Holidays are Hell

Chapter 1

"Beth?" Jill peered down the stairs that disappeared into darkness and frowned. She'd looked everywhere in the house for her errant niece before noticing the cracked-open door to the basement. Now she stood on the landing, biting her lip as she peered into the black pit and wondered if her niece could possibly be down there.

Her brother, Kyle, had obviously forgotten to lock the door. That was unusual. With all the experimental equipment—including the molecular destabilizer—he housed in the basement, he was fanatical about locking it. However, it wasn't locked now.

Surely a toddler wouldn't go down into the dark on her own, though?

A faint rustle from the stillness below answered the question. Beth was definitely down there. And shouldn't be. She could get hurt.

Flipping on the light, she started down, calling, "Beth? Honey? You aren't supposed to be down here. Come to Aunt Jill. Your breakfast is ready."

Pausing on the bottom step, Jill waited for some sound to give away the girl's location, but there was nothing. Her gaze slid around the room, skating over gleaming metal surfaces and glass-fronted cupboards containing all sorts of scientific-type paraphernalia. She'd never been down here before, but it looked just like she'd imagined, like every lab she'd ever seen when she visited her brother at work.

A faint scraping sound drew her gaze to the far corner of the room and Jill peered toward the large glass chamber that took up the end of the basement. It held the molecular destabilizer Kyle had spent so much of the last five years rebuilding… And the door into the small glass room was open.

Alarm rising in her, Jill hurried toward the open door. "Beth? Enough. You aren't supposed to be down here. Your mommy and daddy will be mad," she said firmly. When she reached the door without receiving an answer, she added pleadingly, "Come out, honey. Your breakfast is ready."

The only answer was another rustle, this time from behind the machine. Breathing out a sigh, Jill approached the front of the destabilizer. It was huge, stretching from one wall to the other. There was no room to slip between the machine and the wall to peer behind it. That left crawling under the table set up below the telescope-like apparatus that the beam shot from. At least Jill thought it probably came from there. She was no scientist, but didn't see anywhere else it could come from.

She eyed the crawl space under the table, unhappy at the prospect of crawling under it but seeing no alternative. She had to get Beth back upstairs.

Cursing Kyle for carelessly leaving the door unlocked, Jill started to climb under the table, pausing when she bumped it and it shifted slightly. Noting it was on wheels and could move in and out, she straightened and wheeled the table out of the way to make more room, then crawled into the space to peer behind the machine.

"Beth," she said with relief. The child was sitting in the narrow space between the machine and the back wall. Spying Jill, she giggled and clapped her hands with glee. It was a grand game to the tot.

Jill was less entertained. She was very aware that she was now kneeling directly under the destabilizer beam, exactly where Beth's mother, Claire, had been when a crazy co-worker, determined to try the molecular destabilizer on humans, had zapped her. Claire had survived the exposure to the destabilizer, as had Kyle when he'd run into the beam to pull her out, but now the two of them were different. They could both shift their shapes, taking on the facial features and body shape of others. A cool trick to be sure, and one Jill had first thought she might like herself, but that was before she'd heard Kyle's fears. The destabilizer had done what it was meant to, made their molecules unstable and changeable, but they weren't sure how unstable and feared the possibility of the cells collapsing, leaving them to die in a puddle of human slime, or worse yet, not die, but be alive and aware as a puddle of human slime. That possibility was enough to kill any desire to be zapped.

That thought in mind, Jill started to lift her head to glance nervously toward the beam, but instead cried out as pain shot through her skull and everything went black.

Jill moaned and slowly opened her eyes. At first she didn't know where she was. She stared at the dim bulb overhead, then blinked and lowered her gaze as she felt a soft patting on her cheek.

"Beth," she whispered. The child was seated on the floor beside her, patting her cheek, a worried look on her little face.

Jill offered her a reassuring smile and then sat up, her gaze sliding around the glass chamber as she tried to sort out what had happened. She recalled coming down in search of Beth, crawling under the machine, and then lifting her head and bang, unbearable pain had hit her. Obviously she'd slammed her head into the telescope thing and knocked herself out. Brilliant. She always had been the clumsy one in the family.

When Beth made a gurgle of sound, Jill got carefully to her feet. Much to her relief, while she felt a little weak, she didn't appear to be suffering any other side effects from the encounter.

Letting her breath out slowly, she glanced down to her niece, then carefully bent and picked her up. The action made her woozy, and she stood still for a moment, hugging the child close until her head cleared again. Once she felt steadier Jill started across the basement to the stairs. She had just put her foot on the first step when she heard a car engine and the crunch of tires on gravel.

Pausing, she glanced toward the nearest window at the top of the basement wall just in time to see the bottom of a blue car moving past.

Kyle and Claire were home… And she had a few choice words for her brother about leaving the basement unlocked. Scowling, Jill carried Beth upstairs and into the dining room. She set the child in her high chair and was spooning cereal into her mouth by the time the front door opened and Claire's laughter drifted up the hall.

"I love you too," Claire was chuckling. "And that's why we aren't getting a motorcycle."

"Ah, honey. Think how cool it would be to ride down the highway on the back of a hog, the wind in your hair and—"

"And my maternity top flying over my head," Claire interrupted dryly.

Jill smiled at the mental picture. Claire was more than seven months pregnant with their second child, very close to giving birth and showing it. Jill had been a little surprised that they were continuing to have the «date» nights that gave her the opportunity to babysit her niece, but it seemed the pregnancy wasn't cooling their ardor.

"Your coat would hold your maternity top down, and—Oh, hey Jill," Kyle interrupted himself as the couple reached the dining room door.

"Still trying to talk her into getting a motorcycle?" Jill asked with amusement. Her brother had been trying to talk Claire into getting one when they left for their «date» the night before.

"Try being the key word," Claire laughed as she entered the room and picked up her daughter. Lifting the child high in the air, she blew a raspberry on her cheek and cuddled her close. "Hello, beautiful. Were you a good girl for your aunt Jill?"

"She was a very good girl," Jill assured her, and then turned a scowl on her brother as she added, "Unlike her father who left the door to the basement unlocked so that nosy little miss could crawl down there."

"What?" Kyle's eyes widened in shock as Claire turned an alarmed glance his way. "I locked it. I always lock it."

"Well apparently last night you forgot," Jill assured him. "I put Beth in front of the television this morning while I got her cereal and when I came back she was gone. The door to the basement was open and she'd managed to get down there." Jill frowned even as she said the words and then added, "I don't know how she got down there on her own. Those stairs are pretty steep for a two-year-old. But I found her down behind the molecular destabilizer."

There was a moment of silence as all three of them peered at Beth and then Claire turned a concerned gaze his way and Kyle sighed.

"I was sure I locked it," he said apologetically, then added, "But we can't take a chance. I'll go to the hardware store and get one of those locks that lock automatically when a door closes. I'll do it right after I bring our bags in."

Claire smiled and reached out to squeeze his hand, then withdrew it quickly to grab for her daughter as Beth suddenly leaned toward the bowl of cereal on the table and made disgruntled sounds.

"She's hungry. Let me finish feeding her," Jill suggested.

"I'll do it," Claire said, setting the child back in her high chair. "I know you want to get to the shop for that parade this morning."

"Oh!" Jill's eyes widened with alarm and she shot to her feet. She'd forgotten all about the Christmas parade this morning. It was starting on the street where she had her store and she, along with many of the other storeowners, was expected to help with it.

"It's after ten o'clock and you said you had to be there by eleven," Claire reminded her, then gave a laugh and added, "I can't believe you forgot. You were so excited that Mr. Handsome Shoes was playing Santa."

"Mr. Handsome Shoes?" Kyle asked with bewilderment.

"He's the guy who opened a shoe store next door to Jill's clothing store six months ago," Claire explained. "He's apparently very good looking. All the women in town are gaga over him, but he's only showing interest in your sister."

"Are you two dating?" Kyle asked with a frown. "Why haven't you mentioned him before? Is there something wrong with the guy?"

"We aren't dating," Jill said quickly and then scowled at him as she added, "And there is nothing wrong with Nick."

Claire smiled faintly and said, "They aren't dating officially, but they do have lunch together every day and have exchanged store keys in case there are problems."

"A shoe store owner, huh?" Kyle asked slowly, and then added, "And you've exchanged keys but only eaten lunch together every day? For six months?" He arched an eyebrow, then pursed his lips and said, "He's got to be gay."

"Kyle!" Claire cried with dismay, but Jill just scowled at her brother and hurried out of the room, heading for the spare room to collect her things. Nick, or Mr. Handsome Shoes, as Claire called him, couldn't be gay. She just wouldn't believe it. She was already half in love with the man.

Jill frowned. She was sure she'd know if he was, but while Nick was always charming and interesting and seemed to enjoy being with her, he'd never taken that step to move the relationship from friendship to actual dating.

Maybe he was gay. Her shoulders slumped at the possibility. Wouldn't it be just her luck to fall for a guy who couldn't possibly have any interest in her as anything more than a friend? She didn't have a great track record with men lately. Sighing unhappily, she snatched up her purse and overnight bag and headed out of the room. If he were gay, then today was going to be a total bust. The only reason she'd agreed to play Mrs. Claus to his Santa in the Christmas parade was to spend more time with the man in the hope that he would finally move the relationship to the next level. It had been Bev's idea. Bev owned and operated a hair salon further up the street. She was also the friend she tended to moan to the most about Nick. Bev seemed to think Nick was just shy.

In charge of the parade preparations, it was Bev who had suggested that seeing each other away from their stores and actually playing Mrs. Claus to his Santa might be just the push Nick needed to get him over his shyness and make him ask her out.

Ever hopeful, Jill had decided to give it a go. And it seemed to be working. He hadn't yet asked her out, but—where on the lunches they were prim and proper, sharing their thoughts, but careful not to invade each other's space—at the meetings for the parade, they'd been much more relaxed, both of them laughing and joking as they worked at the preparations.

There had also been a good deal of «accidental» touching going on, hands meeting as they each grabbed for the same item, bodies brushing as they passed. And last night as they'd worked on the preparations, they'd been left alone in Bev's kitchen for several minutes and Jill was positive Nick'd been about to kiss her before Jay, one of the elves, had entered, interrupting them.

Jill had been disappointed at the interruption, and was hoping today he'd actually finish what he'd nearly started, claim the kiss and ask her out. It was their last chance before the parade was over and they went back to their rushed lunches in the middle of busy work days.

Sending up a quick prayer that Nick asked her out today, Jill started downstairs, pressing close to the wall as Kyle started up with suitcases in hand.

"Have fun with Mr. Gay Shoes," he teased as she rushed past.

Jill stuck out her tongue and kept going, pausing only long enough at the dining room door to wish Claire a good day before rushing out of the house, her knapsack over one shoulder and purse over the other.

Jill had parked on the street when she'd arrived the night before to prevent blocking in Claire and Kyle's car when they went to leave or being blocked in by it when they returned. Unfortunately, the closest empty parking spot she'd found had been halfway up the street. Now she hurried up the sidewalk, her thoughts already on the day ahead and Nick.

Distracted as she was, Jill was nearly at her car before she noticed the man leaning against the front grill of her little Toyota. Pausing abruptly, she watched with a frown as the man straightened to face her. He was tall, dark-haired, not bad looking, but there was something about his mouth and eyes that made him look hard and cold. She was instantly wary.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her hand tightening on her bags. The only thing she could think was that it was his house she'd parked in front of and he didn't care for her parking there. "Is it about my parking here?"

"Parking here?" he echoed with bewilderment, then seemed to understand. Flashing a smile that didn't reach his eyes, he said, "Oh, of course, you don't know who I am. I'm John Heathcliffe. I used to work with your brother."

Jill stiffened, the hair on the back of her neck suddenly standing on end as she recognized the name of the crazy co-worker who had zapped Claire with the destabilizer.

"You've heard of me," he said with apparent pleasure.

"What do you want?" she asked, her gaze slipping back the way she'd come.

"You didn't think I'd zap you with the destabilizer and then just leave you alone?" he said with amusement.

Jill jerked her head back around.

"Zap me with the destabilizer?" she echoed blankly, wondering what on earth was he talking about. He shouldn't even know about the destabilizer. No one knew Kyle had rebuilt it in his home. As for zapping her with it, the only encounter she'd had with it was banging her head as she…

Jill frowned as she suddenly recalled the flash of light that had accompanied the pain before she'd blacked out.

"You zapped me?" she asked in a choked voice.

John nodded with a wicked grin that quickly turned bitter. "Did Kyle really think I'd let him just take the machine away from me? I worked on the original prototype as long as he did. It's as much mine as his," he proclaimed, taking a step toward her. "Dr. Cohen may have believed that nonsense about it not working and allowed him to talk him into shutting down the experiment, but I can't believe Kyle really thought I was stupid enough to swallow it."

"You zapped me with the destabilizer?" Jill repeated faintly.

John nodded, appearing amused by her stunned state, and then announced, "Once the project was shut down I started to watch Kyle. I saw the materials he brought into the house and realized he was rebuilding it. Some nights I even watched through one of the basement windows as he worked." He smiled with disdain. "Kyle really should have covered the windows. It was rather silly of him not to. I suppose he thought it was private enough with the high fence around the property, but anyone could climb the fence and look in… like I did."

Jill remained silent, her mind still reeling under the possibility that she'd been hit by the shape-shifter beam. She found herself suddenly doing a silent self-assessment, checking to see if she felt different. She didn't. She'd felt a little weak directly after waking up in the basement, but—Her thoughts stopped dead as she realized she'd woken up in the middle of the basement floor, nowhere near the destabilizer.

"You pulled me out from under the machine?" she asked uncertainly.

John nodded. "Once I'd estimated you'd been exposed long enough, I turned it off. You collapsed like a limp noodle." He shrugged. "I had to be sure I hadn't given you too much and accidentally killed you, but I couldn't take your pulse all crumpled under the machine as you were."

Jill stared at him with disbelief. He was standing there admitting that he hadn't been at all sure the beam wouldn't have killed her and he'd gone ahead and zapped her anyway. Why would he do such a thing?

"Now," John continued. "If you'll just come with me, we'll go to my house and I can start running tests on you."

"Tests?" she asked with surprise.

"Yes. Why else do you think I zapped you? You're going to be my guinea pig."

"Are you nuts?" Jill cried, tugging her arm free of the hard hold he suddenly had on her wrist. "Stay away from me or I'll tell my brother."

Okay, as threats went it was pretty lame, Jill thought as soon as the words left her mouth, but let it go and merely pushed past him to get to the driver's door of her car. Before she could get it unlocked, he was there, grabbing her by the arm again.

"I said you're coming with me!" he snarled, trying to pull her away.

