Darin: The Pride of the Double Deuce - Erotic Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (11 page)

“Are you afraid of me?” He looked at Fox, who winked and left them. Miles looked at Bonnie and tried to think how to tell her that he was. “I won’t hurt you. I won’t hurt any of you.”

“I’m afraid this is a little more than one old man can handle all in one day.” She nodded and put her hands under the table like she was afraid of upsetting him more. “I’m not so much afraid of you as I don’t understand this. I mean, I’ve known about shifters, but I’ve never had much to do with them before moving here with you guys.”

“You’ve been seeing them every day since you were brought here, Grandda. Darin and his brothers are all shifters. And that man Monroe that came here earlier, he’s a vampire. You’ve been around them a long time. So what is it about me that scares you?” He wasn’t sure where to begin. He wanted to tell her that he was more afraid for her than of her. Miles wanted to tell her that he didn’t know her well and now she was something different, something that while he knew of, he didn’t understand. “Don’t be afraid of me.”

“I’m not, not really. Scared, but not of you.” He decided that was right. “You and I, we’ve not had a lot of time to get to know each other. Your momma, she hid me away to keep that monster from.... I’m sorry. I know that he’s your father and all, but—”

“No, he’s not my father. Just the man who helped make me. But I think Mom thought she was doing the right thing, don’t you?” He said that she’d saved his life. “And Patrick saved mine by doing this to me. Had he not, then I’d not be here at all. And I want you to know that I really want to be here. I don’t want you afraid that I’ll hurt you, though.”

Miles tried to think how to say what had been inside his heart and mind since she’d come down the stairs this morning. He loved her…loved his daughter and his granddaughter so much. And he’d been trying to get to know her, but things had been getting in his way. The chair he was attached to was the biggest problem.

“When she hid me away, I was so mad at her. I wanted to call her right up and tell her that I could fend for myself, that I wanted to protect her. Even when she sat down with me and told me all the things that man had done to her, I was still angry. I knew that I could help her, that with her being young and healthy, she’d not been able to keep him from hurting her, but I was a grown man. But she told me that if anything happened to me, she’d just die. I believed her.” Bonnie took his hand in hers and he felt her love. He kissed it before continuing with his story. “Then one day I fell out of my chair. I lay there thinking that had she been there, if my daughter had been with me, then I’d not have to be lying on the floor, I’d be helped up by her. Then it hit me. Christ almighty, I couldn’t get up. How was I gonna help her?”

“He would have killed you. Like he tried to kill me.” He nodded and held her hand to his cheek again. “When I was dying, I thought of you. I mean, not much, I’m sorry to say, but I did. I thought how sad it was that I’d not gotten to know you. That we’d not gone to get ice cream together, and that I’d miss when you made me little notes in my lunch.”

“You never said anything about them. I thought that you’d thought me an old fool.” Bonnie shook her head, and he felt tears fill his eyes. “Your grandmother would have been so proud of you. And this thing with you being a wolf, you know what she would have said? She’d have said, Miles Fisher, what is wrong with you being like this? You have her still, don’t you? And then she’d go on about me not having enough years left to be an old fool.”

“I’m afraid too, if you want to know the truth. I have this mate that I don’t know all that well that I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. I have a big pack at my beck and call too. And I can change into a wolf with only a thought.” He asked her not to do that just yet. “No, I won’t. Paddy said I had to be stronger yet. I’m still tired a lot from all the blood loss.”

“I love you, darling. More than I ever thought a man could love a little girl.” Bonnie told him that she loved him as well and would always.

Miles talked to her for the rest of the afternoon. Darin called once to say that he was running behind and might be late to dinner, and then Mercedes called to tell them that she was helping a birthing. It looked like it was just going to be the two of them for a little while longer.

Making their way into the kitchen, Miles told Fox what was going on. He was kneading bread at the big counter and said that if they wanted a snack before dinner, he’d make them something. Miles said he’d get it and rolled around the kitchen getting supplies from the fridge that had been set on the lower shelf just for him. He and Bonnie had crackers and cheese while they sat in the kitchen talking to Fox.

