Walker's Run (30 page)

He took a deep breath and allowed her to lead him inside.

“Have a seat by the fire, and I’ll bring you a cup of coffee.” She watched him move over to the fire.

“I’ll take it to him,” Aquene said taking the cup from her.

Moving to follow the old woman, Braedyn’s hand closed over her shoulder, halting her step. “No, let them talk this through,” he murmured.

Casey looked up at him. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, just listen.”

“M-Ms. Walker,” her father stammered taking a step forward. “I…uhm…”

Aquene gave him the gentlest of smiles, closing the distance between them, taking his hand in a warm double-handed hold. “It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you, Peyton, please; call me Aquene.”

“I…I…”

“Relax, Dad,” Casey whispered knowing only Braedyn could hear her. He gave a gentle squeeze to her shoulders to try and reassure her.

“I’ve no ill feelings toward you, Peyton,” Aquene began, stirring her tea and setting the spoon down on the saucer that was balanced perfectly on her knee.

Peyton cleared his throat and looked down at his lap. “You should. I took your husband from you. I killed the most respected Alpha there ever was.”

“You’ve killed many men, haven’t you, Peyton?”

“I’ve done my duty to my country and for the safety of others,” he admitted.

“You did what you had to and were protecting your daughter. You didn’t murder my Collin in cold blood. But he knew he was dead one way or another. If he tried to shift to his human form to explain, you’d have killed him, too. So he chose to stay in his wolf form. Collin understood he’d given up his life for the pride in the matter. To him, that was enough. They say pride goeth before the man,” Aquene chuckled and shook her head. “Not with my Collin. It took him to his grave. He could have walked away, but he chose to stand his ground.”

“To say, ‘I’m sorry,’ seems flippant. There’s nothing disrespectful about my feelings, Aquene, I assure you. The murder of your husband has haunted me in ways nothing else ever will. I’ve hunted my entire life, but I never understood why killing a wolf to protect my daughter would set so heavy on my conscious.”

“You’re not a cruel man, Peyton. I can see that and know my Collin did, too. There are no hard feelings. You’ve had to live with this heavy in your heart and mind for twenty years. It’s time you forgive yourself.”

* * * *

Casey helped Amber fix the men’s plates. Aquene fussed over how big the portions needed to be in order to sate the three large men in the other room.

“They are all three over six feet tall, they need generous helpings,” she fretted and added another helping to each of the plates.

“Peyton and Dean aren’t Weres. They are Guardians,” Amber reminded the old woman.

“It doesn’t matter what they are or what they do. They are big men, and they eat more than we do.” She looked at Amber and shrugged. “Well more than Casey or I at least.”

Casey tried to hide her grin when Amber stepped back and rolled her eyes. She saw an uncharacteristic shake in her friend’s hands when she took one of the plates from Aquene. “Are you all right, Amber?”

“I’m fine. I’m just not used to being around so many people for an extended period of time. Please don’t be upset if I slip out after dinner.” The look in her eyes told Casey that she was struggling with something.

“I’ll be all right now. Thanks for sticking with me through this today.”

Amber smiled. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

Dinner went by smoothly. Her father and Dean regaled them with some humorous stories about the Guardians. They learned that not all of the Guardians were humans, but a variety of paranormal, supernatural, and preternatural beings.

“Our unit leader is the Haitian I met years ago, Laveaux,” her father explained when they sat back drinking coffee near the fire. “He’s a panther, and so is his wife.”

“You remember Terry, don’t you Case?” Dean asked turning to her.

“Yeah, you guys went to high school and into basic together,” Casey said nodding. “You were best man at his wedding.”

Dean smiled. “Yeah, he’s in our unit as well. He felt guilty when I was injured, took it to heart that he wasn’t watching my back well enough. When Dad came to talk to me, Terry was in there. He heard what Dad had to say and felt he could better serve his country and the world if he joined.”

Casey smiled, remembering the gangly teen Terry had been, and then the gorgeous young man he turned out to be when she’d attended his wedding. “He’s got a little girl now, doesn’t he?”

Dean’s smile grew. “Sara-Elizabeth, she’s four and just precious.”

