though.”
“I did.”
Kate inhaled audibly. “Did he get it in your hair?”
“You’re as bad as he is.”
“Look at you, grinning like a lunatic. Must be good.” Her honking horn punctuated this, along with a middle finger toward a shocked school bus driver. The children inside pressed little noses to the window and slapped their hands over their mouths.
Johanna sunk low into the seat and put on her sunglasses.
“I know I’m tough, but I’ve always looked after you. Any man who hangs around after meeting me is worth checking out. I can be a bit much.”
“Say it ain’t so, Kathryn.”
Kate dragged her sunglasses down her nose and looked over the rim. “I know me. I’m fine with me. I don’t mind him so much either. That’s a lie. I do, but you’re happy. So, whatever.”
“That means a lot.”
Her sister shrugged and ran a No Turn on Red sign. “He’s a wolf with a job and you like him. You could do worse.”
“He has a great sense of humor too.”
“Debatable. But he’s good in bed, isn’t he?”
“If I say yes, can we leave it at that?”
“Only if you love me. I don’t need to know how far up your leg he humps.”
After another middle finger and two yellow lights sped through, miraculously they arrived at their destination without police choppers flying overhead.
She had prepared herself for drama, but despite the bickering that came from breathing the same air as Kate, they had a good time. Maybe she was less stressed or who knows, perhaps Kate had finally come to accept her independence. Either way, Johanna was grateful.
She tried to hold on to that goodwill throughout the shopping process. The longer they stayed, however, the more Kate became...well...Kate. She pushed Johanna to the tables and chairs she thought best. Every time Johanna reminded her that it was neither her money, nor her restaurant, nor her call, her sister waved it off and zipped over to another part of the warehouse. It got old.
“And over here they have—”
“We’re not shopping for you, Kate.”
Her sister stopped in her patent leather tracks. Arms crossed, Kate’s eyes flittered from her to the wall and back again. “Fine then. I’ll just sit over there next to those wretched chairs you insist on buying. Don’t mind me.”
In the past, she’d have apologized to Kate. Today, in a post-Baron world, she shrugged it off. And what happened? No stomach flipping. No heart skipping. She felt just fine and not at all like someone who’d disobeyed a higher ranked wolf.
Johanna smiled, added a stack of vases to her list and moved on to the next aisle, leaving her sister mumbling in the corner.
With Kate not hovering over her shoulder, she finished early, but didn’t want to go to the restaurant. Baron would be doing interviews for some time to go. Instead, she convinced a still sulking Kate to go for ice cream. It was the woman’s one weakness and had smoothed over many a fight. They sat on a bench under a sky almost as blue as Baron’s eyes.
Kate’s eyebrow shot up. “What?”
“We did it in the park.”
“This one?” Kate drew in her arms close to her chest, as if afraid of touching the air around them.
“No, no, the protected lands outside of town.”
“That’s a little out of character.”
“On the second day we met.”
“You’re full of it.”
“I know. It’s strange. He makes me...”
“Wolfy?”
She nodded and licked at her cone where the vanilla trailed off into sugary rivulets. “When I’m with him, I want him to take me. I love him on top of me and behind me. He lets me take control sometimes, but I love it when he grabs my hair and bites my neck. He’s very good at shifting too. Certain parts, if you know what I mean. I want...I can’t even think about him without...”
“Got it. Down, girl.”
“Sorry. Don’t laugh at me.”
“I’m not. I’m just not used to seeing my little baby grown up. I’m proud of you, Sis.”
“Sometimes he takes his
“I did.”
Kate inhaled audibly. “Did he get it in your hair?”
“You’re as bad as he is.”
“Look at you, grinning like a lunatic. Must be good.” Her honking horn punctuated this, along with a middle finger toward a shocked school bus driver. The children inside pressed little noses to the window and slapped their hands over their mouths.
Johanna sunk low into the seat and put on her sunglasses.
“I know I’m tough, but I’ve always looked after you. Any man who hangs around after meeting me is worth checking out. I can be a bit much.”
“Say it ain’t so, Kathryn.”
Kate dragged her sunglasses down her nose and looked over the rim. “I know me. I’m fine with me. I don’t mind him so much either. That’s a lie. I do, but you’re happy. So, whatever.”
“That means a lot.”
Her sister shrugged and ran a No Turn on Red sign. “He’s a wolf with a job and you like him. You could do worse.”
“He has a great sense of humor too.”
“Debatable. But he’s good in bed, isn’t he?”
“If I say yes, can we leave it at that?”
“Only if you love me. I don’t need to know how far up your leg he humps.”
After another middle finger and two yellow lights sped through, miraculously they arrived at their destination without police choppers flying overhead.
She had prepared herself for drama, but despite the bickering that came from breathing the same air as Kate, they had a good time. Maybe she was less stressed or who knows, perhaps Kate had finally come to accept her independence. Either way, Johanna was grateful.
She tried to hold on to that goodwill throughout the shopping process. The longer they stayed, however, the more Kate became...well...Kate. She pushed Johanna to the tables and chairs she thought best. Every time Johanna reminded her that it was neither her money, nor her restaurant, nor her call, her sister waved it off and zipped over to another part of the warehouse. It got old.
“And over here they have—”
“We’re not shopping for you, Kate.”
Her sister stopped in her patent leather tracks. Arms crossed, Kate’s eyes flittered from her to the wall and back again. “Fine then. I’ll just sit over there next to those wretched chairs you insist on buying. Don’t mind me.”
In the past, she’d have apologized to Kate. Today, in a post-Baron world, she shrugged it off. And what happened? No stomach flipping. No heart skipping. She felt just fine and not at all like someone who’d disobeyed a higher ranked wolf.
Johanna smiled, added a stack of vases to her list and moved on to the next aisle, leaving her sister mumbling in the corner.
With Kate not hovering over her shoulder, she finished early, but didn’t want to go to the restaurant. Baron would be doing interviews for some time to go. Instead, she convinced a still sulking Kate to go for ice cream. It was the woman’s one weakness and had smoothed over many a fight. They sat on a bench under a sky almost as blue as Baron’s eyes.
Kate’s eyebrow shot up. “What?”
“We did it in the park.”
“This one?” Kate drew in her arms close to her chest, as if afraid of touching the air around them.
“No, no, the protected lands outside of town.”
“That’s a little out of character.”
“On the second day we met.”
“You’re full of it.”
“I know. It’s strange. He makes me...”
“Wolfy?”
She nodded and licked at her cone where the vanilla trailed off into sugary rivulets. “When I’m with him, I want him to take me. I love him on top of me and behind me. He lets me take control sometimes, but I love it when he grabs my hair and bites my neck. He’s very good at shifting too. Certain parts, if you know what I mean. I want...I can’t even think about him without...”
“Got it. Down, girl.”
“Sorry. Don’t laugh at me.”
“I’m not. I’m just not used to seeing my little baby grown up. I’m proud of you, Sis.”
“Sometimes he takes his
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