The aroma of brisket and dark-brown gravy filled the air. Broccoli and cauliflower sat in a separate serving dish. Mashed potatoes were piled high on another, and Ryan’s stomach growled.
Smiling, Lelandi pulled off an apron, looking very domestic for a change. Ryan helped bring in a platter of bread, while Jake hurried to carry in the other dishes.
“Poor Tom doesn’t know what he’s missing,” Jake said, a little too evilly. “Guess there will be more for me.”
“Where is Tom?” Lelandi asked casually.
Darien’s expression darkened, but then he put his hand around Lelandi’s shoulders and guided her to the table.
“Doc’s got a cold, and Carol was worried about him. Tom is staying the night to make sure he doesn’t get worse.”
Carol and Lelandi shared looks. Lelandi had to know that wasn’t what Carol was concerned about. Then Carol opened up her phone, punched in a number, and said, “Hey, Tom? Tell me the minute Doc shifts back into his human form, okay?”
Lelandi hesitated to sit at the table.
“Thanks.” Carol hung up her phone and gave Lelandi a wilted smile. “The meal looks terrific. Wish I could cook like this.”
Lelandi managed a laugh. “Don’t believe her. She’s a great cook.”
Everyone took their seats.
Jake scooped a pile of mashed potatoes onto his plate from a large bowl. “Yep, except she’s very nutrition conscious. Makes us eat the right amounts of veggies and fruits with all our meals.”
“I shouldn’t be the one who has to tell you to eat right, Jake.” Carol forked some beef onto her plate and then handed the platter to Lelandi.
Ryan could feel the tension between the two women, the unspoken words, the shuttered looks. With Darien and his brother, the tension vibrated between them also, but for a different reason. He was sure they didn’t take Carol seriously on this issue and were more concerned about North’s message to Doc. And the possibility the reds were targeting more of the medical staff than they had first bargained on.
“I’ll be moving into our grandfather’s house in a couple of months,” Jake announced, stirring gravy into his potatoes and trying to change the subject, no doubt. “Should be livable by then.”
Lelandi sighed. “You don’t have to move.”
Darien took her hand and squeezed. “Believe me, he has to. Once three new babies are in the house, he’ll have to find his solitude elsewhere.”
Jake nodded. “The old place needs another coat of paint, some new plumbing, and some other minor repairs. But after that, it should be ready to move in. Tom and I’ve taken care of updating all the electrical wiring, and the chimney is cleaned out and ready to use. He said he’ll live with me for the time being.”
“Sounds good.” Darien sipped a beer.
Lelandi took another deep breath. “I’d hoped you would be our babysitter when we went out nights.”
Jake laughed. “Silva’s already put her name on the long list of babysitters. Even got Sam rooked into it. And I know for a fact the list is growing daily.”
Carol sipped some of her wine but didn’t say a word. She looked consumed with worry, although she tried to smile at the conversation.
Darien’s phone rang, and he lifted it off his belt. “Yeah, Tom?” His brow pinched together in a frown. “Tom, what’s… Tom!” He quickly rose from his chair and headed for the door.
Jake hurried after him.
“Call the alert roster. North and his men approached Doc’s house. Tom’s cell phone went dead after that. You stay here with Ryan to protect the women,” Darien said to Jake.
Lelandi sat frozen to her chair. Carol joined her and rubbed her shoulder. Ryan checked out the front window, looking for anyone who shouldn’t be there, while Jake called someone. “Call the alert roster. Tom’s in trouble at Doc’s house.”
His voice trailed off as he left the dining room and checked the sunroom’s and great room’s back doors.
“I guess I should put the food away,” Lelandi said, her voice small and disconcerted.
“No,” Ryan said. “Eat. You’re not feeding just one now. And, Carol, you’ve been on your feet all day. Go ahead and eat.”
Jake returned to the dining room. “Ryan’s right. Everything’s locked up. Lelandi’s made a delightful meal. I, for one, am not letting it go to waste.”
“Several in their red pack have to be sick,” Carol said softly.
“Then they can damn well come here for treatment. Not take off with you like a bunch of thieves in the night,” Ryan growled.
Lelandi gave him a small smile and ate more of her potatoes. Then she attempted to change the volatile subject. “So, Ryan, do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“A sister. She lives with me. Owns a successful nursery that keeps her out of trouble most of the time.” And he hoped to hell she was staying out of trouble while he was away.
