“Do you want to keep having appointments with me? And by having appointments, I mean regularly.”
“I do,” he mumbled. “I’m…thank you for cleaning up my apartment. Or having the wolves do it…that means a lot to me.”
“Of course. Are you keeping it clean?” she asked, smiling gently at him.
“I am,” he chuckled. “Thomas came to get me and saw it. He pointed at the one dirty bowl in my sink and gave me a hard time.”
“Sounds like Thomas,” Abigail giggled. “You tell me what sort of schedule you want, and we’ll make it happen, Finn. I can even have one of the Pack get you to make sure you make it to the appointments.”
“Every other week?” he asked, looking worried. “Maybe starting next week?”
“I can do that.” She touched his shoulder. “How are other things?”
“Who is Phoebe and why does she keep bothering me?” Finn asked back.
“Oops. My fault. She’s a nice girl, and I saw you moping at the diner opening. I sent her after you. A friend of Riley’s. And mine, I guess?” She didn’t know how to classify Phoebe for herself. Acquaintance didn’t fit, but friend seemed too assumptive. She was just Phoebe and she took after her Friends namesake a bit.
“Yeah, just really…alive,” Finn muttered, glancing around Abigail. “She’s cool. She knows about us.”
“Yeah, she knows about shifters. Riley brought her in on the secret,” Abigail confirmed. “Get to know her. She might help you get out of the house a bit more.”
“She goes to Rocker’s a lot. I’ve been thinking about trying that place out, since the guys run it. I need better clothes, though.”
“Ask one of the guys to help you on that front.” Abigail laughed. “Now, I’m hungry and Jessie is eating us out of house and home.”
“Yeah, I see that. Sorry for taking your time.” Finn groaned, looking to the food.
Abigail did too, and sure enough, Jessie was grabbing a plate of veggies.
“What?” she groaned, seeing them stare. “I’m hungry.”
“Nothing!” Abigail laughed. “I would never mess with you over this. I promise. You should be eating and healthily as well.”
“Humpf.” Jessie waddled away at that, with her plate of veggies and too much ranch to dip them in.
Abigail made herself a burger and grabbed some pasta salad to go with it. She sat next to James at one of the fold-out tables and ate quietly. This was a good life, a great day, and she soaked it in for a moment.
“Why isn’t Chris here?” Brenton asked Thomas, who sat across from him. Abigail looked down the table at the two Alphas and Zachary all sitting at that end of the table.
“I didn’t invite him,” Thomas answered, shaking his head. “I don’t need to make drama by having him here with all of you at the same time. He’s spent the last couple of days avoiding me on top of that. He shows up to the bar, has a couple of drinks, then leaves.”
“I’m so happy I don’t have a brother,” Zachary chuckled. “Drama. Fuck that.”
“You have four,” Brenton reminded him, glaring over to his second. “Do not try to write me off, you fucking cranky shit.”
“Fine. Biological relatives.” Zachary growled at his Alpha. “Childish ass.”
“Every time I see those two, they are half-fighting,” Abigail noted.
Riley laughed from her spot at the table. “They’re a couple of teenage girls. They gossip and argue and shit, those two,” Riley explained, pointing down at Brenton and Zachary. “Laugh at them - the rest of us do.”
“I’ll remember that later,” Zachary growled down at her, pointing at Riley.
“Me too,” Brenton hissed, giving a small smile.
Abigail gave Riley a concerned look but stopped worrying as the cheetah got a huge grin.
“Bring it,” she taunted them.
“Don’t think I won’t spank that-”
“Can any of you boys remember I’m her father and I don’t need to hear this?” Keith groaned from his spot next to Riley. Abigail snorted in the most unladylike fashion, but Keith’s comment was so full of dismay and despair that Abigail couldn’t stop it. Poor man.
Then Fenrir let out another howl in greeting as an Explorer drove up. Abigail watched as it parked away from everyone else and heard Thomas mutter a curse.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” James growled.
