Found And Lost Page 10

  I pulled her into my arms. “Never. Just me being jealous.”

  “Jealous? Charlie is your best friend; his flirting, that’s what you call it, right?” I nodded. “It’s all in good fun. Even if it wasn’t, you’re the only one I want to be with.”

  “Charlie is no threat. Not that he wouldn’t like a shot at you, because, beneath all that joking, he would love his chance. But Charlie would never cross that line. It’s my cousin, Pete. I don’t like the way he looks at you. And payback is a bitch. I stole his girlfriend once; therefore, he’d think it was only fair play to try and steal mine.”

  Mia’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Why would you do that to your own cousin?”

  “I didn’t mean to. I’d just broken up with Claire because Dan was ridiculously crazy about her.”

  “You dated Claire? Is she one of them, you know, girls you’ve had sex with?”

  I groaned. Mia was so innocent she didn’t see anything wrong with talking openly about my sex life while I’d rather forget it. “Mia, you don’t really want a list of the girls I’ve had sex with, do you?”

  Mia grinned. “How else will I know if you have enough experience to do the job, right?”

  Grabbing her by the waist, I pulled her into my arms. “Oh, I can do the job, alright. And yes, if you must know, Claire was my first actually.”

  “Wow, doesn’t that make things weird with you guys?”

  “Not at all. Claire turned out to be Dan’s Mate. I wasn’t that into her anyway. I was more involved with Penny. When we hooked up, I didn’t even know Pete was dating her until it was too late. Penny was one of the cheerleaders at school.

  We were at an away football game when Penny missed the bus. Naturally, I gave her a ride home. We ended up in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire, no spare, and no cell reception. We spent the night in my truck trying to keep each other warm. One thing led to another. We were a thing after that.

  Penny admitted later she had missed the bus on purpose then popped the tire on my truck when we had stopped for gas. Penny always got what she wanted. For a while, that was me.”

  “What happened to Penny?”

  “We dated two years. I was thinking about us getting married and settling down on the ranch while she was thinking about getting the hell out of town. When she graduated, she wanted to move to the big city. Hating cities, I wanted to stay here. She left.”

  “Your sad when you talk about her. You loved her a lot, didn’t you?”

  “I thought I did. Now I realize I didn’t. I’m not sad, Mia. I just remember how much it hurt when she chose to leave. If I ever lost you, I go crazy.”

  “The only way you’d lose me is if you leave me.”

  I smiled. “That’s never gonna happen.”

  A New Start

  Mia

  It was Sunday night, and I was curled up with CJ. I was finally getting used to the bed now. While CJ agreed to stay with me at night, he refused to sleep on the roof or the floor. He said if he had to suffer, he was going to be comfortable doing it. It was a fair trade. I hadn’t had a nightmare since he’d been sharing my bed.

  “I’m nervous about going to school tomorrow. There are too many new people. I’m not used to a lot of people. I wish you were going with me. Do you think they have a bring your wolf to school day?” I tried to act like I was joking, even though I was dead serious.

  “You’ll do fine, Mia. Just be yourself. Use that amazing smile of yours; it could melt the heart of a stone.” CJ assured me.

  Pete arrived bright and early the next morning. I had barely gotten my chores done and was kissing CJ good-bye when he pulled in. “Hey, Sunshine, ready to go?”

  I was petrified. CJ whispered, “You’ll do great!” as I walked to the car. Pete kept me laughing all the way to school, easing my tension. He was such a clown. So upbeat, you couldn’t help but like him. I felt his love of life. It was almost contagious. He was the one who should be called sunshine, because his spirit glowed so bright.

  Though I also sensed the same sadness I had felt in CJ, Peter buried it very deep beneath his love of life and laughter. After what CJ had told me, I knew it was because he’d lost his mom at almost the same age as me. I knew exactly how that felt. Though life went on, there was a hole in my heart no one else could ever fill. I’d felt an almost instant connection with Peter. That was probably why.

