Moonsong, page 26
“Well, it looks good on you, Cutter’s a lucky man. Still… you get tired of the old geezer, or he does anything… and I mean anything you don’t like, you come and see me, okay, Millie?” The look he gave her implied he was entirely serious behind his light tone.
“That’s sweet of you to offer, Chase, but I think we’ll be fine.” Millie reached up to pat his shoulder, not wanting to give even the illusion that he should wait around for her. He needed to move on and find someone truly meant for him.
“Yeah okay,” he returned equably enough. “Don’t look now, but I think someone else wants to steal your attention.” Chase placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, and then he was gone, melting into the crowd.
“To the happy couple.”
Millie turned around to see the delegate from the Seattle pack at her elbow, raising his drink to her in a salute. “Oh… Mr. ah…” She realized she had no clue what his name was, if she’d ever even heard it in Adele’s office that day he’d come to… what did he call it? Open negotiations for her? Was he there to get that earnest money back?
“Jaeger,” he supplied his name with a smile that revealed a row of very white, even teeth. “I came to offer the congratulations of the Bryn Mawr pack. Alphonse sends his felicitations as well.” He leaned in and laid a kiss to first one cheek and then the other.
“That’s very thoughtful of you to come all this way.” Millie’s smile was still a little strained; the man made her uneasy. Probably because the last time she’d seen him he’d been putting a down payment on her for Alphonse, who apparently didn’t like to do much travel of his own.
“Not at all, I welcome the chance to see history in the making, Little Mother,” he offered his smile again. She was reminded that Jaeger and his Seattle pack didn’t see her as an actual person, only the personification of the prophecy they were so eager to get a piece of. How was she supposed to know if they didn’t still have designs on her? After all, she might be mated to Cutter, but she hadn’t borne him a child yet; that was the only thing that would meet the terms of the prophecy and stop the avarice towards her.
“Please, call me Millie,” she insisted, hating the title that made her feel little better than a brood mare.
Jaeger looked aghast at the mere suggestion. “Perhaps Miss LaRoche, or should I say Cutter? I assume you will be taking your mate’s name?”
“I… hadn’t really thought all that much about it.” A tiny pucker of worry appeared on Amelia’s forehead.
Cutter appeared at her side, a pleasant smile on his face, but Millie knew him well enough to know he was coiled tight in anticipation of possible conflict. “Hadn’t thought much about what, darlin’?” he asked, wrapping his arm possessively around her waist and drawing her close to his side.
“Taking your name now that you’ve mated,” Mr. Jaeger supplied. If he was aware of Cutter’s wariness, he gave no sign of it.
“Of course she will. We honor tradition in this pack,” Cutter answered immediately, dropping a private wink to Amelia to soften some of the sting of his reply.
Amelia’s mouth dropped open to respond to that bit of high handedness, but it snapped shut again before she said a single thing. He could posture all he wanted in front of people in public, at the end of the day the only person who was going to make a decision like that was her, and deep down she was sure Cutter knew that and respected it. Pretty sure anyway…
“That is reassuring to hear, of course,” Jaeger nodded his approval. “Alphonse would be pleased if you would spare him some time to discuss the accord between our packs. At your convenience of course,” he inclined his head.
“Well, have him give me a call in a couple of weeks and we’ll see if we can’t work something out. Before that and I’ll be a little… occupied,” Cutter gave Millie a smoldering look.
“Yes, well… of course,” Mr. Jaeger cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I’ll be off now; I merely wanted to convey our congratulations. We look forward to seeing the prophecy fulfilled. Perhaps we can… solidify our association with your pack.”
Amelia blushed at the look Cutter was giving her, barely even hearing the words Jaeger said, she only had eyes for her mate.
“Sure, we’ll see how things go. Thank you for coming,” Cutter offered his hand.
“My pleasure. I’ll tell Alphonse to expect your call.” Jaeger looked inordinately pleased with himself as he took his leave.
“That guy gives me the creeps,” Millie shuddered as soon as he was out of earshot. At least she thought he was out of earshot, she was still a little fuzzy on how good their enhanced senses were.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, he’s only a pencil pusher. It’s Alphonse who’s the tricky one to deal with. He’s sharp as a tack and his temper is just as prickly. But we’re in a position of strength, I can handle them.”
“I know you can, James,” she smiled, leaning her head against his chest. Amelia usually only called him James in the bedroom, and Cutter’s low growl of desire rumbled through his chest as he tilted her lips up to claim them in a passionate kiss.
Chapter Thirty-One
“So, technically you’re kind of like a bigamist right now, aren’t you?” Amelia grinned, pulling a sheet of cookies out of the oven and setting them down on a pot holder to cool on the counter before popping another tray into the oven.
“Well, technically no, in the eyes of the law I’m still married to Celia and you and I are just living in sin,” Cutter grinned back, kissing the top of her ear and stealing a hot cookie.
“Careful, you’ll burn yourself.”
“It’s worth it.”
“See, I told you this was a good idea. There’s nothing like fresh baked cookies to make a house a home, my mother used to say.” The kitchen was a bit old fashioned, but infinitely more convenient than the tiny cooking space in his cabin. Cutter promised her some conveniences soon, most importantly a dishwasher, which she eagerly looked forward to.
