Christy leaned back against the cushions on the Clearwaters' couch. "I loved it," she declared. "It was clever, witty, and best of all, they lived happily ever after."
Seth sat beside her, his dark eyes animated. "Don't you think it was a little unrealistic?" he asked. "Real life doesn't tend to go that smoothly, Par…" He stopped short and looked completely stricken. "Oh god, Christy, I'm so sorry," he breathed.
Christy shook her head and put her finger across his lips. "It's okay, Seth, really. Please don't worry about it. How long has it been?" she asked sympathetically.
His answer was too quick, and way too accurate. "Six months, three days and…" he glanced at his watch "…two hours."
Christy looked completely crestfallen, and all she could offer in reply was "Oh." She stared down at her feet.
Seth lifted her chin with his hand and looked into her eyes. "There's a logical reason I remember that so precisely, Christy. Tommy was three hours old the last time I saw Paris. And I won't be seeing her again." He leaned in slowly and touched his lips, ever so gently, to hers. The kiss was just as magical as Christy had dreamed it would be. She brought her hands to the sides of his face and kissed him back as she closed her eyes and inhaled his warm breath. He had a clean, masculine scent that sent shivers down her spine.
The front door opened, and Christy jumped back as Emmy made a beeline for Seth. Charlie laughed as she threw her arms around Seth's neck and hugged him. "Come on, Em. It's way past your bedtime. Say good night to Seth and Christy and let's go."
Emmy tightened her grip on Seth's neck, and her eyes filled with tears. "Sef!" she pleaded.
He chuckled and kissed her cheek. "It's okay, Charlie, we'll get her ready for bed." She smiled and nodded, her dark curls bouncing, as Seth expertly unbuttoned her bright red coat and handed it to Sue. "Come on, munchkin, let's go find you some pj's."
Christy followed Seth to Emmy's room. He sat her on the dressing table while Christy rummaged through her top drawer for pajamas. She held up a pink blanket sleeper, and Emmy nodded, yawning.
Christy marveled at Seth's dexterity with his one hand. He changed Emmy's diaper and got her dressed in her sleeper, with her cooperation learned from long hours of practice. He held out his arm and she leaped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck as his closed firmly around her. She dutifully kissed the cheek Christy offered to her, then kissed Seth with a resounding "smack." He chuckled as he laid her in the crib with her beloved Woof and covered her. "How about if Christy reads you a story tonight?" he suggested. Emmy hesitated, then nodded. Seth went to her book shelf and selected a book, handing it to Christy. They both sat on the edge of the twin bed as Christy read "Goodnight Moon." Emmy chuckled with delight when Christy added "Goodnight Woof" to her version of the story.
Seth took Christy's hand and led her back to the living room, smiling when they passed Sue in the hallway as she went in to say good night to her daughter. Christy nodded shyly at Charlie. She was still a bit intimidated by the fact that he was her father's boss as well as Seth's stepfather.
"I'll be back in a while, Charlie," Seth explained as he helped Christy with her coat. "I'm just taking Christy home."
"Okay, Seth, I'll tell your mom. It was nice seeing you again, Christy." Charlie smiled as he closed the door behind them.
Sue was still up when Seth returned. He poured himself a glass of milk and set it on the table, then grabbed the cookie jar from the top of the fridge. Sue smiled, her hands wrapped around her warm mug of tea. "You look happy, honey," she stated simply.
Seth grinned. "I think I'm getting there, Mom," he sighed. "I don't know where we're headed, but I enjoy being with Christy. I accidentally called her Paris tonight," he murmured.
Sue looked horrified. "You didn't!" she gasped.
Seth chuckled. "Yeah, I did. And she just brushed it off. She took it as it was meant – a dumb, thoughtless accident. I think it says a lot about her," he mused. "Anyhow, we're watching Tommy again Friday night. Jake's taking Leah out for dinner and dancing. Should be fun."
Tommy seemed to be settling down, and he remained in his human form all evening. Christy fed him and changed him, and Seth held him while they watched TV. He snuggled into Seth's warm chest and dozed, sucking contentedly on his thumb.
Seth heard a key in the lock at about 10:00 and whispered to Christy, "I'm surprised they're back so early." He smiled. "They must be tired."
Jacob leaned down to kiss Leah quickly while he turned the doorknob. When she realized what he was doing, her eyes went wide – but it was too late. In a flash of grey fur, Tommy ran out the door, down the steps, and took off toward the woods.
Leah froze. "Tommy! No!" she screamed. Of course he ignored her, as he rolled, tumbled, and scampered through the leaf litter and deeper into the forest.
Jacob rounded the corner of the house, leaving a trail of cast-off clothing before phasing and running after Tommy. His vision was much better in wolf form, but he had to slow down and follow his son's scent to find out which way he'd gone. "Tommy!" he shouted in his mind, praying that he'd be heard and understood.
