First Moon (The Ternion Order Book 1) Page 9

  She glanced up and down the street before stepping closer and lowering her voice. “We really can make the next couple of weeks more comfortable for you.” She raised one eyebrow suggestively.

  You mean my last couple of weeks.

  Kyle took a deep breath and slowly moved back to put more distance between them. “I guess you’re right. I don’t need more time to think.”

  She grinned and moved forward again, taking his hand in hers. “I’m so glad to hear that. I can be at the Foundation by about four o’clock today. I’d love to give you a tour of the place and help you get settled in.”

  From the way she said it, Kyle had little doubt about what she meant by offering to help him “get settled in.” Good grief. Are all werewolves as promiscuous as Clarissa and Skyler?

  Kyle slipped his hand from hers and tried to step back farther, but he bumped into the door.

  “Um, I think you misunderstood. I’ve decided I don’t want to stay at the Foundation.”

  Her eyebrows went up in surprise and then she gave him an exaggerated pout. “Why not? Is it me? I can make myself scarce if you don’t want to hang out.”

  “No, no, it’s not you. I want to stay in my own place and be with my friends. Staying at the Foundation seems … complicated.”

  Deputy Arpin narrowed her eyes at him and chewed her lower lip for a moment. “I see. Dr. Rutlinger will be disappointed.”

  Kyle half turned and locked the front door, hoping she’d take the hint that he wanted to leave. “He asked me to make a choice, and I made it. Sorry, Deputy.”

  She pursed her lips and shrugged. With disappointment in her voice, she said, “I hope you know what you’re doing. The next couple of weeks can be tough. I don’t think you realize how sorry you’re going to be that you didn’t accept his offer.”

  Kyle stared into the deputy’s eyes, wondering if she had just threatened him. Her level gaze revealed no malice, but the cold certainty she projected reminded Kyle again that a demon lurked behind those bright blue contact lenses.

  Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather take my chances with Amanda.

  “I appreciate your concern, Deputy. But didn’t the doctor say that the invitation doesn’t expire? I may decide you’re right after all.”

  Deputy Arpin tilted her head back and gave Kyle a considering look. A slow smile crept across her lips. “Sure, Kyle. You’re welcome any time. Well, I should be going.” She turned and headed back toward her car.

  Kyle resisted the urge to sigh in relief when she left the porch. He waited while she got into her car and backed out of the driveway, and he returned her wave as she drove off.

  As soon as she was on her way, he went to his Explorer and got in. His hands were shaking so badly in reaction to the encounter that he had trouble sticking the key into the ignition. Once he had the rig started, he took several deep breaths and rested his head on the steering wheel.

  For the moment, they were off his case. But he doubted that would last long.

  Kyle shivered and closed his window part way as he threaded the Explorer through residential back streets. Being on the boat all day had given him a sun-baked feeling, and the tree-shaded avenues were chilly by comparison. The day had been blustery and cool, perfect for sailing, but it also carried the first hints of fall. He sighed, thinking that North Idaho’s six weeks of genuine summer were nearly over. The thought that this could be his last summer crept into his mind, turning his mood dark.

  The sail with Greg had distracted him enough to give him a brief respite from his worries. Now that he was left to his own thoughts again, he had to tell himself to breathe and loosen his grip on the steering wheel. A child played with a ball in the front yard of a home up the street, reminding Kyle of the danger in letting his attention stray. Relax. Concentrate on your driving.

  In spite of his admonishment to himself, Kyle couldn’t help thinking about what Amanda might be doing at that moment and how Dr. Rutlinger was going to react when Deputy Arpin told him of Kyle’s decision.

  With his mind on other things, he started to pull into his driveway before he registered that a car was already parked in it.

  He hit the brakes and his front tires skidded across the concrete sidewalk, stopping barely short of the other car’s bumper. He backed up and cranked the wheel so he could go around the familiar Subaru and park in his usual spot on the grass to the right of the driveway.

  What the hell was Sherry doing here?

