He looked up at her and flashed her a big grin. “The sheriff invited me,” he said. “That was real nice of him. I guess he’s not all bad.”
“Not all bad,” she agreed. “He has his good points. Wipe your faces, kids.” She winced when Cletus obligingly wiped his face on his sleeve and his younger siblings followed suit, but she decided to give it a pass. He’d done what she told him to, hadn’t she?
She headed over to Lola, who was standing with her arm around a Goth-looking Coyote shifter.
“Hey, Ginger. Beer?” Lola said, holding up a bottle of Corona with ice chips clinging to it.
“Give me that.” Ginger grabbed it from her hands as a group of wolf shifters headed straight for her. “I’m going to need it. And more. Are they all going to interrogate me?”
“But of course. His parents will be here soon.”
“What?” It came out in a squeak. She downed half the bottle in one gulp.
“Remember. Bridesmaid. And don’t be picking any butt ugly bridesmaid’s dresses, either. I don’t look good in yellow. Washes me out.”
“The world has gone mad. You must have something better to do than planning my non-existent wedding for me.”
“Not really, which is actually kind of sad when you think of it,” Lola said cheerfully.
The wolf shifters crowded around Ginger, peppering her with questions.
“Are you moving in with him right away, or are you going to live somewhere in town?” A heavy-set woman with a bouffant asked her.
“Are you going to marry my uncle?” a little boy said, yanking on her skirt.
“Can I be your flower girl?” a little blonde girl piped up. “I like flowers. Will you pick me some flowers?”
“Oh, my goodness. Look, is that Dora the Explorer standing over there?”
When they turned to look, she turned and ran.
Suddenly she was grabbed from behind, by two strong muscular arms. She didn’t need to turn around; his familiar scent sent a wave of delicious heat sizzling through her.
Smiling, she spun into his arms.
“That was a dirty trick,” he grinned.
“It was a matter of survival. It was them or me. I had to escape.”
With a huge smile, he added, “How’s this for a dirty trick?” And then he said very loudly, “Ginger Colby, will you dance with me? Please?”
Everyone turned and stared. Everyone held their breath.
Ginger Colby was no fool. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
She made a big show of doing a graceful half curtsy and answered loudly “Of course, I will dance with you.”
He swept her into his arms as Wilhelmina turned up the boombox, and the two of them spun around on the grass. Ginger loved to dance, but Ashmont had always acted as if he were afraid she’d fall on him and break him.
But Loch spun and twirled Ginger as if she were light as a feather. He dipped her backwards until her hair brushed the grassy lawn. He spun her like a top.
And when the music stopped, the crowd burst into applause.
“Ginger Colby, there’s something else that I want to ask you,” the sheriff said loudly. Ginger froze.
Seriously? Was he going to ask her what she thought he was going to ask her?
And how would she respond?
“No, you don’t.” A shrill voice cracked across the lawn.
Ginger turned, her heart sinking in her chest. Portia Sinclair and an elegantly dressed woman who looked like an older version of Portia were walking across the lawn towards them. Portia wore jeans, strappy high heeled sandals, and a clingy, silky t-shirt, and her lip curled in disgust when her eyes lighted on Ginger. The woman wore a tailored linen suit that fit her narrow frame like a glove, and she carefully picked her away across the grass in high heeled pumps.
There were two Werewolf Enforcers with them, in uniform, tall muscular men with buzz cuts and grim, expressions stamped on their faces. The Enforcers worked for the council.
“Aurora Sinclair, you were not invited. Get off my property,” Willie snapped, eyes blazing with anger.
“I’m sorry, Willhelmina, but this is council business.” Aurora turned to Loch, who looked as if he were about to explode with anger.
“She is a red wolf. You are a gray.” Aurora spoke in clipped tones. “If you two mate, your pups will not be pure. For the good of the council, if you insist on continuing this relationship, I will be forced to order your removal as Alpha and replace you with Jax.”
Ginger gasped in horror. Hot-headed Jax? That would be an utter disaster. He would have the Blue Moon wolves at war with the panther nation before the week was out. Every wolf shifter in Blue Moon County would be in danger.
Her parents, Loch’s pack…she couldn’t do this. She just couldn’t. There were too many good people that she’d hurt if she selfishly insisted on staying. There was much more at stake here than her own happiness.
As Loch started to protest, Ginger spoke up, eyes filling with hot tears.
“Stop!” she shouted. “I’m going back to New York, tonight. It’s over, Loch. That’s my choice.”