The Feline Gaze

“Aunt Jean, this is Matthew Ridge. He owns the big construction firm in town. You’ve heard of him, right?”

“I may have heard a thing or two,” she says diplomatically. If my uncle has told her about his plans to destroy Matthew’s company, she doesn’t let it show, but I’m guessing that she doesn’t know about my uncle’s plans. Instead, she probably knows that it’s causing trouble for the mayor, but she might not know the specifics of why.

“Matthew’s company wants to launch new housing options for shifters of all shapes and sizes.”

“That’s nice,” Aunt Jean says. She’s obviously waiting for me to get to the point.

“It would be,” I say. “But Uncle Jacob started a rumor that Matthew didn’t get his permits to build apartments for the college students this fall. Uncle Jacob said that Matthew’s construction projects have to stop because he didn’t go through the proper channels. That’s a lie, Aunt Jean.”

My aunt’s eyes narrow instantly.

“He did what, now?”

So, she didn’t know.

That’s good.

It means my aunt isn’t complicit in whatever scheming my uncle has gotten himself into and she’s more likely to be on our side when this is all over. That makes me so much happier than it should. If anything, it’s a relief that we only have one person to fight: not two.

“The apartments are important, miss,” Matthew steps forward. “As it is, Lyon County is known for being a place where tigers can roam free and live well, but what about other shifters? What about the birds and the owls? What about the snakes? The apartments I’m building will enable shifters of other species and backgrounds to be able to live and work in Lyon County without fearing for their safety. The apartments will let students have an affordable place to live. They’ll have amenities that other places don’t offer, like bird baths and easy access for smaller shifters who might not feel comfortable in large, wide spaces.”

My aunt considers what Matthew is saying, and then she shakes her head.

“I knew he was up to something.”

“Pardon?” Matthew asks.

“My husband,” Aunt Jean sighs. She looks at me. “Alastair told you the old man was sick, didn’t he?”

“He did.”

“Well, despite his illness, Jacob has been up to his old shenanigans. Honestly, love, I probably should have divorced the old bat years ago, but,” she shakes her head. “I love him. What can I say? Love makes us stupid. Come on. Let’s go find the guy. Don’t you worry,” my aunt says to Matthew. “We’ll get this sorted out.”

She turns and heads inside.

“Jacob!” She calls out.

Matthew and I exchange confused looks because neither one of us is exactly sure what to do next. We hear some noises and turn to see a car pulling up to the house. Alastair and Melanie step out. They’re both dressed properly again, and I notice that Melanie has fixed her hair. Cute. Honestly, no one will know or realize what they were up to just a little while ago in Alastair’s office.

“Are we too late?” Alastair asks, running up.

“Your mom just went in to find Uncle Jacob.”

“Good,” Alastair darts inside with Melanie close at his heels. Matthew and I follow them into the lovely farmhouse. We ignore the pretty curtains, the smell of apple pie, and the vanilla candle burning on the center of the table. Instead, we move swiftly up the stairs and to my uncle’s office, where the rest of the family has gathered.

Then we squeeze into the little room.

As my cousin warned me, Uncle Jacob isn’t looking well. In fact, he looks terribly ill. My heart cracks just a little as I realize that his prognosis really is bad. I don’t think my uncle is going to make it very much longer, and that kind of breaks my heart a little. It’s totally not fair that a disease would sweep away the remaining years of his life.

Are my uncle and I close?

No.

Do I like him?

No.

Does that mean he deserves this?