His life with Connie—with any woman—was over.
From this day on, he vowed the only contact he’d have with women would be strictly for sexual gratification. His heart was off-limits for good.
He smiled as the cold bit into him. No one else would be caught dead riding a motorcycle in the wintertime, but the cold wasn’t a problem. His elevated body temperature kept him nice and toasty.
That was one of the perks about being a lycan.
Snow? That was another thing altogether. Even he wasn’t dumb enough to ride his bike in the snow.
He had a house about six hours north in the deep woods of Wisconsin. He’d left it when he moved in with Connie. Thank God he’d had enough sense to hire someone to look after it while he was gone. He’d wanted to take Connie there several times, but each time he’d mentioned it, she’d scrunch her nose up and say she wasn’t a woodsy-type girl. That should have been his first clue that a relationship with her would never work for the long haul.
Even if the long haul would have been a span of twenty years or less because he didn’t age like a human and Connie wasn’t his mate. He couldn’t turn her into a lycan, and she along with everyone else they knew would eventualy become suspicious of his youthful looks when age started to bear its mark on them while he remained unaffected by the ticking of time.
He laughed into the wind whipping his hair, but the sound was drowned out by the loud purr of the motorcycle. To think he’d been ready to spend that many years with her. He reached up and adjusted his sunglasses. You are a complete idiot indeed, Kish.
A complete idiot.
Chapter Two
“We’re only going to be gone for a week, Henry.
How many bags do you need?” Joey complained for what seemed the twentieth time in the last half hour.
Georgia smiled as she listened to her best friends bicker with one another. The bickering was always good-natured, and never led to nasty fights or insults.
Joey and Henry were in love, and she loved them more for the dedication they had to one another.
“Come on, guys.” Georgia laughed. “I’ve known you two for ten years, and in al that time, why is it that only I have realized Henry would over pack even if we were going to a nudist colony for a week?”
“A nudist colony? Now that is a good suggestion,”
Joey said.
“Wait a minute. That was not a suggestion, and you wel know it.” Georgia put her hands up in surrender.
“Does going to a nudist colony actualy appeal to you?” The shock in Henry’s voice was evident.
Georgia had become accustomed to reading others’ emotions through the tones in their voices and pauses in speech. While she could tel Joey was trying to rile Henry up, as usual, Henry fel for it—as usual.
Lucy shifted beside Georgia, and she reached to pat the dog that had been her companion for the last five years on the head.
“Calm down, love. It was a joke. Although I can’t say it wouldn’t be an interesting place to go.” Joey laughed again when Henry huffed.
“Are you two about ready? I swear you take longer to get ready than any woman I’ve ever known.” Georgia smiled as she teased them.
“Yes. Yes. We’re ready,” Joey said. “Let me help Henry put the bags in the car, and we’l be on our way.”
Georgia nodded and stood. Lucy immediately stood next to her left leg, and she reached for the handle on Lucy’s harness. “Door, Lucy.”
Lucy immediately began walking beside Georgia to the front door of Henry and Joey’s house where she waited patiently for Henry and Joey to finish packing.
Scuffling and rushed trips to grab forgotten things ensued.
“Okay. I think we are ready,” Henry finaly said.
“You sure you’re up for this, Georgia? It’s probably going to be colder than a witch’s ass at the cabin.”
“I’l survive.” Georgia made her way to the vehicle as Lucy guided her around any obstacles. “Besides, we’ve al been talking about doing this for two years now. It’s far past time to quit talking and do it.”
“Yeah. I know. But I can’t help but think if Frank didn’t have this cabin when Cindy married him, we’d never contemplate taking a roughing-it-in-nature trek four hours north. Hel, central Wisconsin is cold enough. North wil be worse.” Henry started the car after they were al situated inside.
“That’s the point. The opportunity arose from Cindy’s new marriage, and we should take it.
Besides, Henry, it isn’t as if Frank is going to get any good use of it any time soon. Cindy would rather die than rough it in a cabin.” Joey chuckled.
“I’m beginning to think she has the right idea on that one,” Henry quietly said.
“Don’t tel me you’re turning into as big of a wuss as your sister, Henry,” Georgia ribbed him good-naturedly.
It was true. Cindy was a sweet, honest-as-the-day-was-long, kind person, but an outdoorswoman she was not. Georgia had always loved nature. The sounds of the crickets, the rustle of leaves in a breeze, a babbling creek had always proved comforting to her. The only thing that she could think of that would be better was if she could see the things she heard.
She didn’t feel sorry for herself because she was blind, but she doubted she’d be human if she didn’t wish now and again for what she’d been born without. She’d adapted wel to her blindness and was able to take care of herself fine. And when she’d been fortunate enough to obtain Lucy, the dog had given her even more independence. She not only viewed Lucy as a coworker, but as a best friend.
“Wuss? Did you actualy cal me a wuss?” Henry said incredulously.
“I believe she did, old boy,” Joey chimed in.
“Actualy, I view it as more of a, shal we say, manly chalenge.” She settled into the comfortable backseat and leaned her head against the headrest.
“Chalenge accepted. But I stil think we are crazy for going during wintertime,” Henry grumbled.
“Until April next year, it’s the only time we could both manage to get off work,” Joey chastised.
“I’m looking forward to getting away for a week, but only if I don’t have to listen to you two hens cackle the whole time.” Georgia barely kept a giggle from escaping.
“Oh no you didn’t, girl. You did not just say that,”
Joey said.
Georgia laughed and soon Henry and Joey joined in. She loved that she could be herself with her friends, and that they never took her jokes seriously because joking was a big part of her life. She’d gotten through many tough times with laughter. It was the best medicine.
A while later, she started dozing off while Henry and Joey bickered over which station to listen to on the radio. She’d never managed to stay awake on a long car ride. Soon nothing but sweet silence engulfed her.
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. We’re here.”
Georgia woke up to Joey poking her in the ribs.
“Hey! You know I’m ticklish. Stop it!”
“Geesh. Change Sleeping Beauty to Grumpy,”
Henry said.
“You both know I’m a little cranky when I first wake up. It’s one of the hazards you have to put up with having me as a friend.” Georgia stretched and yawned.
“Uh-huh.” Joey laughed. “We’re going to unload and take the bags in. Do you need help with anything?”
“Nope. I’m going to take Lucy to do her business, and I’l be in in a couple minutes.”