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Chapter Three
Over the summer, Luther Nolan had done a lot of research about Angel Fire before he decided to move to his new home there and to start working at his new job in the mines. Winter was the most profitable season in Angel Fire, a small town with a sprawling mountain range and a ski resort that offered guests a luxury experience for a modest price. The tourists flocked there in droves every year from November through March, basking in the natural beauty, staying in private cabins, and enjoying the local hot springs.
The beauty of spring was not to be underrated. When the snow in the mountains melted and the forests experienced their yearly rebirth, there was nothing like taking to the hiking trails, having a picnic in one of the many small parks on the outskirts of the city, or taking time out of the daily grind to fish on the serene, deep blue lake at the mountain’s base, just an hour’s walk from the Ruiz Family Resort.
Summer was all about the heat, sending people indoors for air conditioning, but the street festivals held by local vendors always managed to help the various small businesses survive the off-season with its resultant decrease in tourists’ cash.
Fall, on the other hand, was one of the most beautiful times of year. With the temperatures slowly cooling and some of the leaves changing, it was the residents’ last hurrah before the tourists returned. Children went back to school. Young adults suddenly found themselves headed off to the community college or learning at the teaching hospital some twenty minutes away. Business owners prepared for a busy winter season, hoping that their viral marketing campaigns—managed by summer students and interns—had done enough to bring the people back in just a few short months.
But Luther had not seen anything of all that activity as of yet because he’d been spending most of his time up on the mountain. And although he worked in the mines, because of his unique needs, it was impossible for him to bunk in with the other miners, even though he considered them his brothers. Instead, he’d opted to rent a mobile home that was much closer to the resort than it was to his place of work. And when he wasn’t working, Luther had pretty much kept to himself, except for a weekly run to the grocery store in Angel Fire.
He was pretty much a loner, except for his small daughter, Violet, who had been the center of his world ever since her mother had died giving birth to her. Not quite four, Violet was smart as a whip and he couldn’t be more proud. During the day she went to daycare, but whenever he needed help with her during the night or on the weekends, he’d been relying on Genica Ross, the fiancée of the only other mining shifter in town. Paul Daniels also happened to have been Luther’s best friend for the past ten years. After all, in an industry where almost everyone was human, a couple of shifters had to stick together.
Today, even though he wasn’t working, Violet was still in daycare for a few hours, giving Luther a chance to socialize. So what did he do instead of visiting town? He headed for the mining camp to hang out with other members of his work crew on their collective day off. He couldn’t decide if it was pathetic, or if he was just a creature of habit that preferred his comfort zone.
He’d been there about half an hour, talking about rocks, minerals, sand, and copper veins before Paul showed up and cast him an amused smirk. “Bro, I knew I would find you up here. Come on; you’re never going to find out more about the little town you live in if you don’t go down and have a look around.”
Luther rolled his eyes at the eagle shifter and shook his head. “I’m positive there’s nothing to do down there, Paul. I know that’s how you met Genica, but it’s easy for you to find someone. In your case, Genica’s the one who has the daughter so you didn’t have to worry about introducing your kid to a potential life partner.”
Paul grinned. “You know your problem, Luther? You never consider the idea that you could just date someone for fun.”
“You know why I won’t do that, so there’s no point to bringing it up,” Luther grumbled. He’d always longed to find his fated mate, but the one time he’d chosen to settle for something else had been with Victoria. Violet’s mother had been human, but she’d accepted the notion that shifters existed surprisingly well, and they’d spent one enjoyable year together. Luther had even been foolish enough to marry her just a few months before she’d birthed their child.
Now, though? There was no way Luther wanted to cause harm to yet another woman who could never be the love of his life. And besides, he knew the woman he was meant for was out there somewhere. What would happen to any woman he was dating if his fated mate should finally arrive? No, there was no way he wanted to go through all that another time, even if the only woman in his life would be a three-year-old girl with all-knowing eyes.
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Paul replied. “But just because you’re not looking for a date doesn’t mean you can’t go down to Angel Fire and have a good time. There’s this great little park on the outskirts with enough room to get a good game going. In fact, I think maybe all you guys might like it. We can’t be mining all the time. What do you say we all go there and stretch our legs? I’ve got a football in my truck, and the will to tackle each and every one of you. Well, except the big guy, of course.”
Luther laughed. The humans didn’t know that his inner polar bear was a whole lot bigger than he was, but he couldn’t help but imagine a golden eagle trying to tackle a polar bear if they were playing in their other forms. Though, his human form was a bit larger than the other men there, too. He was six feet plus of some pretty solid muscle.
“That sounds like a great time,” said one of the other men enthusiastically. “Come on, everyone. I’m down for stretching my legs instead of my arms for once.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll go,” Luther conceded as he got to his feet. “But I have to get back to the daycare by six at the latest since that’s what time they close.”
“It’s okay, dude, I’ll just give Genica a call and have her pick up Violet along with Hattie if we’re gone too long. Just relax for once, and have some fun.”
