by Dannika Dark
“All right, that’s enough, Miss Sassypants. I’m having some family issues I need to resolve and you know I’m not someone who takes off work unless it’s important. I have a lot of time built up and—”
She lifted a hand. “You don’t have to explain it to me, boss.”
We both smiled at each other. There we were, running our own place, and that was probably the first moment it really sank in. Thanks, Charlie. Not just for dumping one hell of a responsibility on me, but for trusting and believing in me.
“I’ll drive you home and that way I can go over some of the books and look up a few things. Do you know where the money is all going now?”
“I’ll have access to the business account, and he provided a list of all the companies he receives bills from or does business with so I can contact them with the changes. His savings is going into the account and I’ll receive half of his life insurance.”
“I can help you with some of that if you need me,” she offered. “Where are you staying? You said you would give me the number but didn’t say where that was.”
“Um, that friend’s house.”
“Serious, huh? You always luck out with guys.”
I frowned as she grabbed her oversized brown purse from beneath the shelf and wrapped the ridiculously long strap across her shoulders.
“I wouldn’t say some of the losers I ended up with were a lucky streak, April. Just because I’ve had a few boyfriends doesn’t mean I’m fortunate by any means. I know you don’t talk about your personal life that much with me, but you could get any guy you wanted to. You’re smart, beautiful, and know how to handle some of these kids like a pro. What’s not to love?”
Her jeweled flip-flops clicked on the floor as she jingled the keys between her fingers. “I got that shy-girl problem. I don’t know how to talk to guys. You’ve seen me in action whenever a hot guy comes into our shop. I totally clam up and either can’t think of a thing to say, or I end up putting my foot in my mouth.” She locked the doors and a kid on a skateboard whirred by.
“You just need to relax and be yourself like you are with me. You’re over-thinking it too much, April. Just pretend the next hot guy you see is me.”
“No offense, Alexia, but I’d never have sex with him if my imagination worked that well.” She gave me a look and I shrugged. “I had a boyfriend once.”
Once? I thought. April wasn’t exactly a teenager; she was just out of college.
“And?”
“He cheated on me. With three other girls. I forgave him for the first two, but the third one was my best friend. All guys cheat; I guess I just didn’t know how to keep him from going through them like potato chips. One is never enough.”
“You are kidding me, right?”
Her VW felt like an oven and I cracked the window after she started up the engine.
April glared at the colored candy cane in my hand. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Can you throw your candy out? This is my sister’s car. Mine’s not running right now, so she let me borrow it.”
“Is this going to be a problem with you coming to work? I can lend you mine.”
“The cootiemobile?”
“Stop calling it that,” I grumbled. Yes, I wanted the car to burn, but I hated to be reminded of the events that earned it its new nickname. “If you need the car, it’s yours. I don’t want to worry about you taking the bus, walking, or hitchhiking.”
“Sure,” she said with a laugh. “Like I’d hitchhike wearing an apron and skintight shirt with Sweet Treats written on it.”
We both laughed as the car sputtered down the road.
“Maybe you should change it up,” she suggested. “It’s your baby now.”
Yeah, but there was something nostalgic about Charlie’s magic touch, and a part of me wanted to put on those cheesy earrings in his honor. “I’ll think about it, but keep enforcing the work gear. I want everything running the same until I determine what changes need to be implemented.”
“Yes, sir.”
April pulled up the driveway to Austin’s house and Reno was out front throwing horseshoes. The recent rain had cooled things down just a little, but not enough, apparently, since the heat had driven Reno to strip out of his shirt. I’d only seen him wearing long sleeves, but without the shirt, he looked even tougher. Like he’d been chopping wood for three hours a day.
A dark blue baseball cap and mirrored sunglasses obscured his face.
“Who’s that?” she asked in a short breath.
“Reno. Austin’s older brother. I think he’s the eldest in the family.”
“Was he in the military?”
Good question. Reno kind of gave off a military vibe. It wasn’t just the short hair, but something about the assertive way he held his shoulders back and carried himself. Maybe it was the combat boots that made him stand an inch taller than Austin, and I wondered if he had a complex about his baby brother being the leader of the pack.
I scribbled down a few numbers on a scratch piece of paper while April turned on the windshield wipers. It didn’t help, because the unpaved road had kicked up dirt all over the car.
“My sister’s going to kill me,” she said, staring at the hood. “She just took the car to the wash this morning and now I bet the tires are caked in mud.”
“Who washes their car in the morning?”
April shrugged and turned on the radio. “My OCD sister who is going to have a fit. I may need to borrow your car after all.”
“Not a problem,” I said, barely paying attention as I dropped the pen in my purse. When I looked up, Reno was facing the car, staring at us with a horseshoe in his right hand.
Then I looked at April and saw her cheeks turn blazing red. She looked at the radio again and started fidgeting with it.
I smiled. “Want to meet him?”
“No!” she almost shouted.
I took that as an invitation and pulled the keys out of the ignition and quickly got out.
“Alexia, give me those!”
I walked toward Reno and heard her feet crunching on the dirt behind me.
“Give me the keys, Lexi. I have to go!”
