Chapter Twelve – Chrysi

Chrysi stood in the doorway of her hotel room, almost too afraid to take another step. The room was clean and dry, and she was dirty and wet. She had removed her boots and held them in her hand, but the bottoms of her borrowed pants were soggy, and her coat had mud smeared up the arm.

Carefully, she tiptoed across the room to the attached bathroom, looking behind her to check that she wasn’t leaving a wet trail. All she saw was a couple of drips from the snow that had melted off her coat. No muddy trail, no soggy footprints.

Stepping onto the linoleum, she placed her boots down carefully by the door, and then stripped off her clothes. She could tidy up after herself once she was clean and warm. Her bones still ached from the cold, and the thought of relaxing in a nice warm bath was as close to heaven as she could get. If Nevis had been here with her, it would be heaven!

Dumping her clothes in a pile, she put a bathrobe on and padded across to the bathtub. Sitting on the edge, she turned on the faucet and then reached for the complimentary bubble bath, which smelled wonderful. Rich and foamy, the suds burst forth, filling the bathroom with the scent of jasmine and roses.

While she waited for the bathtub to fill, Chrysi went over what had happened during the last few days and examined her feelings. She was happy. Really happy. There was no second-guessing her relationship with Nevis. It was settled, she would be his wife, and they would raise a family together. Where they lived, where they worked, that came second to the rest of it. Family was most important. Harlan had always taught her that.

Slipping the robe off, Chrysi slid into the water and let the warmth soothe her. Using her big toe, she switched off the faucet, and then closed her eyes, relaxing in the deep water. Chrysi didn’t often indulge in baths, but she sure was going to enjoy this one.

Until there was a knock on the door.

She started, nearly going under the water as it cascaded over her like a wave. Damn, she had been dozing, a dangerous thing in a bath full of not so warm water. She’d been in there much longer than she thought.

Drying herself quickly, and pulling the robe back on, she left the bathroom and went to the door. “Who is it?”

“It’s me.” Harlan’s voice called from the other side. “I was checking that you were OK, since you haven’t answered my messages.”

“Sorry.” Chrysi pulled the door open. “I was in the bathtub.”

“So I see.” Harlan came into the room. “I thought you might want to eat.”

Her stomach rumbled at the thought. “I do. Let me just go and wash my hair and get ready. Do you want to wait here?”

“I have some emails to send. Text me when you are ready, and we’ll go down.” He kissed her cheek and turned to leave. “I’m trying not to be overprotective, but this episode with Ross and Bart has set me on edge.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. And as long as you come out of it unscathed, that is all that matters.”

“I am fine. Nevis took care of me. More than anything, I’m angry with them. Really angry. But on the flip side, I have met my mate.” Chrysi left the words hanging in the air.

“I figured as much.” Harlan nodded. “I’m happy for you, Chrysi. I really am.”

“And what about you?” Chrysi asked. “Any idea who your mysterious woman is?”

“Not a clue. I sense her every once in a while. But I can’t pinpoint her.” Harlan shrugged. “Now that you are here, I can put more time into tracking her down.”

“If there is anything I can do to help...” Chrysi closed the space between them and hugged her dad. “I want you to be happy, Dad. I want you to feel the same way I feel. Or more. I know Nevis feels it more intensely than me.”

“A shifter’s sense.” Harlan hugged her and then let her go. “Text me. And don’t be too long, I don’t want you wasting away.”

“Fat chance of that happening,” Chrysi replied. She had always carried a little more weight than was ideal, but she was comfortable in her own body. And the only person who mattered, Nevis, seemed to like her curves.

“I’ll see you shortly.” Harlan left the room, and Chrysi returned to the bathroom, where she quickly turned on the shower and stepped under to wash her hair. Two doses of shampoo, and one of conditioner later, she stepped back out into the bedroom, with the robe on and a towel wrapped around her head.

She had little in the way of clothes. But Harlan, being the thoughtful man he was, had brought her two changes of clothes, and her makeup bag, all of which she had left at home when she hiked into the mountains with Ross.

Sitting down, she applied a small amount of makeup and then dragged a comb through her still-wet hair. Leaving it to hang loosely around her shoulders, she stood up and moved to the bed where she had laid out her clothes. Choosing a clean pair of jeans and a warm sweater, she pulled them on, checking her reflection in the full-length mirror. She looked respectable enough to go down to the hotel restaurant and eat.

Picking up her phone, she unplugged it from the charger, and texted Harlan. I’m ready. Meet you outside the door xoxo

OK, x came back his reply.

Slipping her phone into her purse, Chrysi left the room and waited outside for Harlan. A couple of minutes later, he joined her. “You look lovely.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself.”

Harlan had dressed in his usual black suit pants and a shirt, for once left open at the neck. Her father lived in a suit and tie most of the time. It was good to see him relaxed. “I thought I’d dress down. Since this is like a vacation.”

Chrysi giggled. “I can’t remember the last time you went on a vacation.”

“The summer of 2005, you had just graduated.”

“Oh, I remember. We went to the beach. For two days.”

“Does that not count as a vacation?” Harlan asked.

“I suppose it just about scrapes in.” They walked together to the elevator, and Chrysi pressed the button.

“I’m sorry.” Harlan put his hand on the small of her back and guided her into the elevator.

“What for?” Chrysi asked, pressing the button to take them down to the restaurant.

“You would have been better off with a mom and a dad. A proper family unit. Not some stick in the mud who didn’t take you places.”

“Hey. Don’t say that. I will always be grateful for what you did for me.”

“But if I had taken you out more, taught you about the wider world, then you might have seen through Ross sooner.”

“And maybe fate set it out that way.”

“That sounds like a lesson from a bear shifter.”

“Yeah, it is. Things happen for a reason. Ross happened so that Nevis could come into my life.” She looked out as the elevator doors opened on the foyer. “And maybe it all happened so that you could come to Bear Creek and find your special mate too.”

Harlan chuckled. “You always were an optimistic child.”

“But you do think that is what you can sense?” Chrysi asked.

“I do. But my senses must be rusty because I can’t pinpoint her.” He ran his hand through his salt and pepper hair. “Maybe I’m just getting old. And desperate.”

“No.” She hugged him tightly as they stood in the foyer. “What can I do to help?”

“Be happy, my darling girl.” He stood back and looked at her with such pride, her heart swelled.

“I want you to be happy too, Dad.” She kissed his cheek and then whispered in his ear. “I want you to find your true love.”

She meant it with every fiber of her being. Her happiness would truly be complete if Harlan found his mate.