Casey listened to her father. Aquene delved into a deep conversation about the artifacts she had displayed around her home and the stories behind them. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Amber slip out the back door. A few minutes later Dean slipped out too, and Casey smiled, turning her attention back to the conversation between her father and Aquene.

* * * *

Casey frowned and looked around, realizing both Amber and Dean had been gone a while. Excusing herself from the conversation with her father and Aquene, she went out the back door. One of the lights was on in Amber’s tiny bungalow. When she was about to take the last step off of Aquene’s porch she heard the tiger bellow out in pleasure. She felt her cheeks warm, and then turned to walk back inside.

Braedyn cleared his throat. He’d been standing in the shadows of the porch.

“I guess we should leave them alone a little longer?” Casey offered with a grin.

“That would be advisable. She’s tried to hide all day, but as your friend she stayed for moral support.”

“Hide?” Casey furrowed her brows. “Why?”

“Well, because she’s in heat. Amber has a tendency to get a little snippier than usual when it comes around. She uses her anger like a shield. Apparently, it didn’t work so well pitted against your brother. He’ll be lucky if there’s anything left of him when she’s through. The poor bear she took during her last heat was shook up pretty bad and he’s a seasoned warrior.”

Casey laughed again. “Time will tell. Should we leave him?”

“Amber won’t treat him like she has the others. Usually, she kicks them out and makes them walk home. They’ve been tip-toeing around this since they laid eyes on one another. An attraction that powerful can be a force to be reckoned with.”

“Just as ours was?” She grinned at him.

Nodding, Braedyn took her hand in his and placed a tender kiss on her palm. She knew their first passionate coupling had branded itself in both their minds.

After another hour where neither Dean nor Amber had returned, Casey relented and allowed Braedyn to drive her and her father home. They figured Amber would bring Dean, or he would be left walking.

Casey watched her father stop in the hall. “I told you my gut feelings were usually dead on.”

She smiled. “We’ll see, Dad. He may just be serving a purpose.”

Her father grinned and shrugged. “I’m sure it’s definitely something he doesn’t mind performing.”

Casey groaned listening to Zander and Aquene argue over the dress.

“Aquene, with all due respect…I have been designing gowns since before you were born,” Zander said with feigned patience. They had been arguing over the design of the wedding gown for over an hour.

Rolling her eyes, Casey looked at her father while he fingered the material of the tux he was looking at.

He grinned at her. “Oh come on, baby-doll. Look a little excited here. This is all for your wedding.”

“I know…” She nodded trying to force a smile onto her face. This was not the part she wanted to deal with. Fretting with the colors, flowers, and designs, was more a pain than Casey had hoped. “Why can’t we just run off and elope?” Her voice was not but a whisper. When the comment had been made earlier, Aquene and Zander had glowered at her. She’d wanted to disappear into one of the racks of clothes.

Her father grinned and walked over to place an arm around her shoulders. “If you ran off, you’d upset an entire community and rob a mother of her chance to take over wedding preparations. Plus…I kinda like the thought of being able to walk with you one last time, knowing you’re my little girl.”

Casey felt the sting of tears and looked up at him. “I’m always going to be your little girl, Daddy.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I know, baby.”

“I still think we need…
more
to this dress,” Aquene stated, grabbing a handful of the fabric and shaking it at Zander.

Zander heaved an exasperated sigh and looked up at the ceiling. “Once more, Aquene, I implore you to understand me. I am a designer. We are looking to dress a modern bride. The hugely plumed gowns of fifty years ago are not in style. I already have the plans drawn up and have almost finished. I am standing firm on it.”

Aquene clenched and unclenched her fists a few times while she glared at Zander. “Then we’ll just ask the bride her preference.”

Casey groaned when they turned to look at her, both clenching pieces of fabric and designs. “Oh God…” If she sided with Aquene, she’d have a huge dress and be unable to move and piss off the designer. If she sided with the designer and his more modern creation, there was the chance of angering her future mother-in-law.

“Casey?” Zander implored raising his brows.

“Can’t Braedyn help with this?”

