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When Nora turned the corner to the front of the house, Hudson was standing on his hind legs doing a polar bear dance for the little girl.
“Oh, my God! Shoo! Shoo! Go away!”
Nora yelled, loudly clapping her hands to scare away what she thought was the wild animal. Somehow, in her panic, it never managed to sink in that there were no polar bears in Colorado. Though Hudson couldn’t blame her for the oversight. He knew her thoughts were of Hannah and the mortal danger she was in.
Hudson dropped to all fours and slowly turned around to face the nurse.
Nora's eyes homed in on Hudson’s. Shifting or not, the eyes don’t change. Hudson knew she recognized him from his eyes alone. He huffed, got back up on his hind legs, and clapped his front paws together as if doing a Russian bear dance.
“Hudson … is that … is thatyou?”
Hudson nodded with his massive muzzle. And as fast as he transformed for Hannah, he switched back for Nora, quickly galloping behind a bush to dress in his clothes. In less than a minute, Hudson returned to mortal form, walking calmly out from the shrub to meet Nora face to face.
“Yes, Nora. That was, or well,isme. I wanted to tell you for so long, but I couldn’t find the right time or the right words. I mean, how do you tell a human this? How can you make them understand?”
Hudson reached out to take her gloved hand.
Nora kept her hands to herself and stepped back. The caregiver stood there as if frozen, unsure, thoroughly confused, and more than a bit frightened.
“Listen, if you let me, I can explain. Hannah is in no danger. I was only playing with her. She loves it when I shapeshift, and we play in the snow. I did it once before, and she liked it. And today, she seemed so down about being stuck inside. I wanted to cheer her up. And I did, I really did. Look how happy she is.”
Nora’s apprehensive gaze fell on Hannah. Hudson got no retort from the distraught nurse. It was obvious to Hudson and to anyone who laid eyes on the healing girl. Hannah was the picture of health. Hudson didn’t have to be a caregiver to know laughter really was the best medicine.
Nora returned her gaze to Hudson. This time, there were tears in her eyes.
She said not one word, shook her head once, and ran for the front door, closing it soundly.
“Hudson, did I do something wrong? I only wanted to play with you. Is she upset we were playing?”
“No, sweetheart, you did nothing wrong. Sometimes, what kids find easy to get used to, adults find difficult. That’s all. Don’t you worry one bit. I’ll talk to Nora, and everything will be fine. Just you watch. Now, let’s get you back inside before you catch a cold. Can you imagine your therapists if that happened? Boy, would I be in the doghouse then.”
“Oh, Hudson. Not a doghouse. A polar bear den.”
Hudson chuckled. “Right. A polar bear den.”
Hudson grabbed the wheelchair handles and guided the girl up the ramp and inside, where it was warm. He did a quick visual survey as he helped Hannah out of her coat. Nora was nowhere in sight.
Man, I wish Nora could be as easy to deal with as Hannah. Oh hell, man, you know that’s an unfair comparison. Hannah thinks my shifting is funny and normal. Nora knows otherwise. How am I going to make this seem normal to a woman who has never seen this level of abnormality before? And the carefree, warm smiles she always had for me. Are they forever replaced with the fear I saw in her eyes just now?
Hudson sighed. He dutifully rolled Hannah back to her bedroom and got her ready for bed. What he once thought difficult to do …fathering a child …seemed child’s play compared to the obstacle he faced trying to explain the unexplainable to a human woman.
“Goodnight, little one. See you in the morning.”
“Night, and thank you. That was so much fun.”
Hudson smiled, blew the little girl a kiss, and gently closed the door.
Out in the hall, he heard a noise. He stood still to listen. He soon recognized the sound.
Crying. From Nora’s room.
Hudson frowned, inhaled, and walked toward the nurse’s door.
If not a doghouse, the shifter knew he was in one heck of a polar bear den now.
FIFTEEN
NORA
