Unraveling Midnight Read online

  “You won’t mind being the only daddy there?” she asked timidly and he remembered the girls’ group they’d attended earlier in the summer. He’d been the only dad and the moms had been vicious. Between cutting down the other families, they’d been trying to get in his pants. Jessie had asked to stop going to the program before he’d insisted, but she’d been missing their quieter times together while the boys were at sports.

  “I won’t mind, honey,” he promised.

  “I really liked Lucy.”

  “About that, Jess, you know you can’t go up to strangers like you did today. I know she’s human and smelled okay, but we need to be more careful.”

  Jessie sighed. “She didn’t just smell okay, Daddy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She smelled perfect,” Jessie said, so wistful it made Scott’s heart ache.

  “Perfect?”

  “You know.” She rubbed her nose to his neck like pups did to get scents back as well as a sign of affection. “None of the ugly smells were on her.”

  Ugly smells to Jessie were anything aggressive. After so long with her mother, she’d come to recognize anger and aggression as things to dread and hide from. He watched his temper carefully around his daughter so as not to invoke bad memories. It wasn’t always possible, but even the boys did their best to not actively get angry around Jessie.

  She wasn’t timid or fearful, at least she wasn’t now, and all of them wanted her to grow more comfortable and confident. Anger and aggression were parts of their lives, but they weren’t things Jessie needed constant reminders of.

  “Didn’t you notice, Daddy? She smelled like yarn and sunshine.”

  As he thought about it, he realized the pretty yarn shop lady had smelled good. She’d been cute too, but he’d been too distracted by the kids to really appreciate her features and scent. He had the vague impression of red hair and maybe freckles. He’d have to pay more attention at their class. If Jessie had taken such a notice, he wanted to make sure his daughter interpereted the details correctly.

  “I did notice, now that you mention it. I’ll check her more when we go to class. For now, you need to get to bed, little girl. You’ve got summer classes in the morning.”

  She sighed and slid off his lap. “I wish you had the summers off too, Daddy. That would be awesome.”

  He smiled. “Me too, honey. Maybe one day.”

  She shook her head. “With three kids? Sorry, Daddy, I’m pretty sure you’ll be working summers for a long time.”

  Scott bit back a chuckle and when Jessie’s door closed, he stood and grabbed a rag. Tired or not, things had to be done, but after his talk with his daughter, the fatigue didn’t drag at him as much.

  Chapter 3

  “Okay, guys, let’s cast on. Remember, all you need is the yarn and a single needle for this.”

  Scott smiled at his daughter, who immediately followed Lucy’s very concise, simple instructions with her pink yarn and stick. He liked his blue yarn, but strongly doubted he was going to be able to make it do what his six-year-old was.

  “Like this, Daddy.” Jessie held her hand just as Lucy had and slowly showed him the steps of casting the yarn on the needle. “Nice and slow, see?”

  He tried, fumbling the yarn horribly before finally getting a second loop to stay on the needle.

  Jessie smiled. “Good job. Now do it again.”

  “How’s it going over here?”

  Scott looked up at Lucy and was nailed by the scent Jessie had spoken so fondly of. Everyone Scott had ever met was a mix of scents. Anger, aggression, happiness, sadness and all the rest seemed to intermingle on people. There was a difference from someone who was basically content and happy in their life and those who were genuinely sad.

  It wasn’t often something so pure hit his nose. In addition to looking the part of a teacher, with soft red curls and a slight sprinkling of freckles on her nose, Lucy smelled the part, with patience and joy. The heady combination had made him stutter more than once since they’d entered the yarn shop.

  “My daddy isn’t quite getting it, Miss Lucy,” Jessie explained, her yarn already cast on the appropriate amount of stitches. “He tries really hard, but I think his big fingers get in the way.”

  “That might be it,” Lucy said seriously, yet when she took the seat beside Scott, he saw the humor in her eyes. “Sometimes it takes a few more tries. Here, try it with me.”

