Page 22 of She Wolf

Stepping forward he reaches over to claim the one I have in my hand. His fingers

deliberately covering mine. “Thanks, Coralie,” he winks at me. Gunner's smile swiftly turns into a smirk as he hears my breath hitch at our contact.

Casey spins and narrows his eyes, but when all he sees is Gunner going about filling his bowl to the brim while talking to Jack, he continues with what he was doing. Anna though, catches the whole thing and hides her smile behind the glass of water she brings to her face.

‘Flirty Gunner’ is maybe my new favorite version of him. I’ve known him a long time but this new thing he’s got down is revitalizing. We have the security of our incredible friendship and the years we’ve been in each other’s lives, but now there’s this new side to it. It’s all smirks and touches and those damn winks…Panty melting is what they are.

And I swear his sweats are tighter than before, unless that’s just me. His cologne permeates my senses as usual, and I have to shake myself from my Gunner haze.

Over dinner, we discuss the playoffs and Jack insists on getting the calendar off the wall and filling in the dates and location of where each of the games will be.

“Which jersey do you think I should wear? It needs to bring us luck,” he asks. Casey, Knox and Gunner all nod, completely on board with his thinking, Anna and I just look at each other.

“Well, you could have a brand new one,” Gunner suggests.

“Or you could wear the one you had on when I scored the hat trick,” Knox offers.

Jack goes quiet. Thinking long and hard about it. A few beats later, he drops his spoon, dramatic as ever. “I’ve got it,” he exclaims. “What if I get a new one? Then you, Callan, Hollywood, and Rex can all sign it, to give it extra luck.” He looks at all of them.

Casey nods. “Kiddo, that is a great idea.”

“Mom, how will I get Casey and Knox’s number on the back?” His wide and expectant eyes swing to mine.

“Oh gosh, buddy. I’m sorry, I don’t know how we would do that. We’ve only got a day to sort it,” I say, as his face falls.

“Leave it to us,” Casey says and that’s enough to renew Jack’s excitement.

Throughout dinner, I feel Gunner’s eyes on me. His heated glances make me want to reach out and hold his hand or ask him to sit closer to me and I really need another body-melting kiss. Stat.

***

“I’m going to stay here, during playoffs and then I’m out,” Knox says as we both load the dishwasher a little while later. The bowls are all stacked, and I pass him the cutlery I just washed off.

“Scotty’s place is too small,” he says, speaking of our brother’s tiny studio apartment that he rents near to his firehouse. It also happens to be half a block away from his best friend Jenna’s bakery. A fact he says is total coincidence. Ask my mom though and she’ll tell you they’ve been inseparable since kindergarten.

“Theo said he’s mainly at Lex’s anyway and I could just crash at his, but I think it makes more sense to take Hollywood up on his offer.”

“I get it,” I nod. “I’m looking for somewhere new too.”

He side-eyes me. “Listen, we don’t want you going too far away and having to commute even further to work. Let me and Casey help you out. So, you can get someplace close.”

I dry my hands, fold my arms across my chest, and glare at my younger brother.

“There’s no way I’m having this conversation with you again, Knox. If I wanted your help, I would just stay here. I need to do this. I need to show Jack that I can support us. Why don’t any of you get it?”

His jaw ticks as he places the last few forks in their compartment. “We do get it but what are you gonna do Coralie? Drive an hour to and from Jack’s school every day? Not to mention the added time it will take you to get to your school.” He shakes his head. “Fuck, you are so god damn stubborn.”

My blood starts to boil as I stare him down, “Knox. Sometimes things aren’t always so easy. So, what if I have to drive a little further? I’ll take it, if it means standing on my own two feet.”

His eye twitches and I fear I accidentally hit a nerve. Knox is very touchy about his time on the farm team—blames it on losing focus during his college years and feels like he’s wasted a chunk of his life.

He slams the dishwasher door shut and stands to his full height, frustration marring his stupidly perfect face.

“Oh wow, and what the hell was so easy for me the past few years? What are you implyin’? We just want what is best for you and Jack. We all do. Casey and I now have the means to help. Let us do this for you. You’re being an idiot.”

My patience evaporates. “KNOX. WILL YOU LISTEN TO WHAT I AM SAYING?” I yell at the top of my voice.

Casey and Gunner are in the kitchen, Gunner standing by my side within seconds.

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