Wolf at Her Door: BBW Paranormal Romance (13 page)

Pop was gruff. Most people called him a ballbuster, but that was just his cop schtick. Behind his small Cape Cod style home was the most magnificent garden I had ever seen. He grew vegetables on one side and flowers on the other. I had never seen dahlias as large as the ones my father grew.

Unfortunately when I ignored the house, I ignored the garden, too. It was overrun with weeds and desperately needed care when I moved back in. Every chance I got, I worked on getting the garden back in shape.

It was cathartic for me. Instead of my being able to shove away the pain I felt from losing my father, the garden reminded me of the time we spent together. Trimming back the cucumber vines reminded me of when I was little and I would crawl between the plants to place the bowls of beer for the slugs.
 

Pop used to say the heather surrounding the garden reminded him of a simpler time and a simpler life. And that even if I was away, he'd always have his heather nearby. I always thought it was his way of laying the guilt trip on me when I moved out after college, but now I couldn't help but smile as I saw it growing wild in the yard.

After brushing the loose dirt off my yellow floral top and dark denim jeans, I grabbed my spade and the bags of bulbs, careful to not let any roll out. With my arms full, I stepped through the garden gate and headed towards the garage.

The shrill ring of the phone inside the house sounded as I finished putting the supplies away in the shed. Running inside, I picked up the pale yellow receiver on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" I said as I caught my breath.
 

"Heather? Everything okay? I thought you were coming over for dinner," Viv said.

I stomped my foot on the dull Formica floor of the kitchen.
I knew I was forgetting something,
I thought. I meant to call Viv and cancel our dinner plans, but I completely forgot.

"I'm sorry, Viv. I was in the garden–"

"No need to explain," she said, then lowered her voice. "Rick invited that guy I told you about from work. He really wants to meet you. I really think you should come over."

I held the phone with my hands and choked it before bringing it back to my ear. She knew the last thing I wanted was to be set up.

"I'd love to come over now, Viv, but I'm covered in soil and it's getting late. I just want to stay home."

"Come on, Heather. You promised me last night you'd come over."

"I'm sorry. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I need to clean up."

I hung up before Viv could start on her guilt trip and quickly washed my hands in the kitchen sink. I knew she was just trying to help, but it really was the last thing I wanted. I was happy to be alone. Not that I was really alone. I had Gavin; he just wasn't my dream guy.

I sighed as I thought of the man at Night Shift last night. Now he was my dream guy, literally. I couldn't tell Viv, but he looked exactly like the man who I had dreamt about for years. He even had the same dark wavy hair, bright green eyes, and that body. I knew the man in the bar had the same muscular, chiseled body as the one in my dreams.

The sound of a car driving down the street caught my attention. Drying my hands, I walked to the front of the house and peeked out the rectangular window next to the door. The moon hung low and large in the lavender sky. A few early stars were visible over the forest at the end of the block.

A long, dark car turned around at the end of the block, driving slowly. Something wasn't right. Cars rarely came that far down the street and when they did, they sped away quickly. Even the locals were wary of the woods despite them making up a big portion of Leeds Point.

The phone rang and startled me. I grabbed it and stretched the long cord and continued looking out the window. I made a mental note to replace the old phone with a cordless one.

"Hello?" I said.

"Now don't get mad," Viv said, "but I gave the guy your address."

"Are you crazy? You don't even know him."

"You need a real man in your life, not someone to waste time with. Besides, I think you'll really like him."

"So you tell some stranger where to find me?" I said, amazed. "What if he's a rapist or a serial killer?"

"Let's just say he's not really a stranger. Seriously, Heather, just this one time, trust me. I have a feeling you'll like him."

Looking out the window, I wondered what guy would be so desperate to go over my friend's house for dinner and then go to my house when I didn't show up. The car slowly made its way back up the road, and it dawned on me that that could be him. My Mr. Wonderful, the psycho who was going to use me as fertilizer in Pop's garden, was already driving on my street.

The crickets outside stopped chirping as the car parked in front of the house. The nearest neighbor was further up the road, so the car couldn't be for them. My mind went blank. I didn't know what to do so I just kept holding the phone to my ear as I looked outside.

"Heather? You still there?" Viv asked.

Frozen at the small window, I watched the driver get out of the car. Wearing a black button-down shirt and grey slacks, his clothing hung perfectly from his body. It gave me just enough of a hint at the muscular body beneath.

As my eyes moved up, they focused on his face and I let out a short gasp. It was my dream guy, the man from Night Shift who sniffed me.

"Yeah Viv, I'm still here. I'll talk to you another time."

"Is he there? I told you you'd like him. I can't believe he's the guy Rick wanted to set you up with. He's even more gorgeous tonight than last night, isn't he?"

"Mmm hmm," I said as butterflies filled my stomach. "I gotta go," I said before hanging up.

I tried to smooth my messy hair and wipe the dirt off my clothes, but it just smeared. It was useless. There was nothing I could do to fix myself up with him so close to the house.

As his long strides brought him to the door, I ducked from the window. My heart raced and thumped wildly, making the butterflies flutter even more.