Jill didn't think, she just reacted. Allowing her self-defense classes to kick in, she struck backward sharply with her elbow, driving it into his stomach. She then turned and drove her knee sharply into his groin. John collapsed on the street, groaning in agony, one hand clutching his stomach, the other cupping his groin.

Leaving him rolling around on the pavement, Jill unlocked the driver's door, threw her bags in, and leapt inside. She hit the button to lock the doors the moment the door closed, and then struggled briefly with her keys. Her hands were shaking and by the time she managed to turn on the engine, John was crawling to his feet beside the car.

"Hey!" He lunged for the driver's door even as she shifted into drive and hit the gas. He thumped furiously against the side window as she tore away up the street.

Eyes shifting between the street and the rearview mirror, Jill reached for her purse. She opened it one-handed, felt around until she found her phone and glanced in the rear-view mirror as she pulled it out, only to curse again as she spotted a black van rushing up the street behind her. She knew it was John.

Mouth tightening, Jill pushed her foot down harder on the gas and raised the phone in front of her eyes. She needed to call Kyle. She didn't know what else to do. Jill was afraid to call the police and bring them into the matter. She didn't know how much damage the man could do to Kyle if he blabbed about the machine in his basement. She should have just pulled into Kyle and Claire's driveway and made a run for the house. Unfortunately, the car had been pointing in the opposite direction. Also, unfortunately, she wouldn't be calling her brother for advice. She'd forgotten to recharge her phone again. The battery was dead.

Cursing, Jill tossed it aside and glanced in the rearview again. The van was gaining on her. She needed to lose the crazy idiot and either drive back to Claire and Kyle's, or find a phone. Calling seemed her safest bet. Jill didn't really want to lead trouble back to Claire and Kyle's door. She didn't know just how crazy John Heathcliffe was or what he'd do.

Where to call from was the problem. Jill suspected her house would be high on John Heathcliffe's list of places to look. Even if he didn't already know where she lived, all he had to do was look in a phone book to find her address.

He might overlook her shop though, she thought. In fact, he might not even know about it. He'd said he'd been watching her brother's house, not that he'd been following her around. Her store might be a safe place to go to call Kyle.

Mouth thinning with determination, Jill tightened her hold on the steering wheel and increased her speed. She then suddenly spun the wheel, taking a sharp and abrupt right that almost saw her car on two wheels. Managing to maintain control, she shot up the street, watching the rear-view mirror as much as the road ahead.

"Yes," she breathed with relief when she saw the van shoot past the end of the street, wheels squealing as he tried to bring the vehicle to a halt to follow her. Jill was already turning left down another street by the time he managed to bring his car around.

Jill lost sight of him as soon as she turned the corner and her attention was again divided between the rearview mirror and the road ahead, grateful it wasn't a busy area. The last thing she needed was to hit someone in her efforts to escape her pursuer.

When there was still no sign of the van behind her before she turned up the next street, Jill felt her shoulders relax the smallest bit. But she continued to drive a little faster than she should and continued to take turns right and left and right again to be sure she'd lost the man before heading for her store.

Due to the parade, the streets around her store were all blocked off. The closest Jill could park was in the lot at the end of the road from where the parade was to launch. It was blocked to the public today, open only for parade participants to park. There were several tents set up at one end for everyone to don costumes and do their makeup.

Jill bit her lip as she gazed over the floats and costumed people milling about as she parked her car. If she hurried to the store, called Kyle, and then changed into her costume, there was really no reason she couldn't come back and be a part of the parade as planned. Surely Kyle could handle John, she reasoned. It wasn't like there was anything she could do. Besides, she'd committed herself to the parade and had her costume in her knapsack. She could hardly just leave them without a Mrs. Claus. But she had to make that call first, Jill decided as she got out of the car.

Slipping past the tents without running across anyone she knew, Jill hurried up the street to her store. She unlocked the door, slid inside and headed straight for the phone.

A curse slipped from her lips when her call was answered by the answering machine. She listened to her brother's recorded voice, frowning as she tried to sort out where Kyle and Claire could be. Kyle had mentioned going to the hardware store, but surely Claire was still there feeding Beth?

Her gaze slid to the clock on the wall and she frowned as she realized that while the store was only fifteen minutes from Claire and Kyle's house, she'd wasted almost half an hour making sure she'd lost her pursuer. Claire could very well have finished feeding Beth and headed out for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

"Kyle," Jill said when the beep finally sounded. "I need to talk to you. I—" She paused to worry her lip as she realized he wouldn't be able to reach her. Her cell phone was dead and she'd be on a parade float, nowhere near a phone for the next hour or so. Letting her breath out on a sigh, she said, "I'll try calling again later. But it's important."

Unsatisfied with the message, Jill hung up and turned to peer out the front window of the store, stilling when she spotted John Heathcliffe crossing the street headed straight for the front door of her shop.

Cursing, she whirled away from the counter and hurried out the back door, then started up the alley behind the shops, her mind racing. It seemed John hadn't just been watching the house. He must have followed her around and learned where she worked when he'd decided he needed a guinea pig.

"Jill? What on earth are you doing here? I was just heading to my store to try to call you. You aren't even dressed yet."

"Oh, Bev." Jill swallowed guiltily as the woman hurried up the alley to her. "I—"

"You can explain while you dress," Bev interrupted firmly, catching her arm and steering her toward the back door of her salon.

"You don't understand," Jill murmured, glancing nervously up and down the alley, sure John was going to pop up at any moment. "I can't be in the parade."

"The hell you can't!" Bev snapped. Getting the door unlocked, she dragged her inside the dark shop. "Do you know what I went through to make sure you would be Mrs. Claus? Every unattached female shop owner on this street wanted to play the part to get their hands on Nick."

"Yes, but—"

"No buts," she said firmly, flipping on the light and pushing her toward the ladies' room. "Get in there and change."

"But—" Jill's protest died on a sigh as she found herself pushed into the bathroom and the door pulled closed behind her.

"Dress," Bev repeated firmly through the door. "The parade starts in five minutes and you will be in it." Without waiting for further protest, she added, "I have to go back and chase a couple other people down. When you're ready, leave through the back door and just pull it closed. It locks automatically."

When Jill didn't respond right away, Bev added grimly, "Don't let me down, Jill. I went to great lengths to see you in this role and I'll never forgive you if you leave me without a Mrs. Claus."

"All right," she said wearily and heard the soft thud of the shop door closing.

Biting her lip, Jill opened the door and peered out. She couldn't be in the parade. The Mrs. Claus costume was a sedate little red dress with faux fur trim, a cute little Santa hat, and red shoes. Unfortunately, there was no mask and she'd be easily recognizable to John should he see her going past on the parade float. That was the last thing she needed. She didn't think he'd drag her off in front of everyone, but he was crazy. Who knew?

But she couldn't let Bev down either. And she really didn't want to miss out on this opportunity to spend time with Nick either.

Cursing under her breath, Jill paced to the front of the salon, her gaze moving up the street to her own store. There was no sign of John, but—Jill stiffened as she realized she wasn't at all sure she'd locked the front door of the store when she'd entered. John could be in there right now searching for her.

Oh, she couldn't do this. And she couldn't not do it. She needed to hide until she could get a hold of Kyle, but where?

Her gaze landed on one of the magazines in the waiting area of the hair salon. Two dozen of them littered the coffee table. Most of them were hair books, but the rest were all celebrity and women's magazines that customers could peruse while awaiting their turn in the chair. The one that caught her attention was a Christmas issue of a fashion magazine. It featured a very sexy brunette Mrs. Claus in a short, form-fitting, red velvet number with white fur trim.

Jill stared at the picture, recalling the day Claire had been zapped by the destabilizer beam and changed into several images from a magazine. If she could do that too… well, the best place to hide was often in plain sight, wasn't it?

Grinning, she picked up the magazine and hurried back to the bathroom. Closing the door, she concentrated on the woman on the cover. Claire had told her that she'd simply focused on the image and wished she'd looked like the picture and her body had changed. Jill now tried to do the same thing.

She stared hard, thinking she wanted to look like it, needed to look like it, had to look like it. But nothing seemed to happen. She didn't feel any sudden tingle or anything. Tossing the magazine aside with frustration, she sagged back against the wall and glared at herself in the mirror, freezing when she found a stranger glaring back.

"But I didn't feel a thing," she murmured, raising a hand and touching her face, eyes widening with disbelief as the brunette mirrored her actions.

It really was her. She'd shifted. She was the magazine Mrs. Claus. Well, mostly. The fur trim was sticking out from under the collar of her t-shirt. She stared at herself for a moment and then began to laugh even as she began to rip off her clothes. As had happened with Claire, her body had taken on not just the other woman's features, but the shape and color of her clothes as well. Her own clothes looked bulky on top.

Removing the last bit of clothing, Jill paused and stared at her new self. She was a brunette with a slim figure that made her smile. But the smile faded to a frown as she realized the costume was clingy and far too sexy for a parade meant for families and children. Concentrating on the hem, she tried to think it a little longer, relief coursing through her when it suddenly lengthened, dropping from mid-thigh to knee length.

It was still rather form fitting, but would have to do, Jill decided. She had to get moving and now it was safe to. Even if he did see her on the float, John Heathcliffe would never recognize her, she thought with satisfaction.

Jill hurried from the bathroom and out of the shop, pulling the door closed as ordered. She paused long enough to be sure it had locked as Bev said it would, and then hurried up the alley to the parking lot at the end of the street.

There were people everywhere in the parking lot: elves, human reindeer, toy soldiers, snowmen, and people in band uniforms. The elves were made up of a combination of children and little people. Jill was reminded of the presence of several of the dwarves in the parade when someone goosed her and she whirled to find herself staring down at a grinning little man in an elf costume. Only the cigar hanging from his lips ruined the image of one of Santa's elves.

"Jay," she said on an exasperated sigh.

Whatever indecent proposal he'd been about to offer died on his lips and his eyes widened briefly, but then he grinned and said, "I see my reputation precedes me. Who are you, cutie? And why are you dressed up like Mrs. Claus? That's Jill's gig."

Jill blinked in surprise. She'd quite forgotten that she didn't look like herself at the moment until the man had spoken up. Now she forced a smile and said, "Jill was called away. A family emergency. I'm standing in for her."

"Hmmm." Jay didn't look impressed. "Nick isn't going to like that."

"He won't?" she asked faintly.

"Nah. He's sweet on our Jill. Everyone knows that… except maybe Jill herself," he added wryly, then tilted his head and asked, "So what's your name, cutie?"

"Name?" she echoed blankly, her thoughts on his claim that Nick was sweet on her.

Jay laughed. "Yeah, you know, what most people call you."

Jill flushed. It hadn't occurred to her that she'd need a name. Her gaze swept around the parade grounds as she sought her mind for a name to offer him. Her eyes landed on one of the painted carolers on the side of the third float. The singer held a sheet of music titled "The First Noel." Relaxing, Jill offered a smile. "Noelle."

"Noelle, huh?" Jay reached up, taking her hand to lead her toward the nearer of the tents set up in the parking lot. "Well, come on, Noelle. Let's go introduce you to Nick and give him the bad news that Jill backed out on him. He won't be a happy guy."

Chapter 2

"Yo!" Jay called out as he led Jill into the tent. "Nick, 1 found your Mrs. Claus, though not the one you were looking for."

It was late enough that mostly everyone had changed and vacated the tent. There were only a couple of people still inside; one of them was Nick already dressed as Santa and pacing, a worried expression on his face. The worry dropped away to be replaced with a warm smile at Jay's announcement, but that died away to confusion as his gaze landed on Jill.

"Who are you? Where's Jill?"

"Jill had a family emergency," Jay answered for her. "Noelle here is standing in."

"Oh," Nick said and then asked with concern, "A family emergency? But Jill's all right, isn't she?"

Jill hesitated. In truth she wasn't all right at all. She'd been zapped by a madman and turned into a shape-shifter that the madman was now hunting, intending to cage up and perform horrible experiments on. There was nothing all right about her at the moment. She couldn't tell Nick that though, so she forced a smile and nodded. "She's fine."

"Good," Nick said with a sigh and then glanced to the tent flap as Bev sailed in.

"Okay, everything's ready to go. We just need you two on the float." Bev's expression was pinched and anxious as she entered, but became completely alarmed when her gaze landed on Jill. "Who are you?"

"This is Noelle, Bev," Nick answered for her. "Jill had an emergency and asked Noelle to take her place."

Bev scowled. "See if I do that girl another favor. After all the trouble I went to—" Pausing, she peered over Noelle with pursed lips. "Well, that costume won't do. This is a family parade. There are kids out there."

Jill glanced at herself. The costume was more suitable for a bachelor's party, she supposed.

"You'll have to wear this." Bev moved in front of her to do up the clasp of the red cape she'd just placed on her shoulders.

Jill ran a hand down the cape's white fur trim and frowned. "Isn't this Santa's?"

"We have both a heavy one and a lighter one so that we're covered whether it's cold or warmer. Its cold today, so old Saint Nick here is wearing the heavier one. You'll have to make do with the lighter one." Finished with the clasp, Bev stepped back to peer at her critically. She didn't look pleased, but said, "It'll have to do. But you're going to be cold in that costume. Jill should have given you the one we made. I swear she's going to hear about this." Whirling to the tent flap, she snapped, "Come on you two. The parade is already five minutes late in starting."

Jill breathed out a little sigh and silently cursed John Heathcliffe as Nick led her out of the tent.

The parking lot was still full of people rushing about, but now they were all headed in the same direction, toward the row of floats parked at the edge of the lot. Jill and Nick joined the herd, making their way to the middle float that held the small wooden building with the sign "Santa's Workshop" on it. It was a shed really, but quite charming with all its decorations and left plenty of room for the big black bag with gift-wrapped boxes falling out, the fake reindeer standing around and Santa's chair. There were already several people on the float, not one of them taller than four feet. Santa's elves.

"Up we go," Nick urged as they approached the steps that had been wheeled up to the side of the float.

Murmuring a thank you, Jill scampered up the stairs, her gaze slipping nervously around the parking lot as she went, eyes searching for John. While he shouldn't be able to recognize her as she was, she couldn't help fearing that he would.

"This way, cutie," Jay said cheerfully, leading her toward Santa's chair. "You and Nick stand here and smile and wave."

"Thanks Jay," Jill murmured, following him.

"No problem." He grinned widely and then wiggled his eyebrows and said, "So, if you aren't doing anything later, maybe we could get together and I can show you why us elves are so popular with the ladies."

"Scram Jay," Nick said firmly, joining them at the chair.

"Ah, come on, Nick. Don't be such a spoil sport," the elf complained. "Why should you get all the babes? Anyway, I thought you were interested in Jill. Don't take it out on me because she stiffed you today and didn't show."

Jill glanced sharply at Nick, her heart leaping with hope when she saw the blush on his face. It seemed he was interested in her… but then why hadn't he done anything about it?

