She felt the rustle of movement next to her and knew, instinctively, that it was Xander. Savannah held up her hand and the movement ceased, seeming to edge further away from her. Blind and deaf, Savannah concentrated on Marissa’s bright and terrified aura echoing with fear, with which she was able to perfectly relate. She reached out, and a part of her could almost feel that delicate aura.
“Marissa,” Savannah sent her thoughts in waves, desperate to connect with the girl she'd thought would be her murderer. “Marissa, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I really, really need you to.”
There was a strange bristle from Marissa’s aura, as though Savannah’s thoughts had been transmitted and reached their target through sheer force of will.
“Pick up the dagger. Pick up the dagger and plunge it into the lake. The blade will absorb the lake’s water. Then, come toward me. Come toward me and…stab me in the chest.”
Savannah kept repeating the words, unsure if she was imagining the connection between Marissa and herself, or if she was just desperate and delusional. Unable to keep her eyes closed, Savannah opened them a fraction, just in time to see Marissa’s unsteady hand reach out and pick the imbibing blade up.
Savannah could see in Marissa’s eyes that she'd heard the message through her aura, and that she'd listened. Savannah straightened up and took a step toward Abel and Dominic, who were staring at Marissa in satisfaction.
“That’s right,” Savannah, read Dominic’s lips as it formed the words she could not hear. “Pick it up and walk over to your mother.”
Savannah moved closer to Principal Harris who was on her knees next to Malick, staring at her daughter in desperation, her eyes shrouded in misery and pain. Marissa held the blade uncertainly in her hand. She glanced at Savannah for a split second before looking toward Abel and Dominic.
“Do it,” Savannah read Abel’s lips. “Do it now or die.”
Marissa turned back to her mother but her eyes were on Savannah. She took a tentative step forward and then another, and then another.
“Yes, that’s right,” Dominic encouraged. “Do as you’re told.”
Marissa started walking faster and Savannah could see the resolve on her face. She was inches from her mother when Marissa veered suddenly right, and plunged the dagger into the clear waters of the lake, as if she were cracking through solid ice. There was an abnormal ripple. The dagger glowed hot. As fast as the red drained from its blade it was replaced with a warm, yet icy blue.
Marissa didn’t hesitate as she pulled the dagger from the water, turned around, took one leaping step forward, and plunged the dagger straight into Savannah’s chest.
The moment the blade made contact with Savannah’s skin she experienced a strange explosion of sorts, but it felt as if it were happening inside of her, and she was thrown back with a blast of light, the burn in her stomach was instantly extinguished, and she registered blue sky and silver clouds before her world went black.
Chapter Fourteen
The first thing Savannah became aware of was the shape and feel of Xander’s hand ensconced in her own. She opened her eyes slowly to see Xander’s face hanging over hers in concern. He looked the same, except for a long scar that snaked from just below his eye almost down to his chin.
“Savannah,” Xander said, but she was unable to hear the sound of his voice.
She sat up slowly, with Xander's help. A moment later he handed her the hearing aid she'd taken out in the clearing. She looked around and realized they were in a bedroom in Xander’s family's cabin.
“Savannah,” Xander said again, and this time was able to hear him.“The scar,” Savannah said. She reaching out to touch it.
“It’s only a surface wound,” Xander insisted, brushing aside his concern. “How are you feeling?”
“Tell me what happened,” Savannah insisted, ignoring his question. “What happened after Marissa stabbed me?”
“It broke whatever hold Abel had on us,” Xander said. “The pain, the loss of control we were all feeling--it just disappeared, and we were ourselves again.”
“Savannah…”
Savannah turned her head to the door at the sound of the soft voice. Marissa’s blue eyes were subtle and calm and she no longer looked angry or scared, and her aura was calmer and more controlled than Savannah had ever experienced. She edged into the room looking as though she would rather be anywhere else.
“Hello, Marissa,” Savannah said.
“Was it you?” Marissa asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Marissa claimed that she just…knew what to do,” Xander said, sounding baffled, as if he didn’t quite understand what had happened.
“I was completely lost,” Marissa said. “I had no idea what to do. Just as I thought it was all over, suddenly I knew what to do. It was like there was a voice in my head guiding me, but it wasn’t a voice so much as a feeling.”
“You didn’t hear me speak to you?” Savannah asked.
Marissa's face lit up with realization. “It was you.”
“It was,” Savannah said, nodding. “I've always been sensitive to other people’s auras, but this was the first time I ever tried communicating with anyone. I thought you might have heard me.”
“I did,” Marissa said, “but they weren’t words…more like…feelings."
“Feelings,” Savannah said, thinking that sounded about right.
“Yes.”
Marissa and Savannah stared at each other for an awkward moment. Marissa was the first one to break the gaze. “I wanted to say…thank you,” she said tentatively, “for saving me from…for saving all of us.”
Savannah had not been expecting an apology, and she was at a loss for words.
“I also want to say…I’m sorry,” Marissa continued. “For how I treated you and for what I did to get back at you.”
“I.. that’s okay,” Savannah managed.
Marissa nodded and then she left the room quickly, leaving Savannah and Xander alone.
Xander gave Savannah a smile.
“You still haven’t told me what happened after Marissa stabbed me,” Savannah reminded him.
“I told you: the spell…potion…whatever it was, broke,” Xander said. “And when it did, Abel and Dominic were caught by surprise. We were able to attack them, and they were completely outnumbered.”
“How?”
“More than half of Dominic’s pack abandoned him in the end,” Xander said with a small smile. “Some of them didn’t know he'd aligned himself with a witch. When they realized what he'd done, they took the first opportunity they could to leave. We cornered Dominic, but when it was clear that we had won--”
“What?” Savannah asked, though she sensed Dominic’s fate as a result of Xander’s aura.
“He killed himself,” Xander said. “To avoid being taken captive.”
Savannah and Xander were silent for a moment. “And Abel?” Savannah asked after she'd taken a moment to process Dominic’s death.
Xander’s face turned hard. “Abel was harder to corner--he is a witch after all. We were all in our wolf forms. Elvira and Malick had him cornered, and Elvira had him by the leg.”
“And then?”
Xander sighed. “He was badly wounded,” Xander said, “but then he used some sort of magic on Elvira, forcing her to let him go. By the time the smoke had cleared and we could see again, he was gone.”
“So he’s still out there somewhere?”
“Yes, but he’s not in Grey Mountain any longer,” Xander said, hastening to assure her.
“How can you be sure?”
“We scoured the forest in search of him. The cabin he used to occupy was completely empty, except for the body of an old woman.”
“His grandmother,” Savannah said quietly. “There was nothing else?”
“Nothing.” Xander shook his head. “The place was completely bare. There was no trace of magic remaining. I don’t think Abel will ever return to Grey Mountain.”
Savannah nodded. “Are the rest of the pack okay?” she asked, concerned.
“Everyone has minor injuries,” Xander replied, “but no serious damage has been done.”
“But there so easily could have been,” Savannah said. “Xander, I’m so, so sorry."
“Don’t,” Xander said. “You don’t have to apologize to me. It’s because of you we’re all still alive and in control of our own minds.”
“It’s because of me that we were even in that situation in the first place,” Savannah said. She grabbed Xander's arm. “I should never have gone to Abel.”
“Maybe not,” Xander conceded, “but you were forced to go to him because I wouldn’t listen to what you had to say or believe you. If you hadn’t felt so alone then you would never have turned to him. He was right about that--I should have taught you better. We all should have.”
“You had other things to worry about.”
“Nothing is more important than protecting your pack,” Xander said firmly. “We all forgot that shifter or not, you are now a part of our pack.”
Savannah’s hands went instinctively to her stomach. “Our baby is strong.”
“I know,” Xander said. He put his hand on top of Savannah’s, bent slowly down, and kissed her softly on the lips.
“How did you know about the lake?” Xander asked after a moment.
Savannah shrugged. “I'd felt its magic before, but I never connected the dots. It wasn’t until I remembered my vision that I realized what it all meant.”
“Marissa running toward you with a blue bladed dagger,” Xander said.
Savannah nodded. “It wasn’t until we were all standing in that clearing that I realized the vision I'd seen wasn't what I thought it was. I hadn’t seen my death--I'd seen my salvation, but I was the only one who knew what to do. So I cut off the world and relied on my sense.”
