“What did he ask you, Mom?”
“I didn’t tell him anything. I hung up on him. That’s what I did. He had no business calling me. He’s the one who doesn’t believe in your abilities. Isn’t that what you said? I have no time for people like that. I don’t care if he’s interested in dating you. He can’t. And that’s my final word.”
Carol raised her brows. “I am twenty-six, Mom.”
“Are you dating him?”
“Well…”
“Oh, Carol. You can’t be serious. Your relationships never work out. You need someone who at least believes in what you can do, like your father and I do.”
“I’ve only had one real relationship. And that was just out of high school.” There was a significant pause, and Carol glanced at the patient’s record again.
Her mother said, “I want grandkids.”
Carol bit her lip and looked back at Tom. He was watching out the exam-room window, but she knew he was mentally taking notes of everything she said to her mother. Speaking to any pack member was acceptable. But talking to a human alone, even when that person happened to be her mother? Wouldn’t be allowed. Which was ridiculous. If she made a slip about being a werewolf, would anyone believe her? They’d think she was joking.
Well, maybe not, since Carol was psychic and her parents had finally had to embrace the fact. What if she spilled the beans to them? They’d be destined to be just like her. Or terminated. According to Lelandi, anyone who learned that lupus garous existed had two choices—become one of them or die.
That seemed cruel, but it was the only way their kind had survived for a millennium or two. Carol could just imagine what would happen if werewolves were found to be real. They’d be treated differently—like outcasts— and most likely examined ruthlessly.
The worst of it? They were virtual fountains of youth, living much longer than their human counterparts. What if humans could manufacture whatever anomaly gave werewolves their increased longevity and bottle it? What if everyone wanted to be werewolves?
Hmm, that could be a good thing, she supposed. No more hiding what they were.
“Carol? Did you hear me? I want grandkids,” her mother repeated over the phone.
Carol took a deep breath. How could she tell her mother that grandkids were out? That they’d be were-kids—and who knew what kind of trouble they could get into? How could she raise little lupus garous when she hadn’t grown up as one and was still fumbling around with her own identity?
“Mom, I’m working at the hospital and need to go.”
“You do plan to have children, don’t you? You’re the only daughter we have left now.”
The guilt trip again. “I need a guy in my life first.”
“I shouldn’t have hung up on Ryan, should I have?” Her mother sounded really sorry for what she’d done.
Carol smiled. “Probably served him right. Got to go. Talk to you later.”
“Next time you visit, bring Ryan along. I haven’t met him, and I want to make sure he’s all right for you. That is if you’re hell-bent on dating him. I’ll give him a talking-to about your uniqueness.”
Uniqueness. Even now, her mother couldn’t bring herself to say Carol had psychic abilities. “He lives in Green Valley.”
“I know, I know. He told me. Just bring him by sometime. Soon.”
“All right. Bye, Mom.”
“Ask him if he wants kids. It’s important to discuss such things with a guy you’re interested in.”
“All right, if I get interested.”
“He’s interested, Carol, or he wouldn’t have called me.”
Her mom might not have psychic connections, but she was fairly intuitive when it came to understanding people. Still, Carol figured Ryan had only had one thing on his mind when he called her mother.
“You don’t think he was just going to ask if I truly had a vision about the doctor’s wife?”
“Of course he was. That’s what made me mad. He shouldn’t have to ask. But he wouldn’t have bothered calling me if he wasn’t intrigued with you. And I loved his sexy voice.”
Even though her mother didn’t like that Darien had moved Carol into his home, or that he or his brothers or Lelandi were always watching her, her mother loved Darien and his brothers’ sexy voices also. There was something about alpha males’ voices that made everyone take notice.
Call waiting warned Carol that she had someone else on the line. “I have another incoming call, Mom. We’ll have to talk later.”
“All right, dear. Good-bye.”
“Bye, Mom. Thanks for giving me a ring.”
Carol hung up and then stared at the Caller ID. Rosalind McKinley? Was she Ryan’s sister? It seemed to Carol as though she truly was dating Ryan, the way everyone was calling her about him. At least, that’s what she suspected his sister wanted to talk to her about since Carol had never met Rosalind… or spoken with her before. The day just got weirder and weirder.
“Hello, this is Carol Wood. How may I help you?”
“Hi, Carol, this is Rosalind McKinley, Ryan’s sister. I wonder if Ryan has told you how much he wants you.”
Carol glanced at Tom, who was trying to listen to her conversation. He set the ice pack down on the counter and folded his arms, his look annoyed. He didn’t budge from the room.
“What makes you think that?” Carol asked Rosalind. She already liked the woman for having the gumption to call her. But she wondered if Ryan’s sister really knew what she was talking about or just thought she knew her brother that well.
“Oh, Carol. I can call you Carol, can’t I?”
“Sure.”
“Well, Ryan hasn’t been able to think of anything since he met you five months ago. It was Carol this and Carol that, and dark brooding looks, chopping wood, pacing back and forth, wearing out our carpeting, impossibly distracted whenever I tried to talk with him.”
“He said nice things about me then?” Carol felt a warm glow.
“Oh, no… not at all.”
That hit Carol like she’d just been sprayed with a cold shower, dousing the warm, fuzzy feeling at once. “No? What then?”
“My brother was obsessed with you. Still is. Mate the poor fool and put him out of his misery. I can’t wait to meet you. No other woman has had this kind of effect on him. It’s wonderful.”
“But what did he say exactly to you about me?”
“He had taken tons of pictures of you. He keeps them in the top of the folder, and despite the case being closed, he keeps the file out for handy reference. Not to study the case but to get another look at you. You know what that means, don’t you?”
“Not exactly.” Carol noted that Rosalind did not exactly say what Ryan had told her about Carol, either.
“He’s in love. I’ve never seen him fall so hard for a woman. But I was worried he might not get the message across to you, so I thought I’d better call and let you know how he feels. Just in case.”
“Um, thanks.” I think. Carol could just imagine telling Ryan that she understood he loved her and was thrilled he felt that way. He’d look at her like she’d lost her mind.
“Don’t thank me! I’m getting a sister!”
Her comment made Carol smile.
A commotion ensued in the lobby, garnering Carol’s attention, and Tom moved into the hall to check it out. “We’ll have to have this conversation later, Rosalind. Thanks so much for calling me.”
“Can we have lunch soon?”
Carol already really liked Rosalind, her friendliness, enthusiasm, camaraderie. She seemed like someone who’d be in Carol’s court if she needed her. “Lunch sounds great.”