Mason entered the back door about twenty minutes later and tipped his big black hat at them all before snagging a few crackers and cheese for himself. As he stood there talking to Fox about something on the ranch, Miles thought of something that he’d not realized until that very moment. He lived on a ranch.

“I’d like to ride a horse.” He’d blurted it out so quickly that he’d been embarrassed to have interrupted the two men talking. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking about horses and cattle, and I realized that I’ve never been on one. I’ve never even been near one.”

“I rode over here on one. Come on out and I’ll help you out.” Before he could protest too much, he was in the yard in his chair and sitting by the biggest creature he’d ever seen. Christ, he must have been insane to think he wanted to get on one of these. “Now, I’m gonna lift you up on the saddle and you hang on. Bonnie here is going to get up behind you and help you hang on if you can’t manage it on your own.”

“Oh, she might get hurt.” Mason assured him that she could take a fall better than he could. “Oh yes, her being a wolf. I forgot.”

Being lifted by the man who he’d come to admire was amazing. Miles knew that he didn’t weight nearly as much as he had when he’d been healthy, but Mason had picked him up and set him in the saddle like he’d weighed nothing more than a baby did. As soon as he felt the power of the animal under him, Miles was beginning to have third and fourth regrets.

“He won’t move until I tell him to. You just get used to having your body up there and we’ll take it slowly.” Miles nodded and held onto the saddle where he’d been told and gripped it tight enough to have his fingers cramp up. “Now, your feet are in the stirrups. I’m to understand that you have no power in your legs, but you can feel some things, right?”

“I can feel the horse, but I can’t move my legs, correct.” Mason told him what he was going to do. “Okay, but don’t go fast. I’m not thinking that I’m a great horseman like you are.”

“You just hold on, Miles. The horse won’t throw you.” Miles nodded, holding onto the saddle for all he was worth. “You won’t fall. You’re as safe as I am up there. Old Brindle here, he likes to run, but he’s a might worn out by carrying my big butt around the ranch all day.”

Miles nodded again as he was led around the yard. He supposed he should have felt like a small child at one of those rides at the circus, but he felt...well, whole. The height he was off the ground was dizzying, but it wasn’t like he was on a plane. Miles looked around. Christ, he thought, this was why men and women did this.

“You’re having fun, huh, Grandpa?” Miles looked at Bonnie, who was walking alongside him and the horse, holding his leg for him. They’d thought she would ride with him, but Mason told him he was doing just fine and dandy. “I loved it the first time I got on one. It felt like I could run forever and never stop.”

“I’m not so sure I’m ready for all of that.” But he knew what she meant. The wind felt cleaner up here. It wasn’t, but it felt like it. The trees were greener, the grass seemed to glow with health. Miles looked at Mason when he handed him the reins and stepped back. “You think I can do this?”

“I don’t see why not. You’re doing well. And staying put. That’s the most important thing, staying on the horse’s back.” Miles nodded and flicked the long strings of leather gently as he’d been told. “That’s it. Just give him his head, and he’ll be good to you. You turn him to where you want to go just by a small pull on the side you’re planning. But make it a nice fat turn. He’s only a horse, as you know.”

Miles thought perhaps that this was the greatest gift he could have gotten today. He rode around the yard for twenty minutes, Mason and Bonnie snapping pictures like he was some sort of special rider or the kid he’d thought of earlier at the carnival. He supposed in a way that he was special, though. The ride certainly was for him. When he told Mason that he’d had enough, the man lifted him off the big horse again and sat him in his waiting chair. Bonnie kissed and hugged him and Miles felt tears gather in his eyes.

“You gave an old man a rare treat, Mason. I won’t forget this.” Mason nodded and tipped his hat like he’d seen him do a thousand times since he’d been here. The hat was lowered again, the sun making the big man squint. The hat, like the man, was as much a part of this earth as the trees and the grasses.

Miles could see now that it wasn’t a decoration to this man, nor to any of the Double Deuce workers. It was a part of their uniform of boots with holes in them, jeans in just as bad shape. He noticed that gloves were always in good repair, and hats were forever near them to put on when they were out of doors.