"Ignore him," Nick suggested. "He's a rude little bugger, but has a good heart for the most part."

"So you aren't interested in Jill?" she asked, unable to help herself.

Nick was silent long enough she didn't think he'd respond, but then he muttered, "Like I said, just ignore him."

She was frowning over that, when he said, "I don't know how much Jill explained to you, but the deal is there are boxes of candy canes and treats in the shed. There are two trays. One out here," he gestured to the large tray overflowing with candy canes and toys on the small table beside the throne, then waved to the "workshop." "And one inside that the elves are supposed to use to keep the tray loaded. We throw them to the crowd."

Jill nodded.

"There's also a gas heater in the shed to warm up by if you get too cold, but try to stay on deck as much as possible. The kids want to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Okay?"

His glance at her costume suggested he suspected she'd spend more time in the shed than out of it. Feeling self-conscious and stupid, Jill tugged the cape tighter around her, more to hide than because she felt cold.

The truth was Jill wasn't feeling as cold as she knew she should. It was almost at freezing temperature and she should have been shivering in the chill air, but wasn't. Claire and Kyle hadn't seemed to suffer from the heat or cold like other people since being zapped though, so she supposed it had something to do with that.

A shout from the end of the parking lot drew her attention. Bev was at the head of the first float in the parade, waving her arms and gesturing.

"We're about to start," Nick said. "You might want to hang onto this to keep from losing your footing when the float starts moving. You'll get used to the motion quickly, but the first movement might startle you."

Jill moved to his side and took hold of the back of the chair, knowing he was right. Her gaze slid over the float as they waited to move forward, noting that everyone was now on board. There were six elves on their float. Three were children of store owners who'd volunteered to be elves, and the other three were adults, Jay and two of his friends, both little people like himself.

The float started forward, sending everyone swaying where they stood. Once in motion however, Jill quickly adjusted and was able to stand unaided.

"Okay?" Nick asked as she released the chair back she'd been clinging to.

Jill nodded and offered a smile. "Fine."

"Good." He scooped out a handful of candy canes and whatnot from the tray and passed them to her. "Just smile, wave, and toss treats to the kids."

They worked in silence at first, smiling and waving and throwing candy, but Jill found herself repeatedly glancing toward Nick. This wasn't how she'd expected the day to go. Every time they were together they tended to chat up a storm. She'd rather expected this day to go the same, the two of them laughing and chatting and sharing secret smiles as they tossed the candy and waved, but she wasn't Jill today, she was Noelle, and Nick didn't seem interested in talking to her.

Jill supposed she should be glad. After all, she'd taken on the appearance of a model most men would be drooling over, yet Nick hardly seemed to notice she was there.

They were perhaps halfway through the parade when Jill began trying to strike up a conversation with Nick. She pointed out a child on the side with reindeer horns on and a glowing red nose, but while Nick smiled faintly, it didn't lead to anything. She tried again several times, but the man just wasn't receptive. He was polite enough, but cool in his responses until Jill finally just gave up the flirty attempts and decided to try the direct approach.

"Would you like to go out for dinner after the parade?" she asked suddenly, and was amazed at herself for having the courage to do so. It seemed being someone else gave her courage she'd never had as herself. Jill had never been the sort to ask men out, she always waited for the man to ask… which was perhaps why she never ended up dating anyone she was really interested in. Now she waited for Nick's answer, wondering why she'd even asked. She didn't want to date him as stick-thin model Noelle. She didn't even want him to like stick-thin model Noelle. She wanted him to like her, Jill, as herself.

"Look, you seem like a nice woman, Noelle," Nick said gently. "But Jay was right, I am interested in Jill."

She sucked in a breath. He'd just said the one thing guaranteed to make her the happiest girl in the parade, maybe even the town. Here he stood, rejecting a woman with the face and body of an international magazine model for little old Jill. She could have kissed him.

Her glee lasted for a very brief moment and then it was pushed out of her brain by questions. If he was interested in her why hadn't he asked her out? Was he just using that as an excuse for him to let Noelle down easy? And if he wasn't interested in Noelle, or Jill at least not interested enough to ask her out, maybe… God! Kyle couldn't be right. Nick wasn't gay was he?

"What?"

Jill blinked her thoughts away to see that Nick had stopped throwing candy to stare at her. He was frowning under his fake beard as he took in the expressions her thoughts were scribbling across her face and obviously wanted to know what was behind them, she realized. Jill hesitated, but then blurted, "If you're so interested in Jill, why haven't you asked her out?"

She saw his mouth tighten between the white mustache and beard and was sure he was going to tell her to mind her own business, so she quickly blurted, "We're friends… and I've been worried about her. You seem to be stringing her along, eating lunches with her, showing interest but not too much interest, never asking her out…" Jill watched the play of expressions on his face, then impulsively added, "Her brother thinks you're gay."

"Gay?" Nick's eyes widened in alarm.

"Yes. He thinks that's why you haven't asked Jill out," she murmured quietly, and then added, "If you are you should just tell her so. She'd still be friends with you, but you shouldn't string her along like this."

Nick was frowning now and looking a bit put out. Jill waited, wondering if he'd tell her to go to hell, or actually respond at all, but then he heaved out an exasperated sigh and said, "I'm not gay."

She felt every muscle in her body relax at this news. Jill had told herself she didn't believe he was, but the possibility had bothered her ever since Kyle had brought it up. His answer eliminated the problem, however. Now she just had to find out why—if he was interested in her—he hadn't asked her out. The easiest way was to ask, so she did. "Then why haven't you asked her out?"

Nick pursed his lips and then said, "Because I haven't been free to do so."

Jill blinked at this simple explanation. Not free? Like how? God! He wasn't married was he? Oh dear God, if she'd gone and fallen for a married guy—

"I was in the middle of a divorce when I opened the store next to Jill's. I've been waiting for the divorce to go through before asking her out. Besides, I didn't want a rebound relationship. The first year after separating from my wife, I dated around a lot, but then I realized I was picking women who were all just like my ex-wife. I decided it would be best to take a year off from dating, give myself that time to deal with all the issues from my marriage, decide what I really wanted in a partner and then consider dating again. The next time I marry I want it to really be 'until death do us part.»

"I suppose there were lots of women you've been interested in during that time," she murmured.

"Yes," he admitted. "There are a lot of attractive women in the world."

"Yes," she agreed with a frown.

"But none of them were as interesting to me as Jill is."

She stiffened, her ears suddenly pricking.

Nick grimaced and shook his head before continuing. "I was halfway through that promised year when I opened the shop here and met Jill. Suddenly, keeping to that year was hard. I actually like Jill. It isn't just sexual interest with her. She's normal and sane and funny and smart and sexy… everything I've ever wanted in a woman."

Jill sucked in a breath at this news, her heart suddenly bursting with hope.

"Actually, I think this year business turned out to be a good thing for us," he said quietly. "It forced me to be a friend to her first and through that I've found we get along great. We work well together as a team. We like many of the same things…" He shrugged. "I didn't even know that much about my wife when I married her. And while I was sure two years ago that I would never marry again, I think I'd be willing to risk it with Jill… if she was interested."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd be interested," Jill assured him with a grin. She felt like her heart was bursting. He liked her! And he thought she was funny, smart, and sexy.

"I guess we'll see when I ask her out."

"When will that be?" Jill asked with excitement. "I mean when is the year up?"

"Both the year and the divorce were final yesterday. I signed the final decree last night." Nick admitted and then gave a dry laugh. "And actually, I had it all planned to ask her out today."

Jill had to grab onto Santa's chair to keep from jumping up and down with glee and squealing.

Nick continued. "I was going to invite her to my sister's Christmas party after the parade. That way there'd be no nervous, first-date jitters, just a relaxed invitation to join me at my sister's. I even invited the others in the parade along too so she wouldn't feel pressured."

"Oh," Jill breathed, thinking he was the most thoughtful man in the world. If he'd asked her out on an actual date the first time, she would have been over the moon, until the first-date jitters set in. Then she would have spent whatever time there was between his asking and the actual date fretting over what to wear, what to say, desperate to have everything perfect.

God, what a clever man he was. His way was so much more relaxed. If he invited her with a bunch of people, she would have been relaxed thinking it was just a group thing and—

Damn! Jill's happiness turned to dismay as she realized that John and his craziness had completely screwed up everything. There wouldn't be any relaxed first date because she wasn't here. Her first date, probably, finally their first kiss too. Jill had been fantasizing about that first kiss for so long, she doubted the real thing could live up to it. She would have liked to find out though. Dammit! Why had John chosen today of all days to act like a crazy prick and zap her? If not for him she'd be herself up here and she so wanted to be herself right then.

"Say, why is that guy coming out of Jill's store?"

Jill let go of her thoughts and glanced around with confusion. Nick was peering to the left of the float and she followed his gaze, noting that they'd reached their street of stores. The parade was almost over. At the end of this road, they would pull into the parking lot and disband. Her gaze slid along the storefronts until she found her own and she stiffened as she spotted the man now turning away from the door of her store. John Heathcliffe. His gaze slid over the people on the street and then across the floats passing by until it landed on her where it froze, eyes widening with incredulous recognition.

No, he couldn't recognize her, Jill thought with dismay. She didn't look anything like herself.

"He seems to know you. Who—" Nick's words died as he turned curiously toward her and suddenly froze. "Jesus," he breathed, his wide eyes eating her alive. "Jill? Where did you come from?"

"What?" She peered at him with confusion and then realized he'd called her Jill. Glancing down, she jerked the cape closed with a squeak of alarm as she saw that she'd changed back to herself and now stood on the float with nothing but the cape covering her. She was herself and naked. How? She wondered frantically and then realized that she'd been standing there wishing she was herself. Her body had obviously listened.

And, of course, John had recognized her. That thought forced any concern for her nudity from her mind and she jerked her eyes back to the bane of her existence. Jill wasn't at all surprised to see that John Heathcliffe was now pushing his way through the crowds, fighting to get to the float.

"Jill? What's going on? Where did Noelle go?" Nick was obviously struggling with confusion, but she didn't have the time to explain.

"I have to go," she muttered, and tried to turn away, but he caught her arm.

"Wait a minute," he said. "How—?"

"I can't explain right now, Nick. Please let me go, he's coming. He'll get me," she cried, panic choking her throat as she saw John break out of the crowd and stumble onto the street next to the float behind their own. As slow as the parade was moving, it wouldn't take him long to reach their float and be on her.

"But the parade," Nick said.

"It's done, we're nearing the end of the street now," she pointed out, tugging at her arm. "Please."

Nick glanced around and saw that they were indeed nearing the parking lot where they would disband. They had two more stores to pass. Frowning, he glanced back to her frantic face, then toward John who was now running behind the float, reaching for the edge to boost himself up.

Mouth tightening, Nick began to urge her toward the front of the float. "Okay, let's go."

"What?" Jill glanced at him with surprise as he hurried her to the opposite end of the float from where John was trying to board. "You're coming with me?"

"Like you said, the parade is over," he pointed out with a shrug. "And I don't know what's going on… but I want to."

"Oh," Jill breathed unhappily, not at all sure she could explain everything to the man. She'd have to explain about her brother and his wife, and the molecular destabilizer and that wasn't her secret to share. Besides, she wasn't sure she wanted to. He said he liked her because she was normal and sane, and she had been until that morning. Now she was anything but normal. Once he found that out, would Nick lose interest in her?

"Hey! What do you think you're doing, buddy?!"

Jill glanced back over her shoulder at that shout from Jay to see him and the other two adult elves converging on the spot where John now hung off the float. His upper body was on it and he was struggling to pull his legs onboard, a struggle made more difficult as the three little men began kicking and hitting him while the children playing elves pelted him with candy canes from a safe distance.

"Jump."

Jill jerked her gaze back around just as Nick leapt from the float, pulling her with him. Biting back the scream that leapt up her throat, Jill concentrated on trying to land on her feet, but she was off balance and landed wrong. Her ankle twisted out from under her and she fell.

"Are you all right?" Nick asked with concern, kneeling at her side.

Jill nodded, then glanced down and blushed self-consciously as Nick suddenly tugged her cape down to cover her upper thighs.

"You really have to explain this to me," he muttered, lifting her to her feet.

Jill didn't comment, concentrating on holding the edges of the cape together as he set her upright.

"Come on." Nick tugged her quickly through the crowd. It took her a minute to realize he was leading her back to his store, then they were there and he was retrieving keys from his pocket and unlocking the door.

Jill shifted from foot to foot and glanced anxiously back toward the float, cursing when she saw that John was now standing on it surrounded by angry elves. He was ignoring them, however, his attention fixed on her.

"Inside." Nick caught her arm and tugged her inside the dark shop.

"He saw us," Jill said anxiously, moving to peer out the window toward the float as Nick locked the door again.

"I know. He's probably headed here then," Nick said grimly and caught her arm to urge her away from the window. "We won't have much time."

"Time for what?" Jill asked with despair. It seemed to her they didn't have any time at all. She should be headed out the back door that very minute and without Nick. He wasn't the one John wanted and should be safe so long as she wasn't with him.

"I'm calling the police."

Startled out of her thoughts, Jill glanced around wildly and realized that Nick had drawn her to the store's back room and released her to move around the desk and pick up his phone. Lunging forward, she pressed down on the phone receiver, hanging up on him even as he started to punch in the number.

"What are you doing?" he asked with surprise.

"No police," she said, her voice panicky.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jill." He pushed her hand out of the way. "This guy is obviously bothering you or something. The police—" His words died and he lifted a disbelieving expression to her as she suddenly ripped the cord out of the phone.

"I'm sorry," she said at once. "But I can't let you call the police. I can't explain, but this doesn't affect just me, but my family." She glanced down at the cord still in her hand and dropped it with a sigh. "I'll replace that, I promise."

"Where are you going?" Nick hurried around the desk after her when she opened the door between the back room and the shop.

"I'm going to wait until he's looking in the front door and then slip out the back door. He'll leave you alone then and come after me. You'll be safe."

"Are you crazy?" Nick pulled her away from the door and into the middle of the back room, real anger on his face now. "You must be if you think I'm going to let you draw him off so I'm safe while you try to handle this on your own."

"He doesn't want you," Jill pointed out on a sigh. "This is—"

They both fell silent and turned to glance to the front of the store as they heard someone try the door. As they watched, John released the knob and used his hands to frame his face against the window, trying to see inside.

"He can't see us," Nick murmured. "It's dark back here."

Jill bit her lip, watching John with the same fascination she'd watched a snake about to strike. She then became aware that Nick had moved away from her.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a whisper as he moved back to the door between the front and back of the shop, then her attention shifted back to the front door as John began to tug at it again as if he could force it open by sheer will. Nick paused too, she noted, but her attention was on watching John try to open the door, then the scientist suddenly stopped and moved away on the sidewalk, trying to look nonchalant. They understood why when a police officer appeared in front of the store and approached him.

