Page 18 of Hers to Call
- 5 –
Up early again, Calita had taken her car into the neighboring town for some shopping. She needed space from Bear Ridge, and its Alpha to think. Last night with Simon had been…she sighed. The sex had been amazing, and that was different for her. Her body was pleasantly sore. Her cheeks burned as she thought about having to call down to housekeeping for new sheets. She threw away the other ones when she left the hotel, no way was she explaining the claw marks scoring the fabric. If she was really smart, Calita would still be in bed, basking in her after glow. She’d not had a lot of sexual partners, partly due to her awkwardness around the opposite sex. It had made her ripe for the picking where David was concerned.
He’d charmed her, lulled her into dropping her friends and focusing all her energy on him. She shook her head and remembered her therapist’s words. She wasn’t the only woman who’d been in a domestic situation. She had to forgive herself, and remember that she’d finally been strong enough to leave. She had to quit dwelling on the past and focus on her future.
Last night with Simon had gone a long way towards making her think about the future. The way he’d handled her panic attack was nothing short of amazing to her. She needed clarity. She knew just where to go for that. Calita pulled into downtown Bear Ridge and parked her car a little way down from her destination. Anika’s shop was the perfect place to go for something to help her relax. She walked past the bookstore and made a note to stop on her way back. She waved as she got to the real estate office and the lone woman who occupied it. She started to pass, but stopped. She’d been in town a year now. Wasn’t it time for her to find a place of her own?
“Calita, hi,” Jerica greeted. Wearing a simple dark green sheath, with a black blazer on top, the no-nonsense woman stood as she entered.
She’d slowly learned the names of the locals as they came into the diner. Jerica, in particular, always came in on Sunday afternoons for a pie for her Sunday dinner. Apple, nothing fancy, she’d always say.
Calita smiled. “Hi, Jerica. I wanted to come in and get some listings. I think it’s time for me to look for an apartment.”
Jerica frowned. “I thought you and the alpha…” She paused and shook her head. “I’m sorry that’s not my business.” She walked back to her desk and opened one of her drawers, handing Cali a few brochures. “Now, if you’re talking in town, there are a couple of cottages not too far from Selena’s diner. If you want something with more amenities, you’ll have to go the next town over. Pleasant Mills is slightly bigger than Bear Ridge, of course, so they’re a couple of small apartment buildings with vacancies.”
“I just came from Pleasant Mills, that’s not too bad of a drive,” she murmured, more to herself.
“Look it over and let me know what you decide,” Jerica said.
“Thanks so much, I will.” Cali stuffed the listings into her purse and waved goodbye.
She passed the town’s only hair salon, and not even the smell of chemicals could mask the aromas coming from Anika’s store two doors down. Anika had the best candles she’d ever had the pleasure of using. She carried other things, lotions, all-natural shampoos and soaps that made Calita a frequent visitor to the shop.
A small tinkle announced her arrival. Anika looked up from where she was mixing at the counter. She was Native American, Chickasaw to be exact, as was a good portion of the town from what she’d observed. Anika’s long, wavy black hair, was loose, and flowing down to the middle of her back. Her skin was bronze, her eyes dark and wide, as she looked up and spotted Calita. She gave her a warm smile and waved her in. Calita remembered when she’d first discovered the shop. Anika had taken one look at her and went around the shop gathering candles and bath salts. She’d told Cali she would find a measure of peace with her move and had wished her luck. So far, she had been right.
“Good morning, Anika,” Cali greeted her.
Anika’s brows bunch and she tilted her head.
“What?” Cali pat the top of her head, making sure her hair was in place.
“I don’t know.” Anika pursed her lips and tapped her chin. “You’re lighter, but not. What’s going on?”
Cali blushed. “I came for more candles. For the most part, they’ve been helping me sleep.”
Anika nodded. “I knew they would.” She walked over to the shelf where she stored her candles and reached for the ones she’d given Cali earlier, she also pulled down another candle. “Use this one as well, just when you’re sitting around relaxing. This will clear your mind and help you make those decisions you’re struggling with.”
Calita blew out a breath. “How did you…”
Anika shrugged, then sniffed the air. “Oh, I see.” A smirk pushed up her lips.
“What now?” Cali groaned.
“Nothing.” Anika pretended to zip her lips. “Anything else you wanted?”
“Well, I have the day off, so I’m just going to drift in here and smell everything.”
“Feel free.”
Calita smiled at Anika’s laugh. She wandered aimlessly down the aisles, her fingers drifting across the different items sold. Her steps were slow as she passed the soap display, the bars in coordinating hues drawing her eye. She didn’t need any more soap at the moment, but the smells were tempting.
Her mind went to Simon and what he would like. She debated asking Anika, but she had a feeling it would only make the woman tease her outright.
Her thoughts drifted to what he’d said last night. She wondered what he meant by her being his mate, and if he was serious. He’d already been married, against his bear’s wishes according to him and the gossip mill in town, maybe he didn’t know his own mind. Could she trust his words? She jerked to attention as she heard an inhuman scream.
“Oh no.” Anika’s harsh whisper reached her down the aisle. “Oh no.”
Calita turned and searched outside the window of the shop and noticed a young kid in the middle of the square, his body hunched over, his face etched in pain. Fur rippled up and down his arms as he screamed again. She raced out to help him, unable to take the pain transforming his face. People gathering yelled at her to stop. She didn’t understand what was happening, but the kid was in pain and she refused to stand by and watch. She touched his shoulder and he growled. Her heart leaped in her chest, its rapid drumbeat matching the kids. She squelched it, a pro at hiding her feelings these past few years. It served her well in a town full of shifters with extraordinary senses.
