Page 23 of She Wolf

“What’s going on?” Casey asks, looking between us.

“Oh, just the usual alpha-Madden bullshit,” I say exasperated. “You lot trying to ride in on your white horses and save little, old, pathetic me.”

I feel the familiar sting of angry tears brimming in my eyes, while Casey seems to be having a telepathic conversation with Knox.

“Pathetic? Coralie, that isn’t what—”

“Save it!” I spit, interrupting him. “You haven’t let me give you a damn dime

for living here so I’ve managed to save. A lot. I am so grateful to you for everything, but…” I look to my brothers.

“We’ll be here through the playoffs and then we’re out.”

Then I throw down the blue striped dish cloth and storm out of the kitchen, leaving the three of them in my wake. Shaking off the tears that are threatening to fall, I reach Jack’s bedroom to see him working on his stick handling.

“How’s it going buddy?” I ask, watching how fast he moves the stick and the puck around a square sheet of synthetic ice tiles he has in one corner of his bedroom.

“Good Mom, it’s getting so easy.”

I sit on his bed. “That is good to hear. Can you put your things away and then jump in the shower?” He nods and does as I say. I haven’t mentioned the move yet, but I need to get him on board.

Footsteps sound in the hall and then Gunner is standing in front of me, literally filling

the doorway. I hear the water turn on and Jack shouting Wolves chants in the shower.

Exhaling I lean forward, resting my arms on my knees and Gunner sits down next to me.

“You know they don’t mean to coddle you, right? They just want to make life easy for you.”

I slowly nod, taking in his handsome face. The heavy stubble ever-present.

“Of course, I know that. I totally overreacted down there. Honestly, I don’t want to move away from them. From you. I love it here. Jack has a frickin’ pool in the backyard. It’s incredible.But,I just cannot live in my brother’s mansion for the rest of my life.” It’s not a mansion but it is a huge house, like, stupid big.

“I completely understand you don’t want to live in Casey’s house much longer.” A devilish grin takes over his face. “Hey you know what? You could live in mine.”

I choke on a laugh. His eyes are full of mischief but for a second there’s a flash of something, maybe hope. He picks up my hand and runs my fingertips along his full soft lips. The stubble biting in contrast.

“Wow. A couple days and you’re asking us to move in. You must be crazy.”

He kisses the pad of each finger. “I am. I’m crazy about you. And about Jack. But I get it. I can’t tell you how much I’ll miss not having you just across the street.”

I meet his eyes about to interrupt, but he carries on. “But Ireallydo get it. Go do this. Have your time, pay your bills, and decorate. Hell, have sleepovers with the man you’ve just started dating.”

I raise an eyebrow at his off-the-cuff remark about us dating and I’m granted another smile, this one wider, toothier.

“You deserve all of that. Then maybe after a little while, you’ll find your way back here. To me.”

He kisses the top of my head and then he’s up and out of the door before I can even compute what he just said. The pads of my fingers tingle from where his lips were, and I have to literally shake myself out of yet another Gunner trance so I can get back to ‘momming’.

By the time I’m checking on him, Jack has a new hairstyle and is dancing around in a huge towel that he has wrapped around his shoulders.

“Come on you, let’s get you ready for bed.”

When his jammies are on, and he’s settled—and before I can talk myself out of it—words are falling out of my mouth.

“So, I’m thinking you and I need a new adventure,” his eyes go wide and I continue. “I’m thinking that you and I, we go live in our own house for a while.”

“What do you mean?” he asks as I tuck him in further.

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