“It’s in your head, it’s fibromyalgia, it’s GBS, it’s MS—believe me, I’ve heard it all.” Dr. Abbott took Spencer’s hand and shook it firmly. “I’m glad I was able to help.”
The doctor left, and Jim looked at Spencer. “So. Moving to Halle, huh? Are you sure? When we started this you didn’t want anyone to know you were sick.” Spencer had once been a vibrant, athletic man. His disease had hit him hard, but it hadn’t dimmed his spirit. Still, he hadn’t wanted his problems to affect Jim’s life and had asked him to remain quiet about the fact that Jim had a bastard half brother.
Jim hated that. He wanted to tell the world about his brother, how strong and brave he was, but Spencer had been adamant. Rather than stress his brother any further, Jim had reluctantly agreed.
“I got over it.” Spencer winked. “Must have been the midi-chlorians.”
“Does this mean I can finally introduce you to everyone?”
“Aw, man.” Spencer looked away for a moment, a blush on his cheeks. “You know the only reason I said no was because I never wanted to be a burden on you.”
“You aren’t. How many times do I have to tell you that?” He might have only known Spencer for a little over a year, but they’d formed a strong, unbreakable bond. He couldn’t imagine his life without his brother in it now.
“Then take me home.” Spencer blinked innocently up at Jim. “Can we have a kitty?”
Jim’s Wolf howled. It wanted a vixen, not a kitty. “Um. No.”
“Please?”
“How about that Big Mac?”
“Oh, even better.” Spencer wheeled toward the exam room door. “And a McFlurry. And when we get home, you can have a McChloe.”
Jim blinked, not sure he’d heard that one correctly. “Excuse me?”
“You need to bring her home too.”
“Maybe.” Jim shrugged. He couldn’t think about Chloe right now. Just the thought of the little redhead had him longing to be in Halle once more. He reached for the door, eager to get on the road as soon as possible.
“C’mon. Tell me woof-woof doesn’t want to play chase.”
Jim bit back his laugh as his brother wheeled down the hall. “Woof-woof?” Jim had returned from a late-night run and changed, not realizing Spencer was in the room. Spencer’s reaction had been wide eyes and a slew of questions Jim still wasn’t sure he knew all the answers to.
“She can be the Fox to your hound.”
Spencer was one in a million.
They got the information from the front desk that they needed to transfer Spencer to the doctor who worked out of Halle General. When they reached the car, Spencer grinned over his shoulder at Jim. “I call shotgun!”
Jim shook his head, awed he had such a strong, vibrant sibling. “Weirdo.”
Chapter Two
Chloe still wasn’t sure how she’d gotten roped into bringing lunch to Emma, Becky and Sheri, but here she was, trudging through the stifling heat with a bag of sandwiches from Frank’s Diner. Emma had just returned to work from maternity leave, but since Emma co-owned Wallflowers with her business partner and BFF Becky, she was able to bring the baby with her. Chloe had stopped in to see the newest member of the kitty family and had been commandeered into snagging their takeout.
At least she got free food out of it. They’d called and added a sandwich for Chloe so she could join them for lunch.
Chloe finally made it to the door of Wallflowers, for once glad her long red hair had been chopped off during all those surgeries. The back of her neck felt cool for a change, but she still missed the way her hair felt as it flowed down her back. Maybe she’d let the girls at Cynful put some colors into it, some blues and purples to contrast with the bright copper.
“Chloe?”
She blinked, her Fox yowling in desire at the sound of that deep, masculine voice. “Jim.” She turned, smiling weakly. He’d been gone for a week this time.
Not that she’d been stalking him or anything.
Erm.
Maybe a little.
“How are you?” The way he gazed at her, his hazel eyes glittering, his smile warm, had her wondering what the hell he was up to. Jim never looked at her like she was a yummy treat he was dying to lick.
“I’m fine. How are you?” She wasn’t going to throw herself at him. She had that much self-respect.
“Better.” He glanced behind him and grimaced. “Listen, I don’t have time to talk, but—”
“Bye.” Chloe opened the door to Wallflowers, leaving Jim standing there, his mouth hanging open. Sort of like he’d left her hanging for so long.
Score one for the Fox.
Chloe rattled the bag. “Food!” She set the bag on the table and hastily backed away.
But unlike Cynful, where a hungry group of hyenas would descend on the bag like a ravaging horde of Vikings confronted by naked, nubile women after a year at sea, the ladies at Wallflowers simply walked out of the back room like, well, normal people.
Of course, they were the farthest from normal she’d ever met in her life. And that was saying something, considering her family.
“Thank you, Chloe.” Emma Cannon, the Curana of the Halle Puma Pride and new mother, settled down on the sofa next to a blue-checkered car seat. She transferred the sleeping babe from her arms to the car seat. “God, I’m starving. I could eat a rhino.”
“No you wouldn’t.” Sheri grimaced. “They’re an endangered species.”
“Besides, they’re way too chewy.” Becky glanced around when everyone went silent. “What?”
Emma shook her head. “I swear, Becks, you never cease to amaze me.”
“It was a joke.” Becky rolled her eyes.
“Uh-huh.” Emma’s expression turned sly. “Sort of like the time you bought Simon a corset and stockings?”
Chloe blinked, trying to picture the very masculine glass artist dressed as someone from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She started laughing as she pictured fem-Simon singing “Sweet Transvestite”.
“I never understood why he didn’t find that funny.” Becky sat next to Emma, cooing down at the blue-wrapped bundle of baby shifter before turning to the bag. “Did you want something to drink, Chloe? You can go in the back and get anything you want.”