“How did you know Marissa would get your message?”
“I didn’t,” Savannah said. “I just… followed my instincts.”
“That’s a good way to life your life,” Xander said. He looked deeply into her eyes and smiled softly. “I’m going to need your help when I’m alpha. I’m going to be counting on those instincts of yours to guide me through my life and my duties as a leader.”
Savannah leaned in and kissed Xander gently on the lips, then she whispered into his ear, “You can count on me. Always.”
Xander placed his hand protectively over Savannah’s belly. He slipped in beside her on the bed, and his lips closed around hers. It was a gentle kiss at first, but then it deepened, and Savannah felt the burning heat that lay just underneath.
They were finally free to live their lives without having to look over their shoulders. They were finally able to be together without fear or worry. Xander slipped his hand under her shirt, his fingers warm against her naked skin. This was the start of their real adventure together. Savannah was finally ready to take her place by Xander’s side, as his wife and as a true member of the pack.
Xander began teasing off her clothes, and Savannah gave herself over to him wholeheartedly, reveling in the intoxicating need for their bodies to become one.
- The End –
Wanted by the Wolf
“Alright boys. Who’s ready for another round?” Jennifer whisked around the room, cheerfully dropping fresh pitchers of Bud, and clearing out the old ones. The bikers stayed tame as long as they didn’t run dry.
Jennifer Armstrong only had another month before she had to return to college, which meant she only had one more month of dirty old men pinching her ass, and listening to them talk about how they “love a woman with meat on her bones,” or how they wanted to see what her “Double Ds looked like t-shirt free,”as if she couldn’t hear them. She hated the attention, but she made bank so she put up with it.
She looked down at her watch; it was nearly midnight. She would be done soon, and she was so ready to just be home. The night had been slammed and she was exhausted. Some stupid bike festival was in town. The extra tips were nice, but her shifts wore her down. At ten minutes to twelve her best friend Tiffany sashayed into the bar wearing a low cut pink tank top, and skin tight jeans.
Jennifer had told her a hundred times to not come and tempt the regulars by dressing like that. They were wonderful sober, but Jennifer warned her about their behavior after drinking a few.
She just shook her head this time. Tiffany was a big girl, and she knew what she was doing. She loved a bad boy and being the center of attention. A few of the younger bikers noticed and started elbowing each other and pointing at her.
“C’mon, girl. You ready to get out of here or what?” Tiffany propped her elbows on the bar and dragged a bowl of stale pretzels closer to her to pick through. She turned up her nose and started flicking them out of the bowl one by one.
“Yeah, I’m done. Just let me close out these tabs and have the other girl start those new ones.”
The noise all night had been overpowering. As she ran around to pick up the checks, a hush fell over the bar. She looked up at the doorway to see what was going on.
Her breath left her as the most beautiful man she had ever seen crossed the threshold. His head nearly scraped the top of the doorway as he entered he was so big. The man had a presence that commanded attention and respect. The men in the room were weary.
The newcomer wore a fitted leather jacket that accentuated his lean torso and broad shoulders. His piercing, sky blue eyes scanned the room as he entered.
Those eyes locked in on Jennifer; he said nothing, just stared. For a moment she got caught in them. She could feel the heat of self-consciousness creeping up her cheeks as her pulse raced.
Tiffany turned to her and mouthed, “Oh my God,” before grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Jennifer blinked and broke eye contact, “Alright, Tiff. Let’s go. Back door,” she dragged her friend around the bar and through the kitchen to leave. To hell with the money, she thought. That man sent shivers up her spine.
“Okay, now I know you saw that gorgeous specimen walk in to your bar. Why are we leaving? He seemed like he recognized you. Do you know him? And if you did why did you not tell me?” Tiffany babbled on and asked a million more questions, but Jennifer had tuned her out. She felt intimidated and uneasy, and really didn’t want to talk about it.
Of course she noticed how he looked, anyone with eyes could see the man was stunning, but the way he looked at her is what shook her up. The look he gave was one that spoke of possession, and was rife with danger. Jennifer felt like a sheep that had been targeted by a wolf.
“You need to go back and talk to that guy. He looks like a man that could toss you around in the bedroom, and Lord knows you need that.” Tiffany giggled behind her hand.
“Yeah, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one sharing that man’s bed. No thanks,” Jennifer shook her head and climbed in to Tiffany’s car. Men like that didn’t care for girlfriends or monogamy. In Jennifer’s experience, men like that only used and disposed of women.
Tiffany jumped in on the driver’s side. “Jennifer, I’m going to say this as the voice of reason, you need to get out and start saying hello to people. Jason is a bad memory and a distant one at that. Not every guy you meet will be a skeeze,” Tiffany started the engine and pulled away from the curb, “Besides, you don’t have to get involved in a relationship. A one nighter might be all you need to get yourself back together, and that mountain man certainly looked interested.”
“Thanks for the pointer, but I’ve sworn off men after that asshole cheated on me with half of my dorm and my best friend. Forgive me, but I’m really in no hurry to spend any time with the male species, in any capacity at all right now,” Jennifer sank back in her seat and tried to slow her racing heart.
Tiffany didn’t say anything for the ten minutes it took to get back to the apartment, which Jennifer was thankful for. What was troubling was every time she closed her eyes, even for a second, she got caught in his stare all over again. The look he gave her sent a little thrill up her spine. Every instinct in her body was setting off alarm bells to stay away, but she had to admit to herself she was a little curious.
That man had zeroed in on her in a bar packed with people. It was almost as if he was seeking her out. She was spooked now, but a little part of her hoped she would see him again for her next shift.
“Rise and shine, lady. We have brunch plans remember?” Tiffany shook Jennifer who groaned in protest. She hadn’t slept well the night before since tall, dark, and broody had been haunting her thoughts all night.
“Come on now sleepy head, I can practically taste my mimosa,” Tiffany yanked the covers off, and chucked them in a corner. Jennifer’s exposed body shivered at the draft. Tiffany sped around the room on a mission to get Jennifer up, opening curtains and pulling clothes out of drawers.
“You’re a sadist you know that?” Jennifer asked as she whipped her pillow at her friend, “I’m up. I’m up. Just let me get ready,” She staggered out of bed and into her bathroom, “Whoa!”
The reflection in the mirror had seen better days. She spent ten minutes wrestling with her paddle brush in an attempt to get things under control. It would be a ponytail day for sure. The bruises and bags under her green eyes were another matter entirely. She said to hell with it. She just couldn’t summon the energy to cover them up.
Everything about being conscious made her whiny and irritable, especially the thought of wearing a bra. She moaned and stamped her foot at the drawer full of the stupid slings. Jennifer turned and stared longingly at her bed. If she hadn’t had these plans with Tiffany on the books for the last week she would just crawl back in and blow the whole thing off.
With a sigh, she acquiesced, and got dressed in her dingy white t-shirt bra. She slipped on her favorite worn in jeans. They were patched and fraying at the leg hems, but she couldn’t throw them out. An Iron Maiden baseball tee from a concert she had caught a few years prior and flip-flops completed her brunch look. She was by no means a fashion plate, but omelets don’t care.
“Alright, Tiff. Let’s go,” Tiffany as usual took her time to get ready. Her dark skin shone in a baby pink sundress that fell to just above the knee. French manicured toes peeked out of a pair of gladiator sandals. Even in minimal makeup Tiffany was stunning. Jennifer looked down at what she was wearing and shrugged, “You’re just showing off, you know that? Nobody rolls out of bed looking like you do.”
Tiffany laughed and hooked her arm through Jennifer’s, “You can just be my boyfriend for the morning then,” Jennifer finally lightened up and giggled at her friend. She loved that girl, but man did she need coffee first.
Tiffany’s blue Hyundai pulled up to the curb at The Egg Shack, a slightly shabby looking establishment that sacrificed looks for quality. The building looked like it should be a seaside shanty rather than in the middle of downtown traffic. They had never had a bad meal, no matter what time of the day they visited. Every ingredient was fresh and sourced locally, and the coffee was from organic sources and tasted like heaven.
The scent of hash browns and sausages in the air made Jennifer’s mouth water. Quickly climbing out of the car the two women dashed towards the entrance. They could practically taste the delicious bitter liquid on the back of their tongues.