“You make this house a home,” he smiled; coming up behind to wrap his arms around her and pull her close.
Amelia loved the old Cutter house, the historical touches and heirlooms making her feel closer to a family she’d never had the chance to know. He was her family now, along with Chase and Scarlett and the extended family of the pack, and she was working on building a life for herself in Cutter’s Folly.
Leaning back against his broad chest, she brought a chocolate chip up to his lips and offered it to him. “How long until the divorce goes through?” she asked, kissing the rough underside of his unshaven jaw. His face clouded a little and his hold tightened subconsciously around her.
“Warwick said at least another couple of months. If we could just find her and get her to sign the papers we’d be done with it much sooner. But as is, we have to give her time to contest the proceedings, that’s what is holding it up. Does it bother you much, my still being married to her?” Cutter asked, voice dropping as he nuzzled into her hair.
“Not too much, no. We’re already joined together where it counts and in the eyes of the pack. I guess it’s silly, I’d just like it to be legal and done with.”
“I don’t think it’s silly at all, I want you to bear my name.”
“Who says I’m going to change my name?” she teased, taking pity on him before he had a chance to get too riled up. “Relax, I was only kidding. Of course I’ll take your name. I’d hate to confuse the kids, and I hate the way those hyphenated names look,” she made a face.
Chuckling, he let go of her and swiped another cookie. “That reminds me, I’ll be out in the shop if you need me, darlin’.”
“You’ve been spending an awful lot of time out there, why won’t you let me see what you’re working on?” Amelia turned to wave her spatula at him.
“Christmas is coming,” was all he would say; a sparkle in his eye. A knock at the door sounded and he lost his playful grin, moving to answer it. With a sigh Amelia set down her spatula and took off the oven mitt. It was probably another delivery; they’d been coming steadily all week with all the purchases they’d had to make to update the house.
“Who is it, honey? Is it the drywall for the upstairs bathroom? Can you ask them to unload that into the…” Amelia stopped short when she saw the short balding man at Cutter’s side, his girth taking up most of the doorway. “Oh, Mr. Warwick, we were just talking about you, please come in.” Cutter was frowning for reasons she couldn’t fathom, and she turned up the wattage on her smile before he scared the man off. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee? Fresh baked cookie maybe?” she smiled, waving him inside and past her grouchy mate.
“Thank you, Miss LaRoche, maybe a cookie or two,” he patted his considerable middle with a smile.
“Please, call me Amelia. Why don’t you two go into the parlor and I’ll be there in a minute with some refreshments?”
“Actually, I’m here to see you, Miss… Amelia,” he held up his briefcase.
“You’re here to see me?” her brows climbed in surprise as she looked from the lawyer to Cutter, who still looked grumpy over something.
“Yes indeed,” he smiled widely. “I have some news I believe you will find of interest.” Some of his smile dimmed as he caught sight of Cutter’s expression, and he smiled a little nervously. “If there’s somewhere where we might sit…?”
“Right, of course; the parlor?” she gestured to the room, darting a curious look at Cutter before poking him lightly in the side in passing. “Stop trying to scare the man!”
“What?” Cutter gave her a careless shrug.
The lawyer had already taken a seat on the couch and busily rifled through the contents of his briefcase. “I have here a copy of the last will and testament for Adele LaRoche,” he said at last, withdrawing the document.
“Oh.” Amelia sank down into the nearest chair, making no move to accept the paper he offered, and Mr. Warwick looked to Cutter in dismay.
“I’m sorry, my dear, it must be upsetting to talk about after your loss, but we have some paperwork to take care of for your inheritance.” Cutter took the document from Warwick’s hands without asking, eyes scanning the page briefly before turning to the next. A little disconcerted by the action, Mr. Warwick continued to address Amelia. “The bulk of your late grandmother’s estate with the exception of a few small bequests goes to you of course, with a small annuity to Chase and Scarlett LaRoche. There are some decisions that need to be made…”
“I don’t want it,” Millie interrupted before he could go any further.
“Miss LaRoche, I understand you’re still grieving…”
“I don’t want her money, any of it. Give it to Scarlett and Chase,” rising, she went to the window.
“I’ll have a talk with her, we’ll be in touch,” Cutter interjected, dismissing the man with a nod before moving to join Amelia at the window.
Left to see himself out, Mr. Warwick closed his briefcase and hauled himself to his feet. “I apologize if I’ve upset you, there’s no immediate rush of course, I’ll come back in a few days.”
“I said we’ll be in touch,” Cutter rumbled.
“Ah, of course. Have a nice day,” Mr. Warwick gave them a tight smile and withdrew.
“I don’t want it,” Millie repeated before he could say anything. He probably thought she was crazy to turn it down, but she wanted nothing to do with Adele’s legacy.
“I can understand that, and no one’s forcing you to have anything to do with Adele’s money, but by all rights it belongs to you. Amelia, we don’t need her money to survive, I make a very good living from my work, but have you thought about what else it could bring you? Adele owned several businesses in town, and quite a lot of real estate from the look of those papers. You’ve been looking for something else to keep busy with, something local to keep you out of trouble. I’d say this qualifies,” he gave her a slow grin.
