Catch the Cougar: A Halloween Novella Read online

  Catch the Cougar

  A Halloween Novella

  Terry Spear

  Contents

  Synopsis

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Terry Spear

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Terry Spear

  Catch the Cougar

  Copyright © 2020 by Terry Spear

  Cover by Terry Spear

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

  Discover more about Terry Spear at:

  http://www.terryspear.com

  ISBN Print: 978-1-63311-063-2

  ISBN E-Book: 978-1-63311-062-5

  To Gail Dockery who needs a Halloween cougar fix. Thanks so much for loving my shifters!

  Synopsis

  Cougar shifter Vanessa Vanderbilt is Yuma Town’s veterinarian, and though she’s attracted to sexy William Rugel, family physician, he’s on her least favorite list of doctors in town. After all, why wouldn’t he be when he thinks veterinarians aren’t smart enough to make it in medical school? Top that off with the issue of her being stood up twice at the altar, and by different grooms, no less!—so taking up with another cougar isn’t in the plans.

  William Rugel has no idea why Vanessa, who he is extremely attracted to, won’t give him the time of day. But everyone in Yuma Town is determined to get the two of them together and he’ll do whatever it takes to prove to her he’s one of the good guys. Even take in a puppy because he knows she adores animals. So does he, but he hadn’t planned to get a dog to get a date!

  It’s time for another cougar Halloween party—and since Vanessa had met her last two fiancés at Halloween parties, who knows what will come of this one!

  Chapter 1

  Vanessa Vanderbilt, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, loved working in Yuma Town, totally cougar run, and she had enough business to keep her busy with just the cougars’ pets: dogs, horses, and cats, and the occasional cougar that dropped in to have an injury taken care of when in their cougar form. Sometimes, she even helped with cougars in labor who were having multiple births. Her favorite physician to work with at times like that was Kate Parker Hill. Which meant Dr. William Rugel was her least favorite doctor to work with. If only his striking good looks, his nearly black hair and green eyes, quirky smiles, cute little frowns, and disarming expressions could mean anything to her. Sometimes she would run into him when he was wearing a little bit of a five o’clock shadow that really turned her on, if he wasn’t her least favorite doctor to work with.

  At least for now. She’d heard how he thought veterinarians were doctors who weren’t smart enough to be physicians for human patients. What did he know?

  She had to be the jack of all trades when it came to the numerous kinds of animals that she had to take care of. Including cougars. She’d also been happier around animals than she had been around humans anyway, while growing up.

  Shannon Buchanan brought in the family’s black Newfoundland, Muddy, for vaccine shots and Vanessa smiled at him as she checked him over. “He’s looking good. Good weight, coat looks great, teeth are perfect. You’re doing a great job. What about Sassy and Shadow?” The ginger cats were adorable.

  “I have another appointment tomorrow. I couldn’t manage all three of them on my own today. Chase is taking the girls in for their vaccinations as we speak. So what are you doing for Halloween this year?”

  “I don’t usually go to those things.” Vanessa preferred staying at home out a way from Yuma Town where her vet practice was. She was on-call all the time, though she didn’t get called after hours too often. Her wildest case since she’d moved here was capturing skunks at Geoffrey and Grace Robinson’s house, while their niece, Nina, had been hiding out there. It was just one of those very interesting cases, topped with a skunk issue.

  “You’ve got to come. We have so much fun,” Shannon persisted.

  “I guess I could come as a vet wearing a lab coat.”

  Shannon tsked. “You have to wear a costume. That’s the fun of it.”

  “I’ll think on it.”

  “We’ll have a pumpkin-carving contest, bobbing for apples, food, drinks, hayrides, pony rides for the kids, and then a dance.”

  “I’ll probably be at home watching Hocus Pocus or Sleepy Hollow.”

  “Aha! So you do like Halloween. Besides”—Shannon motioned to all the fall and Halloween decorations: fall leaf garlands, pumpkins, jack-o’-lanterns, black cats, including a real one sleeping behind the counter that was Vanessa’s Midnight—“you have decorated all out this year.”

  “It makes my clients happy.” Vanessa finished up the vaccinations for Muddy, then gave him a cheese treat. It made her happy too, but she didn’t want to admit it. “These shots are good for three years.”

  “Oh, good. All right. Well, we’ll be disappointed if you don’t come to the party.”

  “I’ll think on it.”

  “Okay, I hope you change your mind. You would have fun. See you later.” Shannon left the clinic with Muddy.

  Vanessa really did keep busy with taking care of animals, so when she had time off, she liked to chill. She was lousy at pumpkin carving, and bobbing for apples, no way. Dancing? She wouldn’t have a dance partner. She sighed. What would she even wear anyway?

  Her cougar fur coat? She smiled.

  * * *

  Dr. William Rugel greeted Chase Buchanan as he brought in the girls for their immunizations. “Shannon gave you the job this time.” Chase owned the resort out on Lake Buchanan and was a part-time deputy sheriff for Yuma Town. He and Shannon had been great at welcoming William to the community. Though so did everyone else. He loved the cougar-run town, compared to when he was working at a human hospital.