The rule was seat yourself, so the pair slid into a booth near the window to people watch. It was the last day of the festival and the diner was bustling with activity and teeming with hung over bikers in sunglasses.
“What can I get you ladies started with,” a slim, hipster with black and blue hair sidled up to their table. Her cheery attitude and welcoming smile cleared the last of the sleepy haze around Jennifer. Who could be cranky around someone so warm?
“Coffee,” Jennifer and Tiffany said in unison, “Ha! Mimosa for me,” Tiffany ordered
“Orange juice for me, please,” Jennifer already knew what she wanted to order, but held off because Tiffany was still looking. The server left to fill their drink orders.
“So sleepy head, rough night?” Tiffany raised an eyebrow and Jennifer’s shabby state, “Last I checked I brought you home and you went straight to bed. How come you look like a truck hit you? Some tall, leather clad hunk keep you up last night?” a wry grin tugged at her lips.
“Actually yeah. Every time I closed my eyes that look he gave me would be waiting for me. It’s creepy,” after tossing and turning for several hours, she did manage to finally drop off, but she watched the sky turn pink first.
“Sounds better than creepy to me. That man was beautiful. I don’t like long hair on a guy, but even I wanted to take down that man bun and play,” the server swung by and dropped their drinks. They gave their orders, pumpkin pancakes for Jennifer, Denver omelet and breakfast potatoes for Tiffany.
“I agree, but he was weird,” Jennifer poured creamer into her cup.
Tiffany closed her eyes and savored the aroma of her coffee. When she opened them she grinned, “You may want to go ahead and tell him yourself,” Jennifer’s eyes popped open and turned to look where Tiffany was pointing.
The mystery man strolled in wearing ripped jeans and a black t-shirt. He scanned the floor for a place to sit, when he spied Jennifer looking his way.
“Shit,” Jennifer ducked her head down, “I think he saw me. Did he see me?”
“Hi,” a male voice chimed, “I’m Luke Robertson. I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself last night”
Slowly, Jennifer raised her eyes to acknowledge him. His height was intimidating, easily six and a half feet tall, but his eyes and smile were inviting and friendly, putting her at ease.
Tiffany looked on, grinning like an idiot and nodding her approval.
“Can I join you?” Luke asked. He was fully in control and relaxed, a stark contrast to the roiling of Jennifer’s belly and sweaty palms.
“I, uh, well. That is we’re…” Jennifer couldn’t get the words out. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to say yes or no.
“Of course you can!” Tiffany interrupted. The server dropped their food in front of them. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the man chatting with them, “Excuse me, sweetie? Can I get a to-go box? I just remembered I have somewhere to be,” Tiffany slid out of the booth.
Jennifer shot her a look of death. She was mortified at the thought of being alone with this man. Didn’t she just finish telling her how creepy she found this guy?
Tiffany picked up her plate, “Sit, Luke. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll just deal with this at the counter,” she winked at Jennifer before taking off. She made a mental note to deal with her later.
Luke squeezed into the booth; the worn red vinyl creaked under his weight. He winced as his knees bumped the legs on his way in. Jennifer giggled a little behind her hand at the face he made.
“You have such a pretty laugh,” Luke commented. Jennifer was bowled over by the sweetness of his smile. Boyish charm erased the hard façade his mountain man looks gave off, “What’s your name?”
“Uh,” Jennifer had to think about it. She was so enamored with the man in front her she almost forgot, “Jennifer. I’m Jennifer Armstrong,” consciously she reminded herself to shake his hand. What is wrong with me? He’s just a guy. No man has ever made you goo goo eyed before. Get a grip.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Jennifer,” his huge hand swallowed hers up for a shake; his touch struck the flint inside of her. Feelings of intrigue and more than a little bit of lust caught her by surprise.
“Are you just here for the festival or…?” Come on brain. Work!
“Yeah, but I live about twenty minutes away in Chico,” Luke was trying to figure out how to put Jennifer at ease. She sat on her hands and he had never seen such a curvy body look so tense and rigid before. He tilted his head to catch her gaze. Luke figured he’d address the 800-pound gorilla in the room and get it over with, “Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“A little bit,” she shifted her body off of her tingling hands, “Last night was really weird. You kind of freaked me out,” she decided being honest was probably the best course of action, “I mean a gorgeous giant walks into a bar – wow I feel like I’m starting a joke - and singles a girl out. How is she supposed to feel?”
“Gorgeous am I?” Luke relaxed against the backrest and crossed his arms.
Jennifer’s eyes widened and a cold sweat trickled down her back. She felt like the awkward teenager she thought she left behind when she went off to college in Arizona, “I have working eyeballs, you know and you’re kind of hard to miss.”
Leaning his elbows on the worn Formica of the table, he significantly shortened the distance between them and sent Jennifer’s pulse racing, “Well if it helps, I think you’re pretty gorgeous yourself,” he grinned at her. His face showed no malicious intent, just sincerity that sent Jennifer’s heart racing and put color in her cheeks. He was attracted to her and he really wanted her to know it.
She covered her face with her hands, too embarrassed to answer. An overwhelming shyness swept over her. She suddenly wanted the floor to swallow her up and she had no idea why. It’s not like she had never been complemented by a man before and she was by no means a virgin, but Luke had a quiet intensity and charisma that drew her in and threw her off.
“Don’t ever do that,” Luke ordered as he removed her hands from her face, “As long as you’re with me don’t ever hide. You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” his hand lingered on her wrist. The silence hung between them, waiting for one of them to say something or make a move.
The server cleared his throat, breaking the strange spell that had settled over the pair, “Uh, is everything alright here? Can I get you guys anything else?”
Luke let go and turned his attention to the server, “Yes, sir everything is fine. Just the check, please.”
“Where are we going?” Jennifer remained silent as Luke had paid the bill and escorted her out of the restaurant. As a precaution she texted Tiffany, so someone would know her last known whereabouts and what direction they were traveling in.
They approached a white 1970s Harley Davidson. Jennifer lagged behind as Luke climbed on and tied his hair back. She watched with apprehension as he tried to pass her a black helmet, “Get on.”
As badly as she wanted to go with this man, every news story and cop drama about abductions she had ever seen flooded her imagination. The fear was enough to root her feet to the ground, “Not until you tell me where we’re going,” she had to be firm about this. Yes, she was drawn to him, but Luke Robertson was still a stranger, she had literally just met him an hour before.
“I’d like to spend the day with you. I’m only here for a few more days, and would like to spend time with you and get to know you some,” he gestured with the helmet, indicating she should take it.
“Where are you planning on taking me? I’d like to tell Tiffany at least since we just met and all,” she had her cell phone at the ready, poised to shoot off a text message or throw it at him if needed.
“Butte Creek Canyon. And feel free to tell her you are not going against your will, rather a ‘gorgeous giant’ has seduced you into trekking with him outdoors for the day,” settling the helmet in his lap he chuckled a little.
“You know, everything about this scenario screams serial killer, right? A large imposing man picks up a helpless coed and lures her into the woods for an afternoon of ‘fun’. I can see the headline now,” Jennifer quipped.
“Trust me, if I wanted to just abduct you I would have by now. Get on the bike,” his tone went flat. Repeating himself grated his nerves a little bit.
Jennifer sent the text and approached the bike. The gap between her body and his was only a few inches; she was so close she could almost feel his body heat. Reaching for the helmet between his legs she cracked, “Don’t be too confident about it. They say fat kids are harder to kidnap.”
Luke gripped her wrist again, a firm gesture not meant to hurt, but to get her attention, “I won’t tolerate you putting yourself down. Please, don’t say negative things about your looks. You’re a beautiful, woman.” He loosened his grip and brushed his hand over her skin as he released her, sending a rash of goose bumps up her arm and stirring the butterflies in her belly.
Jennifer, momentarily struck dumb, just nodded in agreement. She had been told over and over by friends and family not to make fun of herself. Apparently it wasn’t attractive to the opposite sex either.
She knew that a size 12 was by no means fat, but she had always been self-conscious about her butt and thighs being a little curvier than average. So she built a comedy act around her insecurities as a means of deflection. It never dawned on her that maybe some people interpreted that behavior as an attention grab and fishing for compliments until her cousin Joe, who was two years older than her, mentioned it. By then the habit was so ingrained it would slip out occasionally when she got nervous.
