but died in a bank robbery shoot-out. We were devastated.

“Cameron’s dad was a womanizer, carouser, gambler, and all-around deadbeat who died in a car accident. His mom died in the same accident. Cameron didn’t have any other family, so Gavin’s father took him in. Gavin’s father was like the father we all needed and looked up to. His death decided it for Cameron and Gavin. They both wanted to join the police force. David had always loved adventure and was waffling between joining the army or the police force. We all decided on joining the police, then later, we started a PI business.”

“What about David’s family?”

“Well-to-do, but too busy with their social lives. His father died of a heart attack when he was fairly young, which should have clued us in that David might experience heart problems. His mom married a wealthy landowner, and they moved to Australia. David had been close to his dad, not his mother. Her new husband really didn’t like David. David’s dad had a trust set aside for him, so when he turned twenty-one, David was wealthy. I came into money when my grandparents died. So, we really didn’t have any issues with our families learning what we had become. Thankfully.”

“What about Faith’s family?”

“Her mother had died. Faith was trying to locate her father and his research when she learned a red wolf pack had taken him in and turned him. He’s mated to a red wolf from the pack, and they take trips all over. Sometimes they stay with Cameron and Faith to see the kids.”

“Wow. Okay.”

The log cabin restaurant was warm and well lit, with several cars parked outside and patrons filling more than half of the tables and booths for breakfast. Christmas music was playing in the background as the aromas of fresh-brewed coffee and sweet cinnamon and chocolate pastries wafted in the air. Christmas wreaths and lights hanging overhead provided holiday cheer.

Candice took a seat at one of the red vinyl booths. “It’s busier than I’ve ever seen it.”

“Because of the food and atmosphere, I imagine.”

They looked over the menus on the table, and then the waitress came to take their orders, wearing a red-and-white Santa hat.

Owen ordered steak and eggs and a coffee. Candice ordered chocolate-chip pancakes and hot tea.

When the waitress left to place their orders, Candice asked Owen, “Did you tell everyone I was coming?”

“Yeah. They’re thrilled to meet you. Corey’s anxious to say he’s sorry.”

“I don’t want him feeling bad about it.”

“He’ll be okay. It’s one of those life lessons. It’s important to make amends.”

Candice’s phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID but didn’t recognize it. The call was from Minnesota. “Anyone you know?” She handed the phone to Owen.

“Faith.”

She quickly answered the call. “Hi, this is Candice.”

Owen was glad Faith called Candice. She might be more able to influence Candice to stay than any of the guys would be.

Candice was looking down at the table while Faith spoke, but then she glanced up at Owen and smiled. “Thanks. I can’t wait to meet you too… I’ll tell him. Thanks again. Bye.”

Owen was dying to know what Faith had said to her. “Well?”

“She said if you did anything to dissuade me from meeting the pack, she was putting you in the doghouse.”

He laughed, but he knew Faith meant it. Not literally, of course.

Another group of people entered the restaurant. Owen wouldn’t have noticed them if one of the men hadn’t been wearing what Candice had described to him the night before—snow boots and an olive-green winter army parka with a fur-covered hood. The man’s hair was military short, dark brown, and he had blue eyes. His gaze shifted around the café while he checked everyone out.

Candice squeezed Owen’s hand, confirming that’s who she thought the man was too. But unless he was a wolf and could smell their scents, he wouldn’t know they had been at the cabin that night. Unless he had seen Owen’s vehicle outside the café and recognized it as the one that had been parked at Candice’s home. That worried her a bit. She could just imagine him coming over to ask them about the wolf tracks that led back to her house.

The sheriff walked in right after that and greeted a few people.

“Know either of them?” Owen asked.

“No. I hardly know anyone because I don’t go into town much, and I sure don’t advertise what I do.”

Then the blond-haired, brown-eyed sheriff went straight back to where the other man was seated. “Rowdy Sanderson. What the hell are you doing back here, of all places? I thought you were in Montana solving murder cases. How’s the homicide business treating you?”

Candice looked at Owen. He was wondering the same thing. How did a homicide detective get involved in tracking down wolves?

“Can’t complain. I was up here seeing a cousin before he left to visit a friend. I was…” Rowdy sneezed. “I was curious about the wolves at the avalanche site yesterday, Ed.”

“Well, you and everyone else. I’ve already had trouble over that. Someone was asking if I’d pay him a bounty to take down the wolves. After they saved two people? I don’t think so. Someone else wanted to take pictures of the wolves and punched the hunter. Gave him a bloody nose. As much as I hated to do it, I had to arrest the photo hobbyist. A reporter caught the whole damn thing on video. Now animal-rights folks are mad at me for locking up the other guy and not the hunter.”

