by Louisa Bacio
“What do you have to eat?” he asked.
“Smart choice.” She smiled, and walked over to the cooler to pull out some sandwiches and potato salad. “Why don’t you track down Yas and see if he’s hungry.”
As if on cue, the aforementioned met Tyler in the hallway. “How’s it going in there?”
“Not bad. We’re stopping for lunch. Joining us?”
Yas surveyed him, as if weighing the decision. “I think I’m going to run back home to eat with Tala. I hope we never get out of that honeymoon phase.” He gave Tyler a little punch on the shoulder, like they were long-time buddies with an inside joke. “Are you good hanging with my sister?” he asked in a lowered tone. “I know she can be quite the handful.”
“Now you’re warning me,” Tyler said. “We should be fine. Just about done in the kitchen. What else do you need done?”
“If you feel like it, start on the bathroom. If not, we can pick up again tomorrow.”
Tyler wanted to ask about Sugar’s history and how long she planned on staying in Los Lobos. Too many questions might push his luck, though. He didn’t want to come off overly interested.
“Don’t let her push you around,” Yas said with a wink before he headed out the door.
If he only knew, or maybe he did.
When he got back to the kitchen, the room was empty, but the open door led him outside. A patchwork blanket lay on the uneven dirt, and Sugar had set up some plates with quartered sandwiches.
“We have turkey and roast beef.” She did a sweep over the setup with open hands. “Figured we could divvy up the goods.”
Sitting on the blanket next to her could be a bit too cozy. Despite his best intentions, he might not be able to keep his hands off her. The steps were a possibility to sit on to eat.
“I’m not going to attack you,” she said, patting the spot next to her. “Come on over here and make yourself comfortable.”
After washing her own, she held out a water bottle for him to rinse his hands off. Kneeling beside her, he felt all clumsy and awkward like a gawky teenager all over again—his limbs too long for his body. Fortunately, he’d grown into all of it. No excuse now.
He took one of the offerings and pondered conversations.
“What do you do for fun here?” she asked, poking at him first.
“You mean besides making out with pretty women when I’m supposed to be working?”
She blushed, pink highlighting her cheekbones, and he was surprised at the forwardness of his comment. Look at him flirting.
“Yes, besides turning down women who are offering you pleasure.”
He swallowed, feeling the lump of roast beef make its way down his throat, and he coughed. She patted his back until he waved her off and took a chug of water.
“Well, it’s the perfect place to live as a Wolf. There are plenty of canyons to explore, and there’s nothing like the feeling of being out as a pack with a common purpose.”
“What about making love under the full moon?” she asked.
Now it was his turn to flush from her question. He shrugged. Might as well dive all in. “Haven’t done that yet, but when I do, I’ll let you know.”
The answer hung between them, and he could have sworn she fought against the desire to probe further.
“How about in the big city? What are your extracurricular activities?”
“I like working with animals, and I volunteer at the local shelter. We get some strange ones in there. People get rabbits and chickens, thinking they want to keep them at a residence, and they’re not always cut out for that type of pet. It’s not a dog or a cat, or even a fish.”
As she talked, she stared out into the forest.
“Wow. I never would have guessed.”
“Why? Did you think I hung out at bars and picked up on men I barely knew all the time? Maybe spent my free time making extra money while dancing?”
She’d pegged him. He was pretty fast to judgment. He should know better. “It’s not like that. You took me by surprise earlier today, that’s all.”
“Think about it from my side.” She leaned in and her wild scent drove him crazy. “How was I supposed to know you were you and not the guy I hung out with last night? I already knew him.”
Not for the first time, Tyler wondered exactly how well she knew him.
For the rest of the afternoon, Sugar let the shy Wolf be. Now that she knew he wasn’t the same man, it all made sense. The disparities in their personalities and scent had thrown her. It was like she was looking at an image of someone and yet didn’t recognize him. The big question: Which did she prefer?
In order to figure it out, she’d have to get them both together. Too confident or not confident enough? The ideal lay somewhere in the middle.
When Tyler worked, Sugar ogled him as much as she pleased. She caught him checking her out a few times, too. They settled into a rhythm that, while not comfortable, seemed familiar. Easily, they finished out the kitchen. By the end of the day, her lower back ached from being stooped over, and she needed to get out and stretch.
She stood on her tiptoes, arms raised high toward the ceiling, letting one heel come down and then the other. Next, she leaned from side to side, kinda sticking out her ass in order to stretch the ache in her lower back. She didn’t mean anything sexual by it, but Tyler gaped at her.
After catching her looking, he shifted his attention real fast and began to clean up the tools they’d used. Once the sound of the sanding stopped, the silence pulled taut.
“Do you remember growing up here?” Tyler asked.
The question brought a flood of memories and a tightness within her belly. “Snapshots of images and emotions more than anything,” she said. “My mom took us and left when I was only four or so. I have some good memories. Yas pushing me on the tire swing he hung out there and laughing, and my legs danced in the air like I was flying through the sky.”
Not all her memories were that pleasant. “Some fear, though, and yelling.”