Climbing onto the leather seat behind Luke, he wrapped her arms around his waist and glanced over his shoulder at her, “Hang on tight.”
He fired up the bike and pulled away from the curb. Luke picked up speed when they turned on to Honey Run. To Jennifer, the wind in her face lifted her spirits and washed away some of the apprehension she was feeling about taking off for the day with a random guy. The thought still sounded weird in her head, but the exhilaration of being on the back of a motorcycle on such a beautiful day felt too good to question. Maybe being with Luke wouldn’t be a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Pulling off the road and parking the bike put a pout on Jennifer’s face. The ride was just too short. Luke let her linger attached to him for a moment longer before attempting to get off the bike, “Alright. Let’s go,” Luke untangled Jennifer from around his waist and unstraddled the bike, offering a hand to help her.
After undoing the helmet, Jennifer accepted his hand in getting off. Her feet didn’t quite reach the ground, and she was not too keen on how graceful she may have been attempting to dismount on her own. As it was, Luke had to reach in to almost lift her off the seat. She may have gotten really well acquainted with the ground otherwise.
“Follow me,” Luke set off towards one of the trails that ran along the edge of the canyon.
Jennifer had been to Butte Creek Canyon a few times before as a child, but her memories paled in comparison to how beautiful the landscape looked in person. Trees, several stories tall, blanketed the countryside, shades of green and yellow decorated the hills. The open air allowed for the breeze to circulate, allowing for a little relief from the summer heat.
Jennifer and Luke walked along the trail in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the landscape and fresh air until Luke seized Jennifer’s hand and veered off the path into the forest.
“Is this where the serial killer part happens?” she teased, only half joking. Her stomach knotted up with anticipation and butterflies. Instinctively she knew she was fine, the alarm bells weren’t going off and she was so hyped up being out in nature for the first time in ages, she just wanted to enjoy it.
“Ha ha, funny girl. This is a shortcut to what I wanted to do today,” he turned back and flashed a heart-stopping smile at her, distracting her long enough to stumble over a tree root, “Whoa!” She had pulled Luke down to the ground with her.
Mud caked the knees of her jeans and she cradled her right arm, the one she was being led by; she had wrenched her shoulder on the way down. Luke landed on his ass, completely uninjured, and was quickly back on his feet, “You okay?” he knelt down beside Jennifer.
The slightest movement brought tears to Jennifer’s eyes and made her wince, “I think I may have dislocated my shoulder,” she gently probed the affected area to discover that indeed the shoulder was out of joint, “It happens sometimes if I’m not careful… The remnants of an old volleyball injury,” she shrugged her good shoulder. It had been months since the last time this happened. She recovered quickly, but it didn’t make the feeling suck any less.
“Stay still. I’m going to put your joint back in place, okay?” gently Luke laid his hands on Jennifer’s arm and shoulder to feel for where the socket was, “This is not going to feel good. You want my belt to bite down on?”
“Nope. I’m an old pro, just get it over with,” she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head.
Luke adjusted her arm into position, “On the count of three. Ready? One… two… three,” he popped her arm back into place.
Jennifer screamed through her teeth. The initial wedging of the joint back in to socket hurt like hell, but the pain quickly subsided and she could breathe again.
“Thank you.”
“Maybe we should go back. You really need to rest that arm.”
“No. Let’s keep going. I’ll be fine. This arm has given me nothing but problems since the tenth grade anyway, I’m not gonna let it slow me down. I just need to wear a sling for an hour or so, so it doesn’t dislocate again.”
Luke peeled his shirt off over his head and fashioned a make shift sling around her neck.
Jennifer’s breath hitched as he touched the sensitive skin around her neck. Luke looked like he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Her eyes explored over the planes of his chest. Luke was not overly hairy, but he did have fair amount of light brown hair covering his chest and arms. In a moment of what she deemed as lapsed sanity, she stroked her hand over his forearm, indulging in the contrast of the soft hair and the solid muscle.
Luke went totally still, like a deer in a hunter’s sight, and just watched. Her touch was feather light, almost as if she was wary about making contact. What was surprising was how Luke felt his stomach flip. He chose her, but something in the back of his mind made him think maybe there was some type of design he wasn’t aware of in making that choice.
“C’mon, kid,” he kissed her cheek. Just a chaste expression of comfort, nothing more, “We’re about half a mile from our destination. Stick close,” he helped Jennifer to her feet and guided her to his left side to protect her injured shoulder.
His senses were on high alert. Her falling normally would have been no big deal, but Luke wasn’t exactly the best liked of individuals, and having someone injured with him may prove a liability. There were so many people from his community gathered in the Paradise area that had expressed ill feelings toward him in the past that it was likely some of them had made their way over to the canyon for a run. Most of them wait for the cover of darkness to make their mischief, but it never hurt to be wary anyway.
“So tell me about yourself. We still have time to kill,” Jennifer was gazing up at him patiently waiting for a response.
“There isn’t much to tell,” Luke shrugged, “I have lived my entire life in Chico and the surrounding areas. I went to San Francisco for a couple of years in my twenties with my band and when that didn’t pan out, I came back and became a welder.”
“What kind of music did you play?”
“Really bad heavy metal. We wanted so badly to be Judas Priest, but none of us had any actual talent,” he laughed, “A heckler heaved a beer bottle full of piss at my head and screamed that I couldn’t sing. Five stitches and a bender later, I finally believed him.”
“Gross. So you were the singer then?”
“Sing is really too strong a word for what I did. I would politely describe it as a midnight howl serenade.”
Jennifer giggled. Her laugh was so sweet, Luke thought he would do anything to keep hearing it, “What about you? Outside of volleyball what is there to know about Jennifer Armstrong?”
“Well, I don’t play volleyball anymore. Apparently you really need grace and coordination to play the sport and those are two skills I seem to have in short supply as you can see,” she pointed to her shoulder.
“I’m only here for the summer. I grew up in Paradise, but I go to college at Arizona State. I’m finishing up my Bachelor’s in Animal Sciences. I’m getting ready to apply for med school to become a vet. I want to work with injured wildlife,”
How appropriate, Luke thought.
“Ambitious. I like it. It’s a good field to get into.”
Jennifer appreciated that he didn’t say he was impressed or looked at her surprised when she explained her chosen career path. Too many people in Paradise and even in Arizona always look shocked when she would tell them she wanted to be a doctor and not a dental assistant or a teacher. His tone conveyed respect as opposed to skepticism, which was refreshing.
“Why wildlife?”
“Excuse me?” she was still lost in thought.
“Why wildlife? You’ve chosen such a specialized field, I was curious as to why.”
“I find wild animals fascinating. Every summer we would road trip down to Lancaster to visit my grandparents. I would drive them crazy when we would get there to go to the sanctuary in Rosamond at least once a week.
I would spend hours talking to the handlers and vets about the animals – mind you I was ten at the time – and I wanted to know everything I could. That summer they had gotten in a rescue named Teddy, a wolf, and he became my favorite. He was sleek and powerful, everything about him came off as being Mr. Cool. I was so sad when he died a few years ago.”
Luke was giddy inside. He couldn’t believe his luck. He stared at this woman he just thought was intensely beautiful with her bright green eyes and breathtaking curves. Fate, heavenly design, whatever you want to call it, put him in the path of this woman. There was no way he was letting his perfect mate go.
“We’re here,” Luke announced. The falls stretched out before them, the river it fed snaked through the landscape, parting the trees, demanding its space to run before turning a corner and disappearing.
“Come with me,” Luke guided Jennifer to the grotto under the falls, “Mind the rocks,” the ground was slippery with algae beneath her flip-flops.
Luke sat on a boulder and removed his boots and socks. As he stood to undo his jeans Jennifer stopped him, “Are we going swimming? Is that even allowed here?” Luke was dangerously close to being naked, a thought that both enticed and freaked Jennifer out. She had to stall.
“Technically, no we aren’t supposed to go swimming, but does that matter? No one else is here. It’s just you and me. You can swim, right?”
The two of us alone, that’s what’s freaking me out! “Yes, but I don’t have my bathing suit,” suddenly gripped by modesty, she became concerned by what he would think if he saw her without any clothes on. All of her goddamn summer camp and gym class insecurities came back and flooded her system. She hadn’t ever had sex with the lights on and now her date for the afternoon was all gung ho about skinny-dipping.