  Pete walked me to the office then waved as he left for class. Since I hadn’t been to school since sixth grade, Beth had told them I was homeschooled. I had to do placement testing to see where I fit in and what classes I should take. After I finished the tests, I waited in the hall. I spotted a bulletin board with school information. It was a very small school. There was a total of four hundred and fifty-seven students.

  I saw a trophy in a case next to a picture of CJ. It was taken after he made the winning touchdown in the final football game of his senior year. He hadn’t mentioned he’d been captain of the football team as well as their top one player. Not that I was surprised, CJ was very humble.

  A blonde cheerleader was kissing his cheek. He hadn’t mentioned how beautiful Penny was either. I felt a small pang of jealously, remembering the condom thing in his pocket and the sadness when he talked about her.

  The principal came out to meet me. “Hello, Miss Hathaway. We scored your test. Whoever homeschooled, you did an outstanding job. You’ve scored high enough to graduate this spring if you can catch up with us in history and calculus. Though you only have three months to do it, given your aptitude test scores, I believe you can. Either that or you can complete them over the summer or in the fall semester.” She explained.

  “You mean I could graduate this year?” I knew I was asking a question she’d already answered, but I was too excited to care.

  “Exactly. Your scores are very impressive. I believe you could get into most any college with a scholarship.” I was so excited; I couldn’t wait to tell CJ, Chase, and Beth.

  When I walked into calculus, there sat Peter and Claire. Pete pulled out the chair at the desk next to his for me. The teacher introduced me as I sat down. “Fancy meeting you here?” Pete whispered. I smiled.

  “Wow, you’re in our advanced calculous class?” Claire asked.

  “It seems all those books I read when I had nothing else to do paid off. I scored high enough to graduate this year if I can catch up in this class and history. The wonders of no life.” I told her.

  “Lucky you. I’ve been stuck in this school an extra year because I missed so much when I was younger. I can’t wait to escape this joint.” Peter grumbled.

  I laughed at the pained face Peter was making. “Well, I can’t wait to experience high school. Though I would like to graduate this spring if I can manage it.”

  Claire exclaimed, “Awesome! We’ll help you, won’t we, Pete?”

  “You betcha. I’m glad you’re here.” Peter added.

  Sara and a few other people joined us for lunch. All of them were very friendly. I picked up good vibes from almost everyone I met.

  I took an art class and chorus to fill the time between my two classes. After school, the whole senior class met at the ice cream shop for shakes. I couldn’t help but think of the day I’d met CJ.

  Had it really been only a week ago? I’d fallen so completely in love with him; it seemed like I’d known him my whole life. I just wished he could have been here with us. Every minute of my busy day, I’d felt like part of me was missing without him.

  So went my first few weeks of school. Each night was filled with watching the sunset, studying, the company of the hands, dancing under the stars, and making out with CJ until he’d beg me to stop. Except for some separation anxiety during the day, my life was more wonderful than I’d ever dreamed it could be. I had a new start.

  The only bump in the road occurred when Beth received a call from a Texas D.A. Snake, the monster that had killed Alli, was coming up for trial in a few months, and she wanted me to testify to the events I�
��d witnessed the night Alli died. Though the idea was a little unnerving, I was more than willing to help with her investigation in any way I could. She set a date in June for our meeting.

  One-night, CJ got home later than usual. They’d had a big patch of fence to repair. While everyone else had already gone into supper, I wanted to wait for him. I was reading on his kindle under the big oak tree. Ever since we went to the movies, I’d spent every spare minute I had reading the Divergent book series.

  I was just finishing Allegiant. I was so angry at Trish for dying and leaving Tobias. I could never leave CJ to suffer like that. Yet, I couldn’t see what other choice she could have made. She couldn’t let her brother die, either, even if he was a jerk who deserved it.

  I hate that book; I thought to myself as I read the last of it. I was so engrossed in the book, tears streaming down my cheeks, my heart aching for Tobias, I hadn’t even heard CJ come up behind me. “Mia, what’s wrong?” He asked in alarm.

  “I, I, I, can’t…” I could even speak. I was trying hard to stop crying.

  CJ sat down next to me, hugging me. “Whatever it is, I’m here, just calm down and tell me.”