  Sherry had emerged from her car and was checking out the skid marks. “Wow, that was close. Didn’t you look before you turned in?”

  Kyle didn’t have time for this. Too much was going on, and he needed to cut off any Sherry drama before it began. “What are you doing here, Sherry?”

  She frowned and her eyes showed how his question had hurt. “Hey, that’s not a very nice way to greet your fiancée.” She clutched her forearms, holding them tightly against her torso.

  Kyle’s knuckles went white where they gripped his dry bag. “I could say the same of you. And that’s former fiancée. Why are you here?”

  Sherry came forward and stood close, looking up with an insistent expression. A gust of wind whipped by, tousling her hair and raising goose bumps on her arms. “Don’t be like that. I came to talk to you. Can we go inside? I’m getting cold.”

  Part of Kyle wanted to fold her into his arms and warm her, but the image of her giving the engagement ring back helped him resist the temptation. “I’m surprised you didn’t let yourself in. You still have a key, don’t you?”

  She looked down. “Yes, but it didn’t feel right.”

  Kyle’s voice softened. “I appreciate that. I guess we can go in and make some tea to warm you up. I’m sure there’s still a box of your favorite herbal tea right where you left it.”

  She gave him a tentative smile and started to reach out to him, but arrested the motion and went back to the open door of her car. She retrieved her purse, locked the Subaru, and met him on the front porch.

  Kyle unlocked the door and let them in. The house was cozy and warm inside. Sherry took a seat at the tiny kitchen table next to a window that let in the afternoon sun. Kyle put the kettle on and added a teabag to each of their cups. He snorted to himself when he realized that he had inadvertently grabbed a pair of photo mugs featuring images of Sherry and him during happier times. He hoped she wouldn’t read anything into that.

  Kyle used the tea preparations as an excuse not to look at her. She had broken his heart and run out on him. It didn’t matter why she was here because there was no way he was taking her back. He had been stupid to let her come in. He should have told her to shove off.

  By the time he carried the two steaming mugs to the table, he’d worked his anger up to the point where his hand was shaking when he set the mug down in front of her.

  He sat down opposite her and finally looked into her face.

  Sherry’s expression was contrite and a little frightened. She’d been with him a long time and could probably tell how mad he was. Putting both hands around her mug, she blew across the hot tea to cool it. She was delaying.

  Kyle didn’t want to drag this on any longer than necessary. “Well, you said you wanted to talk. I’m listening.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out. When she looked up from her tea, her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “I screwed up. I threw away a great relationship and a great guy for a fantasy. I thought getting away from North Idaho would free me to do all the things I’ve dreamed of doing. I thought being in the city would be more exciting and give me better opportunities.”

  She paused as a tear rolled down each cheek. Kyle continued to sip at his tea, watching her. He already knew all this.

  Sherry looked down at her tea and spoke quietly. “I was wrong. I had more opportunities, but not better ones. The city is exciting as long as you have money. I looked for work, but all I could find were crap jobs like the one I left here. By the time I burned through my savings, I was sick
of the traffic, the attitudes, and the crowds. I realized it was time to come home.”

  She took a tissue from the box Kyle kept on the table and wiped her eyes and nose. Tissue in hand, she watched Kyle, waiting for him to speak.

  “Sorry it didn’t work out. What are you going to do now?”

  Sherry shrugged. “I’m going to try to get my old job back. If that doesn’t work, I’ll look for something else.”

  “Have you considered Spokane?” Sherry’s parents were in Spokane and although it wasn’t a huge city, it would offer many of the things Sherry thought she wanted.

  Sherry took a sip of her tea and then answered. “I considered it. But that’s not where I want to be. Mom offered to let me stay with them. It was sweet of her, but she knows it would be a bad idea. We’d kill each other within a week.”

  Kyle thought he saw where she was heading, and he wasn’t going to make it easy for her. If she thought she was going to walk right back into the life she’d thrown away, she was about to be disappointed.