“Reno, isn’t it a little hot out here for horseshoes? Where’s Austin?”
“Inside.”
Panic was coming up the rear and she snatched the back of my shirt.
“I’d like you to meet my friend, April Frost,” I said with a wide smile.
I stepped to the side so he could see her hiding behind me and April froze up like a statue, staring at the ground. She wasn’t overly tan, so the blush on her creamy cheeks was noticeable, but it could have been the heat.
“April, this is Reno Cole.”
God, that name really sounded horrible together. My brain was saying it ten times fast and it ended up sounding like a drug medication. I snickered and waited for them to start talking. But Reno folded his arms and kept intimidating her with his stare. The mirrored sunglasses weren’t helping.
“Hi,” she said in a small voice, kicking a pebble around with her jeweled flip-flop masquerading as a sandal. Her fingers twined around a frayed piece of her cutoff jean shorts and it was then I noticed her Billy Joel shirt. Maybe introducing her to Reno was a bad idea; he didn’t look like that type that jammed out to soft 80s piano rock.
“It’s pretty hot out here,” she said.
A lone drop of sweat rolled down his cheek and agreed with her assessment.
“Alexia, I really need to go. Can I have the keys?”
April—who could sell a condom to a nun—couldn’t talk to a man. I’d seen her work her magic in the shop buttering up customers, but it was always business related. She never had personal conversations with male customers, so I guess I just didn’t notice how uncomfortable she really was around them. But why? Something else was going on with her, but I decided to let her off the hook and tossed her the keys.
“Thanks for driving me home,” I said. “I’ll call you later when I get a chance to l
ook over the documents.”
“Sounds good.” Her eyes skidded to Reno for a second before she walked backward and stumbled, almost falling on her ass. “I’ll talk to you later.”
April jogged back to the car and Reno didn’t stop staring.
“Could you look a little bit less intimidating?” I asked him. “You’re traumatizing my friend with your scowl.”
The engine revved and then April made a half-assed attempt to back up and circle around, but she wasn’t masterful with the clutch. She backed into a deep pothole and the rear tire got stuck.
That’s when Reno stalked forward with his heavy arms swinging at his side and I could see April inside the car, gripping the wheel and watching him with wide eyes. He moved to the rear of the car, bent over, and lifted it.
Actually lifted the car and pushed it out of the pothole. Now, I knew VW’s weren’t very heavy compared to some cars, but I was pretty damn impressed. She zoomed away and he lingered in the road, staring at the hole.
Austin emerged from the house with Maizy holding his hand. It warmed my heart to see that image, and then she sleepily waved at me.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
Reno lifted a shovel from the side of the house and was stalking toward the hole when something in the dirt snagged his attention. He bent over to pick it up and looked at the object in his hand.
“April’s in on the plan. She just dropped me off, but she agreed to take the promotion without a raise increase—for now. We’re going to work out the details later on.”
“That’s good news,” he said, looking down at Maizy. She was swinging their hands a little bit and her eyelids kept drooping.
“Has she had her nap?”
Austin glanced down. “No, should she?”
I walked toward him and smiled. She napped in school and it was hard to break the habit over the summer because she’d get cranky and drive Mom nuts. But our family was always big on naps; it gave everyone a chance to go to their respective corners and relax for a little while. “Yeah. Afternoon naps are a must.”
Without hesitation, Austin bent down and picked her up. She wrapped her tired arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder—eyes closed. Seeing that image of Austin being so paternal really did a number on me, and I swear my ovaries sighed. I followed him inside as he carried her to his bedroom and tucked her in. After closing the drapes, he turned the window unit on low.
“Are your brothers at the new house?” I whispered as he closed the door.
We stood in the narrow hallway and he nodded. “Reno stayed behind to watch over your family. I can’t give you a personal guard like Lorenzo, but I don’t think that’s what you really want—to be followed around by someone for the rest of your life. That’s not how I run my pack. I trust you, and yeah, shit happens. But everyone in the territory will know you and your family are protected by my pack, and nobody fucks with my pack,” he warned. That was the dark moment when I could see a flicker of the dangerous man Austin truly was.
Austin folded his arms and pushed out his biceps, temporarily distracting me. “I want you to make a decision before we move, which is soon. Shifters live alone all the time, but it’s too dangerous for a female wolf to turn rogue. Your mom is human and if she wants to go back to her old life, fine. But if she wants to stay here with us, then they’re part of our pack and we treat them the same.” He lowered his chin and looked serious. “That’s an open invitation, Lexi. I mean it. I’ve brought it up with Lynn and she’s thinking it over. Raising a child alone is stressful on her.”
I leaned against the wall and cupped my elbows. “How permanent is this? It sounds like a big decision and I just want to be sure.” I turned my head, listening to Ivy and my mom in the kitchen humming a song. Well, mom was humming and Ivy was singing. Couldn’t make out the song, but it sounded like an oldie. A few pots clamored and the fridge door opened and closed.
“You’re not signing your life away in blood. There’s always a choice to switch packs if your needs aren’t filled or you’re unhappy.”
