Chapter Fourteen – Michael

“Who taught you to cook?” Michael asked, taking a mouthful of the colorful Caribbean food Frankie served for dinner. They were seated around the small kitchen table at Ruth’s house, enjoying a colorful dish full of flavor.

“Ruth taught me the fundamentals. And then I picked up recipes from wherever I traveled.” Frankie looked from Michael to Ruth and cocked her head to one side, smiling at her sister in approval. Michael pretended not to notice.

“Where in the Caribbean did you stay?” Michael asked, forking the beef and rice into his mouth. The flavor was wonderful.

“I’ve never been there,” Frankie admitted. “This recipe was taught to me by a friend in Spain. We shared an apartment for a couple of months.”

“Boyfriend?” Ruth asked.

“Just friends. He was working to save money so that he could marry his sweetheart back home.” Frankie sipped her water, which she’d chosen over a glass of chilled wine. Michael liked her, she was mature for her age, with an air of sadness that was different than Ruth’s.

“What do you do?” Michael asked.

“I blog about my life.” Frankie shrugged. “I make enough to get by.”

“You don’t have to get defensive,” Ruth told Frankie.

“You used to always tell me to study harder so I could make something of myself,” Frankie said.

“I did, didn’t I? Now I believe we all know what makes us happy and we should go after it.” Ruth took a long drink of her wine, her cheeks flushed pink as she caught Michael looking at her.

“I agree,” Michael replied.

“What about you, Michael? Ruth told me you won the lottery.”

“I did. I bought a large parcel of woodland and built a cabin.” He rested his fork on his plate. “I don’t exactly have a job.”

“Oh, Ruth, how do you handle that?” Frankie teased.

“Michael doesn’t need to work for money. What he does is look after a large area of forest that needs protecting.” Ruth and Frankie were sparring.

“Ruth raised us to work hard and make a difference in the world. I always thought I’d failed her,” Frankie explained.

“You do make a contribution,” Ruth conceded. “You sprinkle fairy dust and rainbows wherever you go.”

Frankie laughed out loud. “Ruth was horrified when, at age eight, I told her my career choice was to be a fairy.”

“I told you it was stupid. For which I apologize,” Ruth told her sister fondly.

“Only because I got a job one Christmas at Santa’s grotto, as a fairy,” Frankie looked smugly at Ruth.

“You always did like to prove me wrong,” Ruth remarked fondly.

“I never told you often enough how much I appreciated your guidance.” Frankie put her fork down. “When I was a teenager, I resented you. I used to ask why you got to tell me what to do. I didn’t realize the sacrifice you made.”

“And would make all over again,” Ruth told Frankie, but didn’t look at her. The emotion in her voice said it all.

Frankie reached out for Ruth’s hand. “Family, right?”

“Family.” Ruth’s eyes shone bright with tears as she lifted her eyes to Frankie’s.

Frankie sniffed loudly. “A family that is going to grow bigger.”

Michael’s eyes swept across to Ruth. “I hope so.”

“I told Frankie about Jason and Jenny,” Ruth admitted. “Of course, we don’t know if it’s going to happen.”

“I spoke to Fiona today.” Michael rested his fork down on his plate. The food was good, really good, but this was important. Ruth’s reaction would tell him everything.

“You did?” Ruth straightened her back and then leaned forward. “What did she say?”

“I ambushed her this morning when she was getting coffee. When I explained about us, she was very eager to meet us.”

Ruth blew the air out of her cheeks and took a long gulp of wine. “Did you make an appointment?”

Michael smiled. “I wanted to talk to you first. I didn’t want to railroad you into something you weren’t sure of.”

“Wow. Let’s make an appointment as soon as we can. Although I’d like to talk to Dean and Elizabeth first. Before we meet Fiona.” Ruth looked at Frankie. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

“I think you’re both crazy!” Frankie raised her glass. “Here’s to crazy!”

“Here’s to crazy.” Michael lifted his glass, and Ruth did the same, a broad smile on her face. He wanted to lean across the table and kiss her. But if he did, it might not end there. Frankie was right, they were crazy. Crazy in love.

“Your face will split in two if you keep grinning like that.” Ruth sipped her wine, her eyes dancing over the rim of the glass.

Michael shrugged. “I’m happy. This is my happy face.”

Frankie rested her elbow on the table, her glass of water in her hand. “You are my kind of guy, Michael. I believe you are just what Ruth needs.”

“What does that mean?” Ruth’s voice was unsure. Was Frankie insulting her?

“Ruth, my wonderful sister. You have been through so much. Given up so much. And now you have this amazing man who loves you.”

Ruth blushed and looked down at her plate. With a chuckle, Michael reached out and took hold of her hand, his thumb rubbing over the back of it. “Your sister is very perceptive. You are wonderful. And I do love you.”

“We’ve just met,” Ruth mumbled.