Jill supposed the officer had spotted him working at the door and briefly hoped that he'd arrest him or something, which would leave her and Nick safe and free, but the officer merely spoke to him for several minutes, then turned and continued along the sidewalk. Jill supposed there wasn't really anything he could arrest him for. Trying a door wasn't an offense.

"The cop must be keeping an eye on him," Nick murmured when several moments passed after the policeman moved out of sight, and John didn't return to his efforts with the door. He was merely leaning against the telephone pole out front, his gaze fixed on Nick's storefront. "It looks like he's decided to wait out front for us to try to leave."

"Until he remembers there are back entrances and tries that," Jill said unhappily.

"You're right," Nick muttered and suddenly pushed the door between the back of the store and the front closed. "We'd better be quick."

Hurrying to her side, he caught her arm and urged her toward the back door. "We'll slip out through the alley and—" He paused and turned to frown when Jill didn't budge, but held her ground. "We have to move quickly, Jill."

"Not like this. Santa and Mrs. Claus are too conspicuous. He'd spot us a block away like this," she pointed out.

Nick peered from her red cape to the padded Santa costume he wore and sighed. "You're right."

Jill was about to point out, as patiently and gently as she could that it was safer for her to go alone, when he suddenly brightened, "I keep a change of clothes here in case of spills or such. They're in my office. You can wear those."

"What about you?" she asked with a frown.

"Unlike you, I have jeans and a t-shirt on under here," he said dryly. "I'll just strip off the costume and beard."

"Oh." She was silent for a minute, then nodded. "Yes. Go find the clothes."

The moment he disappeared into his office, Jill headed for the back door. Despite what she'd said, she had every intention of slipping away. She'd be doing them both a favor. The man had said one of the things he liked about her was that she was normal and sane. If that was so, he'd hardly be interested in her once he knew the truth of what she'd become. There was nothing normal or sane about being a shape-shifter.

No, it was better this way, she decided unhappily. She'd get out of his life before she forced him to break her heart by rejecting her.

Jill's hand was on the doorknob to the back door when she spotted the calendar on the wall next to it. Pausing, she stared. It was open to December and showed a couple walking down the city street in warm winter gear. Jill glanced from the picture down to herself and back. She'd be less noticeable in the calendar woman's face and outfit than as herself. And as much as she wanted to spare herself the humiliation of explaining everything to Nick—if she even could—she didn't wish to do so at the expense of getting caught and caged up for the rest of her life by a madman.

Shifting to look like the calendar girl seemed her safest route, and it would only take seconds, Jill assured herself. She'd be changed and gone before Nick got back.

Decision made, she released the door knob and concentrated on the picture, imagining herself looking like that woman. Wanting it. Needing it.

"Jesus."

Jill blinked and glanced toward the door to Nick's office, a small gasp slipping from her lips as she spotted him standing frozen in the doorway. He was beardless and in only his street clothes, the clothes he'd sought for her a bundle clutched to his chest, but it was the shock on his face that concerned her.

She glanced down at herself, not surprised to see that she had changed successfully to the calendar girl. Her only wonder was whether he'd been there long enough to see her change or if his shock was at finding a stranger in the room.

"Jill?" he said with disbelief. "How did you do that?"

Well, that answered her question she supposed, her shoulders sagging. He'd seen her change. Now he knew how un-normal and unsane she was.

It was all so unfair, she thought miserably. Up until this morning her life and everything about her had been boringly sane and normal… well, except for her brother and Claire and Beth. Now, because of one idiot mad scientist, everything was topsy turvy and any hope of romance with the one guy she'd really liked in a long time was screwed.

"You changed from yourself to this in like a heartbeat." Nick tossed the clothes he'd collected onto the nearest box and began to walk around her, surveying her from every angle. "The only thing that didn't change is the cape."

Reminded of the cape and knowing she couldn't wear it out of the store for fear of tipping off John to who she was, Jill slid it off and draped it over the clothes on the box.

"Noelle was wearing that cape," he said suddenly.

Jill stiffened and watched unhappily as he put things together in his head.

"Then you were wearing it," he went on slowly. "Then you turned into someone else wearing the cape."

Jill let her breath out on a resigned sigh. She'd always known he was intelligent. It was one of the things she'd liked best about him. She shouldn't be surprised he'd put things together so quickly.

"You're like a… What do they call them? Shape-shifter?"

Despite watching him figure it out right in front of her, she still felt a bit shocked when he said the words. She supposed she'd imagined that he'd need her to give him the explanation for what exactly she now was capable of doing.

"Don't look so surprised. I watched Star Trek growing up," he murmured, continuing to examine her, then added, "I didn't think shape-shifters were real though."

"Neither did I," Jill muttered under her breath. She really hadn't thought such things were possible, not even when Kyle had explained their work to her. She hadn't believed right up until Claire had got zapped and turned into Brad Cruise.

"Does it hurt? To change like that?"

"No," she said warily.

He didn't look like he believed her, but merely asked, "Can you do it again?"

When her expression became surprised, he said apologetically, "I know it's rude to ask. At least, I think it is, but even though I saw it once, it's hard to believe…"

Jill felt her tension return when he suddenly went silent, a frown claiming his mouth. She had a feeling he'd just thought of something, and it was obviously something that didn't please him. She realized why when he said, "I told you—When you were Noelle, I told you—"

"I'm sorry," Jill said at once. "I mean I'm not sorry you told me. I'm glad you like me. I like you too, but I'm sorry I let you tell me…" She paused and sighed, then finished unhappily, "Of course, now that you know this you might not be interested anymore and I'll understand if that's so, but—"

A noise from the front of the store made her pause. They both peered to the closed door between the two sections of the store, then Nick hurried to it, cracked it open, and peered out. Jill was just moving to join him by the door when he closed it again and turned to hurry back to her.

"The cop must be gone. That guy who's following you is trying to pick the lock. We have to go." Nick grabbed her hand as he moved past, drawing her to the back door. Jill allowed him to drag her out of the store, but reached up to grab a long winter coat off the rack by the door as she went. She wasn't cold and appeared to be wearing winter gear, but Nick wasn't. He was now wearing only jeans and a t-shirt. He'd need the coat.

She waited patiently as he locked the door, then handed him the coat and said, "I have to get to my brother."

"Why is this guy after you?" Nick asked as he shrugged into the long coat. "Is it because of what you can do? Does he know you're a shape-shifter?"

"Oh, he knows all right. He's who turned me into one," she said dryly, turning to lead the way up the alley only to find her hand caught as he whirled her back around.

Nick's expression was shocked. "What?"

Jill was silent for a moment, arguing within herself as to whether she should explain everything or not. This wasn't just her secret. Her brother, his wife who happened to be Jill's best friend, as well their daughter, would be affected by this.

On the other hand, Nick was risking himself to help her, and the cat was already out of the bag, so to speak. It only seemed fair to explain. But they had to keep moving. If John got the door unlocked and got inside the store, it wouldn't take him long to realize that they'd slipped out the back and then he'd be out here after them.

Taking Nick's hand, Jill turned and started up the alley. She paused only long enough to send out a silent apology to her brother, then quickly explained about her brother and Claire's courtship, the experiment they'd been working on and then everything that had happened that morning.

"So your brother and his wife were among the scientists working on a molecular destabilizer, this John creep zapped her, your brother got zapped pulling her out of the beam, and they both suddenly found themselves able to shift shape?"

Jill nodded.

"I get why they told their boss, this Dr. Cohen, that the machine didn't work and convinced him to break it down. It's obviously dangerous… But then why on earth would he rebuild it in his own basement?" he asked with disbelief.

"Kyle and Claire are worried their cells might now be unstable or there might be other problems they can't foresee. Kyle wanted to test the effects on animals with faster metabolisms. They have no idea what pitfalls or problems could be in store for them or Beth and he wanted to find out and hopefully find ways to avoid them," she explained.

"But then why did he bother to convince the company he worked for that the original didn't work? He wasted years rebuilding this new one. Wouldn't it have been faster to just admit that he and his wife had been zapped and were changed?" he reasoned. "He would have been able to experiment right away."

Jill frowned. "He didn't realize it would take so long to rebuild it, and he thought it was too dangerous to let them keep working on the original. He was afraid of what they'd do with such technology. He also feared once they realized he and Claire had been zapped, the two of them might end up the lab animals, being experimented on."

Nick nodded in understanding, and then said, "That John fellow probably took your niece downstairs and placed her behind the machine to get you under the beam."

Jill glanced at him with a start as they paused at the mouth of the alley. "I hadn't thought of that. Do you really think so?"

Nick shrugged. "He tricked your sister-in-law under the beam. And he admitted to you that he wanted to zap you to have someone to experiment on. It probably isn't just a happy coincidence that you ended up knocked out under the beam."

Jill supposed it was too much of a "happy coincidence." John probably had taken Beth downstairs and used the child to get her under the beam.

"You're right. We can't go to the police," Nick said suddenly, drawing her gaze again. He was looking grim and determined. "We can't risk revealing all this to the authorities and having you and your family locked up in cages to be experimented on. We'll have to deal with this ourselves."

"I need to talk to Kyle," Jill said quietly. "I tried to call him earlier, but there was no answer at the house. He and Claire must have taken Beth and gone to get new locks for the basement door or something. I need to talk to him to figure out what to do."

"Yes, we can—" Nick's hand suddenly tightened on hers. Startled, Jill glanced up to see him looking past her. They were standing at the mouth of the alley and a glance over her shoulder made her suck in a sharp breath as she spotted John weaving his way through the crowd toward them.

Chapter 3

"He must not have been able to pick the front lock," Jill said with alarm.

"More likely the cop scared him off again, so he's coming around to try the back," Nick said dryly.

"We have to hide," Jill said anxiously, catching his hand and trying to pull him away, but he stayed still.

"We don't have to hide. You already are hiding," he pointed out, his gaze moving over her face with fascination.

Jill frowned at his expression. She liked this man and didn't want him to see her as some weird creature, but it seemed that's what she now was. Pushing the concern aside for the moment, she said, "Nick, we have to hide. He's been watching Kyle and I think me too. He may have seen me with, you. He might know who you are and then know I'm me despite…" She gestured vaguely to the form she'd taken.

Nick scowled at this possibility, but then suddenly smiled.

"What?" she asked with bewilderment, her gaze shifting nervously between his expression and the approaching John. Fortunately, he'd been slowed by a group of teenagers goofing around and taking up most of the sidewalk. He was still two buildings away, trying to weave his way around the kids.

"They say the best place to hide is in plain sight."

Nick's words brought her head back around and she opened her mouth to ask what he was thinking, only to gasp in surprise when his lips descended on hers. Jill stood still in his arms for a moment, and then clutched at his upper arms as he suddenly backed her up against the brick wall of the building behind them. She felt the hard, textured brick press into her back and was reminded that while she might appear dressed in winter gear, it was all just her. It was her skin pressing into the cool brick.

Jill shuddered as his hands slid around her waist to her back before dropping down to cup her bottom. Gasping, she rose up on tiptoe as he cupped her there and drew her tight against his body under the coat. His jeans brushed erotically against the naked flesh of her legs and hips and the cotton of his shirt rubbed softly across her breasts, making her nipples tingle. Moaning under the erotic assault, she clutched at his shirt front as his tongue urged her lips apart and slid between them.

Shivering as desire rippled through her, Jill slid her arms around his waist under the coat. Then she let her own hands drop down to his bottom and urged him harder against her, unable to stop her hips from undulating against him.

Nick groaned and ground harder still, then slid one leg between both of hers, forcing a gasp from her lips as his cloth-covered thigh rubbed against her.

"Get a room."

The muttered comment was John Heathcliffe's as he passed them to enter the alley. Jill recognized his voice and instinctively started to pull away from Nick. Seeming to realize that she was about to end their kiss and unintentionally reveal his face, Nick rubbed his thigh against her more firmly, then slid one hand to her breast and squeezed gently to recapture her attention. It worked. His touch drove all thought of others from her head and drew a moan from her throat as she arched into both caresses.

Nick smelled and tasted so good and he felt wonderful, his body taunting hers from beneath his clothes. Jill forgot where they were and that they were hiding from anyone and wished they were both naked without barriers between them. She'd waited so long for this kiss… And she'd been wrong, her fantasies hadn't been better. No fantasy could live up to this molten heat and passion. The man was on fire, burning her up with his kisses and caresses. It made her wish they were alone somewhere, that she was herself and they were both naked without his clothes between them.

"Mommy, why is that lady naked?"

"Never mind, Virginia. Don't look. Come on."

Jill heard the exchange, but it didn't really register until an excited stir erupted around them and Nick suddenly stiffened and drew away to peer down with shock.

Dread suddenly a stone in the pit of her stomach, Jill tore her gaze from his to glance down at herself. Much to her horror, she'd somehow shifted back to herself and now stood there on the street, naked for all to see. And they were all seeing. Several people were now yelling, others laughing, and still others just gawking at her.

Nick's mind was acting more quickly than hers. Jill didn't notice his releasing her and shrugging out of his coat. She was still staring stupidly down at herself when he suddenly forced her arms into the coat, and drew it closed around her. In the next moment they were weaving their way through and around groups and couples, then Nick suddenly tugged on her hand and they headed down a side street.

"Where are we going?" Jill gasped, struggling to keep her feet.

"The parking lot. My car's there," he said.

Jill glanced anxiously behind them. At first she thought they'd given John the slip by veering down this road, but then she heard an alarmed cry and saw a lady stumble into the street and her gaze narrowed on where the woman had come from. Sure enough, John's head popped briefly into view.

"He's still behind us," she told Nick, wondering why she wasn't out of breath. Jill wasn't the most athletic person. Her life revolved around her shop for the most part and she spent a lot of hours there, leaving very little time for other things, including exercise, yet this race wasn't leaving her breathless as she knew it probably should.

Another cry drew her gaze over her shoulder and alarm raced through her as she realized John was gaining on them. The problem was that Nick was trying to avoid people, weaving through the crowds to avoid jostling anyone. John, on the other hand, was charging through the crowd like a football player, sending people stumbling and sprawling in his wake. He'd soon catch them at this rate.

"He's gaining on us," she gasped to Nick and he suddenly veered to the left, dragging her through the door of a store.

"Can I help you?" a clerk asked as they charged past.

"Just looking," Nick called out before dragging Jill behind a rack of sunglasses. He stopped so abruptly then, Jill nearly knocked them both over slamming into him.

"Do you see him?" she asked as Nick stuck his head around the rack and peered toward the front of the store. "Did we lose him?"