“I’ll find out,” Thomas sighed, standing up from the table. Abigail stood up to follow him and offer support, but he waved her away, looking tired. “I’ve got it. Help keep Fenrir over here.”
“Okay,” she whispered. She wanted to go with him, so he didn’t deal with Chris on his own, but he was her Alpha and gave his order. Abigail whistled, and Fenrir came running to her and the group again. Antonio took his collar and held him.
Thomas was back faster than she expected.
“He had wanted to hang out tonight and do dinner here, but saw that we had company,” Thomas explained, sitting back down in his post. “No worries.”
“Drama,” Zachary grunted.
“Yeah,” Abigail sighed, nodding in agreement. Family drama was always a pain. She was thankful that her own family was too busy with her sister’s pregnancy to bother her. It wasn’t uncommon for her to go several months without contacting her parents even then, so they wouldn’t bother her until Karli’s baby boys were born.
“Are you guys going to set up a bonfire?” Troy asked, pointing at the fire pit and changing the conversation. “Haven’t been to one of those in years.”
“Yeah,” Antonio chuckled. “We’ll get one set up. James?”
Abigail spent the rest of the evening putting it all out of her mind. The possibility of her old job had her in a great mood and nothing was going to bring her down. They moved towards the firepit as the sun went down. Riley curled up in Andrew’s lap. Sheriff left with his wife and Jessie, earlier than most, and Keith was the next to go. Finn had disappeared without anyone realizing it, which put Phoebe in a mood that Abigail hadn’t expected.
“I was having fun talking to him,” she mumbled, leaning on Abigail’s side.
“He needs to readjust to coming out and being social,” Abigail told her softly. “I love the hair.”
“Thanks. Andrew told me I could do it last year, but I never got around to it. Finally bought a box of hair dye and did it myself.”
“Why…” Abigail frowned. “Why would he need to tell you that you could?”
“He’s my boss,” Phoebe chuckled.
“She’s one of my managers. She oversees my other waitresses,” Andrew continued from his spot.
Riley yawned and nodded as well. “My old job,” she muttered.
“You quit,” Andrew reminded her. He smiled back at Abigail and Phoebe. “I don’t think having pink hair makes someone unprofessional. There’s a dozen other reasons why Phoebe is unprofessional, but hair color isn’t one of them.”
“Love the confidence, boss.” Phoebe laughed. “Well, it’s late. I’m going home.”
“Have a good night,” Abigail told her as she stood up.
“We should all be heading out,” Brenton announced as he looked at his watch. “It is nearly midnight. It was fun today. We need to do this type of thing more often.”
“You’re right.” Thomas, sitting next to Brenton, shook his hand. “You’re all welcome here at any time and you know it. Just give me a text before you pop in.”
“Same for the mansion. After Riley’s gallery opening, we will host something. A dinner, Andrew’s cooking. We’ll have to keep it quiet, though, or half the damn town will show up.” Brenton chuckled. “Good night, everyone.”
“Have a good night, Riley,” Abigail called after her friend, who was just being carried by Andrew back to their vehicles.
Abigail helped Thomas, James, and Antonio clean up the backyard. Their guests had been kind enough to keep the mess from getting too out of hand, which meant everything moved quickly.
“
We’ll get the rest of the furniture put away tomorrow,” Thomas told her. “Come inside and we’ll celebrate this trip you’re about to take.”
Abigail smiled and licked her lips at the thought of that.
“Look at that face,” Antonio chuckled. “Let’s go, pretty doe. It’s a bit cold out here tonight.”
“We could warm it up,” James growled, and she saw him look her up and down like a meal. Her heart raced as he swooped her up like a catch and began to carry her inside. Butterflies in her stomach, a blush creeping over her face. Every time. She wasn’t the sexiest woman - a bit plain and very normal - but they made her feel desirable. They made her think she was special.
There were things Abigail could get used to but never be tired of. The way these wolves made her feel was one of them.
