Page 23 of So I Won a Werelion

She scrunched her face at me. “Nothing. Are you okay?”

Way to blow my cover.

“Sure, yeah. I’m great.” I glanced down at my bag under my desk, which had my piece of the artifact sticking out of the top. I pushed my foot over the flap and the leather mostly covered it. “What’s up?”

“Just checking on how the groundbreaking went today.”

Oh, right. That.

“It went great. Work is underway. I met Derek Jared—”

“Isn’t he so handsome?” Now it was her turn to put her hand on her chest, but for a very different reason.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you swoon before.” And I never needed to see it again.Thatwas the guy who got her motor running? Eww.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a happily married woman, but when he walked into the office for the first time, I was like, hubba hubba. If I was a single lady, and he was available—”

“I’m interested in maintaining a professional relationship with Derek Jared.” I had to cut Wanda off quickly. She was forever trying to set me up with coworkers, colleagues, basically anyone who didn’t have a ring on his finger or occasionally shifted into a wild animal was fair game. “Is that all you wanted to know?”

Go away, Wanda, before you realize I have an ancient shifter artifact under the desk…

“Did you talk to anyone from the PR firm?” she asked.

My eyebrows practically bounced off the ceiling. “PR firm?”

“Remember why we didn’t want your reporters following you to the groundbreaking?” She sighed. “Focus, Wendy. Working with Jared Associates for the build is a big deal. The company has built luxury homes all over the West, but this is their first foray into Colorado. I hired a public relations firm to shout it from the rooftops. This is a very good thing for the future of Woodhead Family Realty, and the two of us stand to make a tidy sum of cash from this contract. It’s about time you start caring about your family legacy.”

“Of course.” I could hardly breathe. Wanda had a way of making me feel like I was never doing anything right, but today she was sucking the oxygen out of my brand-new office. “Would you mind if I left early tonight?”

She groaned. “Don’t tell me you forgot about the dinner with Derek Jared and the PR company.”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

Oh, no, it wasn’t.

Crap. That was the dinner Derek had wanted me to attend as his date.

She shook her head. “It’s important for you to be there. Any other night, it wouldn’t be a problem, but we’re trying to build a relationship.”

Once my sister set her mind on something, there was no talking her out of it. “Can I bring a date?”

Her face lit up. “You have a date tonight?”

I nodded. Bringing Gabe, Bibi, and the crew to a real estate networking event probably was the last thing they had in mind for our date tonight, but if Gabe was willing to stick with me through this—

Slow down, I told myself. You called him for help with the artifact. There’s no telling if he wants more than that.

A motorcycle engine revved outside and Wanda rolled her eyes. “Now what’s going on out there?First the reporters, and now a motorcycle gang?”

“That’s a little dramatic.” Motorcycles cost a pretty penny, and anyone who had one could afford a new house in Ranchero Hills. Maybe I’d score a cool client since Wanda would be looking down her nose at them.

“Fine. Don’t these motorcycle people understand that Sunset Springs is a family town?” She threw her hands up in exasperation and marched out of the office.

I rose to follow her. Whoever arrived on the motorcycle was probably my ticket to escape before this awful dinner. Not that I was ready to see a client. There was a layer of dust on me from the groundbreaking, sealed in by the anxiety sweat.

Not to mention, I had a date tonight with Gabe Wylde.

Wanda turned back to me with a sneer on her face. “It’s for you.”

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