Page 6

6

WARNER

“This is Minnie’s old place, isn’t it?” I ask once we pull up to the cabin and I cut off the engine on my bike.

“You knew her?”

“Only in passing. She didn’t come into town much.”

Minnie Gunner was a woman more prone to glares than smiles. The few times our paths crossed, she had a much different reaction to my jokes than her granddaughter.

“Yeah, she wasn’t a fan of people. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”

“You weren’t close?” That would explain why I’ve never met Zoey despite having spent my entire life in Pine Falls.

“Nope. This is my first time coming here, and she never bothered driving to Denver. Not to visit me or my brothers or my mom. I basically just know that she was my grandmother.”

The cabin has a spooky air with its dark windows and the shadowy forest looming behind it.

“Are you staying here by yourself?”

“No.” Zoey dismounts from the bike, taking her teasing warmth with her. “I’ve got Bruce with me.”

“Oh.” I manage to keep the word from sounding tense. Still, my hands clench into fists on my thighs.

Of course a woman as quirky and beautiful and delicious-smelling as Zoey would have a man following after her. Who wouldn’t fight for a chance to win her affections?

I’m debating asking how serious things are with this Bruce guy when a loud, intimidating barking fills the quiet night air.

“That’s him. Are you scared of dogs?” Zoey throws the question over her shoulder as she mounts the front porch.

Could she mean …

There’s another commanding bark as she opens the screen door.

“Speak now or else you’re about to come face-to-face with Bruce Banner. Or maybe the Hulk. Depends what mood he’s in.”

The shadowy night obscures Zoey’s features, but I’m pretty sure she’s grinning at me as she slides her key into the lock.

“I love dogs,” I call out just before the wooden front door is pulled wide and a massive form barrels toward me.

The lumbering creature is easily two hundred pounds. I hurry to stand up off my bike, worried the dog might topple me and the machine over with one swipe of his huge paws.

When he’s only a handful of feet away from me, Bruce slows to a stop, sniffing the air.

I can guess what’s throwing him off. I might look like a man, but that doesn’t mean I smell like one. In this way, dogs are more perceptive than humans.

Something I’d have to spell out for Zoey, Bruce has discovered with a few deep breaths.

I’m a werewolf.

To put him at ease, I crouch down so our heads are level. We meet eyes, and I enjoy the curious confusion in his liquid brown gaze. As I extend my hand, I hum a nonsensical noise in the back of my throat, knowing that the dog will find it soothing. After a moment, there’s a wet nose snuffling my palm.

“Pushover. My brothers wouldn’t be happy to know that this is how you act as a guard dog.”

I grin up at Zoey as I scratch the mastiff’s ears. “Sorry. Dogs love me.”

She snorts, her attention drifting away, and I realize she’s staring over at an ancient truck.

The reason she was walking alone. At night. Into a biker bar.

“You said it wouldn’t start?”

Zoey’s eyes snap back to me when she realizes I noted the direction of her gaze. She nods with a sigh.

“I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Probably have to get a tow truck out here. Hopefully, it isn’t forever dead. Still, it was my mom’s truck, so I guess it would be poetic for it to meet its end at her childhood home.”

“You mind if I take a look?”

I’m already moving toward the vehicle, wanting to discover what might be wrong with it. Zoey steps down from the front porch to follow me.

“Do you know your way around cars? I’ve always meant to learn.”

The idea of Zoey bent over an engine is sexy as fuck.

“I help out the local mechanic, so I know enough. What happens when you try to start it?”

“Nothing. Literally. No lights turn on. It doesn’t try to sputter to life. It’s just … dead.”

Interesting.

I pop the hood, but even with my advanced eyesight, I can’t see much.

“Got a light?”

“Sure. About the only thing my phone is good for out here.” Zoey turns on the flashlight capability, apparently preferring to use that than dig around for the actual flashlight in her bag.

“No service?” I ask while examining the wiring.

“Nope. Not unless I want to climb up in the old tree house out back. Up there, I get one, maybe two bars if I’m lucky.”

