Catamount Ridge by Aubree Lane Page A

painless. The old battle-ax would not suffer the way her daughter had.
    •   •   •
    THE MARCUS FAMILY, along with Gracie Langston, stood proudly with hand over heart, singing the Star Spangled Banner. The fireworks display was set to begin the moment the crowd hit the last note of the patriotic song.
    Cade lifted Jessie’s youngest son on top of his shoulders and pointed at the nighttime sky. “That’s where the sparks will fly. Plug your ears, boy. Freedom is about to ring.”

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    FACES FLOATED IN the mist. The images shifted and swirled until one came into focus. Nathan’s sappy five-year-old smile beamed from ear-to-ear. “Now you tell me!” he shouted before drifting happily away.
    Jessie shot up in bed, the grin on her face matched that of her brother’s. Her message about the worms had been received loud and clear. Not ready to let him go, she gave herself a hug and brushed a tear from her cheek. “Twerp,” she called out softly.
    Clear as day, Nathan retorted joyfully, “Butthead.”
    Ice rustled beside her. “Is everything okay?”
    It was more than okay. Her baby brother had come for a visit. Jessie hoped it wouldn’t be the last, but if it was, this one was special enough to last a lifetime.
    “I had a dream. Sorry I woke you.” Ice reached for her, but Jessie shook her head. “Slow down, cowboy. The doc said you need to take it easy for a few weeks.”
    Her bedmate chuckled. “Doc? Don’t you mean vet? I’m still wondering how he kept me in human form long enough to perform the vasectomy. No offense, but I don’t trust the Guardianship, and I’m itching to find out if this thing still works.”
    Performing the surgery hadn’t been an easy task. The correct dosage of anesthesia had been difficult to find. Too much and Ice shifted into mountain lion form. Too little and he would become aware. That fine line took longer to discover than the actual procedure. They ended up sterilizing both man and beast. The general consensus was that Ice didn’t need to know all the particulars.
    Without the ability to procreate, Ice was no longer deemed a threat to the community. It wasn’t clear if Ice had an actual home. Since the mine was an inappropriate place to stage a recovery, the cabin where Derek used to live was their next best option. Jessie stayed on to make sure Ice didn’t shift or overdo it. No one knew exactly what would happen, but shifting too soon would more than likely send him back to the veterinary clinic.
    Ice, being Ice, assumed she remained for other more carnal reasons. That belief was reinforced when Jessie decided to sleep in the bed with him, instead of on the couch as she originally planned. It got cold this high up in the mountains and Ice was a furnace. Tomorrow, she would make sure they had firewood available, but she rather liked having Ice beside her. If she had her way, her pillow would never reside on that lumpy couch.
    “Would you like to visit the cubs tomorrow?” she offered. “I understand they are doing well.”
    The hair on his neck bristled and his eyes turned hard at the mention of his offspring.
    “Simmer down, daddy cat,” she scolded. “As soon as they’re weaned, they will be released back into your care. I’ve made arrangements for you to remain here. The cabin is secluded enough for you to teach them how to survive on their own without being disturbed.”
    The big bad shifter ran his hands through his dark hair. “That’s a big responsibility. I never saw myself as a nurturer.”
    Jessie pushed his torso back into the bedding and snuggled down beside him. “All you have to do is love them. I’m sure you’ll figure out the rest.”
    A sexy grin crept onto his lips. “Does this mean my previous methods have been forgiven?”
    That was a hard question to answer. The open part of her mind wasn’t sure there was anything to forgive. If he had been honest, she would have undoubtedly refused to nurse the cubs. No matter how