Page 55 of Bred By the Wolfman

“Sure.”

“Lunch, before I go to work tomorrow?”

Tomorrow? So soon?

Ugh, that sounds great. Too great. I could see him again in less than twenty-four hours?

“I understand if you want more time than that,” he says, like he can read right off my soul.

“No, that’s fine.” Fuck it. Like Liesel said, I should do what I want, not what I feel like I’m supposed to do. And what I want is to see Russ again as soon as possible. “I can meet tomorrow.”

“Great. I’ll see you then.”

He grins like a little kid as he gets into his car and drives away.

RUSS

I’m probably pushing her too hard, but I can’t help myself. Every moment I’m near her is like walking out into the sun on a dark, cold day.

The following afternoon I pick Dee up at her house, and invite Boomer along to have lunch at my place. I know it’s a rather personal thing to ask for at this stage, but she agrees anyway.

Dee bolts upright in the car as we approach the gate. “Wait. This is where you live?”

I nod as I enter a code on the gate and it opens. “I wanted to cook for you myself. I actually can do it, they’re just not... kid-friendly recipes.”

Dee quirks an eyebrow at me as we drive in. She peers out the window.

“Dude,” she says. “You desperately need to mow your lawn.”

I sigh and open the garage door. “I know. It’s been low on my list.”

She gets a look in her eye like she could see herself getting behind a lawn mower. “Do you like yard work?” I ask.

“If I had a yard, I would.” She mimics snipping. “I’ve always wanted to be that guy who trims hedges into cool shapes. You have lots of hedges.”

“Trim all the cool shapes you want,” I tell her. “The HOA complains enough already, what’s one more thing?”

She gets a giddy look on her face like she might just take me up on my offer. I hope she does. She has a knack for plants, just like she has a knack for nurturing everything in her life.

Once inside the house, I drop my keys by the front door and usher Dee in behind me.

“Bathroom?” she asks immediately, and I wonder how long she’s been holding out.

“Down there, on the right,” I say, pointing to the hall. She nods and jogs away like the need has become pretty urgent.

While she’s gone, I set out some orange juice and iced tea, then get started on the salad. I sear quartered figs, then pull out the stovetop grill to cook some chicken breast I marinated overnight just for this. When Dee comes back, she seats herself at the kitchen island so she can watch me cook.

I do my best to put on a good show. I want her to see that I can handle things, that she wouldn’t be stuck cooking and cleaning if she took me up on my offer. If only she knew how much cleaning I’d done last night just to get this place presentable.

“You have a nice house,” she says offhandedly while she eats. She studies the open living room next to the kitchen, where we’re sitting at the small dining table by the front windows. “Doctor money, huh?”

In the middle of a laugh, I choke on my food. She throws me a worried look and gets up like she might try to give me the Heimlich maneuver, but I wave her off and swallow down the lettuce stuck in my throat.

“Man, sorry, that was a dick thing to say.” Dee rubs the back of her head. “Since you’re basically paying my salary.”

I thump my chest, shaking my head. “No, no. You’re right. It’s the only reason I could even consider DreamTogether.” I slug back some water. “And I don’t mind that it goes to you. To my cub.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that last part, because her eyes darken a little, and she looks away at an abstract, green painting on the wall. Then she takes another bite of her food, and hums with pleasure.

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