She steps closer, watching my movements over my shoulder. A light breeze has her maple fragrance swirling around me. I have a theory about her scent’s effect on me, but I’m not jumping to any conclusions until I talk to my brother. Still, I want her to press up against me, let me bury my nose in the juncture of her collar and neck so I can get lost in that delicious smell.

Instead, I concentrate on the engine. That’s when I spot the obvious problem.

“Here. Found the issue.” There’s a wire that’s dangling loose, clearly missing its home. “Without this attached, the battery won’t work. Do you have a wrench? I’m going to need to tighten the bolt to keep it in place.”

“I know I saw a toolbox. I think it’s in the front closet.” Zoey strides back to the house, taking the light with her.

In its retreating glow, I watch the way her shapely body moves. That pair of jeans is hugging her ass as if the material finds her as attractive as I do.

I should look away.

A decent guy wouldn’t be gawking at her.

But she’s just so … gawk-able.

All those soft curves have my fingers curling. I want to feel her, grip her, but not too hard. I want to sink into her.

Fuck. Now, I’m getting hard.

Trying to distract myself, I turn back to the engine. Without the light, I can’t see all the nuances, but now that I know where the problem is, I reach out to finger the loose wire.

I’m simultaneously grateful for this malfunction and annoyed. Because her truck wasn’t working, I was able to convince her to get on the back of my bike. But I don’t like the idea of her vehicle failing on her. It’s not unheard of for a battery wire to come loose, but only if whoever last worked on Zoey’s truck didn’t do their job right.

What else might they have messed up?

“This is all I’ve got. Well, as far as I know. I’m not even a quarter of the way through her stuff.” Zoey hobbles back, lugging a large metal box. She drops it next to me and holds up her light so I can see.

The tools inside are jumbled together, but I’m able to find a wrench.

“What all is in here?” Zoey crouches at my side, still holding the light, but also reaching in to sift through the tools.

“Well, that’s a hammer. And there’s a screwdriver?—”

“Warner,” she cuts me off, “if you try to mansplain tools to me, I’m going to convince Bruce to piss on your bike.” Zoey’s dry comment has me choking on a laugh. “I just wanted to know what Minnie had in case I need to use it.” She rifles through the items.

I stare at her, not even trying to pretend I don’t find her fascinating.

“Not much. Just the basics,” she mutters. “Is there a good hardware store in town?”

“Yeah.” The question has my pulse thrumming. I know exactly where to send her. “Sawdust and Supplies.”

I catch a curl at the edge of her mouth.

Good. She likes the name. Just a matter of time before she shows up at the place.

Assured that tonight isn’t the only night I’ll run into Zoey Gunner, I’m able to return to the task at hand with enthusiasm. It’s not long before the wire is sitting back in place.

Still, a thought has snagged in the back of my head, and I can’t shake it loose.

“Zoey?”

“Hmm?”

She’s so close that my mind gets muddled as I soak in her scent. I shake my head and breathe through my mouth. It barely helps.

Still, her answer is important.

“Do you remember the Check Engine light coming on the last time you drove the truck?”

She’s quiet for a minute, and when I glance her way, I see a thoughtful expression on her face as she chews her lip. When she releases the poor, abused lip, I want to lean in and soothe it with my tongue.

Not yet. Go slow with her.

“I don’t think so, but honestly, I can’t remember. Was it supposed to turn on?”

“If the wire came loose while you were driving, then yeah.”

I don’t say the rest out loud, but I can’t help thinking it.

If the light didn’t turn on, that means the wire came loose after the truck was shut off.

And the only way I can see that happening is if someone popped the hood and took a wrench to the battery.

“I guess it did then. I’m still getting used to Minnie’s driveway. My eyes are usually more focused on the road than my dashboard.” Zoey shrugs, the light moving with the motion.

She’s probably right.

Yet, for some reason, the idea of someone messing with Zoey’s truck won’t leave my mind as I climb back onto my bike and rev it to life.

Keep her safe. Protect her.

The thoughts come through clear and in a distinctly growling tone.

My wolf is more present than I’ve ever felt before.

I wonder if that’s something I should be worried about.