Chapter 46

Dinner that night was a lively affair. The women were discussing table arrangements and seating for both weddings and the two ceremonies where Jaxson and Rio would take over as the ruling Alpha and Beta. Then during their ceremonies, their mates will be introduced as the Alpha and Beta females.

The entire clan and town were aware of the shift in leadership. They knew that the Gamma would be handing over leadership of the clan back to an Alpha and Beta couple.

Even people that lived in the surrounding areas were aware that something big was going on. Most of the people around here knew about the shifters here and kept their secret. Many had married into clans over the decades and the clan had grown. This caused excitement to flow through the town. Many people also were aware that the sheriff, the Gamma, had been gifted with a new and second mate after losing his first mate in a horrible auto accident.

Many had met her and thought that she was a good woman, even tempered and polite.

Some of the older females had even started saying that she was pregnant.

Henry was sitting in his office, going over patient notes, when his cell phone rang. The only people that called him were the sheriff, Misty and Randi, as well as a few others in and around town. Looking at his phone, he saw that it was Randi. Answering the phone, he felt excitement rush over him.

"Hi."

"I'm almost to you. I was able to get everything in order and get away faster than I had thought. Can I come to your office when I get there?"

"Yes. come straight to my office. It's in the older building. The brick is yellow and it has a white marble lintel and doorframes. I'll wait on you here."

"Oh. You shouldn't have to wait too long. I'm only about an hour out."

Henry spoke to Randi for a few minutes longer before disconnecting the call. Then, he opened his contacts and dialed his sister's number.

When Misty answered her phone, Henry almost chickened out and hung up. But he didn't.

"Hi Sis, how are you feeling today? Baby doing good?" Henry asked her.

"Henry, why did you really call me? I was in your office yesterday. You sound a little panicked. What's up?" Mist"y replied.

Silence met her on the other end. "Henry? You still there?"

"Randiisonherway. She'llbehereinaboutanhour...." he said in a rush.

"Slow down, Henry. Did you say Randi was on her way?"

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he tried to calm himself. "Yeah. She just called me. She's about an hour away. She's coming straight to my office."

"Henry that's great!"

"Will you be bringing her over to introduce her to Bill? And let me see her. After all, it's been years since I have seen her. I don't even know what she looks like anymore."

"Yes, I'll bring her over. Should we bring anything? Wine, juice, beer for Bill?" Misty laughed.

"No, I think we are good. Just bring Randi and yourself. Be at the house around 7. That will give Randi time to check into the motel and get a shower and change."

"Oh, she won't be staying at the mote. She'll be staying with me. I have plenty of room."

Misty wasn't sure what to say. "Okay. See you at the house tonight."

Hanging up her cell, Misty turned to Bill.

When Bill saw the look on Misty's face, he knew instantly that something wasn't right. Walking over to her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and asked, "What is it, love?"

"Henry is coming for dinner." That wasn't unusual lately. He was trying to develop a better relationship with his sister.

"Okay. That's fine." Before Bill could say anything else, Misty spoke up.

"He's bringing a guest with him."

"What! But Henry hasn't made many friends. Who.."

"It's Randi."

Bill stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Misty. "Who's Randi?"

"Randi was one girl that lived next door to. She had a thing for Henry. At Henry's seventeenth birthday, I think it was, she walked over to the pool party that my brother and his friends had, drunk and passed out teenage boys all over the place. Walks up to my brother and gives him his gift." Bill's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline, he was so surprised.

"Gutsy or stupid kid. Not sure which." Misty nodded, agreeing with Bill.

"Henry had always been gentle with Randi. She held a place in his heart that no one else did. No, Randi was very special, and I think my brother knew it." Misty shook her head and continued, "Anyway, he told me that he admonished her for being over there and that this was an "adult" party and she shouldn't be there." Misty smiled, remembering the look on her brother's face when he told her about that night. "She told him, "I'm going to marry you when I grow up. She never pushed the issue. When Henry joined the military to get away from his guilty conscience, she cried, but she never wrote him. She was just there, quietly waiting for Henry to acknowledge her.' Misty had gone quiet, and Bill looked over at her to see her running her fingers through her hair.

"What is it, Misty? I can see it brewing in your brain." Bill said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"He noticed her, eventually. He came home on leave, He wasn't the same man. He was very quiet, as if he had turned in on himself. Randi had been invited over for dinner. What we didn't realize was that Randi hadn't left with the rest of the guests. She and Henry were out in the gardens. They were actually talking. Somehow, they ended up in Henry's room." Misty dragged her hand over her face and finished the rest of the story for her mate.

"When mom went to wake Henry up the next morning, Randi was in the bed with him. Naked. Both swear that they never actually did anything. Henry said that Randi wasn't ready and she deserved so much better than him." Shaking her head, she looked at Bill.

