Shiver(56)

“What kind of favor?” Her eyes narrowed like he had somehow disrupted her day.

“He’s looking over some ideas for me.”

“Why would you ask him to do that? And what kind of ideas?”

“Plotting suggestions, okay. He isn’t doing anything suspicious or dangerous. Relax. Have some pancakes.”

Fiona set a stack of plates down on the table as though emphasizing his words. “Take off your jacket, Raven,” she said, returning to the griddle. “Breakfast will be ready in a jiffy. And don’t tell me you don’t have time,” she added when Raven opened her mouth to object.

Wisely, Raven did as she was told. But Aidan could tell she wanted to stomp into the other room and see what Fox was up to. Aidan picked up a plate and passed one to Raven. Fiona set a platter full of steaming pancakes in front of them. Stacking his plate high, he slathered the fluffy goodness in butter and drowned them with birch syrup. The tastes blended and soothed.

“Hmm.” He made an appreciative sound around a mouthful. “You are the best, Fiona.” He would have been stuck with a frozen granola bar for breakfast if he had made it through the night at Earl’s place.

“You’re a joy to cook for, Aidan.” Fiona set a cup of coffee in front of him, laying her hand briefly on his shoulder.

Raven frowned at him again as she forked a pancake onto her plate.

Fox rushed into the room. “No way. You brought Senyea back! That is so cool.”

Aidan’s heart tripped. With Raven entering the kitchen, his anxiety over Fox reading his pages had lessened. Now it bloomed like a forest fire.

“Mom, you gotta read these.” Fox held the pages out to Raven.

Aidan snatched them out of his hand. “No.”

“Uh…sorry,” Fox said, his expression falling. “I thought she should see—”

“You can’t give anything away.” Aidan stared Fox in the eye. “Promise me that you will not tell anyone, and I mean anyone what you have read.”

“But—”

“Anyone, Fox. Word gets out and the next volume gets scrapped. The publishing world is an unforgiving one, and with the Internet, I can’t be too careful. Can I trust you?”

“Yes.” Fox straightened and squared his shoulders. “I won’t tell a soul. Not even my dogs.”

Aidan cracked a smile. If the boy wouldn’t tell his dogs, then his secrets were safe.

“But…can I talk to you about them?”

Aidan gave a full grin at that. “I would love your input.”

“Did you hear that, Mom? Aidan Harte would love my input.”

“I heard.” And by her tone, she obviously wasn’t pleased. “Get some breakfast, Fox, and then you better feed your dogs.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Fox grabbed a full plate Fiona had just filled and sat between Aidan and Raven. He lathered his pancakes with butter and birch syrup and dug in like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

“Aidan, can I talk to you?” Raven asked, though the question wasn’t really a question.

Aidan stood, rolled up his pages and stuck them in his back pocket, then took his plate, over to the sink. Raven bypassed the living room and headed toward his bedroom. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to enjoy this ‘talk.’ She turned to face him as he entered behind her, shutting the door.

“I want you to stay away from Fox,” Raven said.

“Why?” He frowned.

“I don’t want him getting attached to you. Soon you will be leaving, and I don’t want him hurt.”

“Like you were when I left?”

She tightened her mouth and glanced to the side. When she looked at him again, her gaze had hardened. “No. This has nothing to do with me. Fox is an impressionable boy. He’s coming very close to hero worshipping you. I don’t want him disappointed.”

He took the arrow to the heart without a flinch. After all he was nobody’s hero. He might write about them. Think of himself as Lucien, his wolf totem’s character. But he would never be hero material. “Fine.” He folded his arms across his chest.

“Good.” Raven walked around him.

“Raven?” he said, keeping his back to her. “Are you going to tell Fox to stay away from me?”

“I think it’s for the best.” She left, quietly shutting the door behind her.

Aidan sank onto the edge of the bed. He really needed to get out of here. He’d over-stayed his welcome.

Who was he kidding? There’d been no welcome.

He sighed. What had he expected? What had he hoped for? Family? What an idiot. He rubbed the back of his neck. Enough of wishing, time for doing, and the first thing he needed to do was clear out of the lodge. He wasn’t about to fight Raven. She didn’t want him around her son, and he totally understood. Part of him agreed, even though he enjoyed the hell out of the kid.