“Neither do I,” Luke’s eyes twinkled with mischief and mirth. He turned his back to Jennifer and dropped his clothes.
Jennifer choked and became more than a little turned on at the sight of his bare body. His naked torso was simply the sneak preview; she just got an eyeful of the entire fucking feature presentation.
“Last one in is a ‘fraidy cat” Luke teased and dove in. He broke the surface of the water a moment later with a whoop and a shake of his head, “That’s cold, whoa,” he wiped his face and blinked the water from his eyes, “Get in!”
Jennifer hesitated, but the sight of Luke naked in the clear spring was too tempting to pass on. She kicked off her flip-flops, tossed her makeshift sling to the side, and quickly shed her clothes down to her white cotton bra and underwear. She crossed her arms over her stomach, to cover herself and dipped a toe in.
The shock of the chill shot up her leg through the rest of her body, “You’re nuts! The water is freezing!”
Luke disappeared under the surface again for a moment and quickly materialized in front of her, “What did I tell you about hiding in front of me?” The water near her feet was the shallowest, maybe three feet deep, allowing Luke to get close and grab Jennifer around the waist, playfully tossing her in the water.
Jennifer squealed as she soared through the air and landed a few feet away ass first into the water.
The chill momentarily stunned her, taking her breath away. Her head came out of the water, “You shit!” she scanned the area and found Luke treading water a few yards away, laughing his head off. She dipped beneath the water and kick paddled her way over to him. Not quite trusting her arm, she relied on her legs to do the work.
Coming up in front of him she splashed water in his face with her good arm, “You jerk!” she said playfully before laying on her back and kicking up a powerful spray of water in his face before taking off.
Luke chased after her and the two spent the afternoon swimming and playing in the creek, just enjoying each other’s company and the warmth of the Northern California summer.
The sun had sunk low, casting the sky in shades of pink and orange. Rays of light bounced off of the water’s surface around Jennifer. causing it to sparkle and twinkle, drawing Luke’s attention to the warm coloring of her skin. His eyes traced along the wet tendrils of Jennifer’s hair. She reminded him of the water nymphs of Greek legends, enamoring and mysterious, she drew him in to her by just existing.
“What?” Jennifer asked, “Do I have something on my face? Is there a bug?” she stopped talking, Luke’s staring unsettled her, “What?”
Luke allowed impulse to take over as he closed the space between them and bent down to kiss her.
Jennifer stiffened in surprise and then allowed her body to respond. The kiss started gentle, testing the connection between them, but the softness of his lips and the scratch of his stubble brought her body to attention. She had felt something pass in the air between them last night, and for sure this afternoon. It was dangerous, yes, but in the way that her vow to swear off men had been put in jeopardy, and maybe her heart as well.
Luke buried his hands in the hair at the nape of her neck, drawing her in and deepening the kiss. The gentle exploration was fading and was being replaced by lust and possession.
Pressing closer, Jennifer allowed that possession to happen. Luke was not her type at all, maybe that was a good thing since her type hadn’t worked out so far, but her response to him was stronger than to any other man she had been with.
The softness of her body pressed against him quickly stirred Luke’s arousal. His tongue brushed over hers, stroking and teasing a response from her mouth.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, running her hands over the damp hills and valleys of his back. Feeling bolder, she drew her nails gently down his skin, “Jesus, that feels good,” he purred.
Luke’s hands drifted down her neck and over her chest to cup her breasts. Her nipples strained against the soaking white fabric, begging for his touch. He ran his thumbs over the sensitive flesh. Jennifer moaned and dropped her head back allowing Luke to taste her neck. The kisses and nibbles drove her crazy, almost to the point of losing control.
“Excuse me! There are children in the park. Take your shenanigans elsewhere!” A tourist and his family had stumbled on the scene in the water. A woman – presumably the mother – was covering the eyes of two children, and a very angry bald man stood on the bank with his arms crossed over his polo-clad chest.
“Sorry, sir!” Jennifer called out. She and Luke swam back to the grotto to dress. Being caught had knocked all of the excitement out of their almost rendezvous. She felt a little bit ashamed of herself for letting things go as far as they had.
She struggled to slip her jeans over her damp legs. The racing of her heart made her clumsy and irritable, “Can you take me home please? It’s late and I need to get back.”
Luke didn’t push the issue; he tied back his dripping hair off his shirt, “Of course. When you’re ready we’ll go.”
Jennifer finished dressing quickly, “I’m ready.”
They walked back to the bike in awkward silence. Jennifer had never been caught getting busy before. Despite getting busted, she had an amazing afternoon. The spontaneity of the whole thing was just what she needed to shake her from the morose spell she had been under for months.
Luke mounted the bike first, passing the helmet her way as he did before. Jennifer buckled it on and slipped in behind him, wrapping her arms around him without prompting. He fired up the bike, the vibration of the engine hummed between her legs to remind her of the unsatisfying conclusion of their swim. He pulled onto the road and drove back towards Paradise.
She wanted to see him again, that much she knew. He was only going to be in town a few more days and she wanted to make the most of it. Maybe a fling with her handsome stranger was enough to get her back on the horse. She had nothing to lose he would be gone and in another month she’d be back at school. No muss, no fuss.
Luke drove up to the restaurant and parked, letting the engine idle. He got off and went to help Jennifer off the seat, “Can we exchange numbers?” she blurted out, wincing at her own inelegance.
“Of course,” Luke pulled out his cell phone and set up a new contact before handing her the phone. Jennifer quickly plugged her number in and shot off a text to herself and handed it back to him.
“Thank you, for today. I had a really good time,” she swung her hands at her sides, unsure of what to do with them.
“Me too. The pleasure was all mine, Jennifer. Really,” he reached out and pulled her towards him for a goodbye kiss. It was swift, but by no means chaste. He smiled at her before climbing back on and taking off.
Jennifer watched the bike shrink in size before disappearing down the road, nearly panting with lust.
Her phone rang, Tiffany was calling, “Hey, Tiff. I was just about to call you.”
“Hey! Where are you? I was beginning to get worried.”
“I’m at the restaurant, can you come pick me up?”
“You been there all afternoon? It’s nearly seven!”
Jennifer chuckled a bit, “No I haven’t. You won’t believe me. Come get me and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Ooo! I’m on my way!” and the line went dead. Jennifer tapped her phone against her hand and smiled to herself. Tiffany was going to die when she told her what happened, and what nearly happened.
“You’re right. I don’t believe it. You? No offense, but you’re a little tightly wound, girl,” their apartment complex came into view. Jennifer had spent the ten-minute drive excitedly spilling every detail of her day.
“Thanks, Tiff!” Jennifer wasn’t offended. Tiffany was right. She had been beyond an uptight stick-in-the-mud all summer.
“Well, you can be! I’m proud of you for letting yourself have a little fun; and with a strange man no less,” Tiffany waggled her eyebrows at her.
“Cut that out. You look like Groucho Marx,” Jennifer said with a laugh, “I really want to see him again, Tiff. I think a little fling will be just what I need to finally get over Jason and the entire spring semester.”
“Atta girl! Like I’ve been telling you since May, the best way to get over a guy is to get under another one,” both girls broke out in peals of laughter. It was so nice to laugh again. Jennifer hadn’t noticed how deep she had slipped into her funk until now.
“What do you say to renting a bad horror movie and getting Chinese?”
“I think that is an amazing idea. You call China Palace while I run to the Redbox, Okay?” Tiffany suggested as she unlocked the front door.
“Works for me. What do you want?”
“Boneless spare ribs and fried rice, but add in some of those fried egg roll things. They were amazing last time,” Tiffany shouted as she shut the door behind her.
Jennifer called and placed the delivery order. As she hung up a text message came through:
I want to see you again. Tonight. Can you meet me somewhere?
A tingle went up Jennifer’s spine. Of course she wanted to meet him. Even rehashing their make out in the car with Tiffany got her hot and bothered. She decided to wait until Tiffany got back to answer. She had made plans and didn’t really want to bail.
Twenty minutes later Tiffany had come home, “I got some real Oscar winners here, girl. How does Cheerleader Zombie Hunters and American Werewolf in Tennessee sound?”
“American Werewolf in Tennessee?”
“Yeah the synopsis said it was kind of like American Werewolf in London, but set in the Appalachian Mountains. I looked up the lead actor and he was super cute so at least there’s eye candy if it’s lame.”
