Page 69 of Sear
She turned to Lucas and gifted him with a wide, happy smile. “Hey, Lucas, meet my brother.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Lucas ventured as Rob shook and released his hand.
Rob might be Malia’s twin, but he was her complete opposite physically, a big, dark-haired bear shifter where she was a short, curvy blonde wolf shifter.
“That I’m literally the rock star of the family?” Rob had inherited his father’s looks, but his devilish grin was completely his own. It was clear that he wasn’t serious.
Lucas raised a brow and let his gaze linger on Rob’s injured arm. “Actually, I heard someone took a shot at you.”
“Yeah, I was out minding my own business when some asshole hunters came after me.” Rob scowled. “If I ever catch those guys, I’m gonna shred their asses.”
“If I don’t get to them first,” Malia said, her expression suddenly fierce. “You know I’m working on it.”
“Thanks, sis.” Rob ruffled her hair, as if she were still a little girl. He stretched out the bandage-wrapped arm. “The reason I missed the meeting was that Dr. Nika removed the pins this afternoon. I went home and slept off the drugs.”
“You didn’t miss much. The most interesting part was introducing Lucas to the council and Mom and Dad.”
“Hey, how’d everyone take the news? Uncle Bill give you a hard time?”
“Not really,” Malia said. “I mean, he wasn’t super-happy or anything, but it went okay.” She sighed. “Kymberlie looked really mad, though. She sent me some pretty salty texts when she heard I was dating Lucas.”
Shit.Lucas tried to hide his wince. He hadn’t realized that Malia and the club owner were friends, and that he might be responsible for a rift between them.
Lucas couldn’t help wondering exactly what Kymberlie had said about him, and figured he was better off not knowing. Whatever it was, his Winter persona had more than deserved it.
“Don’t worry about it,” Rob told her. “She’s always all up in my business, too. Apparently, everyone I hook up with at her club is a no-good, low-down scum sucker out to take advantage of my innocence.” He smirked, then quipped, “She makes it sound like that’s abadthing.”
Malia laughed, and her distress vanished. “I guess she’ll just have to get over it.”
Lucas decided that he liked his new brother-in-law.
“Anyhow, welcome to the family, Lucas,” Rob said. “I heard you’re a hunter. You want me to show you the best spots for elk or deer, you let me know.”
Lucas groaned silently. He was willing to bet that Malia had put that idea into her brother’s head.
“Hey, thanks, I appreciate it,” he said, keeping his tone light.
He’d take Rob up on his offer once he’d finished with Bickham and Silvers, and could put Lucas Winter away until the next time he was needed for an operation.
During the excellent meal that followed, Lucas and Malia sat with Rob and her parents.
As expected for the town’s police chief, Mary questioned him about his acquaintance with Travis Bickham and Arnie Silvers.
Lucas assured her that he’d just met the men, and he was tagging along solely for the good hunting that they’d had promised him.
Rob instantly renewed his offer to serve as a hunting guide, and Lucas was hard-pressed to avoid committing to an actual date and time without seeming ungrateful. He finally capitulated on the condition that they would go after Rob’s arm was completely healed and he could use his gun again.
That seemed to satisfy everyone, most of all Malia.
Tyler then proceeded to feel him out about his handyman/maintenance skill set, with the unspoken but clear intent of hiring him if he moved to Bearpaw Ridge. As the owner of one of the state’s most successful construction firms, Lucas’s new father-in-law had plenty of job openings available.
Lucas liked all of them, and he was happy for his mate that she had such a nice family. It was clear they had some reservations about him, and he longed to tell them the truth, that he was also in law enforcement.
Disaster struck when he was in the middle of showing Mary and Tyler some photos of his girls, and telling them about Taylor’s first shift, which had occurred in the middle of a temper tantrum she threw in a public playground.
He heard Gage Tringstad’s voice somewhere behind him, apologizing to Bill Jacobsen for being late and missing the meeting.
Lucas’s heart sank.Shit. I was hoping he wouldn’t show up here tonight.
