I stuffed another of her little sandwiches in my mouth to keep from having to continue the line of conversation.
“Anyway. My friend, Dana, is amazing. You’ll have so much free time, Holt. It won’t hurt you to have a little fun while you’re here.”
“No. I will not agree to being set up. I’ve had enough of Mama’s attempts.”
“But Dana is a model. She’s stunning, has a flourishing career, makes great money, and, her wolf is gorgeous. She even likes the Bulldogs. Whadda ya’ say?”
I was sure the woman was probably everything Charlie described, but I wasn’t interested in having my little sister find me a date. “No, thanks. Now, if you’ll show me which of the fifty guest bedrooms is the biggest and bestest, I’d love a nap. I’m exhausted.”
She groaned, but still showed me to a room on the first floor. “You’re no fun.”
“That’s what they call me. No fun.”
“They’re going to put it on your headstone.” She waved her hands at me. “Holton ‘No Fun’ Monroe. Died from boredom.”
“I’m not the bored one. I’m fine. You and Mama Jean are the ones who seem to have too much time on your hands.”
She flitted out of the room, mumbling to herself about me. I was used to it. We both had stubborn streaks and she’d always alternated between thinking I was the best big brother to walk the Earth, and being furious at me for bucking her manipulations. She’d get over it. She always did.
3
Sonnie
I hurried down the street in my bathrobe with a towel wrapped around my wet hair. Throwing open the front door to CMSD, I rushed inside to share my big news. “I’ve got it!”
Charlie looked up from helping a customer and laughed. “Got what? Dementia? Geeze, it’s cold outside, Sonnie. What are you doing?”
I looked down at the robe and shrugged. “What? I’m covered.”
“I’m pretty sure half the town saw your ass when you ran in.”
“Then, I’m lucky over half the town is female.” Still, I tugged at the robe.
“What else do you have?”
I bit my lip. “You can finish with your customer first.”
The woman she’d been helping grinned at me sweetly. “Oh, no. Go on. This sounds way too good to wait. I’d like to hear it.”
“Okay, good. Especially if you’re single. Are you single?”
“Sonnie!”
“I am.”
“Even better. I’m going to start a speed dating event in my shop.” I gestured across the street. “It’s Sonnie Out Flowers is now going to host Helen’s Corner’s first and only speed dating service.”
The woman made a face. “With what men?”
I tapped my head. “I’ve already thought of that. I’m going to go to the city and lure men in.”
“Lure men…?” Charlie rolled her eyes. “You sound like a serial killer, Sonnie.”
“I’ve been called worse.” I straightened the towel on my head. “I was in the shower and I was thinking about how so many women in Helen’s Corner are single, despite being ready to mingle, and I just had this light bulb moment.”
“Oh, gawd.”
“It’s a revenue that no one’s tapped into, yet. I’m going to charge the women a few dollars, since there are way more of us, and the men will get in for free. What started out as me feeling sorry for myself because no man wants to be with me, ended up as a cool business idea.”
“Men want to be with you, Sonnie.” Charlie folded her arms in front of her and gestured with her head. “Especially if you keep flashing them ass.”
“No, they don’t. That’s okay, though. As long as I’m making money, I’ll live vicariously through the couples I set up.” I looked around and spotted a new bra and panty set that I hadn’t seen before. Pale blue lace with straps that crisscrossed in interesting ways. “Is this my size? It’s gorgeous. Will you ring this up for me?”
“You’re trying to figure out a way to generate more money. Here’s a thought—stop spending.”
“Don’t judge. It’s important for a woman to feel good in her skin and a well-stocked lingerie drawer helps.” I winked at Charlie’s customer. “I’m planning to have the first event in just a couple of days. Bring your friends.”
“I will. Will there be wine?”
I shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“Beer and liquor licenses, for one.” Charlie had to be Negative Nancy.
I glared at her. “Do you mind?”’
She grinned. “Hey, you came to get feedback from me.”
“I thought you’d be more encouraging. I can just as well take my idea to Muddy for feedback instead.”
“Muddy’s got a B&B full of people. And, you really don’t want to prance all the way down there in your bathrobe, do you?”