“Let’s start with that one. The food should be here any minute so go set the movie up while I go change,” she had been so distracted she forgot how filthy her pants were.
Closing her bedroom door behind her she peeled her damp clothes off and changed into a black lace bra and panty set, she had every intention of seeing Luke again tonight and she wanted to be ready. She fired off her response before fully dressing,
I’d love to… later. I have movie plans with Tiffany. I’ll text you when we’re done.
She threw on her silky pink pajama shorts and her favorite Butcher Babies tee just as Tiffany hollered that the food had arrived, “I’m coming!” she checked her phone, no response, shrugged and chucked it on the bed. She wanted him badly, but she wasn’t going to come off as overeager or desperate.
“This movie is ridiculous!” Jennifer shouted. American Werewolf in Tennessee was proving to be a riot. The acting was the worst. The film was supposed to be set in the mountains, but it looked like it was filmed in someone’s backyard in Palm Springs.
“Yeah, but I told you the actor was cute. Look at his butt as he runs through the woods. Mmm. Mommy, like.”
Jennifer laughed, but something in the next scene had caught her attention. The lead had been attacked by a wolf earlier in the film and had shifted during the full moon. He had woken up, covered in blood and in the middle of the woods, his girlfriend’s corpse on the ground next to him.
An ominous shiver went up her spine. The movie was hokey as hell, but it did remind her that her chosen career path was really a dangerous one.
“Poor bastard. That is so sad,” Tiffany slouched into the sofa, “Can you imagine being cursed like that and killing the person you loved the most?”
“I’m sure it would destroy me.”
The next scene immediately obliterated the heart-wrenching kill scene with a poorly rendered wolf puppet and an Appalachian witch doctor.
Jennifer was getting a bit antsy, and excused herself to her room. She wanted to so bad to play it cool, but cool was not her M.O.
She woke her phone up to see she did indeed have a message received only ten minutes before,
I want you.
That’s all it said. Jennifer’s stomach clenched in anticipation, she had tried to pretend she hadn’t been hot and bothered since she got home, but she couldn’t keep up the charade. In a flash she had sent him her address. She didn’t want to wait.
“Hey, Tiffany?”
“What’s up?”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve got a guest coming over in a bit.”
“Oooo a booty call!” she squealed, “Well, far be it from me to cock block my girl,” she glanced at the clock, “It’s only nine o’clock. I’ll go see if I can’t get a little for myself.”
She leapt off the sofa quick as a dog, and hugged Jennifer, “Now remember, sex is cleaner with a packaged wiener.”
“Ugh! You are such a dude!”
Tiffany howled all the way to her bedroom, no doubt to change into one of her “man catching” outfits.
Jennifer stood, shaking her head. That girl did nothing to ease her awkwardness.
Her phone buzzed again.
I’m outside. Which apartment number?
She responded and then wondered where he was staying. It only took him five minutes to get to her apartment. Then she chided herself, this was a small town, and it only took five to ten minutes to get anywhere.
A knock jolted her from her thoughts.
“I’ll get it!” Tiffany paraded out of her room in a patterned mini dress that barely covered the tops of her thighs.
“No! No, no. I’ll get it,” she was too slow. Tiffany had already opened the door and invited Luke in. Jennifer froze in the foyer. It had only been a few hours, but she had nearly forgotten how huge he was.
“Hey there, big man. She’s waiting for you. I’m on my way out so go ahead and make yourself at home.” Tiffany winked as she let herself out.
“Oh my God,” Jennifer whispered.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Can I get you a drink? I have beer, wine, and a bottle of Johnny Walker Black I’ve been saving for when Tiffany finally drove me to drink.”
“The scotch please. One ice cube.”
Jennifer ended up having three glasses of whiskey and was feeling a happy buzz. Luke had a few more than she did while they sat on the sofa and talked for a bit. They had casually touched each other, a stroke of a knee, or a hand resting on a forearm. Innocent gestures that made Jennifer feel anything but.
Luke had the same idea. He took her glass from her, and set it on the table before crushing his mouth to hers. He had been driven just as mad with lust as she had been. Waiting any longer to have her wasn’t an option.
Jennifer returned the kiss with the same fervor and need. She probed his mouth with her tongue drawing him into her with each fevered motion. Forgetting herself she threw her arms around his neck and held on.
There was no tenderness, nothing gentle about that kiss. Her need fueled Luke, and he let all restraint go, “bedroom,” the word came out husky, a demand that dared not be refused.
Jennifer grabbed his hand and led him to her room. Her queen size bed was nowhere big enough for the length of him, but then again she had no intentions of sleeping.
She ran her hands up his shirt, caressing his muscled stomach before edging the hem up, a hint for him to take it off.
Luke tossed his shirt away and made quick work of his belt, shoes, and socks, “Strip,”
Fueled by liquid courage, Jennifer ditched her pajamas and ponytail. She watched as his eyes ravaged her body. The navy blue lace was a stark contrast to her milky skin and green eyes. Her light brown hair hung in wild waves down her back. Luke’s reaction made her feel sexy. She tossed any insecurity she may have felt about her body to the side.
Hunger flashed in Luke’s stare when Jennifer crooked her finger at him. She grabbed him by the waistband of his jeans, and pulled them both to the edge of the bed. Seating herself she undid the button and fly of his pants, and pushed them down his legs.
She took a pause. He was completely in proportion for a man six and a half feet tall, and completely aroused. She wasn’t sure she could handle it all.
Luke saw her surprise, “I won’t hurt you. Scout’s honor,” and he bent to kiss her again, his hand slipping into the cup of her bra to fondle her.
She became wet almost immediately. His capable hands turned her to putty. Without breaking the kiss he knelt in front of her, pulled the front of her bra down, and drew a nipple into his mouth. Jennifer thought she would howl with pleasure.
Luke’s hands found their way to the front of her underwear. He started rubbing her through the delicate fabric, and he teased her nipples.
“Oh, that feels amazing,” Jennifer gripped Luke’s hair as he worked her, holding him to her breast. Very quickly the cloth of her underwear was soaked through.
Luke chuckled, “I’m so happy to oblige.”
Jennifer coaxed Luke to stand. She needed a breather or she would cum before getting started. Sitting on the edge of her bed put his manhood right in her sightline. She ran her hands up his thighs, leaving goose bumps in their wake.
Tentatively she licked the sensitive tip. She would have to ease her way into this or she may get hurt. She ran her tongue up the back of the shaft before taking him in her mouth. Luke moaned as she sucked, slowly working him inch by inch.
He tangled his hands in her hair. The head felt so good. He closed his eyes and just enjoyed it, “Oh, baby. That’s perfect,” he moaned, stirring Jennifer’s arousal further.
She stroked him with her hand, moving to give attention to the rest of his manhood. She ran her tongue over his balls. Luke sucked air through his teeth, the sound encouraging Jennifer to keep going. She closed her mouth slightly around one testicle, sheathing her teeth with her lips and sucked gently.
“Oh, Christ,” he couldn’t take it. He moved her hand away and lay her back on the bed. In his tipsy state he fumbled a bit unhooking her bra and pulling her underwear off, “I want to fuck you,” he buried his face in her neck kissing and nibbling the delicate skin, “I’ll try not to hurt you, but I’m not going to go slow.”
Jennifer nodded and positioned herself towards the headboard and spread her legs. Luke crawled between them and rubbed his head against her, “I’m wet enough. Go ahead,”
He thrusted into her, with a commanding strength. Her insides stretched to accommodate all of him, but he was nearly uncomfortably big.
“You are so tight. Oh, God,” he began to thrust harder. The first few he forced himself to slow down. Then she started moaning and rocking her hips. He went animal and began to fuck her harder than she had ever been fucked. He had to claim her, rock her, and make her his. His thighs slapped against her ass as he picked up the pace. He reared up and pulled her leg to his shoulder for a better angle.
He teased her clit with his thumb, “Luke,” she moaned.
Jennifer rocked her hips in rhythm with his, he felt so good she didn’t want to stop. She was high on arousal, on pure animal power and didn’t want to come down. She came hard and fast. She tipped her head back and cried out his name, to hell with the neighbors.
Her orgasm pulsed around him sending him over the edge behind her, “Fuck!” he groaned as he emptied himself into her.