"Well, nothing to say?" She prompted.

"Not really sure what to say. We both know that Henry wears a huge hair shirt, in the way of a guilt complex. Maybe, her coming up here and even staying with him will be a good thing. Maybe her presence will help him heal. Who knows." Misty nodded and put her cobbler in the oven, to cook.

She shrugged her shoulders, not willing to comment. Walking over to the freezer, she checked that they had ice cream.

Bill watched his mate. She was nervous. He could tell. His mother would flitter around the kitchen when she was upset, and Misty did the same thing.

Walking over to her, he didn't say anything, he just wrapped her up in his arms and held her. "Breath Misty. Everything will be fine, honey."

"I just...I don't .. I can't watch him do that to them both, again. It ripped her apart when he disappeared only to find out later that he had joined the military." Looking up at Bill, she said, "This is probably the first time they have actually spoken to each other in ten years or more." Laying her head on Bill's chest, she whispered, "He's going to gut her if he rejects her again."

"You can't protect her, Honey. She's a grown woman." Misty, with her head still resting against his chest, nodded.

"I know. I just don't know if I can watch him self-destruct again."

Bill understood how she felt. He remembered how he had acted when his mate was killed.

Suddenly remembering that they were having guests, the actual reason for this conversation, she pulled herself together and finished putting the final touches on dinner. When Henry knocked on the front door, Misty was just taking the cobbler out of the oven.

The food was in the dining room and was waiting on everyone to have a seat. Bill pulled out Misty's chair for her and waited until their guests were seated before he actually took a seat.

Bill had gotten a look at Randi. She was stunningly beautiful. Her hair was long and black and fell in waves down her back, with eyes that were such a pale grey they looked like ice. Her features were delicate and her face was flawless in its beauty. She was not petite, but she wasn't overly tall, either. Henry was about six foot and Randi would hit him right under his chin, at about five-foot-seven.

Bill focused on Passing the food around and letting everyone fill their plates before anyone spoke.

As the last dish of food was set back down, Misty started the conversation.

"What brings you up here to our neck of the woods, Randi?"

The young woman carefully wiped her mouth and finished chewing before answering. "Henry called me. Right out of the blue. I was quite surprised, as you can imagine." She answered, smiling a small smile.

"Well, I for one am glad you came. The only female friends that I have are in the middle of planning two important ceremonies and two weddings. So, they haven't been able to spend a lot of time with Bill and I." Misty stopped and passed Bill an odd look. "How long are you going to be here? Have you decided how long you will be here?

"I have decided to stay about two weeks. Unless things change. My job is very understanding about me taking time off. Especially since I haven't taken a vacation in years."

"What do you do, Randi, if I may ask?"

Randi laughed and it was a tinkling sound, very pleasant. "I am a musculoskeletal therapist. I assist athletes with injury recovery, amputees adjust to their new limbs and their stumps. I assist in all kinds of recovery. "

"I would think that is a very rewarding occupation." Bill replied.

"It usually is. It can be heartbreaking too." Randi put her fork down and ducked her head for a moment.

"Are you okay, Randi?" Henry placed a hand on her forearm when he asked her.

"I'm fine. Well, no. I'm really not. I lost a patient last week. It's what made me accept your invitation, Henry." She replied quietly.

"Lost?" he asked.

"Yes, she had lost both of her legs in an accident. It was one of those freak accidents that no one could have foreseen. They were playing soccer after school on a local field when a driver lost control of their vehicle and ran over her. Her legs were crushed just above the knee on both legs. They didn't even have enough bone to graft a metal rod. The decision was made that in order to save her life, they amputated both of her legs." Randi took a deep breath before continuing. "She didn't understand that we could get her to a point where she could be just as active after the double amputation, then she was before." A single tear escaped her eye. "The morning nurse found her. She had been saving her pain medication and took about 15 high dose pain meds. The coroner said that she would have gone peacefully. She would have simply closed her eyes and went to sleep."

"It's true, Randi. She wouldn't have been in any pain. I know that doesn't make it easier to accept. For anyone."

Randi looked over at Misty, "Did you become a doctor, as well? Like Henry?"

Misty gave a small smile. "I did. I didn't deal with grief very well, though. So, I left practicing medicine and became a coroner for the FBI. That's who I worked for, up until recently. I have resigned my position. It's time to stay home and be a mom."

"Oh, I didn't realize that you had children." Looking around, Randi sought signs of them.

"We don't yet. Well, we will. Soon. In about seven and a half months." Misty replied.

Randi looked from the man at one end of the table to Misty at the other end. The way they looked at each other, the could be no doubt how they felt about each other. She felt her heart twist. She wanted that. So bad. But, it looked like it wasn't going to happen.