Page 20 of Cold Foot Croc

“Text me if you want,” he told her. “I’ll be out in the woods, but maybe I’ll get some service out there. You never know.”

“Put your damn jacket on,” she said through a cheeky grin.

“Maybe I will. Maybe we’ll match tonight,” he said, grabbing the bear spray. He held it up in the air. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, too. And for telling me I’m pretty. That felt really good. I’ve been in my head about that stuff lately.”

“Well, you are pretty. You’re a stunner, Raynah.” He turned to leave, but circled back. “By the way, I don’t think you’re like Farrah. I didn’t want you to think I was comparing you two last night. That’s not fair.”

Gah, he was so cute. “You’re right to be cautious. Be careful up in the woods tonight, all right? The weather is supposed to turn again.”

“The bear likes chaos best. Bad weather will keep him distracted, maybe. I hope.”

“Try to have fun.”

He cocked his head and looked like he wanted to say more, but then changed his mind and left, giving her a two-fingered wave. “Bye, Lenace.”

She giggled and leaned over to watch out the window as he headed for his truck in the snowy parking lot. He turned around like he would come back inside, but changed his mind, made his way to his pickup, and got in.

She greeted a customer who entered the store, and looked back out the window just in time to see him pulling away in his truck. Raynah snuggled deeper into the jacket he’d bought her and smiled.

She liked that he was going to wear the matching jacket with her tonight, even if he was miles away. It was like this secret little connection they had together.

The last two-hours of her shift dragged by. It was a slow day at the store, and the snow was starting to come down again. This winter felt like it had been eternal. The wildest part of that was, at the beginning of the cold months, she’d just been escaping Cold Foot Prison. That felt like so long ago now. So much had happened since then.

When seven o’clock hit, she closed up the register the way her boss, Annie, had taught her, and said her goodbyes. Annie said the same thing she did every time Raynah finished a shift. “Maybe tomorrow is the day you won’t come into work, huh?”

She meant maybe Raynah would go into labor, and every time, Raynah was filled with this little well of hope. “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe not!” she said as always, and then left, all zipped up into her new jacket, her old one and the baby’s jacket clasped in her arms.

Outside, the snowfall was a white sheet that hid her view of the mountains, but she looked in that direction nonetheless, which was silly because she really didn’t know where Dylan was taking Garret.

The drive home was peaceful. Three times, she looked over at the little baby jacket. She felt a little more hopeful today for some reason. Like everything was going to be okay. She felt a little more settled in this unfamiliar life.

Garret had come in with bright eyes today, but that made sense. He knew he was about to get a Change, and his bear was probably anticipating taking his skin.

Perhaps she would ask Sasha and Timber more questions about their Changes, and try to give more advice to Garret. What had happened to him? He wasn’t attacked by a bear? Who was his Maker? How did he just wake up Turned? She’d never heard anything like this.

Perhaps she would ask Wreck if he had ever heard of anything like that. Wreck was a monster, but he was levelheaded and knew a hell of a lot about a hell of a lot.

At a stoplight in town, her phone vibrated, and she looked down at where it was sitting in the cupholder.Check my page.It was a text from Garret.

With a frown, she checked that the light was still red, and then opened his social media page as fast as she could. There was the picture of her in her oversized jacket, all zipped up, her eyes focused just above the camera, a grin on her face. She looked…happy.

Honk!

She jumped and glanced up at the light, which had turned green. Crap. “Sorry!” she murmured, with a little wave of apology to the guy in the Jeep behind her.

Garret had posted that picture of her on his social media page with a simple caption—Cute little lady. In the picture, the little baby jacket was laid out on the counter, and it was obvious that she was pregnant, even all covered up by the jacket.

He hadn’t posted in so long, but this was his first post since he’d been Turned? A picture of her? She was utterly flattered,but partially confused. What could that mean? Probably the people from his old life would see that and wonder who she was.

And hell, she didn’t even know who she was right now.

When she parked her truck in front of the cabin that had been assigned to her, she pulled the phone up again and looked at the picture. Raynah had to figure out how to like and comment on it. She wrote what she felt.I think you’re pretty great.

She watched her comment post, and just stared at the picture he’d posted. He liked her, right? As more than friends? That’s what this meant?

He was announcing to the world that someone new existed in his life.Cute little lady.

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