He was as sure as he was sitting there that Mason’s hat had a long story. It was worn in places, the leather of it lighter in places where Mason would touch it to be adjusted for his needs. The string around it had long since been replaced with a brown tie, but it was no less worn than the black of the hat. There were no decorations on it, no silver stars or feathers as he’d seen on other men in the city. This was a hat that was functional. A necessity out here in the harsh country.

These men and women were no less hardened than their forefathers. Just as hardy, and happier for what they did to the earth. Miles thought that if Mason’s hat could talk, it would tell a story that would be as heartbreaking as it was funny. Wondrous things would be told to a listener, and Miles was sad that he’d not be able to hear it. Mason shook his hand as he was brought back into the house.

“Well, I’m gonna head on back to the ranch. I have nine calves coming today, and your daughter said I had to be there in the event that we had to help out. She’s a mite upset with me today.” Miles asked him why. “Well, you’d think it was because I told her to get a better pair of boots to wear in the yards, but I think it’s more like I was right and she don’t care much for that.”

Miles was still laughing when he made his way back in the kitchen area with Bonnie. Life, he decided, was an adventure around here.

Chapter 11

Darin wasn’t sure he’d ever been this tired before. Rolling to his back, he thought about just trying to sleep for another hour but knew that there were things that needed seen to. There were four guests coming in today, and there was still the matter of hiring a cook. Truman wasn’t coming back.

He’d been beaten up pretty badly, and while he was healing he said he wasn’t cut out for this sort of work. Darin didn’t want to tell him that he thought perhaps he was right, but was glad that he wasn’t going to have to tell him that they needed less stress in the kitchen. He’d not noticed how tense it had been there until Julia had started cooking.

Last night he’d gone into the kitchen to snag a sandwich. The dishwashers had some music playing in their area, and were singing along with it. Darin hadn’t ever remembered any kind of sounds coming from the kitchen at all, much less singing, when Truman had been there. And just as he was to comment on it, someone dropped a plate. Its breaking sounded all over the room. But instead of screaming at them, which Darin had witnessed Truman do before, Julia made a joke. How she hoped it was one of the dirty ones and not the ones that had been washed up.

The food coming from the kitchen now was homemade. Not to say that Truman didn’t cook a good meal, but Julia was putting together dishes such as browned chops with gravy. Pot roast with potatoes and carrots. Just the day before there had been chicken fried steaks, mashed potatoes, and white creamy gravy. Things that he’d enjoyed at home. And the guests had loved every drop of it.

“You’re thinking very hard. Did you know that?” He looked over at Mercedes and kissed her on the nose. “Well, that’s sort of a disappointment. I was hoping for a nice ride, cowboy.”

He lifted her over him and was glad that he’d pulled the sheet off him in a ditched effort to get up. She slid down over his cock when he held it for her and moaned. Darin loved waking up next to this woman more than he’d thought possible. And when he was able to make love to her before his day began, he thought his whole life was better.

“Tell me what you were thinking about.” She was naked, on his cock, playing with her breasts. Darin told her that he wasn’t capable of thought right now. “I have a thought. Did you know that I can feel every part of you when you’re inside of me this way? Your crown is so thick I can feel each curve of it.”

“Christ, woman.” Darin grabbed her hips and tried to make her ride him faster. “Come on, baby, give me a scream.”

“I need this.” Her ride slowed, her back bowed with each movement. When she cupped her breasts and pinched her hard nipples again, Darin sat up and took one of them into his mouth and bit her. “That’s it, baby, suck me until I come. I need to come all over you so badly.”

He cupped her ass, bringing her closer to him with each of her forward motions. He suckled hard on her breasts, teasing one then the other before starting over again. When she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, bringing her body even closer to his, he nuzzled her throat and nipped none too gently on her pounding pulse. Her scream of release had him rolling her to her back and fucking her hard. And when she came again, he bit her, drawing her essence and her blood into his body until he came with her. Darin didn’t think he’d ever get enough of her. And didn’t even want to try.

He held her to him after rolling to his back again. He was still deep inside of her and rocked up twice before she stretched out her legs alongside of his and looked up at him. Sated for now, he held her to him and thought of nothing in particular. But he did think that if he could just stay here all day long, he might be the happiest man in the world.

“What’s the matter?” He kissed her again, and she grinned at him. “You’re trying to distract me. What’s going on?”

