Chapter Seven – Louise

No matter how hard she tried to keep her eyes off Zak, she could not stop herself from watching him as he cooked the steaks. He looked so at ease, so comfortable in his own skin, and that was what she found fascinating. At least that was what she tried to tell herself she found fascinating.

But she could not deny he was one of the sexiest men alive.

“How is your steak?” Dean asked, sitting next to her on a lawn chair.

“Good. Really good,” Louise turned her attention onto Dean. “I’m sorry I let you down.”

“How did you let me down?” Dean asked, taking a mouthful of food.

“You know, with my car.” Louise bounced Storm on her knee. She was growing into one of the wiggliest babies Louise had ever known.

Dean sighed. “I’m sorry I got mad. You are old enough to make your own decisions.”

“No, you were right, I should not have taken the risk.” She kissed Storm’s head and earned herself a squeal, which drew Zak’s attention. Inwardly, she acknowledged she was not the only one doing the staring. Zak watched her as much as she watched him.

This set off a nervous flutter in her chest. Was he really interested in her, or was he jealous she monopolized so much of Dean’s time? Zak would not have expected to come home and find a woman and baby in Dean’s house.

“I told you, sometimes you have to take risks. I was just concerned. I promise not to get mad again.” Dean looked up as Zak came and sat with them. “Good food, son.”

“Thanks, steaks are my specialty.” Zak stuck his fork into a piece of steak and ate it. “Oh, god, that is good.”

“Modest,” Dean accused.

“I try,” Zak said, his eyes sparkling with laughter. “Anyway, it’s a reflection on you, since you taught me to use a BBQ.”

“True.” Dean took a bite of his steak, and said, “You are right, it’s real good.”

They all laughed, and Louise found herself sitting back in her chair, Storm in her arms, and dreaming that this was her perfect life. What she wouldn’t give to have a dad like Dean and a man like Zak in her life forever.

Her mood slipped, and her lip trembled. Now that Zak was back, what if Dean decided he had done his duty by Louise and Storm? She didn’t feel ready to move on.

“So is Louise’s car OK, or do I need to check it over?” Dean asked.

“Nope, it’s good, just a loose hose.” Zak speared a tomato. “So what is the story with the car, anyway? Is it a family heirloom?”

“No, it was the cheapest car we could buy that still ran,” Louise said. “I plan to pay Dean back as soon as I have a job that earns me money.”

“We got lucky,” Dean said. “It runs like a dream.” He gave Zak a look that she could not interpret.

“What am I missing?” Louise asked, not wanting there to be secrets between them. Not when it concerned her.

“Nothing,” Dean said quickly, and concentrated on his food.

“My dad used to have cars like that,” Zak began. “All beat up. I used to have to fix them up for him. Then he’d sell them for cash, so he could buy booze.”

“That doesn’t sound like a happy childhood,” Louise stated. She didn’t want to pry into Zak’s life, but obviously something had gone wrong at home, or he would not have been in Dean’s care when he was growing up.

“It wasn’t. But then I got lucky—he beat the crap out of me, and I ended up here.” Zak shrugged it off.

“Parents do not behave as they are supposed to,” Dean said. “If they did, I would be out of a job, and I would not have been fortunate enough to have met you two fine young people.”

“Feeling is mutual,” Zak said, finishing his food.

“So are you going to tell me about your adventures, Zak?” Dean asked. “You’ve been gone for nearly two years.”

“That is not fair, I’ve never missed a birthday and I have Skyped whenever I could,” Zak protested.

“It is not the same as having you here,” Dean said, sitting back in his chair. “Now, spill.”

“Well, I traveled some, bummed around mainly. Then, when I was in Australia, I got together with a band and wrote some songs.”

“Wow, that is amazing,” Louise said, feeling boring in comparison. Zak was like a star shining bright, whereas she felt as dull as ditchwater.

“It was.” Zak nodded.

“You were in a band?” Dean asked incredulously. “They heard you sing, right?”

“No, they did not.” Zak grinned as he speared a potato with his fork.

“Good, because from what I remember you can’t hold a tune,” Dean said amiably.

“Still can’t, at least not with my voice. But I can play the guitar, and that was all I needed to do. I played them a couple of my songs and they were sold.” Zak shrugged. “I made some decent money, and traveled with them on tour. After six months on the road, I decided it was time to come back here. I was homesick.”

“I’m glad you are home, but incredibly proud of you,” Dean said.

“Yeah. I’m proud too, I went out there to prove myself, and I did.” Zak tilted his head up and looked at the inky blue sky. “I missed this place.”

A quiet settled around them, and they each watched as the first stars came out. Then Louise sat up. “I should get Storm into bed. Give you two a chance to catch up.” She got up wearily. “Leave the dishes, Dean, I’ll come down and clean up when Storm is asleep.

“No, you won’t. You go and take a bath, you look all done in,” Dean said.

Louise ran her hand through her hair; she probably did look a frightful sight. “No, it’s my turn to do the dishes.”

“We can manage,” Zak said, getting up and beginning to clear away the plates. “Really. I have missed all this.”

“What he means is, he needs to remember he is a kid from a small town,” Dean said. “We don’t want all these rock-star dreams to go to his head.”

“OK, if you are sure,” Louise said. “Say goodnight, Storm.”

Dean held out his arms and her daughter went to him for a good night cuddle, leaving Zak and Louise standing side by side, not knowing what to say. There was an awkwardness between them. Or was that her imagination too?

“I’m going to take a bath and go straight to bed,” Louise said. “So I’ll say good night.”

“Night, sweetheart,” Dean said, kissing her cheek. “You are not working tomorrow, are you?”

“No. The day after. If that’s OK with you?” Louise didn’t know what she would do if Dean could not babysit. Until she had a paying job, she would be lost without him.

“Sure, anytime, you know that,” Dean said honestly.

“Good night, Louise, night, Storm,” Zak said, a dim silhouette in the twilight.

“Night, Zak, it was good to meet you.” Louise meant it, she was pleased to meet him; she simply hoped life would not change too quickly. The stability she had found living with Dean was comforting in a way she could never have believed.

“You too,” Zak replied, his expression making her heart melt.

Trying to act normally, she walked away from the two men and entered the house, her emotions all mixed up. She was drawn to Zak, but that was all wishful thinking? The guy had so much experience of the world, while Louise was just a single mother who had never gotten further than Bear Creek, even when she ran away. Not that she didn’t love the town, and the people in it.

Anyway, if he was a shifter, and she had learned from Suzie that Dean usually fostered shifter kids, then it was obvious she was not his mate. There was no way she was putting herself through that kind of emotional trauma again.

I’ve found my mate.

She really was a piece of work, she was simply on the rebound from Ollie, in some perverse way, and she had latched onto the first man to make her heart beat faster. She had to get a grip on herself, there was no way she was going to spoil what she and Storm had here with Dean. No way.

Yet as she got Storm ready for bed, and then took a bath, she was sure of one thing. Zak’s arrival had changed her life. Maybe only indirectly, because of his relationship with Dean. But it had changed nonetheless. And she wasn’t ready for the repercussions.

She was not ready at all.