"I'm not sure, he—There he is," he interrupted himself and eased back a bit to make himself less conspicuous as he watched the front window of the store.

"What's he doing?" Jill asked anxiously.

"He's stopped on the sidewalk out front," Nick said, a frown tightening his lips as he watched. "He's looking around the street."

"He must realize we ducked into a store," Jill said with a sigh.

"Yes, but he doesn't know which one."

Jill shifted and drew his coat closer around her as they waited to see what John would do. Oddly enough, she felt more naked now with Nick's coat on than she had when she'd actually been naked but looked dressed. She thought that was strange.

"Is there something I can help you find?"

Jill glanced around sharply. A sales clerk had approached, eyeing them as if they might be shoplifters. Not surprising, she supposed, they were acting oddly after all.

"I—We were just—Umm." Her gaze slid to Nick for help. She was at a complete loss as to what to say to explain their behavior.

"We're just looking," Nick assured her and dragged Jill to the next row to get them away from the woman. Jill immediately picked up one of the boxes on the end display to "look," silently praying the woman would go away. She was so busy trying to look interested in what she held, it took a moment for her to realize it was a box of condoms. Ribbed for her pleasure.

Flushing, she set the box back and asked, "What's he doing now?"

"He's still in front of the store," Nick said on a sigh. "It doesn't look like he's going to move until he figures out where we've gone."

Jill glanced nervously toward the store clerk and noted that the woman was staring narrowly at her naked legs and feet. The phrase No shirt, no shoes, no service immediately ran through her head and she felt panic begin to claim her. She was positive the woman was going to throw them out at any moment.

"We can't stay here," she hissed to Nick. "The store clerk is already suspicious. It's just a matter of time before she throws us out."

Nick glanced toward the woman, then picked up a box of condoms and turned it over as if reading instructions. He then leaned out to glance to the front of the store. His unhappy expression told her John was still there. "We can't leave until he leaves."

"And we can't stay," Jill said firmly, glancing at the clerk out of the corner of her eye. She was sure the woman was just working up the nerve to handle them.

"We have to separate," she decided.

"What?" Nick peered at her with alarm. "But—"

"He knows I'm with you now. It doesn't matter what form I take, he'll follow you if there's anyone with you. We need to let him see us and then separate. He isn't interested in you. He'll follow me."

"But—"

"Once I'm away from you I can change form and give him the slip," she pointed out urgently.

Expression grim, Nick gave a reluctant nod. "How?"

Jill leaned past him to see that John stood on the sidewalk at the opposite end from the entrance. She pictured the storefronts on this street in her mind and then turned to ask the store clerk, "There's a bookstore next door, isn't there?"

The clerk seemed startled by the question, but nodded.

"It's on this side of the store?" She gestured to the right of them.

The clerk nodded again.

"Thank you," Jill turned to Nick. "We'll go out, pause long enough for him to see us, then I'll duck into the bookstore next door while you take off up the street. He'll follow me I'm sure. I'll slip into an aisle and quick change to give him the slip."

Nick nodded slowly. "I'll head to the parking lot. My vehicle's a big red SUV. Meet me there after you give him the slip."

Jill smiled. Rather than be relieved to be free of her, he was arranging to meet up with her again. She wanted to grab him and plant a big kiss on his lips. Unfortunately, they didn't have time. "I'll head for the parking lot as soon as I can."

How will I know it's you?" Nick asked with a frown.

Jill grinned and simply said, "I'll tell you."

"Right." He glanced to the front of the store before turning back to ask, "Ready?"

Jill took a deep breath and then nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Okay." Squeezing her hand, he drew her back the way they'd come, using the aisles to hide them until they'd reached the door. John was still there but his attention was turned in the other direction as they slipped out of the store. Rather than head off right away, Nick urged her toward the door to the bookstore. They'd nearly reached it when John turned and glanced in their direction.

There was one moment when all three of them froze, then Nick took off running. Jill immediately rushed into the bookstore. A glance back as the bell above the door jangled showed John hurrying after her, leaving Nick to escape as she'd expected.

Heart pounding, Jill rushed up the first aisle, then took a sharp left and headed for the back of the store, glancing up each aisle she passed. Jill didn't see John, but she saw a lot of other people. There seemed to be someone in every aisle she passed, which made those aisles useless to her. She could hardly shift in front of witnesses.

Jill was starting to panic when she reached the last aisle and—much to her relief—found it unoccupied. Her relief was short-lived. She hurried up the aisle, wildly scanning the books on display in search of a picture of a person she could turn into. It only took a second for her to realize she would have no luck here. The aisle was filled with Christmas items: cards, calendars, and children's books all featuring elves, doves, Santa, Rudolph… Almost every last one was drawn or a cartoon image that was useless to her. At least she didn't think she could turn into a three-dimensional, life-sized cartoon image. And even if she could, John would know at once it was her.

There were only two images that were of actual living creatures. One was a set of cards with a cute little puppy on it. While Jill knew she could probably take on the shape, she somehow didn't think she'd be able to shrink in size to be the creature. Besides, it was cute and cuddly and pretty much defenseless against someone like John.

Her gaze slid to the second image and she stared at the card featuring a real reindeer wearing a glowing red Rudolph nose. Despite the pressure of the moment, Jill couldn't help but wonder how on earth the photographer had got the reindeer to stand still long enough to put the nose on, let alone wear it long enough for pictures to be taken.

"Watch it, mister," the woman's voice made her glance anxiously up the aisle. She had no doubt the woman was speaking to John. He was probably barreling up the store's center aisle like a bull as he'd done on the street, pushing people out of the way as he went. And he wasn't far away. He'd be here any moment.

Panic a high-pitched whistle shrieking in her head, Jill turned in a circle. What to do? What to do? John would be here any moment and she was trapped. What to do?

Her gaze slid desperately back to the image of the reindeer. He'd know it was her, of course. He'd hardly imagine a reindeer got loose from the parade and wandered in to pick out Christmas cards. On the other hand, she'd have a lovely pair of antlers to hold him off with, which was more than she had at the moment.

Could she?

"Hey!"

Jill winced and glanced around again. That shout had been much closer than the last. Frighteningly close. Turning determinedly back to the cards, Jill stared at the image of the red-nosed reindeer and closed her eyes. In that moment she really wanted to be the reindeer. It was big, would be fast, and had large antlers to hold John off.

A gasp brought her eyes open and she peered to the end of the aisle where John stood, a stunned look on his face. The red bulb glowing at the end of her now very elongated nose was her first clue that the shift had worked. Glancing down she found herself staring at two hoofs sticking out of Nick's coat sleeves.

"Well you clever little minx," John breathed suddenly. "I never would have imagined you could do this."

He was moving toward her, easing his way as if she was a vicious animal… which she supposed she could be now. By rolling her eyes upward, Jill could just see the tips of the long, pointy antlers now crowning her head. They looked deadly and she briefly fantasized about charging at the man and goring him as payback for all the trouble he'd caused her… but it just wasn't something she could bring herself to do when she had other options. And she did. Taking advantage of one of those options now, Jill turned to hurry up the aisle away from him. Unfortunately, her brain was trying to run like a human with two legs and she was now on all fours. The new body shape was odd and awkward and left her floundering clumsily for the first few steps. The coat didn't help matters much either, her clumsy hooves kept catching on it as she tried to move.

A sudden jerk on the back of the coat told her John had grabbed it. Fortunately, in all their rushing about, Jill hadn't had time to do it up. Now she struggled to free herself, her feet—hooves—coming free and allowing the long coat to slide off her back.

"Get back here!" John yelled, but she was away. Reaching the end of the aisle, Jill turned sharply to the right, intending to head for the front of the store, but she hadn't taken her new body into account. Her front hooves turned abruptly on command but her back legs were slower to react and slid out from under her so that her hind end slid along the floor to the side. Jill cursed under her breath as she saw John rushing up the aisle toward her. He'd be on her in a minute. Forcing herself to concentrate on her new body's movement, she managed to regain her feet and immediately charged for the front of the store.

Jill didn't consider the problem the door could be until she was nearly to it. She was just starting to realize that she wouldn't be able to work the door knob when the bells jangled as it was pushed inward by someone entering. It was an older woman who was smiling on first pushing the door open, but who blanched in horror and threw herself to the side, slamming the door against the wall and pinning it there with her body when she saw what appeared to be a huge reindeer charging toward her.

Jill put on a burst of speed and exploded out onto the sidewalk.

Screams and shouts erupted around her and Jill soon rued that she'd changed at all. The antlers were deadly and she wasn't used to them; she could hurt someone very badly if she weren't careful. Fortunately, she wasn't the only one to realize the peril her new shape could cause and everyone was scrambling to get out of her way. Turning in the direction of the parking lot, she broke into a run as the bells on the door behind her chimed. She didn't have to glance around to know it must be John.

"Jill! Get back here!" he roared and she grimaced at the fury in his voice. Did he really expect she'd just docilely allow him to lock her away for his experiments? The man was mad, she thought as he called her name again. "Jill!"

"That's Rudolph!" a child's voice corrected him scornfully, then added, "Run, run Rudolph! The bad man's coming."

Jill was already running, but put on a burst of speed at the cry. The more accustomed she became to this new shape, the more swiftly she was able to move and everyone was very accommodating in making way for her. They were spreading before her and then closing quickly behind her to stare after her with amazement which had the added benefit of slowing John down. She quickly left him behind.

Unfortunately, all this attention had its disadvantages and when she heard someone shouting out to call the police or animal control, she knew she had to get herself somewhere out of sight and change again quickly. The problem would be what to change into. If she changed back to herself, she'd be left naked and that was hardly helpful.

A rush of relief ran through her as she broke out of the last of the crowds and found herself on the edge of the parking lot. It was full of people milling about still in their costumes. The parade was over and its members were now laughing and chatting in groups with the relief and excitement that follows a successful venture. Fortunately, they were mostly congregated around the tents and no one seemed to notice her appearance at the edge of the lot.

"Don't let it get away."

"Does anyone have a rope? We can lasso it and hold it until the police get here."

Jill glanced around at that comment, startled to see that some of the people from the crowds had decided to give chase. She should have realized that would be the case, that some civic minded men would decide to catch the wild reindeer running loose in the streets before it harmed someone, but the possibility hadn't occurred to her.

Cursing, she turned sharply and charged for the end of the parking lot where the parade members had parked. When they reached the cars, she began to weave through them, aware that the men had begun to spread out, trying to surround her.

Pausing between two vans, Jill tried to decide which way to go, but glanced to the side when a muffled bark caught her ear. She blinked in surprise as she found herself face to face with a beautiful husky. The dog had climbed right up onto a box on the seat of the van he was in. He stood framed in the window, peering at her with what seemed more to be curiosity than anything else.

"Do you see it?"

Jill glanced behind her, but while the voice sounded close, there was no one there.

"I think it went around that van," someone answered as Jill turned back to peer at the dog again. Knowing she didn't have much time, she concentrated on the animal, wanting desperately to look like it. No one would bother her as a husky. They'd hardly notice her with their attention on finding the reindeer.

"Hey, boy." A hand landed on her rump, rubbing there and bringing her eyes open as two men moved up on either side of her between the vans.

"The reindeer couldn't have come this way, the dog would have stopped it," the second man said as the first man ran his hands over the white fur now cresting Jill's body. She'd shifted successfully and was now a husky.

"Yeah. He must be back further," the first man agreed, straightening and turning back the way they'd come. "Let's backtrack."

Jill released a breath as the two men disappeared around the van, as relieved that the one man wasn't touching her anymore as she was that they'd been fooled by her shape-shifting. The fellow may have thought it was a dog's furry back he'd been running his hand over, but it had felt to Jill like his hand was coursing over her naked skin.

A scratching sound drew her attention back up to the van window and she smiled at the husky as he rubbed his paws over the glass of the window as if to say she should let him out to play with her.

Another time, she thought and hurried toward the opposite end of the parked vehicles, searching for the red SUV where Nick was supposed to be waiting for her. She was relieved when she spotted it and even more so when she saw that Nick was there waiting for her as promised. Some of that relief faded however, when she saw that he wasn't alone. Bev was there, and judging by her stance and the high angry pitch to her voice, she was in the midst of giving him hell for something.

"I'm sorry, Bev," Nick said apologetically as Jill reached the back end of the SUV. "But it was an emergency and we were on the last leg of the parade. There were only a couple of stores left to pass before the parking lot when we had to leave."

"That's another thing," Bev said "First Jill's here, then she has to go and that Noelle woman took her place, then suddenly Jill was there on the float, and someone said she was stark naked under the red cape. What the heck is going on?" "I can't really explain just now, Bev. I wish I could, but…" Nick let the word trail away as he glanced worriedly across the parking lot, obviously searching for her, or anyone rushing his way, Jill supposed, since he had no idea what she was going to look like. His action and her own thoughts reminded her that while she may have escaped the concerned citizens hunting the runaway Rudolph, John was probably heading their way and might know it was her when he saw her with Nick.

"Hey Bev! Where do you want us to put the costumes?"

Bev turned toward the elf who had come around the SUV. "I'll finish with you later," she said over her shoulder to Nick as she started away. "And when you see Jill, you tell her I have a few choice words for her too."

Jill waited until the pair were gone, then hurried to Nick's side, leaning against his leg to get his attention.

"Oh, hello, fellow," he murmured, bending to give her a pat. "I don't suppose you've seen a beautiful redhead that may or may not be herself, have you?"

Jill smiled at the words "beautiful redhead," and then said, "It's me."

She frowned as her words came out very badly slurred. Her jaws were now long and narrow and her tongue felt huge and unwieldly. She supposed she was lucky to be able to speak at all. Dogs didn't.

"Jill?" Nick asked with amazement and knelt to catch her jaw in his hand. He looked her over with disbelief. "How?… Why?…"

"It's a long story," she said, trying very hard to speak clearly. "We have to get out of here. John—" She paused as Nick suddenly straightened and peered over the roof of the SUV. The curse that slipped from his lips told her all she needed to know. John had caught up.

Chapter 4

"Come on." Nick moved to the driver's door, opened it, and waved her in. Jill immediately bounded into the vehicle, scampering over the driver's seat to the passenger side where she peered anxiously out the window. She wasn't made any less anxious to see that John Heathcliffe was no more than twenty feet away and moving fast.

She glanced back to Nick as he settled in the driver's seat and slammed his door closed, watched him start the engine, then turned back to the window again. John was running now and had cut the distance in half.

"Are the doors locked?" she asked nervously.

A click sounded as he shifted into gear and the doors automatically locked, then the SUV jerked forward. Jill scrabbled to keep her balance on the passenger seat as Nick accelerated, watching anxiously as John burst forward, shouting as he slammed his fists into the side of the vehicle. It's all he managed though, before they were tearing out of the parking lot, leaving him behind.