“Let me see. This in no set order, but I have to find a cook today. Jessie wants to have a couple of days off. Jace asked me to come over today and help him with the milker program that was set up in the barns that I have no clue about, but I have a manual that is as thick as a few books I have. Zach bought himself a farm, a real farm that has furrows, not cattle or horses, and wants me there when he asks Mason and Jace if they’ll buy his product. Bonnie needs new shoes and clothing. How the hell do you keep a kid in clothes?” She said that it was a trial. “Yeah, speaking of which, I have to go to the court house today to see Emma about something. She said it wasn’t bad news, but I don’t trust it right now. Your ex-husband is around, and I must say, he is a dick of the highest order. Let me see, did I miss anything?”

“Yes, you love me.” He told her that he really did. “And all the other things? Let’s make a list of the order in which you can get to them. Oh, and I can do some of it. I’ll go to see Jace about the programing. Believe it or not, I know a lot about that. And then Bonnie and I can go to the mall. She’s been wanting to have a girls day out and Dad said he wanted to get him a hat. I’m not sure where that came from, but there you go. Julia is the best choice for your kitchen. You know it and everyone else does. Just ask her. I think you might be surprised by the answer she has already in her head.”

When she got up and went to the bathroom, Darin just lay there. In less than two minutes she’d cut his list of shit going on in half. He reached out to his brother Jace and told him what had just happened.

Yeah, Holly does that all the time. I won’t even have to tell her what I have on my plate and she’ll come in and say she’s done this or that for me and I just mark it off. Having a mate is a hell of a lot better than I ever thought it would be, and not just for the mind blowing sex either.
Darin agreed with him.
About today and the milkers…are you coming, or is your lovely wife?

She said she has come by knowledge about them, so I guess she’s coming. Christ, I have so much to do. I have to go and talk to Julia first.
He told him about Truman and his thoughts as he made his way to the other shower in their room.
I never realized what a hard ass he’d been.

Rules. Some people just can’t seem to bend them a little. He always struck me as a rigid sort of guy. A nice one, but stiff all the same.
Darin was beginning to see that too.
Julia will more than likely take the job if you ask her. Paddy was saying how much fun she was having at it, and that she was a hell of a lot more relaxed at home too. I think that alone will sell her on taking it. Not to mention the money coming in. I told you about that, right? That the pack was having a little trouble?

Yes, but I thought it eased a bit since the other businesses were in town.
Jace said it helped, but their household was suffering.
I’m going to call her as soon as I get to work. Thanks.

After getting out of the shower and dressed, he went to the kitchen to find Miles and Bonnie already there. He asked where Mercedes was.

“She had to make a few phone calls. And Aunt Emma called. She wanted to know if you could bring in Mom when you come to see her. She said that it had to do with some money. I told Mom and that’s why she making some calls.” Darin nodded and sat down to eat. Fox had made him a huge breakfast, and he was going to try and eat every bit of it. There was no telling when he’d get to eat again. “Oh, and I was wondering if I could have you take me to the mall without Mom. Saturday is her birthday.”

Darin looked at Bonnie while she dug into her own breakfast of cereal. She’d said it so calmly that he wondered if she was giving him a hint or that she thought he already knew. Looking at Miles, he had a feeling that he understood that he’d not a clue when his own mate’s birthday had been.

“She loves flowers to plant in the ground. And pretty frames. I don’t think I’ve seen her taking pictures lately, but she used to do that all the time.” Darin nodded, making a mental list to make it to the jewelry store as well as the mall with Bonnie. “Don’t get her anything practical. She might tell you that’s what she wants, but she hasn’t had anyone buy her things but myself and Bonnie, and she might need a little pampering. After all this, I think she could use that more than she might a new sweeper. Though I don’t think she’d get to use it, not with Fox around.”

“No sweeper. Yeah, I can do that.” No you can’t, his mind screamed at him. To Bonnie he said he’d pick her up after school and they’d go then. Darin did the only thing a desperate man could do and reached out to his new sisters for help. He called Holly on his way into work after having to promise his truck all sorts of strange things to get it to start for him.

