17
Jack
Friday, the Fourth of July, dawned with blue skies and scorching sun. Since the shop was closed for the day, Tess was taking the rare opportunity to sleep in. Lou and I got up and went for a run.
Well, Lou sunbathed on a lounge chair by the pool.
I ran for a while in my shorts and T-shirt, and then I ran for a while in my fur, stretching out my tiger's powerful muscles. I realized I hadn't been spending much time in my tiger shape lately and resolved to keep a balance. My shapeshifter side got restless when I didn't let the tiger out to play for too long.
So, when my beautiful wife ambled outside in her PJs, mug of coffee in her hand, I was swimming in the pool.
She grinned at me. "Hey, kitty. Want some coffee? Or would you prefer a saucer of milk?"
I smacked the surface of the water with one giant paw, splashing her legs, and then let my tongue loll out in a tiger laugh when she shrieked.
"Just for that, you can get your own coffee." She stretched out on a chair next to Lou's, put her mug on the little side table, and closed her eyes. "I love mornings off."
I loved seeing her look so peaceful after the restless night she'd had. There had been nightmares and tossing and turning until I'd wrapped her up in my arms and held her tight. Then she'd snuggled against me, sighed, and dropped off into a less troubled sleep.
I swam a while longer because I was a tiger, and we loved water. Lou, who didnotlove water for anything but drinking, sneered at me from the dry comfort of her chair. She was still holding a grudge against the pool for the Oscar incident.
When my stomach reminded me it was time for breakfast, I climbed out, shook the excess water out of my fur on the opposite side of the pool from Tess, and shifted back to human me.
Opposable thumbs are pretty helpful for cooking.
"Do you want help?" Tess asked, her eyes still closed.
"Nope." I bent to kiss her and was happy to feel her lips curve into a smile.
"You smell good," she murmured. "Like sunshine and Jack. Two of my favorite scents."
I was contemplating carrying her into the house to pursue that line of thinking when my phone rang. I'd brought it outside with me and left it on a table, just in case Sam called with news of Katie.
But when I scooped up my phone, the screen told me it was the sheriff.
"It's Susan," I told Tess.
She groaned but sat up. "What now?"
I put the call on speaker. "Hey, Susan. Happy Fourth. What's up?"
"Yeah, happy Fourth. I just love holidays in Dead End these days." Her voice was flat, without a hint of amusement.
"Susan, I think you need a vacation," Tess said. She and Suan were becoming close friends, and I could see the concern in Tess's lovely blue eyes.
"I definitely need a vacation. I was even looking at flights last week. But then Cletus McKee brought trouble to town, and now people are threatening my brother."
Susan's brother Carlos was the vampire being threatened. He'd never told us how he'd become a vampire, but we knew he was high in the ranks of power. The Vampire Council was particularly bloodthirsty.
Pun intended.
"We'll watch out for him," Tess said grimly. "When they take one of us on, they take all of us on."
I sighed, but had to agree. Carlos was okay. And since he bought the house just down the road from Tess, we were neighbors. Which meant he was inmyterritory.
Nobody was going after my neighbor in my territory. I might have retired from the rebel army, but once a soldier, always a soldier.
Plus, tiger.