  She touched him and Scott was a goner. Werewolf senses were fantastically better than humans’ and touch was no different. She felt as pure and sweet as she smelled and he had to brace his feet to stay in his seat. The other options were to fall out of his chair or jump her. Neither was going to happen, especially in front of his daughter and two other students.

  “See, like this. Sometimes it’s difficult to get a feel for tension from the start, but I think we can at least get you on.”

  Something was on all right, but he controlled himself, schooling his expression to passivity and concentration. Beside him, Jessie looked on intently, her innocent concern for his knitting skills helping him rein in his libido. It had been years since he’d wanted a woman. He’d wanted Tiffany, because she was his mate and they were monogamous. She was the only option.

  However, after Jessie was born, being sexual with Tiffany had become a last resort when his freaking horny werewolf would take over and finally give in to the temptation she presented. Such a crazy bitch. If he’d met Lucy first, he would never have looked twice at Tiffany. And after Tiffany, he could truly appreciate the peace of Lucy, but being burned so brutally also made him cautious.

  “There, you got it,” the woman playing hell on his body said. “Now, take it all off and try again.”

  “Practice will help,” Jessie added. “Miss Lucy, can you help me start my second row?”

  “Sure, Jessie. Let me sit between you and your dad so I can help you both for a few minutes before helping the others.”

  Taking off the stitches sounded like a horrible idea, but Scott did it anyway, clumsily fussing with the yarn again until, uneven and ugly, it was back on the stick. Lucy helped Jessie, like he’d wanted, and left him to his stumbling.

  The teaching moment gave him more time to stare and smell her. No viciousness, no jealousy or discontent. He took a deep breath and bit back a sigh of contentment that would have filled the room. Better than having her beside him was being in her space. Even with the other humans and their muddled fragrances, the essence of Lucy surrounded him. The yarn must have absorbed pieces of her just being in her presence. Lucky yarn and buttons and doodads.

  “Well, it’s a good start.”

  Scott smiled when he found Lucy looking at his work. He could have tried harder, he was sure, but she didn’t know him well enough to know that.

  “Jessie will help you,” Lucy added.

  “I’m thinking this might take a few more classes,” he admitted.

  She smiled. “You’re in luck, we have them every week. I need to go help Susan and her mother. You two keep casting on.”

  When Scott led Jessie out of the yarn shop an hour later, he did so with heavy feet. His body didn’t want to leave, his wolf sure as hell didn’t want to leave, but it was time to pick up the boys from football. Usually werewolves didn’t play school sports. Since they were still young and had a few years before their change, he thought it was safe. Their coach liked their intensity and there hadn’t been any problems yet.

  “That was fun, Daddy. Can we go again next week?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll even practice so I can get to the next row thing.”

  She patted his hand. “It’s okay, Daddy. Miss Lucy said you’d learn quickly once you got the hang of your tension. Tension can’t really be taught, it has to be practiced.”

  Already quoting from the woman. That made sense, though. Lucy was the kind of woman Jessie had been missing in her life. A good teacher was a valuable thing and he’d happily pay the small fee for knitting class as long
as Jessie wanted to go. He also wouldn’t mind seeing Lucy again. Finding a new mate hadn’t crossed his mind, not until he’d stepped into Lucy’s shop and he was slammed in the groin with lust. Exploring what could be with the pretty shop owner might be something he could make time to do.

  “Can I maybe buy some of my own yarn next time?” Jessie asked. “Some of the stuff in there is really pretty.”

  “You bet, darling.”

  “And I don’t want the boys to get it either,” she said. “Can you tell them not to use it like a bunch of cats?”

  Scott laughed, thoughts of Lucy evaporating. “You got it, sweetheart. I’ll talk to the boys especially about this. No cat-play with your new yarn.”

  She hugged his side before they made it to the truck. “Thanks, Daddy. You’re the best.”