Deep down, I knew my mom would only stay if I did. Being alone was wearing on her, which is why I visited so much. Having a houseful of men and women gave her people to look out for who, in turn, would offer her protection. I hadn’t seen her look so energized in years.
“Just give me a little time to think about it, Austin. It’s a lot to take in.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Is it him? Church? Are you thinking about going to his pack? He’s got a lot to offer a woman like you.”
I sighed, unable to look him in the eye. I didn’t really want to go with Church, but I wanted to know more about my real parents. Would moving in with Austin be a good idea? How would it change our relationship? Maybe he felt an obligation to Wes to look after his family; Austin was loyal like that. He would have jumped in front of a train for Wes. But did he see us as a burden on his pack?
“I just need to think about what’s best for everyone,” I finally said. “There are just way too many decisions being dumped on me at once and I need a little time to think them through. I’ve got this thing with the business, and then I’ve been contemplating calling the cops about my dad. Of course, I don’t know how to explain that one, but I feel like someone should be looking for him.”
“Someone is.”
His statement rattled me. “Who? Ivan? I don’t want you owing a man like him.”
He took a deep breath through his nose and spoke on the exhale. “No, it’s not Ivan.”
“Then who?”
“Prince.”
“Huh?”
He leaned against the wall across from me, planting his feet beside mine. “Prince called me up; I don’t think the idea of what happened to Maizy, her being left on the side of the road, sat with him too well. He’s a man who looks after his own, and while he doesn’t have a mate or any kids I’m aware of, I guess it hit a sore spot with him. Prince is doing it on his own, no strings attached.”
“He isn’t going to hurt my father, is he?”
Austin tilted his head. “That man is not your father.”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t know what your rules are, but he’s still Maizy’s father. I’m more concerned about the man who’s after him.”
Austin scratched his chin, deep in thought. “I’ll have a talk with Prince and see where his head is. Why don’t you go in there and help your mom? Rumor has it she’s making prime rib, and Denver is coming out of his skin waiting for dinner. I’ve caught that idiot in there three times stealing bites of what they’re cooking on the stove.”
I smiled. “Maybe you need to put him outside in the doghouse.”
Chapter 26
Later that evening, we gathered in the kitchen at the small oval table. Only this time, Austin sat to my immediate left.
“We need a bigger table,” Mom declared, setting the prime rib in the center. Denver sliced into the succulent meat with a carving knife, devouring the visual display with his indigo eyes. He had a fit body—trim, but not svelte like Jericho. By the time my mom was finished with him, he was going to need to upgrade his shirt size.
No one dressed up for dinner. Denver sported an orange Atari T-shirt and Reno wore long sleeves. It was thin, breathable material, but I couldn’t figure out why he’d dress like that in summer. I hadn’t noticed any scars or tattoos, but it did give him a more serious air of authority. Austin had mentioned Reno was the most obedient wolf in the pack, and I wondered how the family dynamic affected the oldest brother who was used to being in charge and looking after his younger siblings.
Maizy sat beside Ivy, who placed a spoonful of cucumber salad onto her plate. Maizy loved vegetables, but she didn’t look crazy about the meat. We also had homemade mashed potatoes, and Austin looked like he was in heaven as he devoured my mom’s home cooking. He used to eat dinner with us at least three times a week, and I could tell each bite took him down memory lane.
Mom periodically descri
bed how she seasoned the asparagus, or the technique she used to grill the French bread, just so everyone would compliment her cooking all over again.
Totally eating up all the attention.
“You going back to work?” I asked, sipping my tea.
“I’m not sure what to do,” she said with a click of her tongue. “The house is paid off and I’ve been thinking about selling. Too many memories.”
“You’re living with us,” Wheeler said. “No arguments. If I can eat like this for the rest of my life, then I’m going to die a happy man.”
Mom beamed and tried to refocus on my question. “I’m too young for social security, but I do have a little money tucked away to live on. Not enough to keep up with the bills, so I guess I have no choice but to work.”
Jericho quickly wiped a napkin across his mouth and pushed away from the cabinet where he’d been eating. “I have to head out. I’ve got a gig tonight and I’m already running late for sound check.”
His brown hair had been gelled and styled in that sexy “I don’t give a shit” way, with strands of at least two shades of brown. His jeans were loose and black with a few chains going around the back, and his sleeveless shirt had the name of some band I’d never heard of before. Not to mention he wore a smudge of black liner that made his green eyes pop.
Jericho leaned around to kiss my mom appreciatively on the cheek before heading out the door. “Thanks, Miss Knight.” He strutted out the door and Mom looked wistfully at her plate.
Miss Knight. I knew what she was thinking. She had been called Mrs. Knight for years, and even after my dad left, she never corrected people. That’s just what women her age were assumed to be. It had taken three years before she stopped wearing her wedding ring.
Reno stood up and filled his empty plate with seconds. “The new house needs a paint job,” he informed Austin. “We can hire someone to do the exterior, but you need to figure out if you also want them to paint the inside. We patched up some of the holes in the wall. I don’t know what the fuck happened in there, but it looked like a barroom brawl.”