“It’s okay, I don’t need you to say it back to me.” Michael’s heart ached for the woman who sat in front of him. He meant what he said, he didn’t need her to say it back to him. He was a patient man.

“I do.” Ruth looked him directly in the eyes. “I do. It’s just…so fast.”

“Welcome to the life of a shifter,” Frankie said, lightening the mood in the room. “No control over these emotions inside. Especially when you have the creature in your head that has a mind of its own.”

“My bear likes to howl like a wolf,” Michael admitted, his hand still wrapped around Ruth’s.

“That I’d like to see. And hear.” Ruth spoke lightly, but she still held him in her gaze. Like a deer in headlights, he was at this woman’s mercy.

“Later tonight. Or tomorrow. Or any night.” Michael’s bear stirred in his head. “He wants to meet you.”

“I’d like that. A lot.” Ruth turned her attention to her dinner. “This really is wonderful, Frankie.”

“I’ll cook in return for you letting me stay,” Frankie offered. “Not forever. Just for a few weeks.”

“You aren’t heading for some amazing country with amazing people to fill your blog?” Ruth asked.

“I’d like some down time.” Frankie concentrated on her food.

Ruth stopped chewing and looked sharply at Frankie. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes. Honestly. I just want to be here for you. For both of you.” Frankie pushed her food around her plate. “I miss you.” She put her hand over her eyes. “I miss our family.”

“Frankie, we haven’t gone anywhere.” Ruth stroked her sister’s back, soothing her.

“In a way you have. Everyone is so busy, jobs, lives, and…” Frankie shrugged. “I’m such a child.”

“No, you aren’t.” Ruth’s forehead wrinkled, her eyes searching Frankie’s face. “You can stay for as long as you want. Maybe base your blog here in Bear Creek for a while. It’s an amazing place.”

“I’d like that. If you’re sure I’m not going to be in the way.” Frankie smiled weakly at her sister.

“Not at all. There is one condition.” Ruth turned into a mom right then.

“Which is?” Frankie asked with a sigh. “I told you I’m all right.”

“I haven’t told you the condition yet.”

“You want me to go to the hospital and get checked out.” Frankie didn’t quite roll her eyes, but it was close. “I’ll make the appointment. You can come with me if you really want to.”

“I do.” Ruth leaned around the table and hugged her sister. “I can’t lose you.”

“You aren’t going to.” Frankie hugged Ruth back, and then sat up straight. “So, this wedding.”

“Not so fast!” Ruth exclaimed, excitement in her voice.

“Why not? Jason and Jenny are waiting to be part of our family,” Frankie pointed out. “And the sooner you two are married, the more respectable you’ll appear to the adoption board.”

“Frankie is right. But I don’t want us to get married because of that. I want us to get married because we love each other and it’s what we both want.” Michael didn’t want to push Ruth so hard she ran away in the opposite direction.

But Ruth wasn’t the kind of woman who ran away. “We’ve already established that we love each other.”

“And Ruth has always wanted to get married,” Frankie whispered to him, from behind her hand.

“I have not!” Ruth replied.

“Please. Don’t you remember when Kelly and I used to play dress up? You were always the bride, and we were always the bridesmaids.” Frankie winked at Michael. “She wore the dress, and the tiara…”

“I was keeping you entertained,” Ruth protested hotly.

“Yeah. Of course, you were.” Frankie giggled. “We had some good times.”

“We did.” Ruth reminisced with Frankie, while Michael listened. Their conversation gave him a unique insight to the woman his mate truly was. It laid bare the hurt and pain she shared with her sister, more acute because she’d been older. Ruth had lost her mom. Frankie had lost a woman she had never met. But Ruth had given Frankie the most precious gift. She’d shared her own memories of her mom with Frankie, made her a living, breathing person.

“Mom would love to be here and see you get married,” Frankie said as they drank coffee.

“She’ll be looking down on us. Just like she did when the others got married,” Ruth replied, no longer shedding tears at the mention of her mom.

“Will you wear her ring?” Frankie asked.

Ruth shook her head. “No.”

Frankie didn’t ask why, she simply stared at her coffee cup, before changing the subject. “When can I meet these two children of yours?”

“Why don’t we walk over to Dean and Elizabeth’s house now?” Michael suggested. “I’ll give Dean a quick call, and check that they aren’t busy. Then tomorrow I’ll make that appointment with Fiona.”

“Yes.” Ruth got up and went to the sink to wash the dishes. “Washing or drying, Frankie?”

“You know I hate washing.” Frankie grabbed the towel.

As the two women washed the dishes, Michael went to the living room and called Dean. After arranging for them to visit, Michael stood and looked out the window. The moon crested the mountain, and he said a silent prayer.

If Ruth’s mom was out there somewhere, looking down on them, he prayed that she would always watch over Ruth and her family, both old and new. That his luck would hold, and they would be happy, and together, for all of their long lives. And for eternity.