Page 69 of Bad Wolf (Wild Men 4)

“I’m serious, Gigi. You don’t want my opinion, because you know more than I do about him. You’re confused because you see things I don’t. You experienced him in ways I haven’t, and that is important. With Matt it was the same. You and everyone told me to steer clear of him, remember?”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, shame flooding me. “My advice was crap. Matt is wonderful.”

“That’s exactly the thing. You didn’t know how wonderful he is. He didn’t let others see. But I’d seen the other side of him, the one he was hiding. And deep inside of me I knew he wasn’t who everyone thought he was. That the front he showed to the world was a defensive wall, and that only I could see past it to the real him. Maybe that’s what’s happening with Jarret.” She shrugs. “Maybe that’s what’s happening with you.”

Is it? How do I know?

“You always seemed so sure of yourself,” I whisper. “So sure of Matt, from the start.”

“But the truth is that I doubted myself, and him, until he proved himself to me. By changing. By putting me first. Until then, I wasn’t sure at all.”

I wave a hand at her to silence her. “Jesus, stop. You’re killing my older-sister cult here. You’re supposed to know everything. I used to sacrifice imaginary goats at your altar.”

Octavia snickers.

I mull over all this. So my sister isn’t omniscient, can’t read minds and can’t foresee the future. Shocking. Where do I go from here?

“So let me summarize.” I look at her for confirmation. “You weren’t sure about your man. And still you stuck to your guns. Gave it a try. Gave him a chance. Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

Another shrug. “Maybe.”

“Stop being cryptic, sis. I’m desperate here.”

“I’m trying to tell you nobody can give you the advice you want, brat. Only you can decide if Jarett is worthy of my little sister, and you don’t seem to have enough evidence in order to decide yet. Therefore you need to study the matter more. Gather more clues. And then, Gigi, please… don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

“Really?” I put my hands on my hips. “Like what? Elope? Go on a road trip around the country? Move to Africa with him?”

“So many bad ideas...”

“Yeah.” I huff a laugh. “Mom would have a fit if

she overheard this conversation.”

And eloping with Jarett shouldn’t sound so appealing.

Jesus take the wheel.

“Speaking of Mom,” Octavia says, “tell her that her grandbaby is not here yet. She keeps asking. She’s driving me up the wall. Like I’d have the baby and not tell her, hide here at the house? What is she thinking?”

“Well, she’s probably just worried because you’re almost due. I mean, you do look…” At her dark look I hesitate. ‘Big like a whale’ may not go down well. Just a hunch. “Um, radiant?” I suggest.

“Go away,” she says disgustedly.

“I’m going. Goodbye, Bean! And rest well, sis. You’ll call me if the baby decides to come, right? If your water breaks, or you feel any contractions, or—”

“Go. Away.”

Snickering, I bend to kiss her cheek and get the hell away.

“Gigi! Come help me for a sec!” Mom calls out the moment I step inside our house. The smell of freshly baked cake coming from the kitchen makes my stomach growl.

“Coming!” Shrugging off my jacket and dropping my backpack at the door, I follow my nose and find my mother setting a baking tray on the table, hands sheathed in huge pink oven mitts Merc and I bought her last Christmas.

“There you are,” she says brightly. “Help me get the other tray out, and put the icing on the cakes that have cooled down.”

Okay, I can do that. I’ve turned into Mom’s assistant ever since Octavia moved in with Matt and his kids. I mean, I do my best, but I can never be Octavia. Girl knows everything—how to cook and bake and clean and wash and keep a household in order.

Unlike me. Setting the house on fire would be easier for me than cleaning it.

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