Page 4 of Cold Foot Croc

“Wait. Why are you here?”

“Because I had to move somewhere with more space to Change. My brother thought it would be good for me to get away from my old hometown. I don’t have good control.”

Raynah cocked her head to the side, and softly, she said, “No, I mean, what did you come into this store for?”

“Oh.” More heat was pushing into his cheeks now. “For chainsaw serial killer stuff.”

She had the prettiest laugh he’d ever heard.

“You should get that dress,” he told her. “It’ll look pretty on you. Have a good day.”

He turned and walked away, but he had to look back.Hadto. And when he did, she had moved around to the other side of the rack and was feeling the fabric of the dress. She looked up at him and gave him a little goodbye wave, and it was enough.

It had to be enough.

That woman had a good setup—a spot in the Cold Foot Crew, protection, a man, a baby on the way…she was settled.

For him, he had to be happy with a successful conversation with another person.

He hadn’t had many of those since he’d moved here.

Hell, he hadn’t had many of those since he’d been Turned.

Garret gave a private smile.

Today was the first day he didn’t hate this place.

Chapter Two

What was she even doing here?

Raynah Furrow dropped her hand to her side, fist still clenched, as she stared at Garret’s front door.

This was silly. “Stupid idea,” she muttered to herself as she turned and marched down his sidewalk, which had been shoveled and salted. His yard was pristine, too. She halted at the driveway and pursed her lips as she stared at his truck parked there. The yard had been mowed at the end of the warm season, and the snow was perfectly smooth as it lay in a three-inch layer atop it.

Her mom’s boyfriend, Harold Price, used to keep up their yard like this…before he died.

“Do you like the snow?”

“Ahh!” she yelped, turning fast.

Garret was standing at the corner of the house, like he’d come from the backyard. He was holding a leaf blower. That wouldn’t be hot to her normally, but her hormones were on a rampage lately, and right now, Garret looked hot like summer. He was wearing the same beanie from earlier, thick work pants over worn boots, and a light gray sweater that was so thin, it hugged his ripped shoulder and bicep muscles. His eyes were a bright-teal color, right between blue and green, instead of the stormy blue they had been in the store this morning. The air smelled like fur, but right about now? That was hot too.

She cleared her throat and waved. “Hi. Hello, hi.” She cleared her throat again, trying to stall while her brain caught up and came up with something witty to say.

He just stared at her.

“My mom had a long-time boyfriend who used to mow our yard too.”

“That’s…incredible.” He shifted his weight to the other side. “Um, what’s your step-dad’s name? My dad is named Gary.”

Okay, this guy was so fuckin’ cute. “Gary is a very respectable name. He wasn’t ever my step-dad, but his name was Ha…” The rest of the name got stuck in her throat as an awful memory at the end of his life flashed through her head. She tried again. “Harold.”

“Old school. I like it.” He nodded, looking confused as hell. “Are you here to visit Sasha?”

Raynah twisted to look over at Sasha’s house next door. Her truck was parked in the driveway, which meant she probably had the day off from the hospital. He would be able to hear a lie, so she diverted. “I might ask her to go out later. Hey, do you have…a…recommendation,” she said, desperately trying to think of a way to carry on the conversation. “For chainsaws?”

“Oh.”

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