Rubbing my moist palms against my jeans, I leaned against the door, unsure what to do. As the doorbell rang, my mind raced.
Who is this guy? Why is he here? Has he been stalking me? Do I even care??

He chased the doorbell with a knock on the door. I wished I was anywhere other than hiding against the door.
Why was I hiding?
I felt foolish.

Looking down, I saw even more streaks of soil where I wiped my hands earlier to answer the phone. I was a mess. My heart sank with embarrassment into my stomach where the butterflies taunted it. This man, this stranger who had to meet me so badly, was too handsome of a man to not be repulsed by me. What if he sniffed me now? He'd run in the other direction. I couldn't answer the door.

"I know you're in there, Miss Heather Mather," he said. "Please open the door."

His voice was exactly like I remembered from my dreams. Deep and soulful, with a distinct accent I didn't know. British? Irish? Scottish? I only had movies to compare it to.

And he called me by my full name! What else did Viv tell him about me? Or did he just know? My mind spun even more.
 

Please say my name again. I want to hear your voice,
I silently pleaded.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

I wanted to say something else, something more, but I couldn't think. I would have said anything to hear his voice again. I turned to face the door as I thought of him standing on the other side. I put my hand up on the wooden door and cringed, seeing some soil from the garden still underneath my nails.

"Open the door," he commanded.

I stared at the door. It wasn't like me to do something I was told to, but there was something in his voice I couldn't resist. I could even imagine the look in his eyes that told me I didn't have a choice, I had to listen. Despite how bad I looked, something inside me was begging to be closer to him.

As I turned the knob slowly, my inner voice started yelling at me to stop. I didn't know this stranger, but he knew me. Why was I opening the door for this lunatic? I should have been afraid, but everything else told me to trust him.

As the door opened, he stepped forward and took my hand. I was so overwhelmed, I forgot that my hair was a mess and how dirty I was. With his eyes fixed on mine, he smiled and bowed before kissing the top of my hand. My breath caught in my throat. I wanted that single moment to last forever.

"Heather," he said, "I've spent lifetimes waiting to find you. You are mine, and I'll do anything to be yours."

Chapter Six

Callen

"I'm yours?" she said, her eyes wide.

It took every ounce of my being to control myself. Even the wolf inside me was whining to get closer to her. Being this close to her, touching her hand, her scent, everything was so overwhelming I could barely speak. My words came out almost as a growl, yet she somehow understood everything.

I needed to calm myself, but after following her to Night Shift and getting so close, I was having a hard time controlling myself. She made me feel exactly how I did when I saw her for the first time in that Salem cemetery. I didn't want to scare her away by coming on too strong.

"My apologies," I said, lowering my head. "I have been rude and pushed myself into your home."

"No, you didn't do anything. I let you in because...it's like I know you. You're familiar. Like someone I knew long ago."

I wondered if she had dreams of our past together like I did or if she had faint memories. Each time I found her, it seemed she remembered me a little more.

She stepped back from the doorway and let me further into the small house. The door made a loud thud as it closed, reminding me of the doors from long ago. I smiled to myself as I touched the smooth wood of the door and then turned the lock, which clicked into place.

As I turned around, Heather walked past the couch and through a doorway. I couldn't take her being too far from me, not when I just found her. Following her, I entered the small kitchen as she put a teapot on an old white stove.

I couldn't keep my eyes off her, and it shamed me. For as old as I was, I should have better control over myself. But she awakened feelings and desires that had been dormant for far too long. I wondered how I ever thought I could give her up.

With her back towards me, I admired the ample curve of her hips and how her jeans hugged her body. I imagined undressing her and taking her on the kitchen counter but had to stop myself. I had to go slow. I needed to remember she didn't know me.

I leaned against the counter to look into the face I first fell in love with three hundred years ago. Heather's face told me everything I needed to know. Her brows knitted and her eyes kept darting over to me. Whenever her gaze met mine, she smiled before quickly looking away. I was thankful that she didn't have any fear of me.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"Because you are my one love, my mate."

"I knew you had to be a shifter," she said with a nervous laugh. "How am I your mate when I don't even know your name?"

"I'm so sorry. It seems I have lost all my manners. You're even more beautiful than I remember. My dreams don't do you justice. My name is Callen MacCulloch, but I think somewhere deep down, you already know that."

She tilted her head as she looked at me, then nodded slowly. "You're right," she said. "I feel like I'm having
déjà vu
." She looked a little confused for a moment. "Is this just coincidence that you're here? I mean I was supposed to meet you at Viv's tonight. You're Rick's friend."

"No, I'm not," I said. "He's easily bought and I needed a way to meet you so you would trust me. I thought if I just knocked on your door, you'd turn me away. I didn't want to cause a disturbance, but I've waited so long to see you that I couldn't wait any more."

She looked down shyly, her cheeks glowing. "Anyone else and I would have called the cops," she said. "You're different. There's something about you, I don't know what it is. I feel like I've always known you even though we just met. But there's something else. I can't pinpoint it."

I leaned towards her, my eyes on her full lips. I pulled her close, and as my lips met hers, a car drove past. She pulled away with a confused look on her face. Her eyes darted towards the door and without a word, she walked to the front of the house and peeked out of a small window.