  Chase smiled. “She took Muddy in for his vaccination instead.”

  “Oh, okay. So the whole family is having them done.”

  “Yeah, the cats are scheduled for tomorrow. Shannon’s and my immunizations are up to date. You’re coming to the Halloween party, aren’t you, Doc?”

  The girls both said, “You have to!”

  William smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Doc finished up the kids’ shots and he gave them each a colorful, plastic ring from a treasure box.

  “Good. What will you be?” Chase asked.

  “A warrior. A Highlander, maybe. Or a high-fantasy fighter. I’m not sure.”

  “A pirate!” Sadie said.

  “Yeah, a pirate!” Zoey, her six-year-old twin sister said, agreeing with her.

  William smiled. “I’ll have to see what is in my magic chest of costumes.”

  “That sounds good. Well, I’ve got to get the kids home. Talk to you later, Doc.”

  “See you soon.” William was thinking he needed to ask someone to go with him to the party since there would be dancing. Then again, maybe he would just meet someone there and ask her to dance. After the failed relationship he’d had at the last hospital he worked at, he didn’t want to go through that turmoil again anytime soon.

  Now if only he did have a magic chest of costumes, he would be all set. He’d forgotten all about the Halloween party. He was glad Chase had mentioned it to him.

  Dr.
Kate Parker Hill, who had convinced him to join her at the clinic, peeked into his office while he was catching up on patient records. “Did I hear you say you’re going to the Halloween party?”

  He smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He just needed a date.

  Chapter 2

  It was finally time to call it a day when Vanessa carried Midnight to their home, situated behind the vet clinic so she could go in if she needed to in a hurry for an emergency. It was chilly, the fall colors beautiful in oranges and reds and purples. Evergreens filled the landscape too.

  She saw a hitchhiker wearing a dark gray hoody, slouched in the chilly breeze, trying to keep warm, gray jeans and sneakers and no one she knew, walking along the road. It would take him about half an hour walking to the businesses in town and she hoped he would make it just fine. She smiled at the beautiful decorations she had for Halloween outside: scarecrows, jack-o’-lanterns, black cats, and pumpkins. Yeah, she loved to decorate for fall and Halloween. And as a kid, she loved to trick-or-treat. In college, she always enjoyed attending Halloween parties. Once she became a vet in Yuma Town, there hadn’t seemed to be as much time for it. Not to mention when she had lived in Colorado Springs, she’d met both of her former fiancés at Halloween parties two separate years. Which had kind of soured Halloween parties for her.

  She sighed. She ought to check Yuma Town’s out. At least here, she would be among cougars and friends

  She walked inside her home, smelled the aroma of beef stew that made her stomach rumble and she couldn’t wait to eat. She released Midnight to eat her own food and locked the door. Vanessa figured her hearty beef stew cooking in the slow cooker would be ready to eat by now. She was about to serve it up when someone knocked on her door.

  She answered the door and was surprised to see the hooded hitchhiker. “Yes?”

  He was shivering, and he appeared to be suffering from the mild effects of hypothermia.

  “I…my car broke down.”

  “Did you call for a tow service?”

  “My…my phone battery died.”

  “Come in, you can get warmed up, and you can call from here.” She let him into the house and motioned to her house phone.

  But he didn’t make a move toward it. Maybe he was more hypothermic than she originally thought. “I’ll get you something hot to drink. Coffee?”

  “Yeah, thanks.” He was still shivering hard, his blue eyes glancing around her place.

  She went into the kitchen that was open to the living room and started the coffee. “I’ll call a tow service for you.” She wanted to get him help so he would be taken care of and out of here, and she would have dinner, curl up with Midnight on the couch, watch a movie, and relax.

  “Put the phone down,” he said, this time sounding more himself. His eyes began to water, and he sneezed.

  She set the phone on its cradle. Okay, letting him into the house had been a big mistake. She wished she could turn into her cougar and show him he couldn’t mess with her and get away with it.

  The phone suddenly rung, making her jump. She saw it was Dan Steinacker, their sheriff on the caller ID. She glanced at the man in her home. “My new boyfriend. He’ll be over here checking on me if I don’t answer the phone.”

  “Don’t say anything you shouldn’t.”

  Right. She answered the phone. “Hi, Dan, about our date tonight, I think we’ll need to postpone it. I’ve got a lot of paperwork to do.”

  Dan was dead silent, and she knew he realized she was in trouble, thankfully.

  “Yeah, honey, we can do that. I’ve got some student tests I need to grade, so maybe tomorrow night?” Dan asked, even though he’d never taught class in his life, and he was a mated cougar.

  “Yeah, that would be great.”

  “All right, well, I’m going to scrounge up some dinner. Night, see you tomorrow then.”

