down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around Darcy, and the puma shifter reassured her Deanna would be there soon with Biggins. At least, she prayed Deanna would.
*
Deanna rushed down the street, clutching a dog-eared, pink bear called Biggins. It had been hers when she was younger, and Dinah had claimed it when she was 18 months old. Now, it was a national catastrophe whenever Dinah found herself without him. It was hard work taking the whole family anywhere.
Dinah realized she’d forgotten Biggins, just before they reached Pizza Moon. They tried to soothe her, and told her she would see Biggins again soon enough, but there was no comforting her. After ten minutes, Deanna finally gave in and agreed to go and fetch Biggins. It was hard to believe she was ruled by a 4-year-old and a stuffed bear. Her bobcat was almost laughing at her.
Her feet padded down the sidewalk. She reached out for Pizza Moon’s door handle, and someone gave a solid thrust from the inside, propelling her backwards.
Deanna let out an anguished ‘oof,’ as the door made contact with her face. She staggered back clutching the bear to her nose.
“Ah, shit, I’m sorry!”
A pair of strong hands steadied her.
Deanna pulled the bear away and scrunched her nose, cringing in pain. Her bobcat growled at the wolf.
“Crap, you’re bleeding.”
“I am?” She gingerly pressed a finger to her nose.
“Here, let me.” He tilted her head back a little, pressing a tissue to her nose. She flinched at the pain but settled into his gentle touch. “I’m really sorry.”
She attempted a smile. “It’s okay; accidents happen.”
Deanna recognized him as a wolf shifter called Hunter. He was a couple of years younger than her and a member of the local pack. She hadn’t had much to do with him, although she knew from Alec he had been a bit of a hell-raiser in his teenage years. She knew him from the time she had caught him speeding. He'd tried to flirt his way out of a ticket, unsuccessfully, of course.
Hunter carefully let go of the tissue and inspected her nose; the nervous look on his face was not a good omen.
Deanna looked at the tissue and was dismayed at the spots of blood. “How does it look?”
Hunter bit his lip. “Uhhh… it’s fine…”
She gave him a look of disbelief. “Yeah, that’s sounds really encouraging.” Visions of a big, red clown nose flashed before her.
He hesitated. “I’m sure you’ll heal in a couple of days… besides, you’re still pretty.”
Deanna stared at him, flabbergasted. Did he really just tell her he thought she was attractive? “Oh, uh, thanks.”
The wolf shifter grinned. “Just telling the truth.”
She blushed deep red; she imagined the rest of her face now matched her big, old, red nose.
Hunter flashed her a lopsided smile. “Maybe we could go out sometime?”
What the heck was going on? Was it weird that she’d gone through a dry spell for a whole year, and now she’d managed to attract four men in the space of a month? Three of them in the last few days. Was she suddenly giving something off that men found irresistible? Well, not irresistible, but maybe slightly charming.
Whatever it was, the timing could not be worse. She couldn’t even contemplate dating any of those guys at the moment, not when she was falling for someone else. What she wouldn’t give to see him again…
*
Casey stomped down the street. He was pissed.
When he finally got to the Sheriff’s station the day before, it was to find the bobcat Deputy out on a call. Neither Gabe or the Sheriff, Alec would tell him when she was coming back, and when he asked if he could get her address, so he could talk to her at home, they actually hooted with laughter. No way were they going to tell him that. Idly, he wondered if they might have been a little more helpful if he hadn’t been such a pain in the past. Well, too late to do anything about it now.
He wasn’t really angry with them, maybe just a little , he was
*
Deanna rushed down the street, clutching a dog-eared, pink bear called Biggins. It had been hers when she was younger, and Dinah had claimed it when she was 18 months old. Now, it was a national catastrophe whenever Dinah found herself without him. It was hard work taking the whole family anywhere.
Dinah realized she’d forgotten Biggins, just before they reached Pizza Moon. They tried to soothe her, and told her she would see Biggins again soon enough, but there was no comforting her. After ten minutes, Deanna finally gave in and agreed to go and fetch Biggins. It was hard to believe she was ruled by a 4-year-old and a stuffed bear. Her bobcat was almost laughing at her.
Her feet padded down the sidewalk. She reached out for Pizza Moon’s door handle, and someone gave a solid thrust from the inside, propelling her backwards.
Deanna let out an anguished ‘oof,’ as the door made contact with her face. She staggered back clutching the bear to her nose.
“Ah, shit, I’m sorry!”
A pair of strong hands steadied her.
Deanna pulled the bear away and scrunched her nose, cringing in pain. Her bobcat growled at the wolf.
“Crap, you’re bleeding.”
“I am?” She gingerly pressed a finger to her nose.
“Here, let me.” He tilted her head back a little, pressing a tissue to her nose. She flinched at the pain but settled into his gentle touch. “I’m really sorry.”
She attempted a smile. “It’s okay; accidents happen.”
Deanna recognized him as a wolf shifter called Hunter. He was a couple of years younger than her and a member of the local pack. She hadn’t had much to do with him, although she knew from Alec he had been a bit of a hell-raiser in his teenage years. She knew him from the time she had caught him speeding. He'd tried to flirt his way out of a ticket, unsuccessfully, of course.
Hunter carefully let go of the tissue and inspected her nose; the nervous look on his face was not a good omen.
Deanna looked at the tissue and was dismayed at the spots of blood. “How does it look?”
Hunter bit his lip. “Uhhh… it’s fine…”
She gave him a look of disbelief. “Yeah, that’s sounds really encouraging.” Visions of a big, red clown nose flashed before her.
He hesitated. “I’m sure you’ll heal in a couple of days… besides, you’re still pretty.”
Deanna stared at him, flabbergasted. Did he really just tell her he thought she was attractive? “Oh, uh, thanks.”
The wolf shifter grinned. “Just telling the truth.”
She blushed deep red; she imagined the rest of her face now matched her big, old, red nose.
Hunter flashed her a lopsided smile. “Maybe we could go out sometime?”
What the heck was going on? Was it weird that she’d gone through a dry spell for a whole year, and now she’d managed to attract four men in the space of a month? Three of them in the last few days. Was she suddenly giving something off that men found irresistible? Well, not irresistible, but maybe slightly charming.
Whatever it was, the timing could not be worse. She couldn’t even contemplate dating any of those guys at the moment, not when she was falling for someone else. What she wouldn’t give to see him again…
*
Casey stomped down the street. He was pissed.
When he finally got to the Sheriff’s station the day before, it was to find the bobcat Deputy out on a call. Neither Gabe or the Sheriff, Alec would tell him when she was coming back, and when he asked if he could get her address, so he could talk to her at home, they actually hooted with laughter. No way were they going to tell him that. Idly, he wondered if they might have been a little more helpful if he hadn’t been such a pain in the past. Well, too late to do anything about it now.
He wasn’t really angry with them, maybe just a little , he was
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