  I took a few deep breaths before answering. “How could they end a book like that. I hate it.”

  CJ started laughing at me. “You’re this upset over a book?”

  I punched him in the arm. “It’s not funny, CJ. How could Trish do that to Tobias? She promised him she’d come back to him. I knew she would never let her brother die. She shouldn’t have made a promise she couldn’t keep. The author shouldn’t have killed her off. They deserved a happy ending. From now on, don’t give me any books to read that don’t have happy endings.”

  CJ looked at me, intently. “You’re really upset about this. It’s just a story, Mia.”

  “I know. I’m just glad real life doesn’t present those kinds of choices. How could you possibly make that kind of choice for real?” Wiping my eyes with the bottom of my t-shirt, I grumbled, “Never mind, I’m just being silly.”

  “I love you, Mia. I love the way you feel everything so passionately. I don’t think Trish had much choice. Tobias was the jerk; he should have known Trish well enough to know she’d sacrifice herself. He should never have let her go without him.”

  I could sense his own flare of anger. It made me smile. “The end upset you too.”

  CJ grinned at me, “Maybe a little.”

  A Bad Penny

  CJ

  It was the night of the dance. I was concerned when Mia hadn’t greeted me after work for the first time ever. Mom told me she had taken Mia shopping for some new clothes. Mia had bought an outfit for the dance, and she was getting ready.

  I wolfed down my food, no pun intended, showered, and got dressed. It was seven o’clock, and everyone was already heading into town. I knocked on the loft door. When Mia opened it, I could barely catch my breath. She looked amazing from head to toe.

  Her hair was pulled to one side with her curls falling down to her waist. She had on a straw cowgirl hat that looked worn and dipped in the front. She was wearing a maroon, calico, spaghetti strap dress with a scoop neckline, and a fitted, v-shaped waist that tied down the front. The skirt was short and full. To complete the outfit, she had on maroon and brown cowgirl boots.

  Mia smiled at me, spinning around, making her skirt spin with her, nicely displaying her shapely legs. “Well, what do you think? I love these boots. Your mom said I would fit right in.”

  Mia was so stunning. She would never just “fit in” anywhere. She would stand out in any crowd. Not wanting to make her nervous, I simply said, “You look amazing.”

  “You sure you don’t want to have our own private dance here, just the two of us?” Mia asked. The thought of pinning her to the wall and breaking my rule crossed my mind. I quickly shoved it aside.

  Mia said, “Mmmm, sounds like fun.”

  “What sounds like fun?”

  “What you just said. You know it’s your rule, not mine. You can break it anytime you want.”

  “Mia, that was just a quick thought. I’m not sure I like your ability to read my mind. As tempting as what I was thinking is, it was inappropriate. Besides, I want to take you out and show you off. I want you to have this experience, Mia. It will be fun, I promise.”

  After a long hug, she said, “If you say so. Let’s go.”

  As we drove to the dance, we chatted about our day. I told her how we’d rode the fences to check for breaks then trained some horses. “We have some of the most sot after horses in the country because they are so mellow and well trained. Probably because they’re raised by werewolves, making them calm and fearless.” I explained.

  Mia was still a very quiet girl. Most of the time, she was content to snuggle against me while I did the talking. I usually had to start the conversations. After I finished, Mia reminded me of my offer to teach her to ride. I’d completely forgotten I’d offered. “I’ll give you your first lesson tomorrow.” She beamed her brightest smile. The one I now knew she reserved only for me.

  When I asked about her day, she told me she had done all the chores then helped around the house. She told me her and Mom went to town where she could buy some clothes.

  “We went to the local bank so I could open a bank account. They are even going to merge all my other bank accounts into it, then send me a debit card thingy.”

  “All your bank accounts?”

  “My folks stashed money in a bunch of banks in different states, in case we had to run. They put my name on all of them. There’s about a hundred and fifty thousand left. I never used much except to buy food and books. CJ, I hope you don’t mind; I put you on my new account. If anything ever happens to me…”

  I cut her off before she could finish. “Don’t even say it, I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, ever.”