“He can’t know anything about how the gown looks,” Aquene gasped and set the fabric down looking at her like she’d lost her mind.

Casey pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “Either way I go I’ll upset one of you.”

“No. This is your wedding, Casey. We’re just…” Aquene let out a breath, and she looked up at Zander then smiled. “Fine, you win, Snare. I’ll give you control of the gown. I’ll stick to decorations and flowers.”

Zander gave her a triumphant smile. “You’ll not be disappointed, I assure you. We’ve settled on the colors?” He turned to look at Casey.

“Uh, silver and white with splashes of colors so it doesn’t look so…?” Casey said, her hands floundering when she looked at Aquene.

Aquene gave a gentle laugh and turned to Zander. “Maybe we should let her go look at some shoes over at Rhea’s while we finish our discussion?”

Zander grinned and nodded. “I think that’s a splendid idea.”

Casey’s face felt hot when she turned toward the door. Her father laughed and opened the door. The blast of cold air stung her eyes, and she shivered, stepping out onto the sidewalk.

“Shall I give you a minute before you burst?”

She closed her eyes and stood there, feeling the cold seep into her. “Is it that obvious?”

“You look like you’re about to explode.”

She laughed. “The one time I need a woman on my side who feels the same way I do about things…and she’s holed herself up…with my brother of all people.” Casey shivered. They began to walk toward Rhea’s shop.

He draped an arm over her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. “It will be all right, hon, you’ll see. Everything will be ready by day after tomorrow.”

“I still don’t understand why we have to go through all of this mess when we could just bypass it by eloping,” she grumbled. Her father opened the door to Rhea’s shop, laughing.

He grinned and shook his head while she grumbled. “I had a hard time getting you to wear a dress to prom and homecoming. I’m just glad you’re not balking at wearing one to your wedding.”

“They won’t let me choose my own shoes either, I bet,” Casey mumbled, shoving her hands into her pockets.

“It will all be worth it, hon.”

She nodded, smiling up at him. “I know. Once in a lifetime kind of thing, I get it. I’ve photographed more than a few weddings. I know the meaning behind it all. I’ve just never been one to be the center of attention, Daddy.”

“There’s the soon-to-be-bride,” Rhea said with a wide grin, walking over and taking Casey’s hands in her own. “Excited yet?”

Her father chuckled and Casey watched the expression on his face when he got a good look at Rhea. “I…I had to get her out of Zander’s shop before her head burst,” he said clearing his throat.

Rhea raised her brows and grinned. “Oh come on! Zander does terrific work.”

“It was more of the arguments between Aquene and Zander that did it. And I make one comment about eloping, and you would have thought I’d opened the gates of hell.”

“Well, its not very often the Alpha male of a Pack gets married, Sugar. To let you know, Zander’s already chosen your shoes.”

Casey sighed. “I’d figured as much. I’m sorry, Rhea, this is my father, Peyton Maynard. Dad, this is Rhea.”

He smiled and shook her extended hand. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

She laughed again and patted his arm. “Braedyn just hasn’t gotten a chance to warn you about me yet, is all.” She winked and grinned. With a gentle tug on Casey’s hand, Rhea led her over to a section of high heels.

Casey noticed Rhea casting furtive glances at her father, and then away whenever he looked over at them. She
so
didn’t want to go there. Her brother had already absconded with the Maid of Honor.

After trying on a variety of shoes, she wandered and found her father pulling on a pair of camouflage boots.

Looking up at her, he raised his brows and tied the laces. “What do you think?”

“You already have a dozen or so just like that, Dad.”

“I know.” He shrugged and took a few steps in them. “I think I’ll get them anyway. I need another pair that’s weatherproof.”

“Rhea’s gone to look in the back to see if she has anything more in my size…she kept staring at you, you know.” Casey gave him a grin.

Peyton rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“She may be the gossip artist of the community, but I kinda like her. She says what’s on her mind.”

“Hmm,” Peyton grunted and sat down and took off the boots. “Yeah, setting your old man up is not up for discussion, you hear?”

Casey grinned and raised her hands, stepping back. “Yes sir, but since Dean has stolen Amber, I’m not looking forward to losing my father when I need him most.”