Page 5 of Coming Up Aces

Me:Can you check if either have a sister named Melinda?

Bishop:Hang on a second.Ace tipped the bottle back and took a generous swig.Neither has sisters, only brothers.

Me:Okay, thanks for checking.

Bishop:Anytime.

Okay, so maybe they were friends of Melinda’s as she had told Branson. Or she could have gone into a different house.Either way, Ace needed to put the female out of his mind. She was safely away from Haven, and that was all that mattered. At that conclusion, Ace shoved the cork back in the bottle and set it on the bar before heading to his bedroom. He didn’t bother calling Branson since there was nothing to report.

The next morning, Ace drove by Providence to pick up Branson. They were helping Ripley at the house he and Glory were moving into. When he pulled down the driveway, Branson met him outside and dropped a toolbox into the bed. Ace opened the door to move to the passenger seat, but Branson waved him off.

“You don’t want to drive?”

“Nah. I like having a chauffeur,” Branson joked.

As they traveled across town, Ace relayed everything that happened after he left the night before.

Branson scrubbed his chin, looking out the windshield. “Maybe we have this wrong, and she was looking for something at Haven. When she didn’t find it, she opted to leave.”

“True, but why would a shifter go to Haven?”

“Why would anyone go there?” Ace tapped the steering wheel with his thumbs. When he glanced at Branson, the male was studying him. “What?”

“Did you feel a connection to Melinda? Is this why you’re so intrigued with the female?”

Ace squeezed the leather, then relaxed his hands. “No. I…” Ace cleared his throat. Branson was a good male. A good friend. “I don’t feel connections the way most others do. I have to get to know someone before I—”

“Oh, you’re demi, like our son, Brooks. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Except by the time I get to the romantic feelings, the other person has moved on.”

“Yeah, Brooks had that problem too. Always felt like there was something wrong with him. Luckily, Daniel, his partner, was willing to wait. Patient as a saint, that one.” Branson clapped Ace on the shoulder. “I hope you don’t feel the way Brooks did. Some of us are just wired differently, but that doesn’t make it wrong. When it’s right for you, he or she will be patient.”

Ace cleared his throat and blinked back the wetness forming in his eyes. “Thanks, Brick. I, uh, haven’t told anyone other than Ripper, and now you.” Ace gave the Hound a weak smile. “I’m glad I did.”

“I’m honored you shared that part of yourself with me.”

Branson had promised breakfast for those helping with the furniture, so they stopped and picked up the order he had called in at a local bakery. When they arrived at Rip’s, Ace pulled down the long driveway that cut through trees on both sides. The house was situated on seven acres with two of those being cleared for the house and yards. Ace couldn’t be happier for his best friend. Ripley, Conrad, and Sutton were waiting on them. After devouring breakfast, Rip gave Ace and Branson a tour of the house while they waited on the furniture to arrive. When it did, Ace helped assemble the king-sized bed going in the master suite, and Branson installed the washer and dryer. They had most everything in place by the time Glory and Ripley’s mom, Regina, arrived.

Ace found the two females in the kitchen. Glory was unloading the dishwasher, and Regina was folding dish towels. “What do you know about Melinda?” he asked Glory.

Glory pulled out the plates, stacking them in a cabinet. “Not much. She was only at Haven a few months, and she didn’t really talk about herself.” Glory closed the cabinet door. “What’s wrong, Asher? Why are you asking about her?”

“Who’s Melinda,” Regina asked.

“She was one of my cabinmates at Haven. I thought I saw her get in one of the vans last night, but when we got to Providence House, I didn’t see her.”

“That’s because she borrowed Branson’s phone and called for someone to come pick her up. She left while you were talking to your family.”

“That’s a good thing, right? It means she had someone she trusted to come get her.”

Ace ran a hand over his spiked hair. “Maybe.”

Regina stopped folding the towels and placed her hand on Ace’s arm. “What’s wrong, Son?” His heart warmed every time she and Conrad claimed him. His own parents had passed away many years ago, leaving Ace on his own.

“There’s something off about the female. She addressed the man on the phone as Sir, which Branson and I found odd, so I followed her after she was picked up. Since it was late, I couldn’t follow too closely, so I parked behind one of the mate’s floral shop and shifted to my Eagle. I saw the vehicle backing out of a driveway. I had Bishop check ownership of the house, and it belongs to a married couple with two kids. Neither has a sister, so maybe it was friends of hers?”

Sutton called his name, so their conversation was cut short. He followed the older Hound out the back door. “What’s up?”

---