Jake carried her upstairs and she admired a score of photographs on the walls, featuring clusters of mountain wildflowers. Beautiful, colorful, vivid—lavender columbine peeking out from the base of an alpine grove, pink, showy milkweed like starbursts, purple thistle, and golden mountain dandelions. “Who’s the photographer?”
Jake’s dark face brightened some. “Me.”
“Oh.” She thought maybe Darien had taken them. Despite feeling she shouldn’t care, she wanted to know more about the gray, who had taken her sister for his mate.
“Darien doesn’t have any real hobbies,” Jake explained as if he read her thoughts. “Too busy keeping the town going, running two businesses, taking care of the pack. That’s a lot of responsibility for one lupus garou.”
“He has a whole pack to assist him.”
Jake gave her a smug smile and carried her into a room. Vases of roses and wildflowers cluttered an antique dresser and one of the bedside tables, scenting the air with the most delightful summertime floral fragrance despite being autumn. He glanced at the flowers and shook his head, then laid her in a king-sized, canopied bed of white eyelet. Fit for a princess.
Silva hurried into the room with Lelandi’s medicine, jeans, and the extra pillow. “Nurse Grey, Bertha Hastings, Tom, and a few others sent the flowers. Four secret admirers also.” She pulled a card off a vase of wildflowers and handed it to her. “From me.”
To one hell of a fighter! Go get ’em, girl! Next margarita’s on me! Your friend, Silva.
Lelandi managed a groggy, heartfelt smile. “Thanks, Silva. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all you’ve done for me.”
Jake headed for the door. “Holler if you need any of us.”
“Will do.” Silva handed Lelandi another card as Jake shut the door. “This one’s anonymous. Your secret admirers probably hope Darien decides he doesn’t want you and you’ll be interested in one of them.”
He didn’t really want her. He wanted her sister.
Her heart in her throat, Lelandi read the card out loud. “You sure shook up the town, little lady. You’ll make a first-class mate. From someone who would like a chance at being more than a friend.”
Silva handed her another. “The anonymous guys probably called the flower orders in. I’ll find out from Rosie who sent them.”
“After I discover what happened to my sister and take care of the bastard, I’m leaving to find my brother.” Lelandi glanced down at the card.
“I’ve been keeping myself for the best. Wanna tango, baby? Loving you.”
She gave a short laugh. “I could never tango.”
“I’m more of a rock and roll kind of girl.” Silva placed her hands on her hips. “I haven’t a clue who any of these guys could be.” She waved at a dozen red roses.
“I’ll let this guy give you his card in person.”
“Who?”
“Tom. These burgundy and gold mums are from Bertha Hastings. She says,
‘You kept your room as neat as a pin, until Darien and Sheriff Sheridan broke in and made a mess of it. To cheer you, here’s a pot of flowers they didn’t manage to break. Get well, young lady. Your room will be ready once you’ve recovered. Free of charge. Bertha Hastings.’
She’s a sweet old lady. Really was worried about you.” Frowning, Silva touched her finger to her lips.
“Hmm, one vase of flowers is conspicuously absent.”
“From whom?”
Silva wiggled her brows. “Darien. He probably didn’t want to order any without raising any more speculation about you and him. Rosie would have told the world.”
Lelandi took a tired breath and put her hand on her waist. “Jake didn’t send me any either.”
Silva laughed out loud. “He’s too cheap. Woe to the girl who ever tries to win his heart.”
“He could give her a framed photo of wildflowers.
They’re really lovely.”
“Don’t tell him you think so. That’s why they’re hidden on the staircase and not displayed in the living room for all to see. He loves doing it, but he doesn’t like for anyone to know.”
Except for Lelandi. She smiled at the contradiction.
“Hmm, the vase of carnations are from a couple of girls who are staying at Hastings Bed and Breakfast. Caitlin and Minx. They said they worried about you when you were in the loft and hoped you were okay. I heard they’re sixteen and want to join the pack.”
Lelandi sighed. “How sweet of them to send me flowers.” She wondered which of the twins had found her crying over her sister’s letter that night. But she couldn’t help feeling touched that they cared enough to send her the carnations.
“Another anonymous guy. You sure made a stir.” Silva handed the card to Lelandi, then ruffled through another vase of flowers. “I don’t see who this one is from.”
