sharp, gnashing
teeth. His eyes sparked with the change already upon him. Jack would have him
in shreds before Grant could change. “Listen up. Dirk Fallon isn’t just old
enough to be her father. He very well could be Ivy’s father. Don’t let
it happen. Understand?”
Speechless, Grant nodded.
Jack dropped him, shrugging off the urge to shift that must
have hit him hard and fast. Without another word, he was in his golf cart and
Grant was sucking on his dust.
* * * * *
Ivy heard the screen door smack shut and footfall on the
wood floor. She’d zoned out for a moment, reflecting on the previous night. She
hadn’t seen or heard from Grant all day. Nothing appeared in the paper about
the accident and she hadn’t seen the young driver of the vehicle from the night
before. There wasn’t even any gossip about the incident. Talk about damage
control . These guys are good.
“I’ll be done and out of your hair in a minute!” she called
from under the kitchen sink.
The footsteps stopped. “What are you doing under there?”
Her heart leapt nearly out of her chest hearing Grant’s
voice. How did he track me down? Act cool . She scooted out from
under the sink, a wrench in one hand, an engagement ring in the other. “Diamond
ring down the kitchen sink. An emergency of sorts.”
He twisted the gold wedding band on his own finger. “We have
a maintenance man, Ivy.”
“But we need two. This place is falling apart faster than
one guy can duct tape it back together.” And so far she wasn’t impressed by the
Jack-of-all-trades maintenance guy, whose name happened to be Jack. The same
guy who’d chased her wolf away at the pool. A second mark against him.
Combing his fingers nervously through his hair, Grant said,
“That’s what Jack’s been telling me for years.”
“For once I’ll have to side with Jack, as much as it pains
me.” Ivy flashed him a fake smile.
“Do you have dinner plans?” He offered her his hand. “I’d
love to talk to you about something.”
She let him heave her off the floor, suddenly feeling
embarrassed about the dirty coveralls she wore. Ivy placed the ring on the
kitchen counter and gathered up her tools. She wondered if she’d ever have a
ring of her own—or a man, for that matter. Not likely. “I do, actually. Have
plans, that is.”
One eyebrow shot up.
“Don’t look so surprised, Mr. Mayor.” She led the way out of
the cottage, squinting against the sun overhead. “I’m like the prom queen in
this backwoods hick town of yours. It’s as if I have a sign on my back—free
blowjobs, the line forms here.” I don’t, do I? “Too bad you lost your
turn.” She smiled smugly at him.
Raising both eyebrows, he asked, “Bobby Joe again?”
“Guess again.”
“I feel I need to warn you off about a certain cad in town.”
He walked next to her, leaving a couple feet separating them, his hands shoved
in his pockets. “Can’t be trusted with hearts or wallets. Wouldn’t surprise me
if he had multiple wives and STDs.”
“Tall, dark and handsome?” she guessed. He’d already tried
to slither into her life. “Sort of smarmy and slick and all teeth? Derek
Falconer or something?”
“Dirk. Fallon.”
“I’m not stupid, Grant.” She slung the toolbox into the golf
cart. “He struck me as a creep in sheep’s clothing. As well as a poor tipper
and one of those guys who wears a Speedo at the pool.”
He cleared his throat. “That’s him.”
She treated Grant to a pleasant smile, one that told him he
was nothing more than a mistake she’d almost made one drunk and lonely night.
Only she couldn’t even blame the booze. She’d been sober. He’d been buzzed. She
was the mistake. If he’d come back that night, no matter how late, she’d have
banged him until dawn and made him a breakfast fit for a king. She hated gorgeous
men. They made her act crazy and feel shitty. Not this time.
With a heavy sigh of regret, Ivy said, “He was way too
beautiful for
teeth. His eyes sparked with the change already upon him. Jack would have him
in shreds before Grant could change. “Listen up. Dirk Fallon isn’t just old
enough to be her father. He very well could be Ivy’s father. Don’t let
it happen. Understand?”
Speechless, Grant nodded.
Jack dropped him, shrugging off the urge to shift that must
have hit him hard and fast. Without another word, he was in his golf cart and
Grant was sucking on his dust.
* * * * *
Ivy heard the screen door smack shut and footfall on the
wood floor. She’d zoned out for a moment, reflecting on the previous night. She
hadn’t seen or heard from Grant all day. Nothing appeared in the paper about
the accident and she hadn’t seen the young driver of the vehicle from the night
before. There wasn’t even any gossip about the incident. Talk about damage
control . These guys are good.
“I’ll be done and out of your hair in a minute!” she called
from under the kitchen sink.
The footsteps stopped. “What are you doing under there?”
Her heart leapt nearly out of her chest hearing Grant’s
voice. How did he track me down? Act cool . She scooted out from
under the sink, a wrench in one hand, an engagement ring in the other. “Diamond
ring down the kitchen sink. An emergency of sorts.”
He twisted the gold wedding band on his own finger. “We have
a maintenance man, Ivy.”
“But we need two. This place is falling apart faster than
one guy can duct tape it back together.” And so far she wasn’t impressed by the
Jack-of-all-trades maintenance guy, whose name happened to be Jack. The same
guy who’d chased her wolf away at the pool. A second mark against him.
Combing his fingers nervously through his hair, Grant said,
“That’s what Jack’s been telling me for years.”
“For once I’ll have to side with Jack, as much as it pains
me.” Ivy flashed him a fake smile.
“Do you have dinner plans?” He offered her his hand. “I’d
love to talk to you about something.”
She let him heave her off the floor, suddenly feeling
embarrassed about the dirty coveralls she wore. Ivy placed the ring on the
kitchen counter and gathered up her tools. She wondered if she’d ever have a
ring of her own—or a man, for that matter. Not likely. “I do, actually. Have
plans, that is.”
One eyebrow shot up.
“Don’t look so surprised, Mr. Mayor.” She led the way out of
the cottage, squinting against the sun overhead. “I’m like the prom queen in
this backwoods hick town of yours. It’s as if I have a sign on my back—free
blowjobs, the line forms here.” I don’t, do I? “Too bad you lost your
turn.” She smiled smugly at him.
Raising both eyebrows, he asked, “Bobby Joe again?”
“Guess again.”
“I feel I need to warn you off about a certain cad in town.”
He walked next to her, leaving a couple feet separating them, his hands shoved
in his pockets. “Can’t be trusted with hearts or wallets. Wouldn’t surprise me
if he had multiple wives and STDs.”
“Tall, dark and handsome?” she guessed. He’d already tried
to slither into her life. “Sort of smarmy and slick and all teeth? Derek
Falconer or something?”
“Dirk. Fallon.”
“I’m not stupid, Grant.” She slung the toolbox into the golf
cart. “He struck me as a creep in sheep’s clothing. As well as a poor tipper
and one of those guys who wears a Speedo at the pool.”
He cleared his throat. “That’s him.”
She treated Grant to a pleasant smile, one that told him he
was nothing more than a mistake she’d almost made one drunk and lonely night.
Only she couldn’t even blame the booze. She’d been sober. He’d been buzzed. She
was the mistake. If he’d come back that night, no matter how late, she’d have
banged him until dawn and made him a breakfast fit for a king. She hated gorgeous
men. They made her act crazy and feel shitty. Not this time.
With a heavy sigh of regret, Ivy said, “He was way too
beautiful for
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