Page 25 of Wolf's Midlife Bite

“That cute girl you just finished with wouldn’t shut up about you. I heard her out there while she was paying.” Poppy had a sketchbook in her hand and a teasing grin on her face.

“Well, I’m not interested.”

“Why not? Ooh, are you actually seeing someone?” she asked in a singsong voice. “I don’t think you’ve gone out on a date since I started working here.”

“I have,” he snapped. “I just don’t blast it on social media for everyone to see.”

“Right. Okay. Forget I asked.” She was still smiling. “I just wanted to see what you thought of this.” Poppy handed him her latest design.

Brody studied the fine linework that created a smooth, pudgy child’s hand clasped around the pinkie of a much older, careworn hand. A father and his child, with smudges of a sunset in the background. “It’s great.”

“You think the angle is okay? I don’t want the hands to look weird.”

“No.” Brody held it a while longer, studying not only the drawing but the relationship it represented. It was something he’d longed for, something he’d thought he had for a while. He still wanted it, but he didn’t know if there’d ever be a chance for it. He was meant to be with Robin. He knew that, and he accepted it readily. But she was already forty and recently divorced. Surely, if she’d wanted kids, she would’ve had them by now. Was there any chance of them becoming a family?

“No, I think it’s awesome,” he assured Poppy as he handed it back to her. “That’s going to be one hell of a meaningful piece for someone.”

She smiled as she took it back. “Yeah, I think so, too. Thanks.” She started to head back toward her own booth.

“Why would you ask me about your design? You’re a great artist.”

Poppy turned in the doorway and smiled. “Because you’re good at what you do, Brody. You think you just sit in here and do your work, but you’re more of a leader than you know.”

He didn’t quite know how to answer that, so he said nothing else and let her get back to her work. When the shop closed and Brody went home to his empty house, he stepped out into the backyard. The high fence meant no one could see him there, so he let his other form take over. Brody lifted his eyes to the moon, a full orb overhead. He prayed to Selene, hoping she could hear and understand his heart. He had to trust that she wouldn’t lead him wrong.

13

“That’s perfect. It smells fantastic.”

The girl working the booth grinned. “All the butterflies think so, too. They’re all over the place with this dill we’ve been growing, and we’ve actually started an extra patch of it just for them.”

“Then I’ll take two bundles and some of the basil, too.” Brody turned and wagged his eyebrows at Robin. “I hope you like pesto.”

“It’s one of my favorites,” she admitted, deciding he could probably whip up quite the batch, given his talent with stir fry. As Brody finished his transaction, she watched him carefully. He was just a man, at least to the naked eye. No one who saw him exploring the Whiteaker Community Market would have the slightest idea that he was a wolf. Thattheywere wolves.

But she knew, and now she had to wonder if that affected how she felt about him. She’d been furious and terrified when he’d told her the news about her new life, but now that she’d gotten past some of that, she found herself wanting to spend more and more time with him. That was why they were walking around The Whit today, and she doubted it’d be the last time they saw each other.

Did she feel this way because there was something genuine between them, or because he was the only one she could turn to? How could she possibly know?

“See anything you’re interested in?” Brody asked as they walked down the row of booths.

“It’s hard to say. Everything looks amazing,” she admitted. They were surrounded by booths that sold vegetables, herbs, jewelry, and art. The delicious smell of local food simmered through the air, reminding her of all the places they could eat when they were done.

Brody dropped a bill in the open guitar case of a young woman singing her own folksy remixes of popular songs. “I get it. This is one of my favorite things to do on the weekends. It’s a feast for the senses.”

“Yeah, and I’m starting to get overly stuffed.” Colors were brighter and lines were sharper. Everything felt like it was in high definition, and she caught so many snippets of conversations, she could hardly keep track of them.

He slipped his hand into hers, his thick fingers folding in between her own. “You doing okay with it all?”

He didn’t have to tell her exactly what he meant. She knew, and it was pretty much the only thing on her mind. There was a remarkable amount of comfort in the way their hands fit together, and she leaned her head against his arm. “I guess I have to say yes, overall.”

“But?”

Robin rubbed her lips together. She didn’t want to complain. She knew that Brody had done this accidentally, and she saw the worry and guilt in his eyes when they spoke of it.

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me,” he prodded.

“It’s hard to concentrate on my work,” she admitted. “I’ve been worried I’ll do something stupid, something I can’t control, and then everyone will find out.”

---