“Well, her daddy said pampering, right? You should buy her a day at the spa. For all of us.” Holly said that it would be a girl’s day out. “And Bonnie and Georgie too. The six of us could have such a wonderful time, and we’d make sure that she has a blast. Then you can take her out to a really nice place to eat, and maybe a concert or something. Oh, wait, the opera. I think she mentioned that she’s never been to one.”

He asked her how to get tickets to that, and she said she’d take care of it for him. The rest was up to him. As he made his way to work he made some calls, and not only did he get the day booked for the six of them, Holly had managed to get two box seats from Emma that he could use, a limo to pick them up and take them around town, and even a fitting for a dress for Mercedes to wear. Darin was going to be in the poor house, but he was excited to have been able to do this for her. He just hoped that the rest of his day was this easy.

~~~

Jace watched as Mercedes programmed the computer. The cows were getting impatient, and he really didn’t blame them. This was the third time that she’d shown him how to do this, and he was getting impatient as well. Jace thought that he liked the old way much better, where he hooked the cows up to the cups and went about his day for about an hour. Then returned to do it all again.

“See this?” He looked at the computer screen. He watched as the little light beeped. “That is cow number fourteen. She’s right there in stall ten. See?”

“Yes. And not to be an ass, but so?” She laughed and he did as well. “I think this was a mistake on my part. I have no idea what the hell I’m doing.”

“Yes you do. Look. As soon as she puts her head in the stall, the computer will take over.” Number fourteen moved to the harness as she’d been doing most of her life, and her head was clamped in place. Not tightly, but enough that she’d not back away when things were started. The cups came out of the floor under her and were attached to her teats, and he heard the computer make a noise and watched as the amount of milk was registered on the screen. “You’ll know right to the ounce how much milk she gives you and what the grade is. I’m not sure what that is, but I’m sure you do.”

He answered her question without thinking. “Grade is the cream of the milk. So when this is done, the milk will go to the storage bins like it did before?” She nodded, and they watched as three more cows were brought in and set up. The machine could handle as many as two dozen cows at a time, but they were taking it slow today. “And once it’s there, it divides it up by grade of milk?”

“Yes. The dairy, I understand, is ready to open up for business today too. You’re going to make your first batch to use.” He nodded and rubbed the tightness in his belly. “You do know that this is going to be huge, don’t you? With the new businesses in town, there will be more people coming in to buy products to take home. Especially things that are made right here in town. And Logan said you have it set up for tours at some point.”

“Yes. Later though. Right now we’re just getting our feet wet. The guys that have come in to help us get it right, they said that Douglas/McBride cheese will be in every household in the state soon. Christ, this was a terrible idea.” He rubbed his belly harder. She took his hand away from it and told him to look at the screen.

Fourteen was gone. All the stalls were full now, and the milking was moving right along. Not only had it been a great deal faster, but cleaner as well. He moved to stand behind one of the workers and asked him how the cows were doing.

“Great. Margaret is moving around like she’s the queen of the barn. And the rest of them are lined up ready to take their turns. They sure are liking how fast they can get in and out to the hay again.” Jace asked him who Margaret was. “Oh, number fourteen. And my mother-in-law. Fourteen reminds me of her. As big as she is, too.”

Jace was still laughing as the next set of cows were brought in to be milked. At this rate, they’d be done in less time than it would have taken him to do half the herd. He was liking this better and better all the time.

“Darin said that you were going to install these at the other barn too. That you’d be able to not just increase your production, but that you’d be able to have more cows than you had before this.” Jace told her that they were going to take it slow, but that was the plan. “And the other farmers? Are they gonna get on the band wagon and try this method out as well? I don’t see that happening, just so you know.”

“Why not?” He looked at the production and called the dairy to ask for a truck to be sent. They had their first truck load ready to make into cheese. When he realized that Mercedes hadn’t answered, he looked at her. “Why don’t you think anyone will want to do this?”

“Money. I mean, I know that you married into money, so did Mason, but the rest of the town, they don’t have that much to put into this sort of equipment. Which I think is a good thing.” He asked her why again. “Well, at the rate you’re growing, all of you, by this time next year you’ll be able to help the town grow more by hiring most of the townspeople to work for you. You’re diversified enough that there will always be something to talk about at the dinner table too.”