  * * * *

  With ‘best’ in mind, Scott stopped by the yarn shop the next afternoon. He usually had an hour between finishing work and picking up the kids from summer school. He used the time for grocery shopping and running errands. After the knitting class, while Jessie was in the shower, Ross had gotten into Jessie’s yarn before Scott had a chance to warn him away from the stash.

  His little girl had cried when the simple cotton yarn proved tangled beyond repair. Ross had tried his hardest to put it to rights, but like any young wolf, he’d gotten carried away the first time and it hadn’t been possible.

  So now, with Ross’s allowance in his pocket, Scott was going to get Jessie new yarn and help his son make amends. His rambunctious boys loved their sister and went out of their way to make her happy.

  “Well, hello there, Scott.”

  He’d scented her the moment he walked in and noticed her footsteps as well, but hearing her acknowledge him with such pleasure in her voice was a beautiful thing. He wanted to lay down with his head in her lap and have her scratch his sweet spot, right behind his ear. Or rub his belly. He wasn’t too proud for a damn belly rub, not if he could have it from Lucy. Of course, the rubbing would be mutual.

  Lucy came from behind a shelf full of yarn, looking as cute and cozy as the night before. “Scott? Are you okay?”

  He was staring. “Ah, yeah. How are you today?”

  The honey scent he’d been swamped in when he entered was replaced by a sadness so intense he felt weak. It was so pure. Not bitter or selfish, just completely sad.

  “I’m okay,” she replied, though her smile appeared strained. “Can I help you with something?”

  He closed the distance between them. The night before she’d been on his mind. Her laughter, her smile, the charming cluster of freckles on the swell of her left breast. Those things had kept him awake long after he should have been asleep. Seeing her smiling face had been his mission of the day, but a new job was presented.

  He stepped closer and though he knew he probably crowded her, he had to do something about the way she felt. “What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”

  She didn’t step away and part of him rejoiced even as his wolf was still upset over her being so unhappy.

  “Well, I’m sorry it’s so obvious. I’m not really that upset, but today is sort of a sad one for me.” She stopped.

  “Why?”

  “Um.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, hesitating a long moment. “Today is an anniversary for me. Three years ago today my husband was killed.”

  “Husband?”

  “Yeah. He was my high school sweetheart. Brad went into the military right after we graduated. We got married before he left to make things easier and we were very happy together. He was gone a lot. I was in business school and we wrote each other all the time. He was deployed to Afghanistan and…he didn’t come back. Well, he came back, but it wasn’t the way I’d hoped.”

  She wasn’t crying, hadn’t shed a tear, yet her sorrow was palpable to him. When his arms reached toward her of their own accord, he let them, engulfing her in a hug. He hadn’t grown up in a demonstrative family, but werewolves were affectionate by nature. They needed to feel accepted and protected. He knew things in the human world weren’t always the same, but down to his toes he thought Lucy would appreciate the hug for what it was—comfort when there simply were no words to soothe the pain.

  Her arms looped around his waist and, like she was as comfortable with him as he was with her, she rested her cheek against his chest. “Oh, it was several years ago now, Scott. I appreciate the hug very much, but I’m really okay. It’s the kind of sad that comes and goes, but is more nostalgic than anything else.”

  “It still hurts you,” he muttered, breathing in the clean scent of her hair. Her trust in him warmed his heart and the curiosity and facination he’d been feeling for her turned deeper.

  She laughed a little and, though he didn’t want to, he let her pull out of his arms. She lightly wiped away a tear, a smile on her face. “You and your daughter, very empathetic. Jessie asked me last night why I was sad, but I managed to distract her with purling. Now, what can I do for you, Scott? I’m sure you had a reason for coming in.”

  The mess of yarn he’d thrown away came to mind. “Yes, I did have a reason. Jessie’s yarn was ruined last night by one of her brothers. He asked me to come pick something new out for her.”

  “Aw, what a sweet brother to try to fix his mistake.” Lucy held her hand to her chest. For a young woman, she had a lot of gentle, old-fashioned mannerisms. “I have a nice wool blend that will be good for Jessie. Oh, and maybe a little carrying case for her so there aren’t more accidents.”