"Do up your seat belt," Nick ordered as he steered them up the road.

Jill turned to him with disbelief to see his gaze shooting between the road ahead and the rearview mirror, which showed the parking lot behind them.

"How exactly do you suggest I do that?" she asked dryly.

Nick glanced at her and frowned. "Can't you change back to yourself?"

"Certainly. If you'd like to drive through town with a naked woman in the front seat."

The smile that slowly curved his lips suggested it wasn't something he'd mind. Sighing, Jill dropped to her haunches on the passenger seat and raised one paw to the door to help balance herself.

Nick was silent for a moment, but now that they were safely away from John, his gaze was moving between the road and where she sat.

Moving uncomfortably under his inspection, she peered into the side mirror on her side of the vehicle, noting that the road behind them was empty. John wasn't following. Yet.

"I don't see him," she murmured.

"No." Nick glanced in the rearview mirror again. "Hopefully by the time he gets his own vehicle and tries to give chase, we'll be far enough away he can't find us."

Jill kept her gaze fixed on the side mirror until they turned a corner without seeing John's black van appear. She relaxed a little bit then and tried to think what she should do now. After a moment's thought, she glanced to Nick. "I need to call my brother."

"Of course. My cell phone is in the glove compartment."

When Jill peered at the glove compartment, but made no move to try to open it, Nick gave a short laugh.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I'll get it for you," he murmured. Pulling to a stop at a red light, he leaned sideways, reaching past her to open the glove compartment and retrieve the phone in question. He started to hand it to her, then paused and shook his head. "I guess I better dial for you."

Jill smiled faintly, but forced herself to stop when she realized her tongue hung out of her mouth when she did. Probably not the image she wanted to convey.

"What's his number?" Nick asked as the light turned green.

Jill rattled off the number and watched as he eased the car forward through the lights, his concentration split between the phone and the road ahead. Once finished, he didn't hand the phone to her, but placed it to his own ear and listened to it ring.

"The answering machine has picked up," he said after a moment, a frown curving his lips. "What do I say?"

Jill heaved a sigh. "Just hang up. They must still be out."

Nick flipped the phone closed and set it on the seat beside her. Jill stared at the phone with frustration for a moment and then said, "They probably won't be out much longer. If you dropped me off there I could wait for him to get back and—"

"No way," Nick said firmly. "Your brother's house is probably the first place this John guy will look."

Jill grimaced but didn't argue. Now that he'd said it, she realized it was true and she'd rather avoid running into John Heathcliffe again.

"And your place would probably be his next stop," Nick added before she could suggest it as an alternative.

Jill frowned and peered out the window, startled when she saw the husky's face reflected. Turning away from the image, she said, "Well, I have to wait somewhere. You can't just drive me around until my brother and his wife return home. If Claire and Beth have gone too, they could be doing last-minute Christmas shopping. They could stop for lunch or even a matinee movie and be gone for hours."

"Then we'll have to wait hours," he said firmly. "I'm not leaving you alone to be caught by that John guy."

"But you're supposed to be meeting the rest of the parade crew at your sister's place," she reminded him.

"Yes," he said and smiled suddenly. "So that's where we'll go. We'll go to my sister's party. You can keep calling from there."

"I'm not exactly dressed for a party," Jill pointed out dryly.

Nick glanced at her, his smile deepening before he said conversationally, "You know, I would have killed to have a talking dog as a kid."

Jill grunted, not amused.

"Although I probably would have picked a terrier. I always liked terriers best."

"Terriers are small," she pointed out.

When he glanced at her with confusion, she pointed out, "I can shift my shape, but I don't think I can shrink it down to the size of a terrier."

"Oh." He peered at her curiously, and then said, "So I suppose shifting into a mouse so I can slip you into my pocket to enter my sister's house is out, huh?"

"Ha ha," she said dryly and then heaved a sigh and slumped on the passenger seat, resting her head on her front paws with dejection. "I guess I'll have to go as a dog."

It wasn't how she'd imagined a first meeting with his family would be.

Nick glanced at her dejected state and frowned before turning his attention back to the road. When he turned right several moments later, and the SUV bounced slightly as it went over the lip of a driveway, Jill sat up and peered around curiously, expecting to see that they'd arrived at his sister's house. Instead, she found herself staring out at the large parking lot of a mall.

"What are we doing here?" she asked with bewilderment as he steered the car down the ramp into underground parking.

There's something I need to pick up before we go to my sister's, Nick answered as he pulled into an empty parking spot in the back corner of the complex. Turning off the engine, he glanced at her with concern. "Will you be all right here by yourself for a few minutes?"

"Yes, of course," she murmured, her gaze sliding over the other cars. It was winter and cold out, but there weren't many people around either coming or going from vehicles. Jill supposed when it got cold or inclement, workers of the shops in the mall who started first thing in the morning took up the majority of spaces in the underground parking. Nick had probably been lucky to find an open spot.

"I'll be as quick as I can," he assured her and then slipped out of the truck.

Jill watched him walk across the parking lot to the elevators that would carry him up into the mall itself, then relaxed back on the seat, a little sigh slipping out. Her mind was filled with thoughts. Worrying mostly, about where John was. Was he back at her store, searching it? Checking her house to see if she'd gone there? Or he might be headed to Kyle's house expecting her to head there for help.

That last thought made her sit up anxiously. She wished she'd been able to reach her brother. Something bumped against her paw as she shifted and she found herself peering down at the cell phone Nick had left on the seat with her and stilled. She should try the house again. If John were headed that way, who knew what he'd do to her brother and his family. Jill pawed at the phone and even managed to flip it open using her paws and nose, but punching in the numbers was impossible. The keypads were just too tiny.

Growling in frustration, she peered around the parking garage again, but now that she worried that John was heading to Kyle and Claire's, she was overwhelmed with the desperate need to call there. She peered around the SUV's interior, searching for a pencil or something she could hold in her mouth and use to punch in the numbers, but there didn't appear to be anything like that.

Her gaze slid to the elevator in time to see the doors open as it disgorged a couple of people. Neither of them were Nick. Jill's gaze slid back to the phone. She had to call her brother. If she changed back to herself, she could. She'd also be naked.

Jill shifted on her paws, trying to decide what to do. She couldn't show up at Nick's sister's house naked… She needed to warn her brother…

Naked. Brother. The two words began to alternate in her mind.

Growling with frustration, she turned on the seat and peered into the back of the SUV, hoping to find something to help her out of this situation. She sighed with relief on spotting the red plaid throw folded neatly on the back seat.

Perfect! She thought happily. She could change back into herself, wrap herself in the blanket and call her brother. Then she could wear the blanket to Kyle's sister's, where he could slip in and maybe borrow her something to wear. That way she could try calling Kyle right away and hopefully warn him before John got there.

The plan had its flaws, but it was better than nothing, she told herself. Besides, she simply couldn't sit there doing nothing while her family might be in danger.

Mind made up, Jill leapt between the two front seats into the back, dropped onto the floor in front of the seat, and closed her eyes. Just wanting to be herself had been enough to cause the shift while she'd been on the float and on the street, so that's what Jill concentrated on. She wanted to be herself. She repeated that refrain in her mind several times, then cautiously opened her eyes and peered down, relieved when instead of black fur, she found herself staring at her own pale flesh.

"Yes," she breathed and snatched up the folded blanket, only to freeze as it dropped open and she saw that it wasn't a blanket at all, but a plaid scarf. A large scarf to be sure, measuring perhaps five feet long and a foot wide, but still just a scarf. Jill closed her eyes briefly and groaned.

She should have examined it before carrying out the change. She should have…

Really, it was too late for should haves, Jill told herself firmly and forced herself to examine the scarf. It wasn't a blanket, but it was large for a scarf and would just have to do. She shifted the material around in her hands, considering the best way to cover the most she could with the scrap of cloth. Finally, she wrapped it around the back of her neck, brought both sides down over her breasts, and then tucked the ends of the material between her legs. This covered all the vital spots, but just barely. Unfortunately, it was the best she could do and it was too late to change her mind; she didn't have a picture of the dog or anything else to change back into now. Grimacing, Jill leaned around the back of the front seat and tried to snatch up the phone, but it was further away than she'd thought and all she managed to do was brush it with her fingertips and send it slipping off the seat onto the floor in front.

"Perfect," she muttered to herself and rose up enough to peer around the parking garage. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be anyone around to witness it, so, muttering under her breath, Jill quickly climbed between the front seats into the front of the vehicle, then dropped onto the floor there to keep out of sight as she searched around for the phone. It took her a moment to realize she'd sat herself on it, but then she found it, flipped it open, and punched in her brother's number.

As had happened every time before this, the phone rang several times before being picked up by the answering machine. Jill hung up as soon as she heard her brother's recorded message and then stared at the phone unhappily, wishing she'd bothered to memorize his cell phone number. Unfortunately, with it programmed into her cell phone, she'd never taken the trouble to memorize it. Why bother when all she had to do was hit contacts, find her brother's name, and hit dial.

Now she peered absently around what she could see of the car interior from her position, running numbers through her mind trying to recall it by memory. She was sure it ended with 1432… or maybe 1342… 1234?

Growling with frustration, Jill lowered her head, then jerked it back up in surprise when the driver's door suddenly opened. Nick peered in, frowning when he didn't see her on the passenger's seat, then froze when he spotted her on the floor.

"You changed back," he said with surprise.

"I'm really worried that John might go to Kyle's. I wanted to try calling him again," Jill explained apologetically, drawing her knees closer to her body to help cover up her near nudity.

"Oh." Nick hesitated, glanced around the garage behind him, then stepped up into the vehicle, dragging a large shopping bag with him as he settled in the driver's seat and pulled the door closed. He then glanced at her again, only to pause and blink. "Is that my scarf you're wearing?"

"Oh," Jill glanced down at herself self-consciously and drew her knees even closer still to her chest. "It was the only thing I could find in here."

He bit his lip, she suspected to keep from grinning and then said, "Well, I guess it's a good thing I picked this up then."

Jill's eyebrows rose as he now offered her the bag he'd brought with him.

"What is it?" she asked rather than take the bag.

"A dress," he answered quietly. "I thought maybe you'd prefer not being a dog the first time you met my family… or borrowing clothes. I thought you might rather change back into yourself and wear this to my sister's house."

"Oh," Jill breathed and then lifted shining eyes to his. He was such a thoughtful man, so smart and clever and caring. God, she could love this man. Maybe already did. She'd known him for six months. This certainly wasn't the first time he'd shown this considerate, caring side. He'd shown her that and much more since moving into the store next door. He'd proven himself funny, and smart and insightful and sweet… Yes, she might very well love the man. And he apparently liked her back. He'd admitted to her when she was Noelle that he was more interested in her than in any other woman since leaving his wife. Maybe…

"If you keep looking at me like that…"

Jill let her thoughts die and blinked at Nick. His expression had gone serious, his eyes hot and intense. It reminded her of those few passionate moments at the end of the alley, of his arms around her, his mouth on hers, his hands sliding over her body… and she wanted to experience all that again, this time as herself, in her own body, not a body borrowed from a calendar.

"If I keep looking at you like that… what?" she asked softly.

Nick was silent, his gaze slipping down over her, taking in the bit of cloth she'd tried to place so strategically and the expanse of flesh it didn't cover. Jill felt his gaze like a caress. Goose bumps began popping up on her skin and she shivered where she sat, her eyelids growing heavy and her mouth parting on a little sigh.

Suddenly he was leaning forward, seemingly unable to stop himself from pressing his lips to her invitingly open mouth.

Jill breathed out a little sigh as his mouth covered hers and she began to struggle to get her arms free of the cramped space she'd put herself in so that she could touch him. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and press her body to his as she had at the mouth of the alley, but was trapped by her position. Briefly. Then Nick suddenly caught her by the arms and lifted her up onto the seat.

Jill murmured her relief and gratitude into his mouth as she slid her arms around his shoulders, uncaring that the movement had dislodged the scarf, revealing anything he cared to see. Nick cared though. Breaking the kiss, he pulled back slightly and peered down over her, and she followed his glance, noting that her nipples were already hard and erect, eager for his touch.

As if unable to stop himself, Nick reached out and ran one finger lightly over the exposed tip, then bent his head to cover it with his lips. Jill cried out and arched on the seat, her hand drifting into his hair and holding on as he suckled, but it was too much too quick and she found herself tugging at his hair, urging him back up to kiss her.

Nick gave in to the demand and covered her mouth with his, quickly deepening the kiss with a thrust of his tongue. His hand replaced his mouth at her breast, caressing and teasing the hard peak and making her writhe and moan beneath him.

That seemed to cut loose the last of his restraint, because Nick groaned deep in his throat and propelled himself forward, pushing himself out of his seat and forcing her back against her own as he came over her. She felt the leather against her back, then the seat suddenly collapsed beneath her and she found herself flat on her back with Nick on top, his hands roaming her body as his mouth pillaged hers.

Jill gasped and arched as his hands closed on her skin, each claiming a breast, and this time didn't protest when Nick broke their kiss again and moved his mouth away to begin a trail down her neck.

"I've wanted to do this for so long," he breathed against her throat as he moved lower. "You don't know how hard it's been not to kiss or touch you all this time."

Jill's answer was to arch and whimper with need as his lips trailed over her collarbone and began to crest the curve of her breast.

"How many times I've sat eating my lunch, thinking how beautiful you are, how much I wanted to touch you and taste you and…" His words died as he reached her breast once more and covered her nipple, sucking it into his warm, wet mouth so that his tongue could swirl around it.

Jill's entire body seemed to tighten up in reaction this time, one hand clawing at his shoulder, the other tugging viciously at his hair, trying to make him kiss her again.

Nick ignored the silent demand this time and simply suckled harder as one hand moved to cover her other breast and tease the nipple there.

Jill opened her mouth to beg him to stop it and kiss her again, then nearly bit off her tongue when she felt his other hand begin sliding up her thigh.

A little alarmed at how out of control she felt and at how quickly this was all going, Jill caught his shoulder and tugged hard, relieved when this time he gave in to her and slid up her body to kiss her.

Jill kissed him back passionately, but wanted more. She wanted him kissing her, suckling at her breast, and she wanted to have him inside her. She wanted it all.

Frustrated by the clothing separating them, Jill began to tug, at his shirt, dragging it out of his jeans with more desperation than finesse. The moment it was loose, she slid her hands under the material and hungrily ran them over his bare flesh, but it wasn't enough. She'd wanted him for so long—forever it seemed now—and need was exploding inside her, making her demanding as her hands slid down to his jeans and began to tug insistently. When the jeans didn't slide down his body, she changed tactics and managed to squirm her hand into the waistband and find him with her fingers.

Nick groaned into her mouth, his hips instinctively thrusting into the caress as she touched him.