  Kyle stood and carried his mug to the opposite side of the kitchen. He turned and leaned against the counter, looking at her over his mug as he took another sip. “Well, I wish you luck whatever you decide to do. If you don’t mind, I need to shower off the sunscreen and then take care of some things.”

  Sherry looked down into her mug and her shoulders began to shake. She closed her eyes and tried to hold back the sobs that were building. When she got herself under control, she looked at Kyle with pleading eyes and a tear-streaked face.

  “Please, Kyle, I need your help. You used to love me. Can’t you let me stay with you for a little while? I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ll pay you back for rent and food as soon as I get work.”

  Kyle’s annoyance grew with each tear that fell. Some guys would do anything to stop a woman from crying, but it just pissed Kyle off. Crying was frequently a huge manipulation, particularly when the woman wanted something. By the time Sherry stopped begging, Kyle had to clench his jaw to keep himself from shouting at her.

  When he had settled himself down, he said, “No. You can’t stay here. There’s too much going on right now, and I can’t have you in the way.” Damn. Shouldn’t have said that.

  Sherry looked surprised and then puzzled. “Really? What’s going on?”

  Her question was mildly insulting, even if it was true that he rarely had anything unusual “going on.” Kyle grimaced at having piqued her curiosity.

  “It doesn’t matter. You need to find someplace else to stay.”

  Sherry let her shoulders slump in defeat. She picked up her mug and carried it to the sink, right next to where Kyle was standing. After setting down the mug, she turned and put her arms around him, pressing her face into his shoulder. The familiar feel of her embrace made Kyle think back on how it had once been so good. She was right—he had loved her once upon a time.

  Kyle set down his mug as well, but didn’t return the hug. He kept his arms at his sides and waited for her to let go. But she didn’t let go. More warm tears dripped onto his shirt.

  “Please let me stay just a little while. I promise I’ll get out as soon as I can. I have nowhere else to go. I know you don’t love me anymore, but please don’t hate me.”

  Kyle tilted his head back and groaned at the ceiling. He didn’t hate her. He still loved her, even with a broken heart. He could give her a few days to find another alternative. Hell, she could have the whole house to herself in another couple of weeks, if things didn’t go well.

  He sighed in exasperation at himself. “Okay. But only for a few days. You need to find something else fast.”

  She leaned back, smiling. “Thank you!” She gave him a quick, tight hug. “You’ve always been my hero.” Her kiss of gratitude was salty from tears and a bit sticky from her wet nose, but her soft warm lips made him sad for what had been lost.

  Sherry went back to the table for two more tissues and brought one to Kyle. “Sorry. That was probably pretty gross.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  She was all perky and sweet, now that she had gotten her way. “You go ahead and shower. I’ll get my stuff out of the car and set up camp in the living room. Thanks again for letting me stay. I promise not to make trouble. I’ll even make dinner for you tonight.”

  “Sounds good,” Kyle said to her back as she scurried out the front door.

  Trudging up the stairs, Kyle was certain he’d made a big mistake. The only positive aspect of this new disaster was that Sherry might distract him from constantly thinking about his little lycanthropy problem.

  The next day at work went exceptionally well. Kyle ran a final test of his database scripts and was able to tell Vanya that he was ready to go whenever the data warehouse guys were ready. She was pleased with his progress and praised him for it.

  “Good work, Kyle. I’ve got another project waiting that I think will be perfect for you. It has high visibility, which means there will be a lot more pressure, but it will also give you a chance to show what you can do. How long do you think it will be before the data warehouse project is completely wrapped up?”

  Kyle hated giving estimates when the timeline was not fully under his control, but Vanya hated it when her subordinates were vague about schedules. The only solution was to be optimistic and specific, and to qualify everything.

  “Assuming the data warehouse guys make it a high priority, the new scripts could be in production by Wednesday.”

  She beamed. “Excellent. I’ll make sure the data warehouse manager understands the urgency.”