  After I checked our coats, I led Mia through the high school gym, where the dance was being held. Since Dan and Charlie were already sitting at a table with Claire and Sara, we went to join them. I hadn’t noticed the chatter in the room had died down when we entered.

  Mia squeezed my hand, whispering desperately, “CJ, everyone is staring at us. I need to get out of here.”

  “Mia, they’re staring because you’re the most beautiful girl in this room. I promise it will be alright. Do you trust me?” She nodded, though I could see the fear in her eyes.

  Just then, Dan came over with Claire. “Wow, Scrappy, you clean up nice for a wild child.”

  Mia laughed. “Scrappy?”

  Charlie snuck up behind her. Grabbing her by the waist and he spun her around. “Yeah, Scrappy. A feisty, little she-wolf.” Mia laughed harder. I was glad my friends liked Mia so much. However, I would have been okay with Charlie liking her a little less.

  Claire, Sara, and Mia were getting pretty close. When Claire started gossiping about people from school, it put Mia at ease, even though she refused to utter one negative word about anyone.

  While Charlie was going through the girls in our pack like wildfire, he was here with Sara. They seemed to be becoming a thing. We went over to get some punch before we sat down. Charlie poured a little whiskey in our cups. A short time later, Mia was much more relaxed.

  A friend of mine from the football team, Bobby, who was a senior at the high school, came over. He knew Mia from school as well and asked her to dance. When she started to decline, I told her to go have fun. She reluctantly let him drag her off by the hand.

  When the band started doing a line dance, we all joined in. Mia picked up the dances quickly enough that you would have thought she’d known them her whole life instead of just learning them.

  All evening long, people kept coming up, introducing themselves to Mia. Guys from school flirted mercilessly, asking her dance. She danced with a few though every slow song was mine.

  Pete showed up late and joined us. “Hey, Sunshine, enjoying the dance?” He asked, leaning down to hug Mia. I hated that Peter had a pet name for my girlfrien
d. I was a little taken aback when Mia hugged him back.

  “Very much, where have you been? I was beginning to think we’d have to send out a search party.” Mia asked.

  “Had to help Dad with some fencing,” Pete answered.

  “How come you don’t have a date? I see the way the girls at school fall all over you.”

  Pete laughed. “Couldn’t find one as breathtaking as you, and I didn’t want to settle for less.”

  Mia chuckled, “Liar.” I was pretty sure he wasn’t lying.

  What I hated, even more, was how at ease Mia was with Peter. When he asked her to dance, off, she went without giving me a second glance. After their dance, she came back, sitting down next to me.

  Even though Peter knew Mia was with me, he had to get in a dig. “Hey Cuz, Mia is quite an addition to your family, huh? So how does it feel to have a little sister to look after now, instead of me.”

  I bristled. I wanted to make it clear to everyone Mia belonged to me. But wasn’t the reason I hadn’t claimed her because I wanted her to have a life? I knew Mia loved me. I didn’t need to embarrass her with a wolfly display of dominance. We were more evolved than that; I reminded myself. “Hey, Pete, glad you made it,” I mumbled as cordially as I could manage.

  “Mia’s been doing great at school. Everybody likes her. Don’t worry; I’ve been keeping the wolves away.”

  Mia laughed at his joke, punching him in the arm playfully. The smile she gave him made me want to rip his throat out. So much for being evolved. “I’m a big girl, Pete; I can handle the wolves.”

  The band started playing a song called “Hold on to Me.” I realized it was exactly how I felt about Mia. Pulling her onto the dance floor, I spun her out, then pulled her back into my arms as I started singing along in her ear. “Wanna wake up each morning, with you for the rest of my life, I wanna feel your heart beating, And just get lost in your eyes, You can tell me your secrets, You can let me feel your pain, You can show me your weakness, And never be ashamed, Hold on to me when your world's turnin' cold, When it feels like your life's spinnin' out of control, You're hopin', prayin', tryin' so hard to believe, Hold on to me when there's no middle ground, And every emotion is comin' unwound, And you don't know if you can hold on to your dreams, Baby, you can hold on to me.”