Each slowing thrust and the extra slickness sent one last shockwave over Jennifer, leaving her body spent.
Luke dropped on the bed beside her, sated and happy. He gathered her up into his arms, cuddling her to his chest.
She could feel him nuzzle her neck through her hair, and backed up into him so they were skin to skin. Within minutes she could feel his breathing and pulse slow as he dropped off to sleep.
His body heat mingled with the lingering effects of the alcohol lulling her into a sleep of her own.
Jennifer was woken a few hours later by her bladder. As she finished up in the bathroom she could hear voices coming from the living room. One she recognized as Tiffany’s. The other was a man’s voice. She tied her robe around herself and checked that Luke was still sleeping before going to investigate.
“Hey, sex kitten!” Tiffany was curled up on the couch with a glass of red wine. Her male companion was one of the bikers that she caught the attention of when she went to pick Jennifer up. The leather jacket attired man had a week’s work of dark blond beard growth and sleepy blue eyes that swept over Jennifer’s body.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to check on you. Hi, I’m Jennifer,” she waved at Tiffany’s guest and pulled her robe tighter around her.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m John-Paul; JP for short,” he made no move to get off the couch, just waved at her. He could see she was uncomfortable and didn’t want to make things worse.
“Well, you two have fun. I’m just gonna go back in my room now.”
“Is Luke still here?” Tiffany’s eyes twinkled in excitement.
“Yeah. He’s sleeping.”
“I’m proud of you, girl.” Tiffany flashed a brilliant smile at Jennifer before turning her attention back to JP.
Jennifer closed her bedroom door behind her as Luke came out of the bathroom, “There you are. I was wondering where you went,” he wrapped his arms around her, pressing their bodies together.
“I woke up to use the bathroom and heard voices so I went to see what was going on. Tiffany’s out there entertaining some guy named JP.”
Luke stiffened, “JP? A little smaller than me, scruffy brown facial hair?”
“Yeah that’s him. Why?”
Anger flared in Luke’s eyes. He picked his pants off the floor and jammed his legs into them, “He’s a dangerous guy, Jennifer. He runs with a gang of sh… he’s just not a good dude.”
Luke threw open the bedroom door and growled at the man on the couch, “You need to leave.”
“Well hello to you too,” JP put his beer bottle down, “Fancy seeing you out among the civilized, Luke. I see it took a piece of tail to draw you out of your cave.”
Tiffany’s eyes went wide with shock, “Hey wait a minute. Don’t talk about my friend that way!”
“I’m sorry, I mean no offense to your friend,” JP amended, “I mean only to offend this piece of shit here.”
“Look, I don’t know what beef you two have, but you need to not have it under my roof,” Tiffany stood, “You should probably take off, JP.”
“No problem,” he turned his attention to Luke and Jennifer before leaving, “I’ll be seeing you soon, and hopefully your girlfriend sooner,” JP announced before leaving.
Luke had gone red in the face and kept clenching and unclenching his fists. Every muscle in his body was tensed for a fight. He breathed deeply, willing his temper to cool. He couldn’t afford to lose it in the tiny apartment.
“Care to explain or should I just make something up in my head,” Jennifer crossed over the couch and sat next to Tiffany, “I’ll wait.”
“I’m part of this group in Chico. You could say we’re a biker gang, but really that’s not it. We sort of help out the cops and hire ourselves out as protection to abuse and stalking victims. We do what we can to maintain a noble cause in the community, I guess.”
“And what’s the deal with JP?” Tiffany asked.
“He’s the head of a different group just on the outskirts town. They bully business owners and extort money from innocent people, they run their own sort of mafia type business.”
“So he’s like, the biker Al Capone?”
“That may be the easiest way to describe it,” Luke slid down the wall to sit on the floor, “He killed my second last year during a standoff up in the mountains. I haven’t pursued anything because it was a fair fight, but that doesn’t mean I don’t hate him.”
“That’s awful,” Jennifer empathized. She couldn’t imagine what losing a friend would be like, “You had to have gone to the police, right?”
“Uh… no. My kind can’t go to the police when there is trouble. We handle it ourselves and try to keep as many people out of it as possible,” his face fell, “and now he knows we’ve been involved with each other,” realization struck him. The woman he’d been searching for his entire adult life was now in front of him, and he had to let her go. He promised himself he wouldn’t, but things just spun out of control, “I can’t see you anymore; I need to be going.” Luke shuffled to his feet and went back into Jennifer’s room to gather his things.
“You just gonna let him leave like that?” Tiffany asked, speaking in hushed tones.
“I don’t know what to do! This whole thing is so weird,” Jennifer’s heart sank. She didn’t want to not see him.
“Get in there and talk to him, then,” Tiffany nudged her off the couch.
Jennifer nodded and got up.
“Hey, don’t go.” She begged as she closed the door.
“It’s really not a good idea to be around me. I’m no good for you, especially now that JP has seen us together.”
“Shouldn’t I get to decide that? What kind of nonsense are you trying to pull?”
“Don’t you understand? JP is a killer and he’s had it out for me for years. All he’s needed is a weakness to exploit and I can’t give him one or my crew is toast,” Luke moved to stand and front of her. He cupped her chin, tipping her face up and gently kissed her, “It’s been fun. Take care, Jennifer.”
He cut through the bathroom to get out and avoid Tiffany. Jennifer was left standing in a mess of confusion and more surprisingly, hurt feelings.
A knock came from the bedroom door, “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“So he left, then?”
“Yup. He fed me some bullshit about being bad for me and bailed.”
Tiffany put her arm around her friend, “I’m sorry, Jennifer. Rejection sucks and that was a bitch move he pulled.”
“It’s not a big deal. He was supposed to be a fling anyway. Thankfully, we only had one day so no attachment,” it was a half-truth. She definitely did not care for him in a romantic way, to say that happened in twenty-four hours would be stupid, but she did like him and his rejection stung. She’d be nursing her bruised ego for a while.
“There you go! That drama wore me out, I’m off to bed. Sweet dreams, baby,” she kissed Jennifer on the cheek and left her alone.
It was nearly three in the morning, but she needed a shower to unwind. She disrobed and started the hot water. Steam poured out of the showerhead and settled on every surface of the bathroom while she waited. Jennifer waved her hand through the thick fog, watching it swirl and break through her fingertips before stepping into the tub.
The hot water felt amazing on the stress knot forming at the base of her neck. She lost herself in thought as the droplets beat down on the tension.
Luke definitely served his purpose. The whole point was to feel alive and attractive again, which she did and she was so grateful for that. As she lathered up her bath pouf with lavender scented body wash, she silently thanked him for giving her the most fun day she had had in a long time.
She swished the pouf down her chest, rinsing away all traces of his scent from her body. She swabbed between her legs to wipe away the semen that had dripped down her leg. Then it hit her like a baseball bat. She hadn’t heeded Tiffany’s condom advice.
She and Luke had had polished off a bottle of scotch between the two of them so neither had the sense to wrap it up, “Fuck!”
Part Two
Two. More. Weeks. Two more weeks and Jennifer Armstrong could finally get out of her shitty job, hell hole town, and lousy life situation. She swat at one of the dirty old men who thought it was okay to pinch her ass; every time she walked past him. And in the narrow bar, it happened frequently.
Jennifer whirled around. “Cut the shit, Monty!” She pushed her way through the crowd and slammed her tray down on the bar. The tell-tale prickle in her eyes drove her out the back door to cry in peace. She dropped down in the dirt and cried in her hands.
As if the stress wasn’t hard enough to deal with, the ghost of a mysterious stranger haunted Jennifer’s thoughts. She only had one day with him, but that one day – and very active night – left an impression on the young girl.
The way he left bothered her. Yeah, he was supposed to be a fling to get over her scumbag ex, but she hadn’t expected to be the one being dumped. The rejection stung and she’d been a little off since it happened.
A female voice broke the stillness, “Girl. What are you doing out here?” Her best friend, Tiffany appeared around the corner of the building. She grew concerned when she saw Jennifer’s face. “Oh no. What happened?” She hurried over and sat down next to her tear-stained friend.
“Just the usual. The perverts inside are getting under my skin.” Jennifer sniffed and wiped the tears of her cheeks with her sleeve.
