Page 30 of Moonlight's Mate
He waited for a long moment. “Been what?”
“Nothing.” She pulled into the parking lot by the bar. “I’ll be happy to lock this thing away.”
Frustration rippled through him. He didn’t doubt she would be. Just as she locked up everything else.
Chapter 9
Following Beck into the bar, Merrilee kept her gaze off the pool table. At least he made that easier by not turning on the lights. Instead, he led them directly to the back room and down the basement steps.
In addition to stock for the bar, his home brewing equipment crowded the cool cement room, the stainless steel vats gleaming under the bare bulb he flicked on. The batch was obviously in the fermenting stage, but a lingering bready scent of the mash made her stomach gurgle.
Beck glanced back, lips curling in amusement, as he pushed open a door to a side room. “That mac and cheese letting you down?”
She wrinkled her nose as she followed him into the little office. “If you hadn’t stolen my beer, it would’ve been a real meal.”
He sat behind his desk and swiveled around to an open cardboard box to withdraw a dark brown bottle. “Try this one.” He swiveled the other direction to open the solid gray waist-high safe pushed into the corner. “Bottle opener’s there somewhere.”
She tossed her keys on his desk and dropped into the second rolling chair while he stuffed the satchel into the safe.
Actually there was a whole bowl full of bottle openers with every logo known to bartenders. She took the Harley one on top but paused when he grabbed his phone and pulled out the phone number Claudia had given him.
He gave her a hopeful crossed fingers gesture as he dialed. When a faint—and faintly irate—voice answered, he leaned back in his chair. “Is this Josh Reimer? I’m a friend of Claudia, from the Antique Emporium. I apologize for calling so late, but— No, no, she’s fine, but I need to get word to a fellow I think is a neighbor of yours, name of Vaile…” His gesture changed to a thumb’s up and he shot her a triumphant glance. “I understand your reluctance, but about those circle patterns on your belt buckles…”
Merrilee listened, nodding as he hit the high points of the story with a certain amount of deliberate vagueness.
“My friend Orson will be at Vaile’s place in a few hours to explain in more detail. I’d sure appreciate it if you’d let Vaile know what’s coming.” He paused as the other man responded. “Well, sir, mysteries are just a part of life, aren’t they?”
They exchanged a few more words, including Merrilee’s contact info, then Beck disconnected. He glanced at her. “How’d I do?”
“You didn’t sound too insane.”
He grimaced. “Drink your dinner.”
When she finally cracked open the beer, the hoppy fragrance made her close her eyes and inhale. She leaned back and took a drink.
She couldn’t contain a moan of delight as the rich head hit the back of her throat. Notes of chocolate and blackberry danced across her tongue. She tilted the chair and upended the bottle for another long draught.
When she opened her eyes, Beck was watching, his golden eyes almost as dark as the brew. “Like it?”
“Might be your best ever.”
He smiled as he shut the safe with a reverberating clang. “I think so too.”
She stared at him. “How did you get to be so confident?”
He leaned back in his chair, echoing her stance. “I’m Alpha.”
“I’m Alpha too. But…” When she pressed the knuckle of her thumb against her upper lip, the bottle still in her hand partly blocked him out so she didn’t have to look at him as she confessed, “I don’t feel it.”
“I dunno about feeling it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “There were no Alphas in my family, but I was cocky enough that my parents suspected. Anyway, they knew I was going to be trouble, regardless.” A faint memory of a smile flicked across his lips. “I didn’t want to leave home where I already knew everyone and everything—or at least I thought I did. But while I was away, I learned I didn’t know jack shit, so I learned how to figure out what I didn’t know. And I learned a lot about myself.” He glanced up, a sharper look in his eye. “Is that why you’re always flying out?”
The bottle sagged in her grip. “Maybe. Or not. I didn’t want it at all, really.” She took another hurried sip, swallowing hard when the beer foamed up. “I never told anyone that.”
“Never wanted…” His expression stilled. “Never wanted to be Alpha?”
“My grandmother was disappointed my mother wasn’t Alpha. I think Mom had me just to silence the long-suffering sighs.”
“She couldn’t have known you’d be Alpha.”