  Scott nodded and followed her deeper into the shop. It was a bit eclectic and, though things were clearly labeled with some semblance of organization present, Scott still figured people could get lost looking at and touching all the different colors and styles. He stopped at a case when he saw the same blue as Lucy’s eyes. He picked up a skein. It was supple, but not nearly as soft as she’d felt in his arms.

  “You found my new favorites,” Lucy said, suddenly beside him, reaching for a chocolate brown color. “I like this one best.” She held it beside his face with a thoughtful expression. “You know, I think it’s the same color as your eyes.”

  He lifted his skein. “I was thinking the same thing.”

  She blushed slightly and set aside the yarn. She didn’t seem to mind the compliment, but he kicked himself. Flirting on the anniversary of her husband’s death was probably not what she had planned for the day. Still, it pleased him mightily that she’d noticed the color of his eyes, and coincidence or not, it happened to be a shade she liked.

  “Um, what I had in mind is right back here,” she said and he followed, trying to give her more room.

  She was sweet and he wanted to cuddle her, yet at the same time, he respected her and her feelings too much to crowd her if she didn’t want it. He hadn’t been rebuffed at all, but he hadn’t been invited for more either. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be. He grinned at her slim back. Well, not too slim. Tiffany had been a stickler about her weight and size. Lucy definitely had a softer side, her shoulders and arms in her knitted tank-top strong but also soft.

  Her waist was clearly defined under the purple top, and flared out very nicely to a generous bottom. He’d never defined himself as a male who saw value only in a single feminine attribute, but Lucy had all the makings of turning him into an ass man. No doubt her lovely backside would join her freckles and smile on his mind later.

  “Here it is.”

  She didn’t turn until after she said it and Scott was grateful he hadn’t gotten caught ogling her bottom.

  “What color do you think Jessie would like?” Lucy asked.

  “Pink.”

  Lucy smiled. “She is quite the girly girl, but if she’s in a house full of boys, I can understand why. I lived with my grandmother and my foster brothers were always around. I probably overcompensated too.”

  “Grandma, huh? Did she teach you about all of this?” He picked up a skein of bright pink yarn.

  “Yes, she did. It was al
ways her dream to have a shop like this. She passed away the year after Brad and between the insurance from him and the small inheritance she left me, I decided to make a go of this place. She would have loved it and my only regret is not getting it started sooner so she could work with me here.”

  He should have been used to getting hit by bricks around her, but Scott was floored by how genuine Lucy was. He wanted to know her whole story. What else had her grandmother taught her? What happened to the rest of her family? Did she like to sit on her male’s lap and watch movies late at night while sharing ice cream? He hoped she wasn’t a popcorn kind of girl. Popcorn dried out his mouth and proved an obstacle for other things.

  “Scott, are you okay? You seem really distracted today.”

  Her beautiful eyebrows were drawn in concern and because he knew he couldn’t kiss that wrinkle yet, he smoothed it with his thumb. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just thinking, I guess.”

  “About knitting?”

  “Well, kind of,” he said. “I think this will work for Jessie.”

  “I think you’re right, Dad.” Her reply made him feel ten feet tall. “And it’s twenty percent off today, so Jessie’s big brother won’t break the bank on yarn.”

  Scott laughed. “Charge him full price, please. It’s good for him.”

  “Well, I certainly can’t do that in good conscience,” she said and picked up a sparkly tote. “How about this for a case? I always found that the pinker and more glittery my things were, the less likely my foster brothers were to play with them.”

  “Brilliant. You obviously know kids.”

  “I watched my niece and nephew last month while my sister finished up her master’s program at Penn State. I learned little things go a long way.”

  He nodded. “Yep. Little kids, little problems. Well, usually. I did have to pry Jessie off of Ross’s back last night after the yarn incident. She might be cute and small, but she’s stronger than she looks.”