“What about the bakery?” I asked, stepping into the hall as she closed the door.
“The great part about being the boss is I have staff. The only thing I need to do is come up with the recipes and prep the day before. But Izzy caught on quickly, so between her and Trevor, they always have a handle on things.”
“So Izzy’s at the store today?”
“Her and two other girls. Jericho’s going to stay up there all day to give a hand. God help us all.”
“I’m sure he’s good with his hands,” I purred.
“Izzy’s a hard worker, and that’s why I made her the manager. She really keeps things moving and the staff on point.”
“Hot tamale. You crack that whip, girl! Did they take their baby with them?”
“No, she’s in the bedroom.”
My brows arched. “Is she okay in there by herself?”
“Melody loves her alone time and spends hours playing with dolls and dressing up. Since Maizy’s sick, I’m going to give her another hour and then bring her downstairs. She likes to entertain herself, and that’s not always a good thing. One time she found a bottle of Izzy’s nail polish and decided to give Jericho’s guitar a makeover.” Lexi rocked on her heels, her brown hair swishing in front of her face. “So what’s going on with you and Wheeler?”
“What makes you think anything is going on?”
She lowered her chin a fraction. “Let’s just say that something at the breakfast table this morning tipped me off.”
“Let me fill you in on a little secret, girly. Have you ever been to a mechanic?”
“Yeah.”
“Most of those men are covered in grease and sweat. Would you want to hug one of them in your finest clothes?”
“Uh, that’s a negative.”
“Beneath all that grime is a man, and yet all you care about is getting dirty. Sometimes we’re more concerned with some of that grime rubbing off on us and how that would make us look to others than doing what’s right.”
“Naya, I love you, but you make the worst analogies. What does a greasy mechanic have to do with Wheeler?”
“You probably think less of him because he’s covered in tattoos.”
Her brows arched. “Have you seen that massive dragon on his back? Who does that? Obviously a man with issues, and Wheeler has a file drawer full of them. It’s not that I dislike Wheeler; he’s grown on me, but it’s taken a while. Ben is just easier to get along with.”
“So is Denver, but why do you keep comparing Wheeler to Ben?”
“Because…”
My point seeped in. Ben and Wheeler were twins, but they weren’t the same man. Yet everyone kept holding Wheeler to Ben’s standards.
I tapped her nose and walked by. “Some men have clean skin and are dirty on the inside. Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Her voice called out from a distance. “You don’t even read!”
I almost ran into Ben as he was hurrying up the stairs.
“Watch it,” he growled, brushing past me and stalking down the hall.
I spun on my heel, having noticed the fresh bruises and cuts on his face. I marched after him.
“Naya, where are you going?” Lexi asked.
I reached a door next to Lynn’s room and knocked. I jiggled the handle and walked right in.
“Who the hell invited you?” he snarled.
Not Ben’s usual charming self, and maybe that’s what sent alarm up my spine. “Where’s Wheeler?”
“How the hell should I know?” He peeled off his shirt and began to loosen his shorts. “You want to watch? Is that what you’re into?” Ben approached me and grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me close.
“Let go of me,” I snapped. I backed up a step and shoved his arm away.
“Naya, what’s gotten into you?” Lexi asked from the doorway. “Ben? Who the hell did that to your face?”
He lightly pushed me toward the door. “Get out so I can shift. Both of you.”
The door slammed and Lexi huffed. “Asshole.”
“Wheeler left to get Ben. They were supposed to come home together.”
“He’s probably downstairs.”
After we searched the lower level of the house, I overheard Lexi in the back office with Austin.
“Where the hell is he?” Austin said in a raised voice. “Goddammit.”
“I don’t know!”
“Did you ask Ben?”
Austin suddenly burst into sight and cut through the living room. “Ben, get your ass down here!” he shouted.
We heard a wolf barking upstairs.
“I’ll get him,” Lexi said reluctantly.
A minute later, Lexi came downstairs, gripping a brown wolf by the scruff of his neck. The wolf wagged his tail and dropped to the floor in front of Austin, showing him his belly.
“Please don’t make him shift,” Lexi urged. “I don’t want to see all that.” She waved her hand in disgust at the wolf’s belly.