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Several hours later, he loaded up his snowmobile’s small trailer with her sparse collection of clothes, books, and electronics, then headed back to the ranch.
Before continuing on to his cabin, he swung by the main house with the goal of informing the Cougar Lake Pride’s governing council of his unexpected mating, and to tell them what happened to Holly.
These sabertooth cats might be a kinder, gentler community of shifters compared to Familia La Brea, but Daniel and the others didn’t tolerate trespassers any more than Tino had. If the poachers were still around and up to no good, the shifters in this area would be on guard.
He pulled up in front of the big ranch house just as Daniel Langlais emerged onto the deck. The silver-haired shifter was wearing his chef’s whites and appeared to be on his way to the restaurant.
“Hey, boss,” Ice called as he parked and turned off the snowmobile’s engine. “I got some news for you.”
Chef Daniel listened intently as Ice explained what had happened.
When Ice finished talking, Daniel clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll tell the other council members. And congratulations on your mating.” His weathered face creased into a smile, crinkling the crow’s feet radiating from the corners of his eyes. “I’m assuming you want to add a plus-one to your Christmas dinner RSVP?”
“I’d love that, if it’s okay with you,” Ice replied. He grinned at his boss, and confessed, “I may have already asked her to come as my date. And told her that the pride’s holiday meals are out-of-this-world good.”
Daniel beamed. “Well, we’re looking forward to meeting your mate and welcoming her into the pride.”
This was Ice’s cue to broach an uncomfortable subject. “Uh, so Holly knows I’m a shifter, but she doesn’t know my cat sealed a mating bond with her. I’m still courting her, so if you could pass the word along…? I don’t want to make things awkward for her if everyone assumes we’re already a done deal.”
Daniel’s brow crinkled. “But, son, you guys are a done deal,” he said in his soft Gulf Coast drawl. “You’d better tell her that sooner rather than later.”
“I’m working on it,” Ice assured him. He jerked a thumb at the tarp-covered bundle tied to the snowmobile’s trailer, next to Becca’s Christmas tree “That’s her stuff. She’s moving in with me.”
“Well, best of luck to you, Ice,” Daniel said. “See you at the restaurant later.”
He headed for his Jeep, and Ice climbed back onto his snowmobile.
His next stop was Becca and Paul’s cabin. His sister and her mate were both at work, so he left the Douglas fir propped against their front door. When they returned, they’d recognize his scent mark and know he’d been the one to leave it.
Then he headed to his cabin, eager to see how Holly had fared in his absence.
∞∞∞
When his landline phone rang, Ice had just finished unpacking Holly’s stuff.
With her guidance, he was reorganizing the cabin’s furniture and storage bins to make it easier for her to get around on her peg-leg crutch.
He checked the Caller ID and picked up the handset. “Hey, Becca.”
“Ice, you big old sweetie, thank you for the Christmas tree!” his sister exclaimed. “Paul and I just put it up in our living room and it’s perfect!”
Ice grinned. Mission accomplished, he thought, gratified.
Aloud, he said, “Awesome. I wanted you to have a special tree for your first Christmas in your new place. How are you feeling?” he added with concern.
“Better. No more morning sickness. Now I’m starving all the time. You would not believe how many groceries Paul bought just before the storm hit!”
“And how many jars of pickles?” he teased.
Becca giggled “I see you’ve met the pregnant lady. You would not believe the expression on Paul’s face when he caught me drinking the pickle juice right out of the jar!”
“Eww.” Ice grimaced.
Holly stopped typing on her laptop and shot him a questioning glance.
“Oh, and I just heard the craziest rumor!” his sister continued. “Ellen Katz is telling people you’re mated! To some Ordinary woman!”
Ice blinked. Ellen was a member of the governing council, so it made sense that Daniel had told her. She was also apparently a huge gossip.
