Page 48 of Hers to Call
“What problems, what’s happening?” Anna’s grandmother eyed her sharply.
“Someone shot an arrow at Calita,” Becca said from across the kitchen.
Gasps sounded, the women turning to her in sympathy.
Anna frowned from the stove. “Becca, don’t you teach the archery classes?”
“That’s the thing, there were no archery classes yesterday,” Becca shrugged.
Jerica rubbed her shoulder as she passed. “Well, that’s just bizarre.”
The conversation went back to town gossip and Calita’s shoulders relaxed. She enjoyed being in the middle of the women, their conversation comforting her. But, she was thankful not to have their undivided focus.
“Calita, are your parents still in Chicago?” Charmaine asked.
The question brought her out of her daydream. “Yes. They both teach at the local college there.”
Some of the older women nodded in approval and went back to their discussion. Soon they were calling for some of the men to come in and pick up the trays. She lifted a tray of cookies and winced.
“Put that down.” Selena was at her shoulder fussing. “Relax, you aren’t supposed to be doing anything strenuous.”
“Nothing strenuous? Staying in this house with her m—”
Selena pushed a young woman out of the kitchen before she could finish that sentence.
***
Simon hefted one of the picnic tables closer to the others per instructions of his great aunt who watched from a chair in the shade. She directed the men, her sharp orders contrasting the loving looks she gave the children playing around her. Simon smiled, the sight of the children relaxing his bear. He’d found his mate, and it wouldn’t be long before his child was in the midst of the playing children. His heart pitched, longing stealing his breath. Did Calita even want children? He wasn’t sure, but imagining her swelling with his cub choked him up.
He was looking around when he spotted Nate walking up.
He met him halfway across the yard. “What did you find?”
Nate stuffed his hands in the pocket of his jeans. “We’re still looking into the car, but nothing so far.”
Simon growled.
“I did look into one Charles Moses Rossel.”
“And?”
Nate raised his eyebrows. “It’s like I said, two minutes after hitting send on the search, I got a call from an… interested government party.”
“Shit.” Simon folded his arms over his chest. Exactly what he didn’t want.
“Yeah, seems Charles has contacts in some high places. I was questioned sly like to find out what I wanted. I told him I was doing a potential resident check.”
“And what did they say?”
“That I’d done enough digging on the matter and if there were any further questions my alpha should contact them.” Nate’s smirk came and went in a tiny second.
“Exactly what the hell I didn’t want,” he muttered.
“In other news, I did go up on the roof. The moorings around the satellite dish were definitely tampered with. There was weathering except where the lines were cut. I had the guys take prints, there was nothing.”
Simon hissed in anger, turning to get his bear under control. For a day that had started with such potential, it was going to hell in a handbasket quickly. Nate waited him out, his face placid, calm as it always was by the time Simon turned back around.
“Tell me more about what happened the other day.”
