“I get the impression you’re helping her work out that stress.”
Austin chuckled, and mischief flashed in his eyes. “I appreciate what you’ve done to help out with the business. You’ve pulled your weight in adding money to the pot; just thought you should know that.” He shielded his pale blue eyes from the bright sun. “You ever think about getting another job? I know Sweet Treats has a lot going on, but we can manage if you want to branch out. There are plenty of Packmasters who could use professional advice in overseeing their money and building on that. Wouldn’t hurt pack relations with them, either.”
Damn, Wheeler hated this conversation. Wasn’t he already doing enough managing their own finances? He just wasn’t at a place where he was ready to put himself out there again. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
A ladybug flew in Austin’s direction and landed on his tatted shoulder. Austin grinned and let it crawl on his finger, watching its wings buzz frantically as it tried to figure out if it wanted to trust a wolf. “Why don’t you follow Lexi and see what those two are up to? Make sure Naya doesn’t talk her into something stupid, like selling alcohol.”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” Wheeler said gruffly.
“Look, they’ve been best friends for years, and I don’t see that friendship ending anytime soon. You need to get over whatever issues you’ve got with Naya. I know you’ve got a thing about hating cats, but we don’t have any proof of what her animal is. She’s probably messing with our heads, and someday we’ll find out she’s really a mare. Even still, that’s a shitty excuse to hate a woman.” Austin tapped his hand on the wooden ledge and headed back inside.
Everyone surmised Naya’s animal was a cat, although Wheeler’s twin brother had made a bet on a grizzly bear. On the few occasions when she’d swing by the house or meet them at Howlers, Wheeler would slip the fuck out. He didn’t want to risk another confrontation with an unpredictable woman like her.
One who had slapped him in public four years ago. And no, he couldn’t let it go. Man, if his brothers had witnessed that scene, they would never have let him live it down. Shifter women knew how to keep a man in line, but there was a certain level of respect afforded a wolf in front of his pack. Clearly, Naya wasn’t a wolf.
And yet he couldn’t forget that molten kiss she’d planted on him not two seconds after striking him. The sharp sting on his cheek combined with her lush lips moving across his mouth had fired up his wolf—the traitorous bastard. Wheeler had never simultaneously felt so much loathing and lust for anyone. Maybe that’s why he kept his distance; no woman should have that kind of influence over a man. Naya had given him a verbal declaration of war—her kiss a sample of what he’d never have. That was pretty arrogant on her part to assume he’d care, and yet all these years later, he still thought about that kiss.
“Where do you want to go for your birthday, sweet pea?” April asked Maizy from their gliding chairs next to the front door.
Maizy had her legs drawn up in the chair and was preoccupied with braiding a strand of her blond hair. It was May, and that meant eleven candles on her birthday cake. Time had flown by so fast, and she’d gone from princess movies and pink outfits to riding a bike and reading books. Most Shifters homeschooled their children, so she hadn’t been influenced by human culture outside of a little television. Reno thought she’d learn more from the world watching his action movies than some of the other drivel she enjoyed about fairy tales.
Maizy peeled up the corner of the Band-Aid on her knee, exposing a cut she’d gotten while speeding down the driveway on her bike and hitting the brakes too hard. She’d been alone at the time and hadn’t asked permission to ride. After Reno had heard what happened, he bought Maizy a helmet, something she’d not had since none of them thought she’d need one out in the country. Lynn had grounded her from riding the bike for a week, but Maizy took her punishments without complaint.
Wheeler scooted to the left and leaned against the banister, watching with amusement as the two humans conversed without looking at each other. April had her nose buried in a novel, and a yellow butterfly briefly caught Maizy’s attention as it fluttered by.