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“Of course.”

“Maisie is eager to do your maternity photo shoot this afternoon.”

“Oh, me too, before it’s too late,” Heather said.

Robert frowned. “Are you going into labor?”

“Nay. I mean, I’m experiencing the same as Colleen has been. Intermittent contractions, nothing lasting any time at all. I keep hoping this is it, and then they stop.”

“Okay, well, keep me posted.”

“I will. Believe me.”

After a while, Callum sent the video of the man in theshop. He wasn’t wearing a wrist splint, and he was wearing blue jeans and sneakers. So no match there.

Then Iverson called. “I found Gus’s car. It was left near a petrol station about ten miles from here.”

“What are you doing with it?” Robert asked.

“Hauling it to the castle and going over it with a fine-tooth comb for forensics. I’ll swap out with one of the brothers so William, Edward, and I can all look over it. Since we’re all former homicide detectives, it would be good if all three of us look for clues. I did check with the petrol station to see their security videos. They showed Gus dropping off that woman he was with at the inn. Then he left. The car smells like it’s been wiped down with a bleach cleaner. It’s really pungent. I think it was to get rid of any fingerprints but maybe also to disguise the murderer’s scent in the event a wolf was investigating this.”

“Can you tell if Gus’s scent was there?”

“Aye. And another male wolf’s, but I don’t know who it is. Also, a female’s scent, which might be Chelsea’s. The bleach couldn’t cover all the scents.”

“Okay, good job. Let us know what else you discover.”

“I sure will.”

Robert sure wished they could get somewhere with this faster than they were. He thought of himself as patient, but when it came to Maisie’s and Anne’s safety, he realized he was really impatient, and for good reason.

Chapter 15

That evening, Maisie wanted to retire early with Robert, which made her want to go to his place for some solitude and loving. She was tired after the wild night making love to Robert last eve, and she was eager to make love to him again before they went to sleep. Finally, when it seemed like a decent time to go to bed, William gave them an out and said he was ready to call it a night.

Yes!

Then they all said good night and headed to their beds.

This time, Maisie and Robert made love before showering together, and it truly was as good as the first time. In the shower, they were smiling as they soaped each other and washed each other’s hair, which felt amazing. She could really get used to this routine.

They climbed into bed naked, pulled their covers up, and snuggled as if this was just the way it should always be. She already didn’t want Robert to return to his home once they didn’t need him for security any longer. She never thought she would feel so strongly about a wolf after all her failures with other wolves she had dated.

***

Man, Robert could really get used to being with Maisie like this—the loving, the showers, the intimacy, sleeping with her. He hadn’t known what to expect when he slept with her, but they fit like two peas in a pod, complementing each other. He hadn’t slept this well in forever. She soothed him and made him forget anything else other than being with her. He loved his new home, but returning to it meant leaving her once he wasn’t needed for security, and that was already making him think of changing that arrangement in a hurry. They didn’t know when the sisters would no longer need him and William, but he hoped the arrangement would give them time to get to know each other better, and by the time he moved back home, maybe Maisie would want to move in with him—permanently, of course. A mating, definitely. But he would give it a while to make sure she was of the same mind. He sure hoped so because he already didn’t want to give her up for anything.

She was sleeping securely in his arms. This was the life, he thought, as he finally dropped off to sleep.

***

In the morning, Maisie remembered the animal photos for Robert’s clinic should be in the mail and Robert could give them to Veronica to frame. She hopped out of bed, got dressed, and said, “Mail time!”

He smiled. “I’ve never seen anyone who is that eager to get the mail.”

“Your photos should be in the mailbox.”

“Oh, great.” He climbed out of bed and began getting dressed.