"God," he gasped and pressed his mouth to her neck now, one hand sliding down along her hip as he ground against her.

Jill pressed a kiss to his forehead and ran her fingers over him again. In the next moment, Nick had shifted them both to their sides facing each other. He then used one hand to catch her by the back of the neck and pull her face forward for a masterful kiss as his other hand went searching. As his tongue thrust into her, his fingers found the hot wet core of her and began to explore.

Jill cried out into his mouth and bucked against his seeking hand, her own fingers squeezing hard around him. She thought she'd explode any minute, was almost desperate to do so, then laughter hit her ear and startled her back to awareness of where they were.

It had the same effect on Nick and he suddenly stilled too. They pulled slightly apart and stared at each other briefly, then Nick raised his head and peered out the window. When he didn't say anything, she rose up to peer out as well, and bit her lip as she saw a pair of young men coming from the direction of the elevator and starting along the row of cars toward them.

It was enough to have Jill and Nick scrambling. He shifted back into the driver's seat, and picked up the bag to drag out the dress he'd purchased as Jill slid back to the floor, and out of view of the windows. She began to don it without even really looking at it, managing to tug it on and down over her hips in record time.

"Here." Nick leaned down toward her and Jill stilled, unsure what he was doing until he straightened away with the price tag in hand.

Jill's gaze flickered over the tag and she smiled with gratitude, then pushed herself up out of the small floor space and onto the seat, tugging the dress down over her hips and upper legs as she went.

A glance out the window showed the two young men just passing by the SUV, not seeming to even notice them inside. She watched them walk to a car several down from their own, then let a little sigh slip from her lips. Part of her resented the interruption of what she and Nick had been doing, but another part was confused. She'd liked the man for ages and wondered why he'd never made a move, but now things seemed to be moving in high gear. It was a bit overwhelming.

"Are you all right?" Nick brushed his hand lightly over her cheek, his expression concerned when she turned to peer at him.

Forcing a smile, she nodded. "I—Yes. It's all just a little…"

"Intense," he suggested quietly when her voice faltered.

Jill nodded solemnly. Intense was a good word for it. Another word was overwhelming.

Nick leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose, then hugged her comfortingly.

"It will be all right," he murmured by her ear. "It's just that we've been seeing each other for six months and all these feelings have built up and…" He paused to clear his throat, then said, "I'm sorry if I was rushing you."

Jill's breath came out on a soft laugh. "You aren't rushing me. I mean, it's all rather overwhelming, but you didn't do anything I didn't want and…" Frowning, she took a breath and admitted, "I want you. I really do. I'm hard pressed not to ask you to make love to me right here and now, but there's so much going on, so much to worry about. I'm worried about what John Heathcliffe is doing right now, about whether Kyle and Claire are safe and—"

"Shh, I know." Nick hugged her a little tighter and rubbed her back soothingly. "I know. It's all happening at the same time. I think that's one of Murphy's laws or something. But we can handle all this together. We'll go to my sister's where you'll be safe in a crowd of people. You can keep calling your brother and his wife until you get through to them and we'll take care of this Heathcliffe character. Then we'll deal with the us part of the equation. Okay?"

Jill smiled into his shoulder and nodded. They'd handle it together and then deal with the us part of the equation. It had a nice ring to it.

"Okay," she whispered into his shoulder and he pulled back slightly to peer at her.

"We are going to deal with the us part though, Jill," he reassured her solemnly as if she might think he was just putting her off. "We have something special here and my year is up. My divorce is final and I'm now free to pursue you like I want to."

Jill smiled at his expression, and then whispered, "It's about time. Pursue away."

Nick grinned and then kissed her again before saying, "We should get moving."

"Yes," Jill whispered, settling back in her seat and doing up her seatbelt.

Nick started the engine and then pulled out of the parking spot, but Jill wasn't paying attention. Her gaze had dropped to the dress she wore and she was examining it with surprise. It was a simple black cocktail dress. Simple, classic, stylish, and tasteful.

"This is nice," she said with surprise.

Nick grinned. "Don't sound so surprised. I happen to have good taste."

"Sorry," Jill laughed, then added uncertainly, "but isn't it a bit dressy for a casual afternoon party?"

Nick shook his head. "The first part of the party is casual but then most people will leave and at about eight pm my sister is having a dinner party."

"Oh." Jill managed a smile. "Then it's perfect. You have good taste."

His eyes caught on her lips briefly, and then he cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the front as they pulled out of the parking garage.

Jill found her eyes slipping over his mouth and hands, recalling their moments of passion and decided to distract herself. She said, "It was nice of your sister to hold a party for the parade people."

"There was nothing nice about it," he said with a wry smile. "Sue started out having the party for the people she and her husband work with at the psychiatric hospital. But when she found out about you, she told me to invite you along. I pointed out that it might be uncomfortable for you to have our first date be a party with my family, so she opened it up to everyone in the parade too." He shook his head, then went on, "The afternoon is an open party with drinks and snacks for employees of the hospital and parade members, and then at eight it's a proper sit-down dinner with her, her husband, my brother and his wife, and us." He cast her an apologetic glance. "Sorry about that."

Jill merely shrugged. She already knew from their talks that his sister and her husband were both psychiatrists and that his brother was a policeman with a baker for a wife. In fact, she knew a good deal about his whole family and even many of his friends. They'd talked a great deal these last six months. The sister arranging things to meet her didn't surprise her so much as the fact that the woman knew about her. Nick had been talking about her to his family.

"What did you say that made her want to meet me?" she asked curiously.

Nick was silent so long she didn't think he would answer, but then he admitted, "That I was pretty sure you were the one."

Jill blinked. "The one?" she echoed faintly.

Nick didn't respond until they reached the first set of lights. Braking then, he met her glance and said quietly, "We've been friends for six months, Jill. I know everything about you. The only thing I didn't know was whether we'd be sexually compatible…" He glanced to the light and back, and then added, "Of course. It's pretty obvious now that won't be an issue."

Jill flushed, but merely smiled and reached over to squeeze his leg. This day was turning out to be more than she'd ever expected. All she'd hoped for was being asked out on a date and possibly a first kiss. She was getting much more than that. It was as if the last six months of their lunches and platonic friendship had been dating without it actually being called that, and without kissing or anything else. Now they were moving ahead at an amazing rate. From friends, to almost lovers and being "the one."

She shook her head with amazement. If it weren't for John Heathcliffe's antics this would be the most perfect day she could imagine.

"Here we are," Nick announced and then blew out a whistle. "It looks like we're the last to arrive. We'll be lucky to find parking anywhere nearby."

Jill didn't comment, but was just recalling that she was barefoot when Nick said, "By the way. There are shoes in the bag too."

She glanced at him with surprise and then caught up the bag from where it lay discarded on the floor and retrieved a pair of dressy black shoes. Her eyes widened with surprise as she noted the size.

Nick grinned. "I own a shoe store, love. I can guess a shoe size at a glance and am usually right."

She smiled at the claim and slid on the shoes as he parked, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered and meant it. He was very thoughtful. Others might not have thought of stopping to get her clothes let alone shoes. But he had. His consideration was one of the things she liked about him, but there was so much more too.

Nick smiled and reached out to squeeze her hand affectionately, then opened his car door. "Let's go. Time to face the lions."

Chapter 5

"Good Lord! The two of you must be freezing! Come in!"

Jill smiled at Nick's sister as she opened the door to them, but then her eyes ran curiously over the large entry, taking in the gleaming hardwood floors and cream walls. The room was beautiful and made more so by the tasteful Christmas decorations.

"Where are your coats?" Maggie asked as she closed the door behind them.

"We lost them at the parade," Nick murmured.

"Oh. People nowadays," Maggie tutted with a scowl. "You can't leave anything alone for a minute anymore." She shook her head. "Well, never mind. I'll loan you both coats before you go."

"Thanks Mags," Nick said, giving her a hug. "You're a sweetie."

"Yes, I am, and don't you forget it," Maggie laughed as he released her. She then turned to beam at Jill. "Hi, I'm Maggie, Nick's sister, and you must be Jill, the smart, funny, lovely lady who owns the clothing store next door to Nick."

Jill flushed with embarrassment, her lips tipping wryly as she said, "I take it Nick has mentioned me then?"

"Mentioned you?" Maggie laughed. "It's been Jill this and Jill that for six months. I was beginning to think the divorce would never be over so we could meet you."

"You know," Nick said, scowling at his sister. "If I hadn't already told Jill what I thought of her, I'd be really embarrassed right now."

"I knew you'd tell her before you got here. You've been chomping at the bit for the last couple months. I'm surprised you managed to wait until the divorce was signed," Maggie said with an unrepentant grin and then added, "I plan to help the two of you along by telling Jill all sorts of things today."

Nick rolled his eyes, apparently not surprised at the threat. "Oh, well, if you're just going to embarrass me, I think I'll go find Jill and me a drink. Will you be all right for a minute?" he asked, running a hand down her arm.

She nodded and he pressed a kiss to her cheek, whispering, "She means well."

Jill smiled at the claim as he turned away.

"Don't hurry back," Maggie called after him and then turned to Jill with a wide smile. "Nicky's told me so much about you, I feel I know you already. Of course, that's how I knew he was serious about you."

"It is?" Jill asked, eyes wide. Nick had said as much earlier, but it was still startling to hear it from his sister. As Jay had said, it seemed everyone had known he liked her… except for her.

Maggie considered her expression solemnly, then murmured, "It must have driven you wild these last six months; eating lunch together every day, his seeming to like you but never making a move." She grimaced. "I know it would have driven me mad."

When Jill merely smiled crookedly, Maggie said, "I'm afraid he had to. If Michelle—his ex-wife—had caught wind that he was seriously interested in someone, she'd have dragged her feet on the divorce to get more money just to make him miserable."

"Ah." Jill felt her shoulders relax. While she'd believed what Nick had said, she'd wondered why, once he'd decided she was the one, he'd still held to his determination not to reveal his feelings until the year was up. Now she understood.

"She is a horrible woman, grasping, greedy, and spiteful." She shuddered and added, "Nicky would never tell you that, but I'm not as nice. She was horrid."

"She must have had some redeeming features," Jill murmured, though she was actually pleased to hear this poor opinion of the first wife. "Nick doesn't seem the sort to marry someone like that."

"He was younger and she was a model, always flying off to some shoot or other." She grimaced. "With her around so little, we were all fooled. Once they were married though, she dropped out of modeling, was around, and couldn't uphold the image of the sweetheart for long."

"Still out here?" Nick asked as he approached up the hall. Pausing at Jill's side he handed her a glass of eggnog and then glanced from one to the other. "So, has my sister scared you off yet?"

Jill smiled faintly and shook her head. "Afraid not. I guess you're stuck with me."

"Lucky me," he murmured, slipping an arm around her as he sipped his own drink.

"You make such a cute couple," Maggie commented with a pleased little sigh.

"Maggie, love?"

All three of them glanced up the hall as a man poked his head around the door, a small frown on his face.

"Do we have any more club soda? I can't—"

"I'll find it," Maggie called out, interrupting him and then said, "Lou, this is Nick's friend, Jill. Jill, my husband Lou."

"Hello," Jill greeted him with a smile.

"Hi Jill," Lou grinned, then gave Nick a thumbs up. "Nice one."

Maggie shook her head as he disappeared back into the room, then smiled at Nick and Jill. "You two should join the party. I'll catch up with you later."

"Thanks for the warning," Nick teased.

"Ha ha," Maggie muttered as she walked away and then paused and turned back to say, "Oh, I almost forgot, some of the parade people beat you here. Most are in the back room, though there was one fellow hanging out in the front room watching for you."

Nick frowned at this news. "Watching for me?"

"No. It was Jill he asked about."

Jill was aware of Nick stiffening next to her even as ice slid down her back.

"What did he look like?" Nick asked, dread in his voice.

"About your height and build, dark hair. Intense eyes and a bit cold," Maggie answered, frowning now as well. "He followed a group of parade people in. I thought he was with them, but they're all hanging around together and he's sticking to himself… Is there a problem?"

Nick's gaze locked with Jill's but he shook his head. "No, I'm sure it's fine."

"Maggie? Lou sent me to ask if you have any ginger ale?"

All three of them glanced up the hall to see another male peering around the door frame. He looked like an older version of Nick and Jill knew at once that this must be his brother, Mac, the police officer. The way his gaze was moving over her rather than focusing on Maggie made her suspect Lou had mentioned her presence and he'd come for a look see at "Nick's friend."

"Mac, Jill. Jill, our brother Mac," Maggie announced, telling her she'd been right. She then continued up the hall saying, "I'll find the ginger ale and club soda." At the door she paused and glanced back to add, "I'll catch up to you two later."

Jill waited until the pair were out of sight before turning anxiously to Nick. "You don't think the guest waiting for me is John Heathcliffe, do you?"

"I don't know," Nick said with a frown. "I suppose he could have overheard the others talking about the party while he was in the parking lot, and then followed a group of them here and entered on their heels."

Jill bit her lip at the prospect. She'd just begun to feel safe again.

"Look," Nick said suddenly. "I think you should wait in the library while I walk through the house and check out the guests. If he's here, we'll leave before he knows you've arrived. If not, we can relax and enjoy the party. Okay?"

When Jill nodded, he urged her to a pair of double doors and ushered her inside.

"You can use the phone to try to call your brother while I'm gone. I'll be quick," he assured her as he pulled the door closed.

Turning away, Jill moved to the telephone on the desk and quickly punched in her brother's number. She wasn't surprised when the answering machine picked up again, and almost hung up, but then changed her mind and said, "Kyle, where are you? I need to talk to you. It's really important. I'll call again."

She hung up, shoulders sagging and head dropping unhappily to her chest. This was the best and worst day of her life. As much good was happening as bad, but all together it was exhausting and beginning to wear on her.

The sound of the door opening made her straighten abruptly. Jill didn't want Nick seeing her looking as defeated as she felt. Taking a breath, she forced a smile and turned, only to freeze when she saw John Heathcliffe moving quickly toward her.

Eyes widening, Jill swiftly shifted around the desk, placing it between them. "Leave me alone. I'm not going with you."

"Of course you are." John started around the desk toward her.

"No she's not," Nick countered from the doorway. His mouth tightened at John's surprised expression and he said, "I saw you slipping in here. What happened? You saw us arrive and what?… Hid in the coat closet to wait until Jill was on her own?"

Ignoring the question, John continued around the desk. "Don't interfere. I'm taking her with me."

"The hell you are!" Nick rushed forward, catching John's wrist before he could touch Jill. He then swung at him with his other hand balled into a fist, but the scientist grabbed his wrist before he could land the blow and the two men began to struggle. They were about the same size, and apparently equal in strength because at first they simply crashed first one way then the other, neither of them able to pull free or land a blow, but then John suddenly released the hold he had on Nick's wrist and reached into his pocket.

