Page 21 of Cold Foot Croc

She gave a little smile as her cheeks heated up. She thought he was cute too.

Raynah got out and took the jackets inside, then grabbed the envelope she’d set on the counter this morning. It contained her rent for the house. The rent took damn-near all of her paycheck, but that was okay. She didn’t need much.

Rent envelope in hand, she strode out the door and made her way through the snow to Wreck and Timber’s cabin at the end. Wreck opened the door before she even got there and tossed her a greeting wave. “Rent?” he asked.

“Yep.” She tromped up the porch stairs and slapped the envelope into his hand.

“I don’t know why you’re doing this,” he said.

“Because I pay my bills on time.”

“No, I mean I don’t know why you don’t just buy the cabin. Reed just signed the paperwork on his. He never has to worry about rent or making the monthly payment again.”

Raynah rolled her eyes and headed down the stairs. “Good for Reed, but he’s rich.”

“You got paid out more than him—”

“Stop!” Raynah gasped, turned slowly, and dropped her gaze. She wasn’t allowed to talk to her Alpha like that. “Sorry.”

“I’m not just your Alpha, Raynah. I am your friend too.”

She shook her head. “You don’t even know me. If you did, you wouldn’t mention that damn money. I don’t want it. I never asked for it.”

“If you ever want to talk about anything, we’re all here, you know. Sasha and Timber have been talking about wanting to go out with you more, but you’ve been putting them off lately. Even Katrina asked if you were okay the other day. I thought you guys were close in Cold Foot, but she’s feeling distant from you. Cash thinks you’re starting a relationship with a guy in town—”

“I’m grown. Tell Cash to fu—” What she wanted to say was “fuck off”, but she was really trying to work on her sailor-mouthed language, so she tried again. “Tell Cash to fly away. I’m fine.” Raynah clenched her fists at her sides, and then crossed her arms like a shield over her chest as she walked through the heavy snowfall back toward her house.

She didn’t need the Crew talking about her behind her back. Or pitying her. Or trying to force friendships. She just wanted to be left alone lately, while she figured out if she was going to stick around in a Crew she hadn’t even been meant for. She didn’t need them discussing the stupid hush-money Damon Daye had secured for her.

She didn’t need anything from anyone.

Never had, and never would.

Chapter Five

“You’re putting it off,” Dylan said from where he sat on a felled log.

“I’m not,” Garret lied. “I’m just wanting to finish making camp before I Change.”

“I can get this place set up. I always do. It’s not going to get any easier if you stall. It’ll get harder. Rip the Band-Aid off, Gar.”

He made aclicksound behind his teeth and continued hammering the tent stakes into the snowy ground. Dylan had always acted like he knew everything about everything, but he didn’t understand. Not really. How could he? Dylan was still human. He was still normal.

“Who is the girl?”

His brother’s sudden question made Garret freeze. Dylan must’ve seen the post on his page. “A friend,” he said carefully as he stood. Keeping his eyes averted, he tossed the empty stake bag into the tent and made his way inside to set up the wood-burning stove that would keep Dylan warm tonight.

“Is it your kid?” Dylan asked from beside the tent.

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah it does. You have trouble staying steady around a normal person who talks too loud. What is your bear going to do around a crying baby?”

“Protect it.”

“Garret—”

“She’s pretty, huh?” he asked, standing to his full height. Thank goodness they’d sprung for the tall tent. He hated feeling enclosed in small spaces nowadays.

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