Aedan: Harrison Ambush – Erotic Tiger Shapeshifter Romance by Kathi S. Barton

another year or more.”
    “I see. So this would be about how it doodles up your plans and what you have to do to make Nikki comply with them. I want you to know right now, that isn’t gonna fly with her. I’m sure you’ll come to understand right quick that she doesn’t take orders well, and if you think you can get her to obey....Well, you might want to get you a dog; you’d have better luck getting it to mind you. She won’t settle with that no matter how you try and pretty it up.” Yeah, Aedan was afraid of that too. “Tell you what. The first time you try and get her to bend to your way of thinking, you let me know.”
    “So you can be there to make fun of me when I’m made to look like a fool?” Paddy shook his head. “Then you think she’ll listen and be reasonable?”
    “No. I want to know so that when she draws out her piece and shoots you in the last part of you jumping the fence, I have time to run and hide. A man my age and shot up, I need a little extra time to hide when the shit hits the fan.” He was still laughing when Aedan made his way to the door. But he stopped him before he left his ass there with his humor. “Aedan, there can be worse things in life to mess around with your plan than a wife. While my Nikki is a little rough and carries a gun for a living, she’s loyal, loving, and about the best person I know.”
    “I’m sure that’s all true. But this job and running for the office? I’m not sure that I would be able to devote any time to her and her needs.”
    “Her needs? Boy, what do you think she’s going to need that you can’t simply give her by loving her? You’ll see. It’ll turn out just fine as rain water in a barrel.”
    Aedan went out in the hall, and he could still hear the man laughing. He started down the hall but decided to go to the kitchen first. He was having some updates made, and Winnie had asked to speak to him before all of this shit happened. He nearly left when he saw his mom and dad in there.
    “You come here and give me a hug, young man.” He hugged his mom and shook his dad’s hand. “Your brother told us that this Nikki person is your mate. Is she sweet? Oh, I hope so. And a cop too. How lucky are you?”
    He wanted to tell her that he wasn’t lucky. Nor was he happy. But he was pretty sure that they could see that. Instead of letting them ask him what was going on, he grabbed his keys and left the house. Whatever was going on, and there was plenty, someone else could take care of it for a little while.
    Walking by his car, he went to the woods behind the garage instead. He was pretty sure that if he ran fast enough, and for long enough, that his problems might not be there when he returned. Yes, and as Paddy was so fond of saying, hanging out the wash in the rain don’t make them any dryer. He wasn’t sure what that meant really, but he wasn’t sure of too much of anything at the moment.
    Stripping down to his bare skin, he took off to the trees. Running as his animal was something that he didn’t get to do as much as he wanted, and he thought he might at least have better control of his temper when he got back if he did.
    Aedan had been gone for about an hour when he came upon the fast moving creek that ran about midway through his land. He’d been told that it flooded in the spring but didn’t reach the house, which he was happy to hear. He had already decided to have it dug a little deeper. He had plans to put a barn back here, and that would be hurt if the creek came up too high. He closed his eyes and laid down for a moment.
    “I’m coming up to your left and from behind you, Aedan.” He didn’t stand when Andi spoke to him. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to go away, but she’d been so sweet to him that he felt horrible about saying anything bad to her. Besides, being pregnant like she was, she would cry at the strangest things. “Can I have a seat with you? I promise I won’t ask you any questions.”
    Sure. Go