“No meat. I’m watching my figure.” He patted his flat stomach.
I reached in a drawer for a giant spoon and then opened the freezer, pulling out a gallon of ice cream.
“Here,” I said, slapping the cold container in his hands. “Life crisis resolved.”
He peeled the lid back and inspected the carton. We often bought Neapolitan since everyone in the house liked something different.
“Works for me,” he said.
There was plenty of strawberry, and it was one of his favorites. Most of the men preferred chocolate or vanilla.
His knuckles whitened as he struggled to scoop some up, but it bent the spoon in half. “Dammit. It’s not ready to eat.”
“Patience, Denver. Sit at the table and wait for it to soften. Sometimes you can’t rush something, and if it’s worth having, then you’ll learn to wait.”
Denver got out another spoon and went to the long wooden table, taking a seat on the bench. He set the carton down and leaned back on his elbows. “Yeah, but what if by the time I’m done waiting, I don’t want it anymore?”
I smiled. “Something tells me that’s not going to happen. How’s your job going at the bar?”
“Good. The peak hours are bringing in the money. Have you thought about finding work?”
I sat to his left, facing away from the table. “I don’t have any skills.”
“Your father didn’t teach you any? What about the women in your pack?”
I played with the belt on my robe. “Life up there wasn’t as progressive as it is down here. My father was old-fashioned.”
“No offense, but it sounds like he was a dick. You don’t run into many packs these days that keep their women home to make babies and cook dinner. That’s old school. Lynn stays around the house because she put in her time at that cheap-ass human job, not to mention all the crap her ex-husband put her through. That woman needed a break.”
“I’d hardly call remodeling this house a break. The woman should be sainted.”
“True that,” he said. “I’m glad Lexi talked her into going to school to learn a new profession. She’ll make some real money as an interior decorator in the Breed world. If she makes the right connections, she could end up bringing in more money than us.”
I glanced at him with hesitation. “They might not hire a human.”
He held up his middle finger. “Then those will be the bastards with the ugly houses. Waitressing isn’t your scene, but what about furniture restoration? You kicked ass at refinishing some of the old junk in this house, and there are plenty of ancients who have a lot of antique furniture they need fixed up.”
I leaned against his arm and smiled. “I enjoy bringing out the beauty in something, but I don’t think I could do that as a profession. It’s just a hobby.”
“Sure you can,” he said, lightly tugging my braid. “Maybe you don’t have those kinds of jobs back where you came from, but the cities are full of them. I’ll ask around on the Breed side of town and see if I can pull a few strings. If not, then you can do contract work, and Austin will help you get that sorted out. You need to get your feet wet and earn a living. You also need to get out of the house and meet people.”
I laughed and pinched his arm. “You boys are enough entertainment for me.”
“No, I mean you need to meet men.” Denver stood up and turned around. “Not saying you need to mate with anyone. But girl, go on a date. Twirl around in a pretty dress and see a movie. You’re young, intelligent, strong, and beautiful. That means you’ll have your choice of some of the best wolves in the territory.”
As I stood up, I handed Denver his spoon. “Perhaps when you can take the advice you give, I’ll be more inclined to listen. Try to leave some for everyone else.” I left the kitchen and shivered as I made my way back into the living room.
Unlike most people, I enjoyed the absence of noise, and walking the house late at night was one of my most favorite things. Sleeping was pointless, so I approached the window and peered into the darkness. My wolf was even more restless than before. She wasn’t just whining to get out anymore—she was scratching and biting at the door.
Something in the distance caught my eye, and I leaned in so close that my nose touched the frosty glass.
Fox lingered by the private road and waved for me to come out. Where’s Ben? My chest tightened at the idea that Fox might have done something to him.
I punched the code to disable the alarm on the front door only; Reno had programmed different codes that would disable one entrance but not the entire house.