12
Abigail
“You owe me a date,” James called out to her as Abigail walked into the bar. She jerked to a stop, looking for him, and spotted him sitting on the bar with Antonio.
“It’s only been a week,” Abigail laughed, yelling back. “You haven’t told me any plans!” They had also gotten distracted. He asked her out the day they got Fenrir, who was roaming around the bar at that moment, and Chris had just come back. Then the barbecue. She was also scheduling her trip to DC.
It had been a busy week. She had only just finalized her flights and hotels for the DC trip, and it was a week away.
“Tonight, me and you,” James told her, pointing between them, “are having a good time.”
“Fine!” Abigail laughed. “Roger that. What are we doing?” She walked closer and ran her hands up the outside of his thighs, moving between them.
“I was thinking I would do dinner with you alone somewhere,” he whispered, putting his forehead to hers. “The guys agreed to stay at the bar until closing, so it’s just me and you for whatever we want.”
“Do you want me to do anything?” she asked, running her fingers up and down his legs.
“Go home and put on something pretty.” He frowned at his own words as Abigail just smiled at him. “Just show up at the house at seven,” he decided. “Wear whatever you want.”
“What will you be wearing?” She kept it light, but her heart was going a hundred miles an hour. This was a date. It shouldn’t change anything, but everything was so easy-going and James seemed to have plans now, ideas, and that made her excited and nervous.
“I promise you’ll enjoy it,” he growled softly.
“I guess I should go get ready?” She backed up a step and checked the time. It was already five. The day had flown by.
“I guess you should,” he chuckled. “I wanted to tell you in person, but you’ve been running around all day, and when you weren’t, you were on the phone or nose to the laptop screen.”
“I know, it’s been a long day,” she agreed.
“I get next date,” Antonio called from the pool tables. “After your trip to DC!”
“Okay,” Abigail laughed, waving over to him. That would be a wild night she wouldn’t forget. Antonio and a date. “You know you guys don’t need to do this kind of stuff, right?”
“Yeah,” James replied, shrugging. “But we want to.”
“Thank you.” She swooped in to kiss his cheek. “I’ll meet you at your place?”
“I’ll pick you up instead, do this properly. I’ll be at your door at seven. Go on. I’ll see you then.”
“Okay.” She nodded, her pulse racing. She turned on her heel, excited and nervous and anxious. She had a date.
She stopped to pet Fenrir and kiss her other two men on the way back out of the bar. She had gone to hang out for the evening, but she liked this idea of James surprising her with this date he’d been planning. Thomas hadn’t mentioned doing anything yet with her; he was probably comfortable like she was with the status quo.
She got back to her hotel and looked through what she had left in her room. Since it was a date, she would do something sexy. She had a little black dress that turned her beanpole body into something with a little curve. She was thin, and she always had been. Sure, the ten pounds the wolves somehow got her to gain were helping, but she was a waif.
This dress, she hoped, would make her seem like something a bit sultrier.
A quick shower was all she needed, and she did her hair in a braid to keep it from getting everywhere. She went light on her makeup, a touch of dark eyeshadow that made her large, oak eyes shine. She went with her classic red lipstick, a rose red that she thought went well on her paler skin.
Then she slipped the dress on and looked herself over. A different woman looked back at her in the mirror. This Abigail was ready to seduce a man, and she loved the confidence that gave her. She didn’t know why she was nervous. She had been with them, never feeling unwanted or not pretty, but this had her so nervous that she was aiming for the outfit to help her feel more secure.
She took it a step further and pulled on thigh-high stockings with a lace trim at the top, then slipped into a pair of heels.
A knock on her hotel door spooked her. It was only six-fifty. He was early!
She walked over and opened the door slowly. James stood patiently, in all black - including those delicious leather pants - with a bouquet of wildflowers.
“James,” she breathed out. “You’re early.”