Tyler pressed his lips together tight and shook his head. “I’m sorry to hear it.”
With a shrug, she brushed off the pity. It was one of the worst things for her. She didn’t want anyone to know her past or feel sorry for her. Being raised by a single mom, without a whole lot of money, made it more difficult.
“It’s really all right. It’s like I knew something was wrong from the tension but wasn’t old enough to understand the implications.”
Coming back to Los Lobos, though, had a way of dragging up the past. No wonder Mom always wanted to stay away.
“Don’t worry about it,” Sugar said. “After my dad died doing some job for Magnum—we never quite knew what—Mom decided to sneak away. She was pretty attractive, and back then a single woman with two small children. There was one guaranteed way to be given protection, if they wanted it or not.”
The former Alpha took what he wanted and let his men run wild. While she’d never outright said it, her mother suspected that Magnum had her father killed in order to gain access to her bedroom.
“Bastard,” Tyler said, closing a window that had been opened for ventilation a bit harder than necessary.
“Plus, there was Yas. She didn’t want to lose control of her son, and sometimes living here didn’t leave much of a choice. If she’d stayed, he might have ended up doing the same type of job Dad had.”
Tyler rubbed the scar on his eyebrow. Did he know he was doing it?
“It doesn’t sound like a good time,” he said. “Glad you made it out and that your brother decided to come back for a visit. What’s your mom doing these days?”
“Another loaded question.” She laughed. “Why don’t we lock up and head out, and maybe you’ll tell me how you got that permanent reminder on your pretty brow.”
“You showed me yours, and now it’s my turn to show you mine?” he asked.
“Something like that,” she replied. “But maybe we c
an get to that game a little later.”
On the way back to the B&B, they swung through town. Sugar fell in sync as she walked next to Tyler. Everyone they passed greeted him with a smile, or some sort of acknowledgment.
Outside Gee’s bar, The Den, an oversized bear of a man wiped the front windows. The closer they got, the more she felt the weight of his gaze on her. Her body tensed. She knew he was going to say something. The words hung in the air as he waited for them to get near.
“Well, Sugar Collins, ’bout time you came back to town,” he said.
“Do you know me?”
Tyler scoffed at her question. “Gee knows everybody and sometimes I think everything.”
“Is that true?” She crossed her arms and tried to think of something to ask him, but she came up blank.
“When your brother came back a few months ago, I knew it wouldn’t be too long before you’d follow. Now, how about your mama?”
“Don’t hold your breath for that one. Too many bad memories.”
The only change in his expression was a slight turning up of one side of his mouth before he switched his attention to Tyler.
“You tell your brother we’re expecting an extra case of his brew for the Solstice celebration, Tyler,” Gee said.
“Will do. I know he’s planning on making deliveries in the next day or so.”
Interest piqued, Sugar asked, “What type of brew?”
“Let’s just say my pa and Derek make up a mean homemade concoction that packs a punch,” he explained.
“You mean like moonshine?”
Gee all but laughed. “So, Sugar, how do you like hanging with the Baker twins?”
“Who?” She could have slapped her forehead. How many sets of twins did she know? And exactly how much info did he have anyway? She slipped her hand into the crook of Tyler’s arm. His muscles tightened beneath her palm. “Trying to figure out which one I like best.”
The bar doors opened and another dark-haired man strode out. Even with a slight limp, he emitted power.
“Drew.” Tyler lowered his head ever so slightly in respect. “Have you met Yas’s sister, Sugar, yet?”
On evaluation, he gave her a reserved smile. “Not yet. Glad you made it in safely.”
“I appreciate you allowing me to come stay.”
“Family is family, right Gee?” he said.
“Until they are not,” the larger man countered.
Looking to the sky, Drew appeared to have a lot on his mind, maybe like running an entire Pack.
“Predictions are for more snow for the Solstice. You plan on attending, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Sugar said. “I’ve never been on a run before.”
Tyler gave her hand a squeeze, and when she looked at him, he raised his eyebrows. Time to move on?
After saying good-bye to Gee and Drew, they continued. For the second evening in a row, a potential suitor walked Sugar to the front of the B&B.
“You still figuring you might want to do something tonight?” Tyler asked.
If she said yes, which brother would she get? The alternative would be to stay home and play cards or something with her brother, or listen to him and Tala try to be quiet while they went at it upstairs.
“Might be nice. What do you have in mind?”
“We’ll come pick you up about seven. A private picnic.”
The sparkle in his eye unnerved her a bit. He’d seemed so unsure, and now she couldn’t quite place his change in demeanor.
“A picnic? Why don’t I pack some snacks?” she suggested. “And wait, who’s we?”
“Derek and I,” he said a bit defiantly. “Sounds like it’s time you got to know us both, and what better way to do it?”
Right. Double the pleasure, double the fun.
What had she gotten into?
Chapter Five
“We have plans to go out tonight,” Tyler said.
Derek eyed his brother, wondering what the catch was. Tyler’d come back from working on Yas’s house renovation, and acted like was hiding something. He’d ditched Derek’s questions about how the day had gone with a mumbled “fine” and hightailed it into the shower. Now, he’d planned a social engagement? Something was up.