“You don’t have any idea if someone living in the area raised them?” Rowdy asked.

Then the two men paused to give the waitress their orders.

Owen and Candice’s meals had been served, and Candice was pouring maple syrup over her pancakes while Owen salted his steak. It was a good thing they had such good hearing, or they wouldn’t have made out the sheriff’s conversation with Rowdy.

Candice reached over to Owen and squeezed his hand. He nodded to let her know he was as surprised as she was to learn a detective was looking into the wolf situation.

After the waitress left cups of coffee and a decanter at the sheriff and the detective’s table, the sheriff said, “Nope. Don’t know of anyone who owns wolves or wolf dogs in the area. But I’d say it was a sure bet.”

“Are you looking for whoever is taking care of them?”

“Nope. As long as the wolves don’t hurt anyone, livestock, or pets, I’m not mounting a hunt for them. Unless we start receiving complaints—and we’ve had dozens of sightings of them since the accident, but no real trouble—I’m not doing anything about it.”

“Were there any real sightings?”

“One of two Samoyeds on leashes with their owner.”

Owen could imagine some Photoshopped pictures cropping up next.

Rowdy sneezed two more times and then blew his nose into a hanky. “Sorry. I think I caught a bit of a cold last night.”

“Serves him right,” Candice whispered to Owen.

He nodded.

“Mr. Lexus said the wolves were really his dogs. His Samoyeds look a lot like the wolves. They are white, but if you look at the video of the rescue, those are wolves. Maybe wolf dogs, but definitely not purebred Samoyeds,” the sheriff said. “They’re way too tall.”

“Wolf dogs,” Owen said, snorting.

“Have you had any incidents with wolves causing trouble here in the past?” Rowdy asked.

“Nope. And seeing Arctic wolves is even more unusual. An occasional gray wolf is seen in South Dakota, but Arctic wolves?” The sheriff shook his head.

“Well, that was really remarkable, seeing them dig those men out like that. If they hadn’t, the snowmobilers would never have made it. I still can’t believe that yahoo was taking a video of them when he should have been digging out his friends. I understand the men are in stable condition.”

“Yeah. We had a landslide a while back, and the man who was buried wasn’t so lucky. Oxygen deprivation. We couldn’t revive him.”

“Well, hell, what does Mr. Lexus think? That he can have his dogs take credit for saving the men’s lives? What if you have another case like this and call on him to bring his dogs to help?” Rowdy asked.

“Exactly. Lives could be lost because of it. He’s already been talking this up on Facebook. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started trying to train them in rescue operations to keep up the charade. They’re smart dogs, but that doesn’t mean they can do what those wolves did.”

“If they can manage it, maybe some good will come of it.”

Owen finished his food and looked to see if Candice had. She pushed her plate aside and nodded. “Ready to go,” she said softly.

“Let’s go.” He paid the bill, and then they left the restaurant, trying not to catch the sheriff or the detective’s attention.

“Hey, do you know a Candice Mayfair?” Rowdy asked.

Chills raced up Candice’s spine, but she slowed her pace to hear what was being said.

“From what my dispatcher says, the lady is a romance author.”

“Romance author, eh?” Rowdy leaned back from the table as the server brought them their plates of stacked pancakes.

“Yeah. Writes that weird stuff. Werewolves. All the rage, you know.”

“Werewolves?”

“Yeah. Helen reads all her works, says I should to support a local author.” The sheriff snorted. “Hell, I don’t even read the paper.”

Candice stepped outside with Owen, her heart racing. She motioned to a red pickup as they walked briskly to Owen’s vehicle. “That’s his truck right there. The one I saw last night.”

“I’m glad we’re leaving for a time. A reporter might have a nose for news, but a homicide detective would also know how to look for clues. And watch to see if we left the house as wolves. I can’t believe a homicide detective is trying to learn about the wolves. Discovering that you write about werewolves didn’t help. How much do you want to bet the detective will look up your books and realize you write about Arctic werewolves?”

“Yeah, and maybe even believe I’m raising a couple and that’s why I only write about Arctic ones. I wouldn’t be surprised if he put a motion camera out there to watch the house while he isn’t around.” As soon as they got on the road, Candice brought out her notepad. “If you don’t mind, I need to ask you a few questions.”

“An interview?”

She laughed. “Not quite. I just want to keep my facts straight. Okay, so do werewolves have sex as wolves with each other?”

He smiled. This was going to be one interesting trip back home.