She shook her head at herself.

“Is everything okay over there?” CJ sounded so nice, masculine, and comforting. She wished they’d ended tonight on a better note. “Darien was concerned because you’re alone and thought maybe someone was giving you some trouble.”

“Oh, no. I’m okay.” She hadn’t thought anyone would think she was in trouble. That made the situation even worse. “I’m fine, but…I’m so sorry about saying your dad might have had anything to do with my aunt’s disappearance. I shouldn’t have said anything unless I had evidence one way or another. It was totally uncalled for.”

“It’s all right, Laurel. He might have. We just don’t know. It’s important to consider any option. If he’s a suspect, we need to investigate that angle further. You were perfectly right in bringing it up.”

“I upset you.”

“The whole issue pertaining to him has been upsetting. But none of us are burying our heads in the sand concerning his complicity if he was also involved in this.”

“I didn’t want to make you feel bad.”

“I’m fine. I talked to Brett about it, and he’s doing more investigating. Did you want some company?”

No. She needed to sleep, but what she would give to have him snuggled with her in bed at the moment.

“I’d be there in ten minutes, tops.”

She smiled. She just bet he would. “I need to sleep. I just…couldn’t.”

“You sure you don’t want me to come over? We could make a snowman in the garden, or one in front of the hotel for the guests’ arrival tomorrow. Or we could build snow forts and have a snowball fight. Surefire way to wear you out and make you sleepy. Then we could have cocoa with marshmallows on top. And I’ve been dying to have a piece of that seven-layer chocolate cake. I can’t quit thinking about it.”

She laughed. He was serious! “If you’re sure you’re not upset over what I said to you earlier—”

“Not if you make it up to me. I’m getting dressed right now.”

She chuckled. “It would be kind of cute making a snowman in front of the hotel for the celebration.”

“Nothing would be better. I’ll be right over.”

She could hear him getting dressed in a hurry, slamming drawers, but he hadn’t hung up on her yet.

She laughed. “All right. If my sisters knew what I ended up doing in the middle of the night before the opening, they’d want to commit me.”

“We’ll send them a picture.”

“No way.”

He laughed. “Be there in a few minutes.”

She couldn’t believe it. She was never this impulsive, but CJ really brought out the playfulness in her. More than anything, she did want to make it up to him. What better way to do so? She knew after they were done with this, she’d be able to sleep with a clear conscience.

She had barely dressed and made her way down the stairs when she saw a pickup’s headlights as the truck pulled into the parking lot out back. She peered out the window to ensure it was just CJ.

He was slipping on a parka as he strode to the front door. She smiled at him. “I’m never this impulsive, I want you to know.”

“Me either,” he said, and she wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. But then maybe she brought out the playfulness in him too.

She pulled on a blue knit hat and her white parka and gloves, and then the two of them headed around the front of the hotel to begin building the snowman. “Oh, wait, I didn’t think to get anything for the snowman’s face.”

“I’ve got it all here, just in case we needed something.” CJ patted his pocket.

It wasn’t long before they were building a snowman. The Christmas lights on the hotel cast a diamond-like sheen over the front lawn where they were creating their snow art, and the old-time brass lanterns along Main Street added to the festive night with their garlands and red bows. “You look like you’re experienced in the art of creating snowmen.”

CJ added more snow to the base. “After a good snowfall like this, we often have a snowman-building contest. Brett posts pictures in the paper and online, and the pack and anyone else interested votes on the best.”

“And the winner receives?”

He stood back and watched to see what she was doing as she reshaped the snowman into something else.

“Hmm?” she asked.

The snowman wouldn’t win any contests if it didn’t look like a snowman. “The winner receives steaks on the house at the tavern.”

“For…two?”

“For as many as it took to create the best snowman.” He packed more snow on the base. She scooped more of it away and stacked it higher. They were definitely at cross-purposes on this project.

He began to watch what she was doing. And then he realized the shape the “snowman” was taking. Not so much a snowman as a snow sculpture—one wolf sitting ready to greet the hotel guests the next morning. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

He brought more snow over, only this time he set it next to her, surprised to see her creating such a wonder. “I wouldn’t think you’d ever have a chance to build a snowman where you lived.”

“One of the hotels we renovated was in Minnesota. We haven’t been there in many years, so we’ve gotten used to the hotter Florida climate. It’ll take us some time to get used to the snowier weather. I guess we won’t win any snowman contest though.”

He continued to bring her snow as she formed the head: chin lifted, the wolf howling, calling the pack together. It was perfect for the welcoming tomorrow. He took a picture of her doing the finishing touches.

A car’s lights, engine rumble, and tires slushing in the snow caught their attention. It slowed down as the driver looked at their creation and honked the horn with approval.

“John Hastings, owner of the hardware store and bed and breakfast.” CJ waved at him as he passed them by on his way to the bed and breakfast.

“I wouldn’t think anyone would be out this late.”

“Are you kidding? We’re wolves. I bet anything that Darien will change the contest tomorrow. Instead of being strictly for snowmen, it will be for snow sculptures.”

“Would he do that? Doesn’t seem fair to anyone else.”

“I say Darien, but Lelandi will probably be the one with the final say in the matter. They know what everyone would like in the pack anyway, so no one will be upset with the changes. Believe me, when everyone sees this, you’ll be the sure winner. Wolves trump snowmen any day.”

She smiled. “But we did it. If you hadn’t brought over all that snow, I’d still be moving handfuls over here. The wolf needs something more. Hold on. I’ve got it. Be right back.”

CJ stepped back so he could take pictures of the wolf with the hotel all lit up as the backdrop. He was afraid if they had a lot of wind tonight, it might whip away some of the snow.

She was taking forever, he thought, but he reminded himself that she had to go all the way around the hotel, or through it, to reach her house out back. And no telling what she was looking for. Or how long it would take her.

When he finally saw her, she was smiling brightly, her green eyes sparkling, a green, blue, and red plaid wool scarf clutched in her gloved hands. “It is said our family worked for the Ross clan, but others say that when we left Ireland and moved to the Highlands of Scotland, we were part of the MacIntyre clan.”

“Which do you believe about your roots?” He watched as she reverently tied the wool scarf around the wolf’s neck. Now it had a human touch and wasn’t just a wolf, but a lupus garou calling the pack together. If he didn’t know any better, CJ would say she was reaching out to the pack, the symbolism so vivid with the wolf wearing her family’s tartan. She and her sisters were welcoming the pack into their space, their home. They were ready to stay. If it wasn’t for the problem with the Wernicke brothers.

“I believe that we are the son of the earth, the wolf, with allegiance to the pack.”

His pack now, he hoped. “Let me take some pictures of you and the wolf.”