“What? Are we going drinking at The Den?” Derek asked.
“No I’m thinking we’ll want to be somewhere a bit more private. We’ll be double dating with Sugar. I believe you met her last night.”
The insinuation hung in the air. Damn right, he’d met her, and he hadn’t stopped thinking about that bit of sweetness all day. But there was another question. “Double dating with whom, and how do you know Sugar?”
“I spent the last six hours with her, and, for the first part of that, she might have thought I was you.” The smile on Tyler’s face said so much more.
His hackles rose and jealousy flared. He did his best to tamper the unwanted emotions. It was his baby brother he was talking to, not some competition for a potential mate. Hell, he hadn’t even been in the game for a mate.
Once he thought the word, though, an image of Sugar came to mind and he tasted her lips.
“Fuck me. You like her, too, don’t you?”
Tyler ran his fingers through his hair and faced away. “You get a lot of women,” he said, emotion making his voice hoarse. “Why don’t you let me have this one?”
“If it would only be that easy,” Derek said. He placed his palm on Tyler’s shoulder, turning him. “You know the last thing I ever want to do is cause you pain. I’ve spent most of my life protecting you. But there’s something special about this one.”
“You feel it, too?”
Guilt tugged at Derek. He didn’t boast about being a “feelings” type of guy. That little something from the Hot Springs intrigued him. Sugar was feisty with a hidden layer underneath. She was hot one minute and completely different the next. Like she was trying to suppress her true nature or she was running from something. His protective side popped out.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.”
Most siblings had a pact, kind of like best friends. They didn’t pilfer each other’s women. He could easily call dibs on the newcomer because, officially, he’d met her first. But if Tyler had the inside route via her brother, well, all bets were off.
If one were to compare the two of them, especially if it was meant to be a setup, Derek knew he’d come up short. He didn’t have the best reputation as potential-mate material. More like fuck ’em and leave ’em. Damn. If he was Yas, he’d choose Tyler, too.
Well, unless there was protecting to do. If someone meant harm to Sugar, Derek wouldn’t hesitate to rip his throat out. Tyler might try to talk things through first.
“What do you suggest we do about this?” Derek asked. Being so even-keeled was at war with his nature. He wanted to thump his chest, shift, and battle for the woman, but this wasn’t a fight-or-flight situation. At least, that’s what he focused on as he braced for what was to come.
“We go out tonight and let her get to know us better. Have her make the decision.”
The prospect shouldn’t make Derek nervous. When it came to women, he was the usual winner. But he didn’t want to leave it up to chance. Still, the situation left no alternative. Hell, he’d hate to fight for her and then grow tired of the relationship and ruin it all. That type of fuckup would wedge a boulder between his twin and him.
“Sounds reasonable. You know women, though. She might not be able to make up her mind.”
***
“Where are you headed to tonight?” Tala stirred something that smelled outrageously good on the stove.
Their mom never was much of a cook. If her brother’s mate filled his belly as well as his heart, no wonder he fell head over heels. Yas had been looking for a home for a long time—even if he may not have admitted it. Sugar never would have guessed he’d plant his roots back where they’d started.
“
Out with Tyler,” she said. “We kind of hit it off today.”
“Really?” Tala moved to the counter and chopped up some salad items. “I’ve known him most of my life. He’s a good guy. His brother is a handful, though.”
“In what way?” After the brief time she’d spent with him, she had a few ideas but didn’t want to be accused of stereotyping. She got enough of that.
“He likes to play the field. Never seems to stay with one woman for long. If he’d ever shown up here to take me out, I think my brother would have chased him away with a shotgun.”
“Who are you talking about?” Yas said, sliding into the kitchen from the side door.
Before Sugar could give her sister-in-law the eye to keep the situation hush, she spoke. “Derek Baker.”
A scowl passed over Yas’s face, and he turned to Sugar.
“Don’t tell me you’re going out with him?” he said.
“Then I won’t.” By now, didn’t he realize that whatever he told her not to do she only wanted to do more? The bad boy got that much more alluring. She wasn’t looking for anything special or long term either. If she picked Tyler, he was so sweet, she’d probably end up breaking his heart. Thinking about the eerie text messages she’d been receiving, that was the last thing she needed—another clinger.
“What about Tyler?” Yas asked. “You seemed to be getting along with him pretty well.”
“Sure, even better once I figured out he wasn’t Derek. See, that’s the thing. I’m going out with both of them. Tonight.”
Her words hung suspended between them. Yas would never see her as more than his kid sister, and Sugar forever fought against those boundaries.
A red hue tinged his face, and she’d guess it wasn’t from embarrassment. Tala laid her hand on his arm, drawing his attention.
“Love, I’m sure they’ll all behave themselves. Those boys know what’ll happen to them if they are inappropriate with Sugar.”
Inappropriate. Sugar pushed down an inappropriate giggle and covered her mouth. She hoped they damned well acted inappropriate. Well, maybe not together, but individually. What would her brother think if he knew she’d already kissed both of them?