Page 3 of Wolfish Hunger
“I knew it!” She hurries away as more customers come in, and Kane turns back to me.
“How long are you staying with your brother?”
“Not sure. A few weeks, maybe?”
“That’s all?” His eyebrow raises. “Isn’t this the prettiest mountain town in the world?”
I laugh lightly. “Oh, for sure. But I’ll starve if I have to cook in his micro-kitchen much longer.”
He nods. “Then you’ll be hungry-confused again. Hung-fused? Ugh, that’s awful—” He blinks. “Wait – micro-kitchen – your brother bought the old Darville house?”
“Yeah. His name’s Edward.”
Kane looks at me very carefully. “Older or younger? I have four brothers, and we’re always analyzing the importance of birth hierarchy.”
“I’m the youngest. What does that say about me?” I grin.
I don’t mention that I’m only younger by seven minutes. The minute people hear Edward and I are twins they immediately start analyzing our faces to see how similar we look. I detest being scrutinized, so I try to mention it as infrequently as possible.
“Hmm… There’s something you’re not telling me.” He cocks his head to the side as he smiles with a gentle warmth that ignites all sorts of fluttery feelings right in the center of my stomach. “It’s fine. I know it’s weird meeting new people.”
“Five brothers?” I say, anxious to get the attention off me. “If they’re all as tall as you, there’s a family basketball team right there.”
Kane chuckles, then glances at his watch, which appears to be flashing a string of messages. “Hey, if cooking is an issue, may I take you to West Stoneburg for dinner tonight? It’s a very pretty drive.”
Those deep stomach flutters all jump up toward my heart, nearly knocking me back in my chair. “You want…to have dinner with me?”
“Yes. Partly because three muffins won’t hold you for very long, but mostly because I think you’re lovely, and I’d like to get to know you.”
This is a bad idea. I’m in way over my head. I certainly haven’t missed the sideways looks from other customers glancing at us curiously.
Yet this pull toward him…like when you’ve been hungry all day and someone sets a platter of food in front of you, but you’re not supposed to touch it until everyone is seated… I want to know more about this breathtaking man who is piquing my curiosity so much that it outweighs even my need to avoid people giving me funny looks.
Edward said the whole town knows and respects his family, so Kane must be trustworthy.
Plus… New people frequently make me feel rattled in a bad way. This guy is different. Not so much rattled as shaky from excitement, with a bit of steadiness. Maybe I could learn from him and eventually become steadier overall.
I’m out of excuses. Kane watches my inner turmoil with the patience of a saint.
“Sure. I’d love to.”
3
KANE
She’d love to.
Sammie wouldloveto have dinner with me.
Even though she said that several hours ago, her sweet voice is still echoing through my head like a song on a loop.
I pull up in front of the old Darville house and spot her peeking out from the curtains for a split second before she opens the door.
I rush to greet her, and am met with a smile that hits me like the first morning sunbeam. "Hi," she says softly. Then she points to her floaty sundress. It's a muted blue and green pattern that looks like a painter's brush strokes. "Is this okay for…wherever we're going?"
"It’s perfect. You look…" A tornado of adjectives whirls through my mind, leaving me grinning like an idiot. "Stunning."
After we’ve started driving, I ask, "What are you hungry for? There are several great restaurants in West Stoneburg."