  “Night, Dan.” She suspected he and his deputies were already trying to locate this man and had called to warn her about him being in her area—too late for that.

  “Okay, what do you want?” she asked the man.

  “Keys to your car. And you’re coming with me.”

  Giving him the keys to her car was fine, well, not fine, but she could always replace the car. No way did she want to go with him. He pulled out a gun, shocking her. Okay, so he wasn’t bluffing about being in charge. She wondered why he hadn’t already pulled out his gun, but then she realized he must have been so hypothermic he wasn’t thinking clearly. She was afraid if she said no to going with him, he’d shoot her right there and then take her car anyway. But going with him wasn’t a much better option. He could kill her anywhere along the road and dump her body.

  She wished she had her tranquilizer gun within reach that she used to tranquilize wild animals needing her care. Only this time the wild animal would go straight to jail, then be hauled off to Loveland. They didn’t keep humans long term in their Yuma Town jail.

  “I need to change into something warmer.” She headed for her bedroom, hoping he would go along with the plan.

  “Wait.”

  She thought if only she could reach her room, she could lock her door, open her window, strip, shift and leap out the window. But she couldn’t have him see her shift or she’d have to turn him or kill him. No way would they want a criminal to become one of their kind. She just needed to stall for time.

  Then she heard car engines draw closer to her home and shut off. The cavalry was parking way out so they didn’t tip their hand. The human couldn’t hear them like she could.

  He stood in her bedroom doorway while she pulled a warm, wool shirt and sweater out of her drawer. She unbuttoned her blouse. With her sensitive cat hearing, she heard people moving around outside the house. Good news!

  But then she worried this guy would use her as a shield when Dan and his men tried to arrest him.

  “Hurry it up. We don’t have all day,” the man snapped and then he sneezed again. He frowned. “Do you have a cat?”

  Luckily, Midnight had made herself scarce, as if she sensed this man was dangerous.

  Vanessa shook her head. She was afraid he would hurt Midnight if he learned she was here, and it appeared he was highly allergic to cats. His nose was running, and his eyes were blurry with tears. Good one on him.

  She wasn’t even sure why he was letting her get changed out of her clothes though, but it could work to her advantage. She pulled off her pumps and brought out her hiking boots and a pair of jeans as if she was going on a forest hike. Then she removed her trousers and socks. All she was wearing now was her bra and panties.

  Yank them off and shift, her cougar voice was telling her. Take him down before he knows what even hit him.

  But her human voice told her the sheriff and his deputies were here and she needed to let them do their job. Not to mention, the man still had a gun.

  She was a cougar though, damn it, and as long as Midnight stayed hidden, probably under her bed, Vanessa was going to do something about this. She wasn’t going to let the man take her hostage in front of the sheriff, which could have a bad outcome no matter how she looked at it. She unfastened her bra and tossed it onto the bed.

  “What the hell are you doing?” the man asked, looking shocked.

  “I need to put warmer clothes on.” Warmer as in her natural cougar fur coat. She tugged off her panties.

  Someone knocked on the front door. The man turned to look. She shifted and lunged.

  * * *

  William had gotten the call from Dan, telling him Vanessa might be hurt if the two-time, convicted armed robber—who had escaped from the jail at Loveland, Colorado—injured her. William was on standby near where all the sheriff and deputies’ vehicles were parked, per Dan’s strict orders. He hadn’t wanted the doctor injured if things went south.

  In the worst way, William wanted to shift into his cougar and take out the man himself if he so much as threatened Vanessa. She was an appealing blond with blue eyes that always seem
to see clear through to William’s soul, though she never gave him the time of day and he wasn’t sure what he’d done to irk her. There was no figuring women. But he sure wanted to make things better between them. Sure, she was civil with him, but her whole posture said that was as far as she would take it with him.

  He wanted more. If he rescued her, maybe she would see him differently.

  He heard snarling in the house. Great. She’d shifted. He hadn’t expected that. He hadn’t thought she would be that unpredictable.

  She was a loaded pistol ready to go off—if William’s guess as to what was going on inside her home was any indication. He ran toward the house as Dan and his deputies—Stryker Hill, Chase Buchanan, and Hal Haverton—hurried inside. He didn’t have a gun, so he wasn’t sure what he thought he would do! But he couldn’t sit back in the wings and wait if Vanessa was in trouble.

  William raced inside to see Vanessa as a golden cougar, sitting on top of the convict’s back, his eyes shut and she was growling low as if the man was her prey and she wasn’t giving him up to anyone.

  “We’ve got this,” Dan said, his gun out, ready to shoot the robber if he as much as moved to hurt Vanessa.

  She glanced at William, her eyes narrowed, and he held his hands up in his defense. “I’m only here at Dan’s request in case you were injured.”

  She got off the man and disappeared down the hall.

  Chase was handcuffing the convict while Stryker was reading him his rights. Then they hauled the man out of her house while Dan and Hal stayed behind to get Vanessa’s statement.