“Stay around and get to know me, why don’t you, honey? I’ll be seeing you. A fun-loving lupus garou,”
Lelandi read out loud. “I’m surprised these guys showed any interest.”
“It’s the alpha in you. Turns them on.” Silva bent down to retrieve a card off the floor. “Here it is.” Her brow furrowed and she cast Lelandi a condemning look. “I thought you said your parents were dead.”
Chapter 11
EXPECTING TREVOR TO CATCH EVERYTHING SILVA AND Lelandi secretly discussed while he was listening at the guest bedroom door, Darien sat in his favorite leather chair in the living room and motioned to Tom to get on with the abbreviated meeting.
“Uncle Sheridan called and said he’s reconstructing the crime scene over the coffee-drugging incident at the hospital. And Doc Oliver hasn’t fully recovered from the coffee,” Tom said. “One of the lab technicians discovered it was that date rape drug, GHB.”
“Crap. Any fingerprints?”
“Tons. Problem is everyone uses the coffeepot.”
“All right. What have you got for me?” Darien asked as Sam served up the pizza.
“Carol Wood wants to work as a nurse at the hospital, but I heard you told her no. She asked if I’d try to sway you.”
“I still say no. If she doesn’t like working as a school nurse, she can move to another town.”
Jake lifted a slice of pizza from his plate. “She’ll be trouble. I’ll bet my paycheck on it.”
“Other news, Tom?”
“The town is gearing up for the fall festival. Uncle Sheridan is pretty mad that he has to be here again during the activities. That was one of the real reasons he took a vacation,” Tom said.
“He can concentrate on the shootings.”
“Yeah, but he says his men will be so busy with the influx of tourists…”
Darien motioned to Mason. “I need you to coordinate a thirty-man call-up police force for backup.”
Mason raised a can of beer in agreement. “Will do, Darien. I know you didn’t want to have the fall fair again, but it brought in around seventy-five thousand dollars to small business owners when revenues are way off this time of year. Good for the bank, too.” He grabbed another slice of pizza. “Until we have our first good snowfall and the ski slopes open… we need to do something. The Silver Town Train Ride through the mines hasn’t brought in much in the line of profits this summer either.”
Darien didn’t like the sudden swell in the human population. Too many things could go wrong. But he did believe in his peoples’ say in matters that affected their well-being also. Not all pack leaders would agree.
Tom cleared his throat and flipped over another page from his notepad. “A family of five wants to join the pack.”
Darien took a swig of beer. “Why are so many wanting to move into the town?”
Tom shrugged. “What do you want to do?”
“Has Uncle Sheridan checked them out?”
“They came in during the evening of the shootings. I figured that might change their minds, but they still want to be considered for inclusion in the pack.”
“What’s the breakdown of the family unit?”
“Father, mother, brother of the head of household, and sixteen-year-old twin daughters.”
Jake gave a small smile. “As long as it’s not any more cantankerous young males?”
“Yeah. Have Uncle Sheridan find out what they expect to work at here, their former job skills, training, any past records of problems, why they want to join our pack in particular. Where are they staying in the meantime?”
“Hastings B&B. Bertha knows the drill. She’s taking notes and having them watched when she can’t. What do you want to do about the Woodcroft boys?” Tom asked.
“I thought Uncle Sheridan was taking care of it.”
“He deferred the decision to you about setting the punishment.”
“Have the boys paint the school walls. Carpenter Myers can oversee the job to ensure they do it right. Mason, I want you to arrange that.”
“Will do.”
Tom waited further word, but Darien shook his head. “Should be enough. Did Uncle Sheridan explain to the boys that their parents didn’t pay taxes to support the school? That only the humans pay them and the silver mine subsidizes the rest?”
“Some have grumbled that they want their kids to go to the school instead of home school them,” Tom said.
“No. Just like with a human nurse working at the hospital, a testy lupus garou teen trying to prove something to one of the humans could get out of hand. We school our own. Several families are happy to teach the kids of other families who are too busy working.”
Tom made a note. “We’ve got another gray wanting to learn all he can about the operation of our town.”
Darien finished his beer. “Why all the interest? We’ve had three in the last month.”
“Word’s getting around we’re a model town,” Jake said. “How many leaders do we know who can boast running their own towns since their inception without human interference? Even though we try to maintain our shabby look to discourage too much interest, some alpha pack leaders want to build something like we have.”