“Is she unmated?” Lelandi asked, her brows elevating with intrigue.
“Cantankerous.”
Lelandi’s gaze settled on Jake.
He snorted. “Your psychology courses don’t include Matchmaking 101, do they?”
This time she smiled broadly and again turned her attention to Ryan. “How do you feel about cats?”
“Cats?” He was a dog kind of guy. Cats were too independent to his way of thinking. Dogs knew he was the alpha in the situation whenever he’d encountered them. Cats? Hell. The cats thought they ruled.
“Yeah, fuzzy little felines,” Lelandi continued, as if he didn’t know what they were.
“Most of us don’t have pets.” Which was the truth. Ryan could just imagine what would happen if he had a Tweety bird and then turned into a wolf. On the other hand, even wild animals that were normally predator and prey could be raised together and become best of friends. Still, he didn’t even see himself as a dog owner—and certainly not a cat owner.
But the mischievous look on Lelandi’s face said she had some reason for bringing the subject up. Carol didn’t show any expression one way or another, so he couldn’t tell if she liked pets or not.
“Why?” he finally asked.
Lelandi forked up some more brisket. “Just wondered.”
Ryan glanced at Carol. She quickly focused on her meal.
Hell, Carol must have a cat. Jake was right. Whenever Lelandi had an opportunity to play matchmaker, she worked hard at it.
“I have a cat.” Carol finally said, and waited for him to show his distaste for the idea. Instead he just grunted. She shrugged. “He’s good-natured, loving, and won’t catch mice, although he loves to tackle my feet when I’m wearing a long robe or play with my shoelaces.”
The long robe made him think of Carol in nothing but satiny skin underneath. “But when you shift? Then what?”
“Puss loves dogs. I’m sure he’ll love me just the same.”
Lelandi cleared her throat and directed her comment to Carol. “Rose took him over to her flower shop for the day to show him off, if that’s all right with you. She’s been missing her own cat since he died a few weeks ago. I tried calling you to ask if it was okay, but you must have been with a patient. She thought he wouldn’t be so lonely when you’re working your nursing shifts.”
Carol smiled. “He loves people, so I’m sure he’ll enjoy visiting with her and her customers.”
“She’ll drop him by after the shop closes in a couple of hours.”
Jake’s cell phone rang. “Yeah, Darien?” Jake was on edge, which showed in both his voice and the way his body tensed. He frowned and looked at Carol.
“Okay. Everything’s fine here. See you in a little while.” He hung up his phone. “The sheriff and Deputy Trevor were knocked out. Nurse Matthew is looking after them. Tom fought off North and a couple of men until they retreated. Matthew is looking after our injured men. Doc’s still at the house.”
“In his wolf form,” Carol whispered, hating that what she thought would come to pass had. She was certain he would still be in his wolf form.
“Yeah, but not to worry,” Jake said.
Carol frowned. “As a wolf, he couldn’t tell anyone what had happened.”
“Darien said he smelled that North and the others had been there.”
“Why didn’t Doc change back, Jake? Why wouldn’t he talk to Darien?”
“He’ll change when he feels the urge.” But this time Jake didn’t look so sure of that, and Lelandi’s face paled.
“Why didn’t they take Doc with him? Was it because he couldn’t help them? That he couldn’t change into his human form? Call Darien back. Tell him to order Doc to change back. He has to comply with Darien’s wishes, right?” Carol said.
Jake let out his breath in a huff. “All right, all right.” He punched a number and said, “Hey, Darien, Carol wants you to order Doc to shift back to his human form.” His brows pinched into a dark frown. “And?” He looked at Carol and shook his head slowly.
“Have him brought here so we can watch him. And Puss’s favorite bed is still at Doc Mitchell’s vet clinic. Can he have someone run by there and get it for him?” Carol asked.
Jake passed on the information. “Anything else, Carol?”
“Don’t you or Darien shape-shift again until we can figure out what happened to Doc.”
“Darien, Tom, and I aren’t royals. We have to change sometime during the phases of the moon, except for the new moon. We don’t have a choice.”
“Try not to,” she reiterated. “Please.”
Jake passed the information along to Darien and then signed off and stared at the uneaten portion of his meal. “What happens that makes you think I can’t change back?”
“In the vision, you’re agitated, and Lelandi says Darien can’t change back. It’s not a nightmare. It’s a vision.”