All the breath seemed to leave Jill's lungs when she saw the gun he pulled out. The paperweight she'd picked up from the desk a second before suddenly seemed as effective as a toy and Jill glanced around wildly for something else… anything else. Even as she peered around though, she was wishing she was still the reindeer. She'd gore the man but good were she still the reindeer with those long, deadly antlers.

In the next moment she was. Jill hadn't closed her eyes, and hadn't spent several moments concentrating as she'd thought she had to, she'd just wanted it and suddenly the paperweight was slipping from her mutating fingers and she was dropping to the floor as her body shifted to reindeer form. The sound of tearing cloth accompanied it and Jill grimaced, knowing her lovely dress was being ruined by the new shape. Unable to do anything about that, she glanced to the two men again, relieved to see that rather than shoot Nick, John was swinging the gun at his head. She immediately launched herself forward, a frustrated growl slipping from her lips as Nick fell under the blow before she reached his attacker.

John cried out in surprise when she rammed her antlers into his backside. He crashed to the floor, the gun slipping from his hands and skittering across the hardwood to come to rest under the desk. He didn't go after it, but instead scrabbled across the hardwood himself, trying to get away from Jill and her antlers.

Jill let him go and peered at Nick, relieved when he stirred and moaned. John could have killed him with that blow. That thought brought her anger roaring back and she lifted her head to glower at John. Despite the fact that she was Rudolph in a torn dress, John whimpered and pulled himself into a ball. Before she could go after him the door to the library crashed open and instinct made her drop to her belly on the floor to hide behind the couch.

"Who the hell are you?" Lou's voice was sharp and demanding.

"Where are Jill and Nick?" Mac added, the question assuring Jill that neither she nor Nick were visible from the door. They would be though if the men moved further into the room, she realized and closed her eyes, concentrating on being herself.

Nick's hand on her arm drew her eyes open a moment later to see that he was awake and she was herself once more. Smiling at him worriedly, she helped him to his feet, then grimaced when she glanced down to see the state of her dress. This shape-shifting was obviously going to be hell on her wardrobe.

"What on earth is going on here?" Maggie pushed her her way through the crowd that had gathered in the door and hurried around the couch to join them, her worried eyes sliding from Nick to Jill and back as if unsure who was in the worse state. "Nick you're bleeding and Jill…" Her voice trailed off helplessly as she took in her torn dress. "Are you all right?"

When Jill nodded, Maggie turned her attention back to Nick to fuss over his head wound. Nick suffered it until Mac shifted impatiently by the door and demanded, "What the hell is going on, Nick? How did you get hurt? And why is Jill all beat up? And who the hell is this guy?" he added, gesturing to where John was just getting back to his feet.

Jill lifted her head slightly. She wasn't really beat up. Her dress was a mess and her hair was probably a bit tangled, but other than that she was fine.

Nick slipped an arm around her waist, drawing her to his side as he said, "This guy is John Heathcliffe. He attacked Jill and was trying to force her to go with him. He hit me over the head with his gun when I tried to stop him."

The word «gun» was like an alarm bell. Mac stiffened, his eyes narrowing on John, no doubt searching for the weapon in question.

"He dropped the gun. I think it slid under the desk," Jill said helpfully.

"Take a look and see if it's there, Lou, but don't touch it if it is," Mac said, positioning himself in front of the door in case John had any hopes of leaving that way.

Lou moved to the desk and dropped to one knee to peer under it. He straightened a moment later and nodded solemnly, indicating there was indeed a gun there.

"The man's a nut," Nick said at once. "He thinks Jill is a witch or something."

When Jill glanced at him with confusion, Nick squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Not a witch, a shape-shifter, you fool," John snapped.

"Right, whatever," Nick said with a meaningful look at his brother-in-law. "And he wants to kidnap her, take her back to his home and torture the evil out of her. He probably has a cage and everything."

"The cage is just to keep her from escaping," John said quickly. "And I wouldn't torture her, just study her. I'm a scientist and we need to experiment on her, do empirical studies to see how her cells respond to various stimuli like cold, heat, or being cut off."

"Cut off!" Jill squeaked with horror.

John nodded. "Yes, painful but necessary. I'll have to cut parts off and see if they change on their own or die and see if the appendage will grow back or your cells simply displace to replace it."

"Well, I've heard enough," Mac said dryly.

"Hmmm," Lou murmured. The psychiatrist came to his wife's side and whispered something that made her nod and move silently out of the room. The moment she was gone, Lou offered John a smile. "These sound like fascinating experiments, John. Science has always fascinated me, would you tell me more?"

He moved carefully forward as he spoke, his movements slow and cautious, his expression nonthreatening.

John frowned, looking uncertain, but it seemed keeping this all to himself for so long had been terribly difficult. He was eager to tell someone.

"I have a whole list of experiments I wish to try," he blurted, excitement edging into his expression. "I need to test her in cold temperatures and hot to see if it affects her ability to change, and see if she can now withstand freezing temperatures better than normal people. I had a huge walk-in freezer installed for that one," he admitted proudly.

Jill shuddered at the thought. Cutting parts off, freezing her… None of it sounded appetizing. She was doubly glad she'd escaped him that morning.

"Jesus."

Nick's soft horrified whisper drew her gaze to see that he'd gone pale. It seemed he was equally distressed at the «tests» she'd barely escaped.

"Yes, of course," Lou was saying solemnly his gaze moving to the door as Maggie slid back into the room. She nodded at her husband and his gaze then slid meaningfully to Mac before he put a hand on John's shoulder to turn him away. Walking him toward the windows, he said, "I can see how these would all be necessary. Tell me more."

Jill watched as Maggie and Mac started to move silently forward. It wasn't until they moved past her and Nick that she spotted the syringe the woman held in the hand that had been behind her back since entering. Eyes widening as understanding sank in, she glanced back to John as the man continued his explanations.

"Well," he was saying, "I'll have to see how chemicals affect her now too: poisons, radiation, etc. We have to know just how her cellular basis has been altered and—Hey!" John tried to whirl around but Lou and Mac both grabbed him and held him in place as Maggie pushed down the plunger on the needle she'd just jabbed into his arm.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" John tried to struggle free, but it was too late, Maggie had finished administering the shot and now backed away, leaving the two men to hold the struggling scientist.

"It's all right, John," Lou was saying soothingly. "This is just something to help you relax."

"I don't need to relax. What did you give me?" he asked, his eyes widening with horror as his words began to slur.

"As I said, it's just something to help you relax."

"But you said you understood. You wanted to hear about—" He gasped as his legs suddenly gave out. If not for Mac and Lou holding him, he would have fallen she was sure, but the men were holding him and shifted their holds to catch him under the arms and half drag, half carry him to the couch.

"I am most interested in hearing what you have to say, John," Lou assured him. "And we'll have plenty of time for you to tell me all your plans and tests at the hospital when you wake up."

"Wake up? Hospital?" John's voice was soft and confused, then his eyes blinked closed and he appeared to go to sleep.

"Well," Mac said straightening slowly away from the now unconscious man. "It's handy your being the head of a psychiatric hospital, Lou. I can't think of a better candidate for the place."

"Hmm." Lou nodded solemnly. "The man is obviously delusional. Has he always been?"

Jill's eyes widened as the two men turned in her direction in question. She quickly shook her head and said, "I don't know. I don't know him. I've heard of him, but never met him before today."

"How did you hear of him?" Mac asked with a frown.

Jill glanced nervously at Nick. When he nodded encouragingly and squeezed her hand, she said carefully, "He worked with my brother several years ago on some experiment, but it didn't work and they closed down the lab."

"Hmm." Lou turned back to the man. "Well, his attacking you, plus what he said here is enough to lock him up for seventy-two hours observation. I suspect what he says once he wakes up will be enough to keep him locked up for a while, at least until we can find a drug treatment plan that will stabilize him and rid him of the delusion that you're a witch or shape-shifter or whatever it is."

"But why you?" Mac asked quietly.

Jill glanced sharply at the officer and swallowed thickly.

The man was looking suspicious and she suddenly felt terribly guilty, though she had nothing to feel guilty for.

"If he's never met you before, why did his delusion fixate on you?" Mac asked.

Squeezing her hand again, Nick jumped in to say, "Jill didn't know him, but he told her that he'd been watching her brother Kyle for a while and her as well, didn't he Jill?" he prompted.

"Yes." She nodded quickly. "This morning, when he first tried to kidnap me. He said he'd been watching my brother Kyle and his family since the project ended all those years ago and started following me after he saw me leaving and… er… finally decided that I was the one he should turn into a shape-shifter and experiment on."

"He tried to kidnap you this morning?" Mac asked with surprise. "Did you make a report?"

"I—No, I–I tried to call my brother right afterward to tell him, but there was no answer and I had promised to be in the parade…" She let her words fade to silence, knowing how lame they sounded.

"She thought it was a joke," Nick said, helping her out, then gave a laugh and a shrug. "What else was she supposed to think? She recognized his name from when he worked with her brother, but he was claiming she was some 'creature' and he was going to lock her up and experiment on her." He shrugged. "She thought it was a joke. It was only when he tried to get on our float at the end and then started chasing us around that either of us took it all seriously."

"Ah." Lou nodded as if that all made perfect sense. Even Mac relaxed a bit, though he wasn't looking wholly satisfied.

"The ambulance is here," Jay announced from the doorway and Jill shifted uncomfortably as she was reminded of the presence of all the partygoers. None of them were looking at her with anything but sympathy, however.

"Right," Lou said, drawing her attention back to the two men by the couch. "Let's get this fellow on his way to being settled in the hospital then, shall we."

Nick drew Jill back out of the way as the ambulance attendants entered with a gurney. They lifted John's unconscious form onto the wheeled bed, strapped him down and then took him out with Lou, Mac, and Maggie following.

Jill felt her shoulders sag as the room immediately began to clear.

Nick drew her against his chest. "How are you holding up? Shall we leave and go someplace and relax?"

Jill nodded with relief. "My place. I'd like to bathe and change."

Nick smiled wryly as he took in the ruined dress she wore. "It didn't last long, but it did look good on you while it lasted."

Jill smiled faintly and leaned her head into his chest for a hug, murmuring, "I suspect it may be a good thing that I own a clothing store."

"And I a shoe store," he agreed with a grin and she glanced down to see that she'd lost her shoes once more.

Wrinkling her nose, she peered around the room and then slipped from under his arm to move around the couch. A relieved sigh slid from her lips when she spotted the shoes he'd bought her.

"Here they are," she announced, bending to pick them up and slip them on.

"So it's only your clothes, my coat, and this dress that were lost or ruined in today's excitement," Nick commented. "Not bad all things considered."

"Yes, I could be locked in a cage right now being burnt or frozen," she said with disgust and shook her head at the madness, not to mention cruelty, of John's Heathcliffe's plans for her.

"Not so long as I live and breathe," Nick assured her quietly and slid his arm around her again the moment she straightened.

Jill didn't know if it was because he was finally free to do so, or simply a reaction to the fact that he'd nearly lost her to John Heathcliffe and his madness, but Nick seemed to need to keep her close now, and was always touching her. He had his arm around her as he made their excuses to his sister and promised they'd come back in the next day or so for a meal, then held her hand in the SUV all the way to her place.

Once they'd reached her home the touching took on a different tone. Nick started out just trying to be caring by running her bath while she collected a robe and towel, but then his efforts to help her get the ruined dress off saw them lip-locked. This time there were no sudden bursts of laughter or talking to force them apart and they ended up making love right there on the bath mat. A memorable first time to be sure.

A memorable second time followed when he joined her in the bath.

They were out and drying off when the phone rang. Pulling on her robe, Jill left the towel for Nick and rushed out to the end of the hall to answer the phone.

"Jill? Are you all right? I got your message when we got back. It was followed by a bunch of hang-ups I worried might be you."

"Yes, the hang-ups were me too," Jill admitted with a little sigh, glancing over her shoulder to see Nick walking up the hall to join her with only the towel wrapped around his waist. She smiled softly and relaxed back against his chest as he stepped up to wrap his arms around her from behind.

"What's happened?" Kyle asked worriedly. "You sounded pretty upset in the message."

Jill opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again as all she had to tell him rolled through her mind. This was going to be a long conversation and Jill simply wasn't up to that right now. All she wanted was to collapse into bed and sleep in Nick's arms… and… she decided she could. John Heathcliffe was safely locked up for at least seventy-two hours. Tomorrow morning she would get up bright and early and go over to her brother's house and tell him everything. For now it would wait.

"Jill?" Kyle asked. "What's happened? What were you calling to tell me?"

She opened her mouth, but again paused, this time because Nick had started to nibble at her neck even as his hands slid around to tug her robe open so his hands could run freely over her body.

"I called to tell you…" Jill paused on a soft gasp as Nick's hands closed over her breasts, then finished breathily, "Mr. Handsome Shoes isn't gay."

"Mr. Handsome Shoes?" Nick asked with amusement, pinching her nipples lightly for punishment.

"You were calling to tell me Mr. Handsome Shoes isn't gay?" Kyle asked with disbelief and Jill heard Claire squeal in the background and then cry, "He finally asked her out, didn't he?"

Rather than answer either question, Jill laughed and pushed Nick's hands away, saying, "I'm coming by tomorrow for breakfast."

"Nice of you to invite yourself," Kyle said dryly.

"Trust me, you owe me," Jill responded just as dryly, fending off Nick's roaming hands as she added, "I might be bringing Nick if he wants to come, and believe me you owe him too. We have quite a bit to tell you."

"I heard that," Claire cried, obviously having picked up another phone in the house. "You can't say something like that and then just leave us in suspense. What do you have to tell us?"

"Tomorrow," Jill said firmly and hung up.

"Hmm… Mr. Handsome Shoes," Nick murmured as she turned in his arms and slid her own around his neck "No wonder your brother thought I was gay if you've been calling me that."

"I didn't," she assured him, pressing her body close to his. "Claire did."

He grinned. "You talked about me to Claire, did you?"

"And you talked about me to your family," she pointed out, reaching down to undo the towel around his waist.

"Yes. Maybe we should have done a little more talking with each other."

Jill laughed at the claim and began to press kisses to his chest. "Talking is all we did buddy. It's the other things we should have done more of."

"Oh? Such as?" he teased.

Smiling, Jill pulled away and caught his hand as she began to back her way down the hall. "Come with me and I'll show you."

Smiling, Kyle allowed her to lead him into the bedroom, murmuring, "Somehow, I think this is going to be the best Christmas ever."

About the Author

LYNSAY SANDS is the national bestselling author of the Argeneau vampire series as well as more than fifteen historical novels and anthologies known for their humorous edge.

For more information, go to www.lynsaysands.net.