Changing Hearts (32 page)

His renovations on the cabin had occupied most of the time when he wasn’t working at the mill. He’d installed a handrail on the steps leading up to the cabin and screens on all the windows that didn’t have them. He didn’t want anything getting into the cabin, especially bugs or snakes.

Joie taught him to net shrimp and though she’d always be better at fishing than he was, he could hold his own. In spite of her best efforts, he still preferred red meat to the abundant fish in the area. She’d tried to teach him to dance at some of the parties she insisted they attend but he sucked at that. Still, interacting with the other humans who lived near them got easier every time she dragged him out with her. He didn’t growl now when another man approached her, but that had taken quite some time for him to deal with. Everyone in the bayou knew he could be quite unreasonable if he thought someone was flirting with Joie.

The people in the bayou were beginning to accept him, somewhat. He and Joie had dinner at least once a week with Boudreaux and Evie. They’d even babysat for them once. He still slipped up from time to time with his attitude but Joie usually set him straight. And if there were stories every now and then about Joie being seen in the moonlight with a big gray dog, well, most folks put that down to nothing more than rumor.

Another moan, this one louder than the rest brought him to the screen door. Boudreaux looked up from his seat on the edge of the porch with a slight smile.

“You’d best calm down,
mon ami
. First babies, they sometimes take all night.”

“She can’t go through that all night!” Slade could almost feel her pain. He knew this could take a while—he just didn’t want it to. Shifters never had this much trouble. He rubbed absently over the mark on his chest, trying to soothe Joie with just his thoughts.

He paced to the other end of the porch, swearing he’d never touch Joie again. No, that was one promise he knew he’d never keep.

“Slade, sit down. You’re making all of us nervous.” The deep voice from the side of the porch had him whirling around, his eyes glowing.

“Shut up, Micah.”

Micah had shown up quite uninvited earlier in the day and stayed when Joie went into labor. The two of them had managed a tentative truce but Slade didn’t hesitate to snarl at Micah for the slightest provocation.

Slade continued to pace, pausing briefly every time Joie moaned. He could hear murmured voices and knew Joie and
Tante
Kay were keeping their voices deliberately low so that he couldn’t hear everything that was happening.

When she cried out, he headed for the door only to be stopped by Micah. Through the long wait it was the only time Micah physically touched him.

Slade growled but Micah ignored him. He knew then his growl was only making him feel better, not intimidating the other man. Micah simply restrained him until Slade got himself under control again. At his nod, Micah released him and moved back to the other end of the porch.

Two hours later, just shy of midnight, he heard a baby cry. A few minutes later, the door to Joie’s old bedroom opened and Slade froze, his breath stalling until
Tante
Kay beckoned him forward. He hadn’t wanted Joie to give birth here. He’d wanted to take her into LaPlace or New Orleans, but she’d insisted.

Like a man in a dream, he opened the screen door and walked across the floor toward
Tante
Kay.

“Come on, boy, don’t you want to greet your family?” She waved her hand at him impatiently.

Her words jolted him like a cattle prod, propelling him across the room. He stopped in the doorway to stare at Joie. Propped up in the bed, she had a smile in place but she looked tired.
Tired and beautiful.

“Hey, sugar, look here.” Her words forced his gaze away from her face and down to her arms. He stood mute with shock until
Tante
Kay pushed him into the room.

Two long strides carried him over to the bed. He leaned down, kissing Joie tenderly, touching her face with one hand as he looked at her arms and what she held there.

“Twins?” He croaked the word softly as he went to his knees beside the bed.

“How about that?” Joie laughed softly. “Dr. Evans said it was a possibility but your son kept hiding behind his sister.”

“Son? Sister?” Slade’s voice rose as the impact of what she said hit him. Not only did he have the daughter Micah had predicted, but a son as well. He reached out with one hand to touch the nearest baby.

Looking up at Joie, his eyes glowing, Slade got to his feet then carefully sat on the edge of the bed, wrapping his wife and children in his arms.

He released her long enough to kiss her again then reached out to cup his babies’ heads. The soft reddish down on their scalps tickled his palms as their scent filled his nostrils. The baby in Joie’s right arm, he had no idea whether it was his son or daughter, greeted him with wide open eyes and a huge yawn. The other slept peacefully, lips pursed. Leaning down, he kissed each of them on the forehead, then smiled at their mother.

“I love you, Joie. They’re just as beautiful as their mom.”

“We love you too, Poppa. Just one question, how many babies does it take to make a litter?” Joie laughed as he slid right off the bed onto the floor, landing with a loud thump. Slade stared at her for a long moment then started to laugh too. Their combined laughter woke the sleeping child and both babies started to cry only to be comforted by their parents.

Joie handed Malcolm his daughter and watched as he carefully cradled the infant close to his chest. He’d been practicing with Boudreaux’s children but wouldn’t admit it to anyone.

Tears filled her eyes when she heard him humming. The lullaby was the same one she’d hummed to him after his Challenge fight, the same one her mother had comforted her with. Her attention was drawn back to their son, as he loudly demanded to be fed.

Tante
Kay shook her head as she shut the bedroom door, closing the new family in for the night and ushering their guests out into the living room.

“You all sit yourselves down, now. We’ll have a toast for the new family. Just a little to tide us all over ‘til breakfast. Shaman, you come help me.”

Tante
led the way into the kitchen. Her happiness for Joie showed in every step she took. She’d welcomed the new babies with prayer and, with the grace of the good Lord, she’d be around to watch them grow.

Her girl had found the healing for her heart and the boy had found the healing of his soul. They belonged together, they’d stay together.

Tante
put the angel food cake she’d baked earlier in the day on a tray then on impulse added a bottle of homemade blackberry wine. She motioned for Micah to take the tray and as he did, she studied him.

He was a handsome man, no doubt of it, but much too serious. He needed a good woman to shake his world a bit, to make him smile more. She had a feeling it wouldn’t be too long before the shaman found himself dealing with that woman. Kay smiled as she led the way back into the living room. As Micah set the tray on the table by the sofa, she spoke again.

“No better time than the present to welcome those babies. No better time than the present to have a family, Shaman.” She stared hard at Micah, then nodded, turned around and walked into the kitchen to make coffee.

Marilu Mann brings the steaminess of the Louisiana bayous to her books and she doesn’t stop there. Marilu’s willing to travel to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin to heat up those northern nights and melt a little snow. She’ll also circle the world to Wales, Ireland, Scotland and back just to bring you books that make you sweat.

Currently residing in Texas, Marilu is an avid armchair traveler. Her sexy shifters will set your blood to boiling in no time. Owned by one Diva Teen and various animals, Marilu keeps busy writing the novels her readers beg for.

Marilu is thrilled to be a part of the Ellora’s Cave family and loves to hear from readers.

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Changing Times

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