  True to her word, Vanya made the right calls and Kyle was pulled into an implementation meeting with the data warehouse group before lunch. By the end of the day, things were looking good for a Wednesday rollout, exactly as he had hoped.

  Vanya called him into her office late in the day to fill him in on the new project. It promised to be challenging and interesting. He would be the team leader and the tasks would cross several business disciplines. Vanya was putting a lot of faith in his abilities to give him that much responsibility.

  Driving home that evening, Kyle realized that he had been so wrapped up in his work that he had hardly thought about his other problems. Having normal conversations with normal people doing normal things made the events of the past weekend seem like some kind of bad dream or elaborate hoax. He hadn’t actually seen anyone turn into a werewolf, nor had he seen Amanda do anything “witchy” or magical. As for the tarot reading, there was nothing mystical about a deck of cards with pretty pictures. It could still all be some kind of scam, or he could be dealing with several people who shared a weird delusion.

  Arriving at home, Kyle pulled into the driveway, easily maneuvering around Sherry’s car this time, and parked in his usual spot. Seeing the Subaru reminded him of the new problem that awaited him.

  As soon as he opened the front door, Sherry voice exclaimed from the kitchen, “You’re home!” She ran to the entryway and startled him with an unexpected hug. “I’ve got great news! I got my old job back today.”

  Kyle shared a grin with her. “That is great news.”

  So, when will you be leaving?

  She took his hand and led him back into the kitchen. She must have spent part of the day cleaning because the kitchen looked better than it had in weeks. “I start tomorrow. I’ll catch the end of the pay period, so I should get my first partial check next Friday.”

  That’s nice. Next Friday, I’ll be a demon.

  Kyle forced himself to keep the smile on his face. “Cool. Hey, thanks for cleaning up in here. It looks great.”

  Sherry looked around the room proudly, admiring the results of her efforts. “I wanted to do something to thank you for letting me stay here. I don’t want to be too much trouble.”

  Too late for that.

  Kyle started loosening his tie. “That’s sweet. Look, I’m going to go change out of my work clothes. Then maybe we can think about what’s for dinner. I’m starving.”


  Sherry stepped forward and helped him pull off his tie, just like she used to do. “How about we order a pizza to celebrate? I’ll call it in, if you want.”

  The familiar intimacy of her undressing him felt both comfortable and wrong. He stepped back and took the tie from her hands. “Yum. I’m up for pizza.”

  She clasped her hands together and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Old habits.”

  Meeting Kyle’s eyes again, she squinted and leaned forward. “That’s weird. I don’t remember your eyes being that color.”

  As much as he tried to ignore them, the physical changes Kyle was experiencing mocked his mass-delusion theory. He should have planned a response in case anyone noticed the amber in his eyes. Time to think fast.

  “Yeah, I noticed a change too. My doctor says it’s not uncommon and that it’s nothing to worry about.”

  Sherry stepped closer for a better look, and Kyle leaned back from her scrutiny. “I think it’s kind of sexy,” she said in a husky voice.

  Uh-oh.

  She seemed to realize his discomfort and backed up. “Oops. Too soon for that sort of talk, I guess.”

  Kyle frowned. “It’s always going to be too soon.”

  Sherry let out a quick breath of frustration. “Don’t be that way. It’s not like I cheated on you. Can’t you forgive me?”

  Kyle folded his arms, his tie dangling from his hand. “You wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t forgiven you. But that doesn’t mean I’m ever going to trust you again.”

  She looked down with a shamed expression. “Okay. I guess I deserved that. All I’m asking for is a second chance.”

  Kyle was tired of the conversation, and he wanted to get out of his work clothes. It was odd how he could wear slacks, a dress shirt, and a tie all day without thinking about it, but as soon as he got home, he was overwhelmed with a desire to change into something more comfortable.

  “We’ll see,” Kyle said as he turned to the stairs and went up to the bedroom. On his way up the stairs he realized that his comment had probably given her false hope when all he was really trying to do was shut her up. Oh, well.