Tommy stopped short at the sound of his father's voice in his head. "D-Dad?" he whispered back. He shook his head, then sat back on his haunches and howled. That was when he noticed the female grizzly bear only a few feet in front of him. If Jacob's voice hadn't startled him, he would have run into her. He wasn't alarmed at her deep growl, but Jacob heard it and wheeled frantically, running toward the sound at full steam.
The bear cocked her head and continued to growl low in her throat, baring her enormous teeth at the tiny intruder. Jacob had no idea how much his six-month-old baby could understand, but he tried to reach him. "Don't move, Tommy, I'm coming," he urged as he sped over the forest floor. He never hesitated as he leaped over the wolf pup and landed on the eight-foot grizzly with all four paws. Her claws raked across his flank as she fell backwards. He quickly regained his footing and snarled at her, crouching in an attack stance.
The bear knew when she was outclassed; she'd never seen a wolf that size before. She got to her feet and sped off, moving quickly through the trees. Jacob shook out his russet fur and turned to his son, who was cowering against a fallen tree. "It's all right, buddy, she's gone," he said soothingly. He didn't know if it was the words or just the sound of his voice, but Tommy took a step toward him. The larger wolf nuzzled the pup, making sure he wasn't injured, then lifted him gently in his mouth and trotted back toward the house.
Leah, Seth, and Christy were all on the porch, frantically scanning the tree line as they watched for any sign of the wolves. Leah saw them first and ran, meeting them in the yard and taking Tommy from Jacob. She cradled him in her arms, murmuring softly to him as she hurried into the house. Jake followed a few minutes later, after phasing back and retrieving his clothes.
Christy was the first to notice the blood soaking the right side of Jacob's shirt. "Umm, Jake, what happened to you?" she asked. He followed her gaze and looked down.
"Oh, the bear…" he began.
Leah's head jerked up, her eyes wide. "What bear?"
"A grizzly," Jake replied as he rolled up the bloody shirt and pulled it off over his head. Leah handed the baby to Christy and jumped up, wetting a clean washcloth and wiping the blood from his side. Jacob winced, but the bleeding had stopped and the deep scratches were already beginning to heal.
Leah rubbed a little harder than necessary at the dried blood. "And when were you planning to tell me this?" she asked, her jaw muscles twitching dangerously.
"Leah, I just walked in the door!" Jacob objected. "I was going to tell you, but everything happened at once!"
Christy took Tommy in the bedroom and dressed him. She laid him in his crib and covered him with a light blanket. Seth stood quietly in the doorway and watched as she leaned in and kissed his cheek, then whispered, "Sweet dreams, baby." She jumped when she saw Seth standing there so silently, and he smiled at her.
"I think he likes you," he nodded at Tommy. "I think I like you too."
She moved quietly to stand in front of him, and she looked up as he leaned down to kiss her softly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes, hopelessly lost in his kiss. She swayed slightly when Jacob cleared his throat and Seth released his hold on her.
"I'm sorry, guys, I didn't mean to interrupt." Jacob smirked as he squeezed past them to close the bedroom door. "Can't be too careful with that little tyke," he murmured as he disappeared again down the hall.
Seth smiled at Christy. "I guess we should be going. Are you ready?"
She smiled and nodded. "Let me just get my coat and say good night to Jake and Leah." She found them in the living room as Seth pulled her coat from the coat rack.
"Thanks so much, both of you," Leah said, taking Christy's hand. "You know I love my son, but it's nice to get away for a little while and know he's in good hands." She stifled a yawn.
Christy smiled at them. "Please don't hesitate to call me any time – with or without my partner in crime." She grinned at Seth. "He's an amazing little boy, and I love watching him. Seriously – any time."
Seth's truck was covered with frost. He started the engine and left Christy in the cab while he scraped ice from the windows. When he climbed in, she scooted over and wrapped her arms around him, shivering. "Wow, Seth, you're better than a space heater!" she said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering as she burrowed into his chest. "Mmmm, you smell better, too." She grinned up at him.
Seth chuckled. "Let's see if we can warm you up a little," he joked as he leaned down to kiss her. Sure enough, she melted immediately. She buckled herself into the middle seatbelt so she could stay close enough to absorb his warmth, and the ride home was over too soon. Before she could slide across the seat toward the door, Seth captured her with his arm and pulled her to him. He kissed her softly and her heart fluttered. She boldly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer just as the porch light was flipped on.
Christy sighed against his lips. "I guess Dad heard your truck pull into the driveway. I really had fun tonight, Seth."
Seth chuckled. "Maybe it's a good thing your dad caught us. I was enjoying that a little too much."
She looked up at him through her thick lashes, smiling. "Really?"
He laughed again. "Really." An arctic blast blew through the truck when he opened his door, and he helped her out the driver's side and walked her to the door. "Light or no light, I have every intention of kissing you good night," he warned, and he proceeded to do just that.