“There are strings attached to it, even with her gone… I don’t think I could use it without thinking about her betrayal,” she shook her head.
“What about the children? It’s part of their legacy.”
“What children?” she blinked.
“Our children. We have to look to the future don’t we? What if you set some aside as a trust fund for their future? And you can give the rest to Chase and Scarlett as planned, maybe sell off some of the businesses if you don’t want to be involved,” he suggested.
“It sounds like you want me to keep it,” Amelia frowned and Cutter sighed, wrapping his arms around her.
“I want you to do what you think is best, but I also want you to take some time to really think it over instead of making a snap decision you might later regret. As I said, I have more than enough to take care of you and our family even if we end up having ten kids, but it’s still not a decision you should make lightly.”
“Ten kids?” she quirked a brow. “My, isn’t someone feeling ambitious?” Millie chuckled, relaxing against him.
“Well… okay, three or four? I always wanted a big family. Did I mention that twins run in my family? You never know what the future might bring,” Cutter kissed her softly.
“You never know,” she agreed with a sigh, tilting her head up to kiss him a bit more thoroughly. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s my girl.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
It was almost impossible to wake up earlier than her husband, as he was frequently up and out of the house before dawn and Amelia had never been much of an early riser. Most days he got in a few hours of work out back in his woodshop before she was up and around to make breakfast for the two of them, except when she went into town early for work.
In the end Amelia decided to keep the Moonsong Café and some of the properties, and that kept her busy enough most days. After providing a generous living for her cousins, there had been enough to set aside a trust fund for any future children and still have ample funds to keep the various businesses afloat. In fact, it was Adele’s money that made it possible to push Cutter’s divorce through official channels faster than anticipated. A generous donation helped the judge to see things their way, allowing Cutter to finally put that part of his life in the past and look to the future with Amelia.
When the divorce became final, Millie insisted on a quickie wedding in Las Vegas with Scarlett and Chase as witnesses, although by the time they’d gotten to the chapel, Chase was nowhere to be found, having been diverted by some other distraction in the City of Sin.
But on Christmas morning, she made a special effort to slip out of the bed they shared to go down and fetch the presents she’d hidden, placing them carefully under the massive tree in the living room. Maybe she’d gone a little overboard on gifts, but she’d been in such a festive mood, and with money to burn, she wanted to shower her loved ones with attention.
Millie cradled a pink, stuffed bunny rabbit, its fur soft against her cheek. More than likely Cutter would think she was insane for spending so much, but after all, he’d urged her to accept the money; it was hers to do with as she pleased. Scarlett and Chase would be over for dinner later in the day, but Christmas morning was reserved for the two of them, a new tradition they’d discussed.
It took her three trips to stow her purchases under the tree, moving in the dark to retrieve them from all their various hiding places throughout the house. Sliding back under the covers, she pressed her cold toes to Cutter’s toasty warm ones, smiling at his drowsy grumble.
“You done sneaking around?” he rumbled low in the darkness and her eyes snapped open again.
“How long have you been awake?”
“Ever since you started stomping around up and down the stairs.”
“I was not stomping!” she insisted hotly. “I was tiptoeing discreetly.”
“I swear you must be part elephant, maybe Adele was hiding that about your family ancestry?”
“Are you calling me fat?” her voice rose a notch.
“No,” Cutter chuckled, “just loud and clumsy,” he teased.
“And a Merry Christmas to you too!” Nimble fingers reached in the dark to his sensitive sides where she knew he was vulnerable, no matter how much he insisted he wasn’t ticklish.
“None of that…” Muscles leapt under her touch, until he gathered her hands in his and stretched them above her head, pinning her under his body. “Merry Christmas,” he murmured, claiming her mouth with his in a possessive kiss. It was quite a while later that they finally emerged from the bedroom, her cheeks high with color as she pulled on her soft fluffy robe to drag him down the stairs, eyes bright with excitement.
“What’s all this?” his brows rose as he caught sight of the presents under the tree that had multiplied since they’d gone to bed.
“I guess a flock of elephants delivered some presents in the night,” she said dryly, settling down on the floor in front of the tree.
“Do elephants really come in flocks?” he wondered aloud and she resisted the urge to throw the nearest gift at him.
“Oh shush, or I won’t give you a present to open. Do you want to open something pretty good, something great or holy crap that’s amazing?” Millie grinned, patting the ground next to her.
“Surprise me,” Cutter settled beside her in his flannel pajama pants, not bothering with a robe.
“Okay then,” Amelia smiled, selecting a flat package and handing it over.
“What does this one qualify as?”
“Open it and see,” she smiled mysteriously.
Cutter tore open the brightly colored paper, regarding the book in his hands with a puzzled look. “The Wild Woods by Simon James. I know I don’t spend all that much time reading, but… is this your way of getting back at my reading skills?” he teased with mock severity.
“I happen to think you’re an excellent reader, a trait that I’d like to see you pass down, hence the book.”
“Um, thanks…” he set the book down, not quite sure what to do with it.
