Waiting For August

Part 19 ~An unfortunate discovery

Friday evening couldn't come fast enough. I was hosting a barbeque and after the previous weekend had decided to keep it small. I had invited my usual crew, as well as Trixie's parents; Scott and Claire Parsons, and William and Petra Collins who were Pierce and Liam's parents. To make Pierce feel comfortable, Kiera, Sophie and Olivia had also been dropped an invite. It only made sense to include them as they would most likely be riding Saturday anyways.

The person I was most looking forward to seeing however was August. Although I had seen him yesterday evening at his law office, it had been all work and no play. Still, it had been nice to see him. I had initially been nervous as to how he would react, but when he opened the office door and I was welcomed not only by those fabulous green eyes, but by a wave of nervous discontent, I knew he had been struggling with how we had left things as much as I had. In a strange way, his anxiety had brought me relief. I just wish I could have done more to reassure him than to briefly hold his hand.

On the way to the boardroom, he had asked me not to make direct eye contact with him as he had slipped on those annoying glasses of his. It had been a whispered request as Hannah had been only a few paces ahead. Thank the Goddess for werewolf hearing. I had done my best to accommodate him, and it actually hadn't been as hard as I thought it would be. August had sat down with Hannah sandwiched between us, and for the most part had remained engrossed with opposing council.

I spent much of the evening whispering with Hannah who explained what was going on as we watched August work. It also gave me a chance to inspect my neighbour who I noticed could not keep her own eyes off of August. She seemed to be fascinated with him and there was a younger woman with her as well, who had been introduced as Stella, her daughter. The two seemed less interested in the lawsuit they were bringing against me than they were in watching my lawyer work, and I wasn't sure what to make of it.

Tonight however, he would be all mine and I was as giddy as a schoolgirl thinking about it. We were going to barbeque and afterwards we were going to have a bonfire. There weren't going to be too many evenings left where we could make use of the firepit. It was simply going to be too cold. To say I was looking forward to having August by the campfire would be a severe understatement. For years I had watched couples cuddle together by the fireside with a sad hollowness in my chest. Tonight, it would finally be my turn. I just hoped my urban wolf was a country boy at heart and that he would enjoy himself tonight as much as I knew I would.

"Penny for your thoughts."

I looked up from the salad I was making. I had been staring out the window, lost in thought as I tore romaine. Naomi was staring at me from the kitchen table. She had a coffee in her hand and had completed her task of slicing open the hot dog and hamburger buns she had brought home from the bakery.

I smiled at her. "Can't you guess?"

"August?" She smirked at me.

"Of course, August." I felt like a teenager. Realistically we hadn't spent much time together. In fact, during the hours we had been together longest, neither one of us had been awake.

"Is he spending the evening?" She was looking at me mischievously.

"Of course, I'd like him to. However, nothing has been discussed." There would be alcohol though, and if he had a few drinks then it would be far safer for him to stay, even if it did take a lot to get our kind tipsy.

Naomi seemed to have the same idea on her mind. "We'll just have to keep the fun and the spirits flowing tonight, and he'll have little choice." She reached for her cellphone as she stepped out onto the porch. "Where are you now?" I heard her ask whomever she had called. "Brilliant. Do you think you could go on a little errand for me?"