“Just quit. You don’t have to put up with those guys touching you at all.” Tiffany wrapped her slender arm around Jennifer’s shoulders and hugged her close. “You only have two weeks before you go back to college, enjoy yourself.”
Jennifer opened her mouth to argue, but Tiffany was right. She had been putting up with disgusting pigs grabbing her ass and making comments a lot longer than anyone should have to.
She leaned over and kissed Tiffany on the cheek. “Thank you.” She replied as she got up and turned towards the door. She was going to march herself up to her manager and end the nonsense once and for all.
“Go get ‘em, girl. I’ll be in the car.” Tiffany stood and headed towards the parking lot. She was proud of her friend for finally standing up for herself. There were way too many nights spent crying over a stupid job.
Jennifer yanked at her apron string and tossed the wadded fabric into the server’s alley. She found her boss, Steve was traying up a food order, and marched right up to him with all the swagger and rage she could muster. “Steve, I have to talk to you.”
Steve was a thirty-five year old stereotypical California guy. He had the blond hair, laid back “whatever” attitude, and spent all his free time out in the mountains. “What’s up, babe?”
Jennifer winced. Steve insisted on calling all his female servers babe, a terrible habit.
“Listen. It’s been… something working for you, but I’m done.” She counted out what she owed from the cash tables. “I’m sick and tired of all these pigs thinking they comment on my looks and pinch my ass whenever they feel like.” She raised her voice to make sure the patrons could hear. “And you do nothing about them, no reprimand no nothing. I quit, Steve.” She slapped the cash down on the stainless steel table and stared her manager down.
Steve’s eyes grew wide. “I would be lying if I said I was not surprised. You’re my best server. I’d hate to see you go. Are you sure?”
Jennifer scoffed. “Are you going to throw those assholes out?” she drummed her fingernails against the cold metal.
“Come on, Jennifer. I can’t just throw them out because they get a little friendly! Besides they tip you well don’t they?”
Jennifer’s jaw hit the floor. She had worked for Steve for three summers and she couldn’t believe he could be so cavalier about his employee getting groped. Without another word, Jennifer turned on her heel and stomped out of the building.
As soon as she was outside, she slowed down. Emotion was building again and a flood of relief tears poured down her face. It was as if the boulder on her chest was lifted and she could breathe again.
Tiffany’s car came into view and she jogged over to it. She slid into the passenger seat with the biggest smile on her face.
“Please tell me you did it?” Tiffany stared at Jennifer in anticipation.
“I did. And it feels amazing.”
Tiffany squealed and threw her arms around her friend. “I am so proud of you! I hope you gave those bumpkins a piece of your mind.” She started the car and put it in drive.
“Actually, I was so stunned by what Steve said I didn’t know what to say.” She told Tiffany her account of how Steve took the customers’ sides.
“That’s bullshit.” She patted Jennifer on the knee as she drove. “So how are you going to enjoy the rest of your summer vacation?”
“That’s easy. However I want.” Jennifer laughed. “I think tomorrow I’m going to go for a hike at Butte Creek tomorrow. Maybe pack a lunch and go swimming or something.” She had been itching to get back there since her day with Luke, but the bar had taken up most of her time. She hoped maybe if she went, he’d show up there too.
“Hiking? Why in the hell would you wanna do that?” Tiffany turned up her nose. The only outdoor activity she liked was lying out on a chaise.
“Because I like it. You want to come?” Jennifer only asked to be polite. She knew Tiffany would never go for it. She was actually glad about that.
“Hell no. You are on your own my little hippie. You can get in touch with nature if you like. I’m gonna get myself in touch with the couch and a Property Brothers marathon.”
“Ha! Since when do you care about home improvement?” Jennifer asked.
“I don’t, but have you seen those boys? Oooh, so delicious.” Tiffany answered. She grinned at Jennifer. “Besides have you seen the picture of them in their kilts? God was having a good day when he made them.”
Jennifer cackled and wondered if boy watching counted as a hobby.
Tiffany became serious. “You’ve been moody and a little off lately and I want to make sure you’re okay. There isn’t something bothering you is there?” She peered at Jennifer in her periphery. “Did Luke do anything to you?”
Jennifer did a double take. Did she hear her correctly? “No, why?”
“Because you’ve been funny since that night. I don’t know anything else beyond that drama in my living room. You aren’t pregnant or something?”
Jennifer thought for a moment. “Everything we did was consensual if that’s what you mean.” Jennifer froze. She suddenly remembered they didn’t use protection. She started counting backwards in her head. Shit! “Except…”
“Except what?” Tiffany’s voice was firm and tinged with wariness.
“We had had a little – okay a lot to drink that night and I think we forgot to, how did you put it? Package his wiener.”
Tiffany slammed on the brakes in the middle of the street. “Are you kidding me?” She shouted. “You don’t know where he’s been! And you could have got yourself pregnant!”
Jennifer stared at her hands. “I considered it, but I couldn’t check yet.” She murmured. Pink bloomed in her cheeks. Up until then she had tried to put it out of her mind.
“Well, it’s been, what? Three weeks now? We’re going to Walgreens.” Tiffany slammed the car in reverse and spun the car around. Enough time had gone by that Jennifer could find out.
Within minutes Tiffany pulled into the parking lot and switched off the car. “Go on now.”
Jennifer’s eyes grew wide. “I, I, but…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I’ve never done this before. Please come with me.”
With a sigh, Tiffany snatched her keys and got out of the car. “Let’s get this over with.” Tiffany loved her friend and would support her no matter what happened, but she was surprised at her carelessness and stupidity. She always thought of Jennifer as being more sensible than that.
The two women stood in front of the pregnancy tests. Boxes of pink, blue, and white stared back at them. The choices were overwhelming. “I don’t know which to get.” Jennifer blanked out in front of the shelves. Her breath started coming more fast and shallow and she had to wipe her palms on her jeans.
“Just grab one of the pink ones and let’s go. I’m starting to get twitchy standing here.” Tiffany pointed at the First Response boxes.
Jennifer snatched one off the shelf and grabbed a bottle of water. She wanted to get out and home before they ran into anyone they knew. The town was small and rumors spread like wildfire.
She quickly paid and the two women sped to the car and took off. Jennifer read the direction slip and chugged her water on the way back to their apartment. This would be the longest three minutes of her life.
Jennifer sprinted up the stairs and locked herself in her bathroom. She set the timer on her phone and followed the directions to the letter.
Tiffany sat in the hallway opposite the bathroom door tapping her hands against her knees. She was almost as anxious as Jennifer was. Granted, she wasn’t the one who may be carrying a giant’s baby, but this was her bestie and Tiffany was worried.
A muffled alarm went off in the bathroom. Tiffany rose to her feet as Jennifer came out. “Well?”
Jennifer looked at Tiffany with a strange mix of relief and fear. “Oops. I’m pregnant.” She announced sarcastically. She stood in the doorway holding the test as her side. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. She had no idea how to feel. She was thrilled, scared, and totally confused all at the same time.
“What are you going to do?” Tiffany stood stock-still. She wanted to hug her friend, but she wasn’t sure if that was the right move.
“Nothing. I’m going to be a mommy.” Jennifer answered with a shrug. There was no doubt in her mind how she wanted to handle this.
“Are you sure?” Tiffany wasn’t so sure this was the best choice for Jennifer. Tiffany knew there was still so much Jennifer had wanted to accomplish before becoming a mom.
“Yeah. I’ll figure it out. Luke and I made a baby. It’s not the baby’s fault. I planned on having kids eventually, this one just wanted to come ahead of schedule.” There was no way she could give up or abort this child. She became attached as soon as the results popped up on the damn pee stick.
“You are way calmer than I would be if I were in your shoes.” Tiffany was confused. Jennifer should be either dancing around the room or in hysterics. This coolness was almost supernatural.
“Get back to me when the shock wears off.” Jennifer replied. “I’m going to bed. I still want to take that hike tomorrow and I still have a lot to think about.”
You’re still going to gallivant around a giant crack in the ground in your condition? If you insist then, crazy.” Tiffany threw her arms around her friend. “Congratulations, mama.” She whispered in her ear. She gave Jennifer a kiss on the cheek before heading back to her own room.
The sun was shining a little brighter the next day. The birds sang a little sweeter, and the colors of the canyon stood up a little brighter. Something about taking control of her life had made Jennifer stand up straighter and completely changed her outlook.