“Yeah, I know.” Her words came out on a sigh.
“How are you? Feeling ill at all yet?” With Rhys, Beth was a wreck with morning sickness. Or rather, twenty-four hour sickness.
“No, not yet. I’m good. Just need more sleep than normal.” Her voice went soft and he could imagine her rubbing her belly. “I better let you go. Rhys is trying to climb the counter to get the candy bucket. See what you’ve done?”
Ryan chuckled. “Later, sis.”
“Be careful, you hear?” she said, sternly.
“Always.”
He clicked out of the call and noticed the first rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon in his rearview mirror. He should probably go find coffee. It didn’t look like he was going to get anymore sleep before it was time to start the day.
Brushing his palms vigorously over his cheeks, he attempted to get some life into his face. His eyes landed on the old phone he’d tossed to the dash when Beth called. Reaching for it, he quickly thumbed open the screen and his heart caught in his throat.
There she was. His beautiful cat. With her sarcastic smile that curved one side of her full lips more than the other. Lips he craved because now he knew what they felt like.
He should delete the picture. He couldn’t get over her like this, holding on to pieces of her to come back for a nibble when things got hard. But just seeing her face on that electronic screen gave his warring heart peace for a moment. Made all the hurting things hurt a fraction less. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, imagining a life where he was free to do that whenever he pleased.
Ryan pressed his lips into a thin line. He’d delete it later. He couldn’t go cold turkey just yet.
With a sigh, he shoved both phones back in his pocket and started his truck. The cab had gotten cold and he cranked the heater to high, blowing into his hands to warm them.
It took him only minutes to find an open coffee shop. He ordered several cups and a dozen donuts, and then drove out to the construction site where he was scheduled to meet Trent.
His friend had made a name for himself around Memphis. He’d started small scale, residential, but now worked mostly commercial, and had grown his company until it was a healthy beast.
Ryan thought about his and Renner’s venture. They’d done well too. Now, he dreaded finding a way to divide the company. He loved his work, the building, the hammering, sawing and constructing. He did not like the business. The paperwork, the taxes, the contracts.
Layna was good with that shit. She’d straightened out their paper trail for them more than a time or two.
Pulling into the lot, he spotted Trent at the east corner, clipboard in hand, talking to a big muscled up guy with a goatee and one hell of a mean look on his face. Ryan parked and grabbed the coffee and donuts before walking over.
The talking dried up as he approached, the stranger taking him in as if he was a slab of steak he planned to grill up. All the bells and whistles Ryan had tuned over the years of living with the cats went off in warning. He straightened to his full height—which was about three inches taller than the other men—and stayed alert, the way Mason had taught him.
“Ryan,” Trent ducked his head in greeting, and Ryan juggled the donuts and coffee so he could shake his friend’s hand.
“Trent.”
“You’re a little early, but it’s not a problem. This here’s Felix Kennedy. He owns AC Waste Management. We’re contracting him to clean up our mess when we’re done.”
Ryan nodded at the man and offered his hand.
Felix stared, leaving it hanging in the air.
There was something about him. The way he held himself, like he was used to giving commands instead of taking them. And the way he moved, smooth, every motion deliberate. He tilted his head, eyeing Ryan to the point where he wanted to switch his outstretched hand into a fist and sock the guy a good one.
But what really had his hackles up wasn’t the rude glower Felix wore. It was his eyes. They seemed to flicker from blue to gray, and narrow at the pupils.
Like a werecat.
Could be the sun reflecting. It was bright this morning, the sky cloudless. Could be Ryan’s lack of sleep playing tricks with his imagination.
There was only one way to find out if his suspicions were true.
“Felix,” Ryan murmured, pulling his hand back. “Funny name. Like the cat. Reeeear. Pfft pfffft. You a pussy?”
Felix stiffened. His shoulders bunched up like his skin was crawling. And yes, there it was. Eyes flashing to those of his cat, the way shifters did when their animal was too close. Only an instant but unmistakable.
Trent frowned, staring between the two of them, not sure what to make of the exchange.
Suddenly, Felix’s mouth curved up in an unfriendly smile and he lifted his nose to scent the air. “Better than smelling like one. You been hanging around some pussy, boy?”