Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,79
have to change. He didn’t want to scar a gentle soul like Helen’s with his tramp lifestyle.
Ostensibly, he still lived in Iowa, but really, he hadn’t been home for long in years. He’d only paused there between assignments, and even Uncle Arch knew that eventually Jim would have to find a place where he fit. Not that Jim didn’t love his brother. He did. He supported Brock, as Alpha, as much as possible. Jim just hadn’t fully made the transition from the military life he’d lived for so long back to civilian life, yet. Maybe he never would.
He’d talked it over a time or two with Uncle Arch, and the last time the subject had come up, Arch had surprised Jim by suggesting he check out what the ex-military bears had built in Grizzly Cove. Arch had thought Jim might find that town easier on his senses, since just about every damn bear in it was ex-Special Forces. Either that or Arch had suggested hooking up with Jesse Moore’s mercenary team and living in Wyoming with them.
Jim hadn’t wanted that. He’d given up the military and didn’t want to be a full-on mercenary. He preferred doing what he’d been doing. Running specialist jobs for friends of friends or those who came with good credentials and high recommendations from people he trusted. He liked being a troubleshooter.
Come to think of it, Ezra Tate had hinted more than once that he was looking for more people with Jim’s unique skills to help clean up the mess left behind by SeaLife Enterprises’ former CEO. Jim might just have to sit down with Ezra when this mission was over and discuss that possibility in more depth. If he did go to work for SeaLife, he’d have a legitimate reason to rent an apartment in Grizzly Cove and check the place out to see if that was where he was meant to be.
If he had a real house, he could offer some stability to a mate, but would Helen want to live clear on the other side of the country from her close-knit family? Jim didn’t think so. Yet another obstacle in their path. At this rate, he’d never find a way for them to make a go of it. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
Discouraged, with his wolf howling denial inside his brain, Jim got back to work. His first call was to Joe. He knew Joe had sent his investigators over to the old feed mill to go over everything there with a fine-toothed comb. Shane had probably spent all night working through whatever evidence he could find in the building and on the grounds. Jim was interested to learn if they’d found anything actionable.
“Glad you’re up,” Joe said, his voice filled with energy. “There have been some developments. Can you come over to my office?”
“I’ll be there in about ten minutes,” Jim answered right away and ended the call after a quick farewell. He dashed off a note for Helen, so she’d know where he was when she woke, then headed out to see what had been found.
*
Helen woke by slow degrees. She felt deliciously lethargic after the rather acrobatic night she’d spent in Jim’s arms. He’d surprised her with some of the positions he’d coaxed her into, but it had been worth it. She felt decadent when she thought about the incredible pleasure they’d shared. Never in her life had she reached such highs as she did with Jim. She’d come to the conclusion that he’d thoroughly ruined her for any other man, but she couldn’t really bring herself to care. Not right now, at any rate. Not when she felt so sated.
She put on a satin robe she’d picked up during her shopping yesterday and padded barefoot out into the rest of the suite, looking for him. She didn’t find him, but she found a note, along with a single rose she recognized as having come from the B&B’s garden. Her heart just about melted. Whether he’d picked the rose himself or saw it somewhere in the house and purloined it for her didn’t matter. What mattered was the thoughtful gesture.
His note indicated that he was already working, over at the mayor’s office, examining the evidence haul. She felt decadent for having slept in but was thoroughly enjoying herself. She took a shower, remembering all the naughtiness they’d gotten up to in that shower stall the night before with fond delight, then dressed and headed downstairs to see if