Page 11 of Loved By the Wolf

By the time I made it to the café, I’d drank three cups of coffee. It would get me through the meal before I could go home and crash.

“You look wired,” Thomas said.

I wanted to wipe the look of mirth off his face, but if I made contact, the combination of his skin and scent would make me want to lean toward him. Better to just keep my distance.

“Good morning. Are we the first ones here?” I said, looking around for the others.

“We’re the only ones here.”

“What do you mean?” A sense of foreboding coursed through me.

“Jill just got called home. Something about last-minute decisions that couldn’t wait. And Millie’s sister called and said she needed her help.”

Why would they call Thomas and not me? Millie, that made sense, as she met us at the same time, but Jill?

“And before you think this odd, Jill tried to call you, but she couldn’t get ahold of you. So, she called Millie, who then called me.”

That did make me feel better. “Guess it’s just the two of us, then.”

“Yeah, I think it worked out nicely.”

I looked at him to make sure I heard correctly and was greeted by a warm smile. My heart fluttered, and I walked into the cafe before I did anything I’d regret.

During the meal, I learned Thomas hadn’t seen his family in a while. He’d been traveling alone for two years, and it was out of sheer loneliness that he moved here to Crystal Lake.

He got up at one point to visit the bathroom, and when he came back, he chose to sit in the chair next to me instead of across from me, where he had been eating his brunch.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I find it easier to talk to someone when I feel closer to them. It felt so formal when I was sitting across from you, like we were doing an interview,” he explained.

“Yes, this is more friendly.” I smiled. “Speaking of friends, you have a friend in me. And Millie, and Jill, and . . .” I almost said the McCullough brothers, but there was no reason he’d ever meet them unless he visited Sugarville.How was Brandon doing?The question popped into my head out of nowhere, and I lost my train of thought.

“And?” Thomas prompted.

“Oh, no one you’d know. Just people who have since moved away.”

There was a lull before he asked, “You know, I’ve never asked you what you do?”

“That’s easy; I’m a lawyer fighting for the good guys.”

“Very chivalrous of you.”

His smile was dazzling, and for a second, I forgot what I was going to say next. Thankfully, having worked in heated court cases, I was able to get my brain screwed on again. “Yeah, I like to think so.”

His laugh was boisterous. Nothing like Brandon’s. I sighed on the inside, glad there was a difference between them.

“You are very confident in yourself,” he observed.

“I am.” I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair, giving him my best court face when I knew I had them in the hot seat.

He reacted just like I wanted him to. With both hands held up in front of him, he said, “No offense. It’s just the girls I tend to meet are more timid. I’ve never met someone like you before. I’m glad you’ve broken the stereotype.”

I cocked my head, wondering if that was a compliment. From the corner of my eye, I saw a glimpse of someone who looked like Brandon pacing outside the cafe. When I turned to get a better look, sure enough it was, and he did not look happy. Was he hurt?

Without thinking, I got out of my seat, intending to go to him. I heard Thomas get up, too, but I couldn’t care less about what he did; Brandon was hurting.

I shot out of the entrance and walked straight up to him. Before I could ask him what was wrong, Brandon demanded, “Who is he?” He pointed to someone behind me, and I turned to see Thomas had followed me out.

“Becca, is everything okay?” Thomas said, coming to a halt behind me.

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