Page 29 of A Heart in Knots

“Yeah,” I said. “You know how to style it better than I do.” I offered a half-grin.

She cocked her head to the side a little, more wavy golden-red strands falling over her exposed shoulder, tying the entire image together. I was surprised only Halo was the model, Skye could certainly give the lady alpha competition.

The table vibrated as Halo’s phone buzzed. She checked it, and stood, clearing her throat. “Excuse me, I have to take this.” She rose with more grace than should be legal, and strode off the patio, her heels clicking on the stonework floor. Skye watched her go, then looked at me.

“Thank you for the jacket,” she said, bringing her hands up to fiddle her fingers, the over-sized sleeves swallowing up her hands. “I like the way it smells,” she admitted.

“I can imagine it might have been scary, waking up with a stranger, then being sent off on your own.”

“Yeah. Or, it should have been, but I think your jacket made me feel safe on the car ride home.” Skye replied, thoughtfully. “Besides, it’s not the scariest thing I’ve been through this year.”

“Oh?”

Skye paused, and recovered with a polite smile. “Maybe I’ll tell you on our next lunch.”

I grinned. “You want a second lunch?”

She went back to toying with her fingertips. She was twisting a braided ring on her right ring finger. Wasn’t that where wedding rings were traditionally worn? “If you do.”

Halo returned and the three of us chit-chatted. Mostly Skye and me. The waitress cleared our dishes and asked if we wanted dessert.

“Apple pie and ice cream,” Skye said.

Halo looked at Skye, and Skye returned the look. “...Please?”

With a sigh, Halo said, “One apple pie and ice cream. Two forks. We’ll share it.”

“Make it two,” I added. “And coffee.”

“Two teas,” Halo said.

With a friendly smile, the waitress jotted down our order. “I’ll be back with that in a few minutes.” Then, she hurried off.

“Now it’s my turn to excuse myself,” Skye said, pushing her seat back. “Lady’s room. I’ll be right back.”

Chapter 19

HALO

IwatchedSkyedisappearinto the cafe, the wind making the skirt of her dress ripple around her calves. “She looks good in your jacket,” I said.

“I told her to keep it,” Rowan said.

With Skye out of sight, I focused on the male alpha before me. “What are your designs on her?” I asked, point blank. “What’s your deal?”

“I don’t have any designs, or a deal. I just wanted to make sure she was alright.”

“Are you trying to weasel your way into a pack?” I asked.

“No. Why are you controlling what she eats?” Rowan countered. “You won’t let her eat her dessert, you made sure she got a rice bowl instead of the baked pasta she wanted.”

“Skye can do whatever she wants,” I said.

“Fine, youencouragedher to have the rice bowl. You’re the model, you’re the one who has to watch her weight.”

My eyes narrowed, but not in anger, more like observation.

“I’m going to choose to believe that you’re coming from a place of concern, not control,” I said, calmly. “I’m coming from that place, too. The truth is that recently, Skye was extremely ill. Monitoring her diet is important. That’s why she passed out into your arms yesterday.”

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