Page 34 of When Hairy Met Stella

“Isn’t it obvious?”

No. Definitely not. Nate couldn’t look away from Grandma Millie, standing in front of him in a blaze-orange one-piece that looked like something a hunter might wear—the color, definitely not the style. It looked like she’d taken a black marker to it, scrawling a jack-o-lantern face on the front.

“Well, the resort is starting water aerobics at the indoor pool.” That was Neon Nancy, who always wore bright hues to the gym and apparently wouldn’t be outdone by Grandma Millie’s garb. She wore a lime-green suit and a witch’s hat.

“Yep,” Stella’s grandma continued with a nod. “Josie gave us vouchers to the very first class to add a little…pizzazz to the group.”

“Pizzazz?” Stella questioned.

“Well, she said she wanted us to add numbers to the class, but potato-potahto.”

“That’s…” Stella shook her head, and it was everything she could do to keep from laughing. “That’s not the same. Is this a Halloween-themed class, then?”

Gram raised a brow. “No. Where’d you get that idea?”

“I…don’t know what else to say.”

“Then allow me.” The smirk she wore put Nate on edge—not in a defensive way but in a way that let him know she was up to something. “It’s about time the two of you got together.”

Yep. He was right to be alert. “Uh, we’re not…”

Gram’s eyes tracked down to their intertwined hands, and a smile split her face. “I know what I see. Also, you forget I have eyes in my stomach.”

“Don’t you meanin the back of your head?” he asked because deflecting was better than addressing the assumption she’d made. Although, was it really that much of an assumption?

“No, pretty boy.” Gram smacked her belly, just above the jack-o-lantern face. “Right here. But class is about to get started, so we better get going. Enjoy youradventure, Stella.”

Nate had no idea what she’d meant by that, but it must have meant something to Stella, judging from the blush that stained her cheeks.

“Bye, Gram.”

They started to move when the older lady grabbed his free arm. “Take care of my granddaughter.”

It wasn’t a threat. More of a statement. An unspoken agreement that he’d do whatever he could to keep this woman safe. And right then, he knew what he had to do.

“Of course,” he said with a nod and then walked to their room.

When she looked back at him with a huge smile, he wondered if it would be the last time he ever saw it.

Nate pulledthe door of their shared room shut, locking out any and all interruptions…except for the ones in his head.

Take care of my granddaughter.

The words swirled, picking up speed as they repeated over and over and over until they were a mish-mash of sound he couldn’t ignore. Because even though he’d never hurt anyone when he shifted, if he was truly going to protect Stella, if he was keeping his promise to keep her safe, she deserved to know the truth.

And now there was a swirling in his gut. Maybe the digestive distress hadn’t been a total lie. If she reacted to his news the way sheshould, this was going to hurt so much worse than when she punched him in the face.

He stilled, his hand on the doorknob of their shared room, asking himself if he was really doing this. If he reallycoulddo this.

And then he locked the door.

“I could use some fresh air. How ‘bout you?”

It was like she could sense the tension he carried in every crevice of his body, and she was offering a way to help.

“That sounds really good, actually.”

He followed her across the room, watching as she pulled her hair from her messy bun. Her hair fell in waves down her back, and he itched to run his hands through them. But touching her had always been a distraction, and right now that was the last thing he needed.

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