Page 11 of She Wolf

“You’ll be home a little, gone a little. You’ll be able to do something nice for her and then be away for a few days, head in the game, leaving Coralie reeling.”

My feet carry me until I’m pacing the living room. “I don’t know you guys; this seems like a lot.”

They all nod.

“Why are you all fucking nodding?” I ask exasperated. It’s Callan who pipes up this time.

“Gunner. I’m not into any of this shit. At. All. I couldn’t give a crap about romance or love or well anything, but I care about you, and you, my friend, are a poor, hopeless bastard when it comes to Coralie.” He punctuates each dig making me balk.

“Hopeless?” This is nuts. They all nod again.

“Oh, fuck off, eh? The lot of you.” Laughter bursts out of every one of them. Assholes.

Casey levels with me, “She’s been waiting for this day for three years, longer really. She needs time to digest that it’s truly behind her, butit isgame time.” He says reiterating the words he told me earlier in his kitchen.

He studies me for a second, eyes narrowing. “Hey, if we’re off the mark with this then…” My eyes snap to Casey’s. “Come on Gunn it’s time,” he adds a little more gently.

I nod again. Oh, shit, I’m nodding but blow out a frustrated breath.

“You think this was easy for me? She was married to another fucking man, a sorry excuse for a man, even if it was only on paper. I hated every part of that. There wasno wayI was going to make a move on her while she still had that tie. Plus, she was my best friend’s sister,” I look Casey in the eye. “I wasn’t going there. But you seem like it’s okay, so now…yeah.” I stand tall. “I’m taking my fucking shot.”

They break out in applause and Rex and Adam give me a standing ovation that makes me grit my teeth.Fuckers.

“Grey?” Scott’s authoritative voice comes through the TV, and I lift my head to him.

“Just so you know we all love you like a brother. You’re a good friend and you fit in well with our family. We’d be happy to have you. But I swear, you hurt one hair on her precious head, or fuck up even this much,” he leaves barely any space between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll kill you dead and then these fuckers will finish you off.” His stare bores into me and then his section of the screen goes blank.

I swallow hard and nod again. That is something I truly understand. Nothing compares to the way the Maddens will go to war for one another.

We drink a little more and now the others have hung up on the iPad, it’s just my teammates and me. I think about all the things I know Coralie likes from ice cream and margaritas to curling up with her favorite shows and books.

Rex and Adam keep piping up with stupid shit, like a photo collage of all the secret pictures I’ve taken of her, or writing her a song, and Callan says absolutely nothing.

“Hey, she loved that day spa with Pixie,” Casey offers. I roll my lips in contemplation. “She did, but I think it needs to be more heartfelt.”

His eyebrows shoot through his hairline. “Good thinking.”

“This is all making me very uncomfortable, so, I’m out.” Callan finishes his drink and then stands to leave. He cups his hand over my shoulder, squeezing as he passes.

“Come on then,” Casey says. “It’s been a long night. We can talk more about this tomorrow and Pixie is waiting for me at home.” Ever the captain, he rounds them all up and they leave me with slaps on the back.

It’s Adam who leaves with a parting shot and a shit eating grin thrown over his shoulder,

“Just remember GG, Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.”

The others snicker at his stupid Napoleon Dynamite quote as I close the door and then make my way upstairs, searching through my music app selecting ‘Starlight’ by Westlife — an Irish boy band Anna got me into and set it to stream through the speakers located throughout the bedroom and ensuite.

It’s perfect for the mood I’m in and there’s nothing better than a well-harmonized love song by a bunch of dudes.

The tiles are fast warming and soon the bathroom is filled with steam. Stepping into my shower that’s big enough for four people, the water beats down on my tense shoulders as I try to reconcile myself with what's happened over the last few hours.

Coralie.

The divorce.

Her face when she looked up from her phone, blue gaze locked on mine.

The boys are right.In a way.It’s time for action because it’s always been her.

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