“And you look stunning,” he growled, looking down her legs. She blushed, appreciating the compliment. “These are for you.” He held out the flowers and she took them graciously, sniffing them. She wondered if he went out to a meadow to pick them. “I could give you a cheesy line of how they remind me of you, but really, I thought a weird little hippie like you would like wildflowers more than cut roses.”
“You’re right,” she whispered, walking back into her hotel room. He followed her slowly, in no rush. She found a glass that she could set them in for the night. “I’ll need to get a vase.”
“You need to get out of this hotel room,” he chuckled. “But we can talk about that later.”
“Yeah, tomorrow,” Abigail giggled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Ready to go?” He offered her an arm and she took it, letting him guide her out. “I’ve made dinner at the house. Everything is ready for you,” he whispered as he led her out to his truck. He opened the door and helped her step in with her heels. When he got in on the other side, he continued. “It’s a simple date, I know. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I’m a simple girl, James,” Abigail reminded him. “You didn’t need to go through all this trouble.”
“I think I do,” he chuckled, leaning over to kiss her as he turned his truck on.
They drove to the farmhouse in the quiet evening, and he helped her back out. She liked that he never took a hand off of her but was also a perfect gentleman. Gruff, a little cranky, James was a sweetheart. She already knew it, but she loved being reminded nonetheless.
He led her inside, getting the front door for her. She wasn’t allowed to stop at the living room and was taken directly to the dining room, where she could see the food already placed out. The lights were off, but candles were lit, and another bouquet of wildflowers sat in the middle of the table. He pulled out her chair and helped her sit down.
“This looks lovely,” she whispered.
“I went for some Italian,” he chuckled. “Andrew gave me a couple of recipes to try out.”
“You asked Andrew for recipes?”
“I told him I wanted to do something special with you,” he mumbled, looking a little embarrassed. It was adorable. “He offered a few ideas.”
“I love it.” She was nearly teary. This was special. This was for a woman who meant something to him. It was for her.
“Don’t get weepy on me,” James teased.
“This is just…I’ve never really had this sort of thing before.” Gavin had never done it for her. Boyfriends before him had been young men while she’d been a young woman, all inexperienced at letting someone know they meant something.
“Ah…” James trailed off. “You’ll have it with me. You’re important to me and you deserve this.”
“Thank you,” she replied softly.
He nodded slowly and kissed her cheek. “I’ll dish us up,” he whispered. He gave them each a serving of some seafood and pasta dish, a piece of garlic bread, and a small bowl of soup. She didn’t know any of the names of what he made, and he admitted that he didn’t either. They were both laughing after that, feeling more relaxed.
Before he sat down, he turned on some music, a soft violin solo that accented the entire atmosphere he’d given to the rustic farmhouse.
“I take it this is where we ask each other questions about things we’re curious about,” Abigail mentioned as they started eating.
“I think it is,” he chuckled, nodding. “Ladies first?”
She thought about her question for only a minute. “If you weren’t inner circle for a pack, what would you have done instead?”
“Like a career?” James frowned at his plate, thoughtful. She watched his eyes light up after a moment. “When I was in high school, I wanted to be a rock star. Played in a band with other guys my age until they went to college, knowing they didn’t have futures in the Texas Pack without an education. I did a trade school. I can weld, you know. But I couldn’t advance in the Pack the way I wanted, so when I heard of stuff going down as Chris took power in South Dakota, I moved and took a spot in that Pack.”
“The welding? Just a means to an end?”
“Yeah. Just something that paid my bills, so I could have fun doing anything else. I was…lighter back then, a bit more like Antonio than Thomas. Parties when I could get away with them, that sort of thing. The hunting compound changed me.” He sighed after that.
“I bet it changed all of you,” Abigail responded. “We don’t talk about it much, but I’m always willing to listen.”
“It’s in the past.” James dismissed her offer, shaking his head. “There’s no reason to keep dragging it up. Not on a night like tonight.”
“One thing?” Abigail asked, curious still. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
Heart of the Pack Page 12