I huffed. “Fine. Be more enthusiastic, though. It’s a good thing. The women in this town have such a hard time meeting men. This could really be something.”
Finally, she nodded. “It could work.”
I wanted to rush on with my ideas, but Charlie had to finish ringing out her customer, who pinky swore to tell her girlfriends all about the event when she got back to work. I grabbed the blue lace number and went into the changing room. It was perfectly sized for me and made my ta-ta’s pop. I was instantly in love.
“The more I think about it, Sonnie, the more your idea grows on me. I think it’s brilliant.”
I stuck my head out and narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “What gives? You obviously weren’t too jazzed about the idea five minutes ago.”
She smiled. “You know me too well. Holt’s in town and I have a friend from the city who I think is perfect for him. He won’t agree to meet her, even though I know he’d love her.”
My stomach clenched. “Why doesn’t he want to meet her?”
“I don’t know. Male ego or something. He hates being set up. But, if I could get them in the same room together… Dana’s a model and she’s fucking stunning, not to mention smart, and funny, and a wolf shifter, of course. I’d love to see him with someone like her. He needs a strong wolf who can hold her own against him.”
I pulled my robe on over the lingerie and forced the corners of my mouth to turn up into a smile. I couldn’t help it that my feelings were hurt. It was always the same. They never meant to hurt my feelings directly, but none of the girls ever thought of me as good enough to hook their friends or family up with. No, it was always the gorgeous shifter model with the long legs and big boobs. Never Sonnie, the short, fat, wimpy human. I knew it shouldn’t matter, but for once, it’d be nice to hear someone say I was perfect. Being a non-shifter, though, that would never happen.
“That’s great, Charlie. Well, invite them both. Maybe they’ll hit it off.”
She grinned wickedly. “Holt will never know what hit him.”
“I’m wearing this out. Just charge my card, okay?” I hurried towards the front door. “I’ve got to get home and get the details sorted. Two days will be here before you know it.”
“Hey. Are you okay?” Charlie lunged forward to stop me. She didn’t mean to hurt my feelings. She hadn’t even said anything wrong.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just have so many ideas.”
She raised her eyebrow at me. “You sure? You don’t smell fine…”
I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t admit that they hurt my feelings at times. It was embarrassing. I was tougher than that. No way was I going to be the weak human cry-baby. So, I forced a more genuine smile and shrugged. “It occurred to me that I’m out in my robe and I really should go back home. And, stop sniffing me. For a canine shifter, you have a terrible sense of smell, anyway.”
“Alright. Come back when you’re dressed. I want to talk about how to get Dana and Holt set up at speed dating.”
I laughed, amazed that it didn’t sound fake at all. I’d gotten too good at it. “I think I have to explain how speed dating works.”
4
Holt
; Charlie sure found herself a little slice of heaven. Helen’s Corner was beautiful, and everywhere I went, the women were kind and friendly—sometimes overly so. It was perfect for my runs, too. Ten miles a day, beginning every morning promptly at zero five hundred hours, was a must to keep my head clear of all the shit in it. If I ran from Charlies house to Main street, down Main Street, and looped back around through the woods surrounding the town, by the time I got back to Charlie’s house, the distance measured out near perfectly.
I loved the runs in the crisp morning air and enjoyed the nature that couldn’t decide if it was trying to swallow the little town up or just cocoon it. It was peaceful and quiet and allowed me to hear myself think, which wasn’t always a good thing, but in Helen’s Corner my thoughts felt lighter.
There were beautiful women everywhere I looked, but I mostly tried to keep my head down. Maybe a few years earlier, I would’ve been interested in sleeping my way around the town, but I’d outgrown that behavior. The reality of life had settled onto my shoulders and that kind of thing just didn’t appeal to me. I had some big decisions to make and at least until I made them, I was better off solo.
By the time I got back to Charlie’s house, she was at home for her lunch break and she was oddly giddy about something. Weird. Charlie was not the giddy type.
I gave her a side glance as I filled a glass of water. “What?”
Her face split into a grin like she couldn’t contain it anymore and I that’s when I knew something was up. “One of my very best friends is hosting an event tonight and I’d like to ask you to come with me to help support her.”
We’d talked about everything in the last two days since I’d arrived. We’d stayed up late talking about her life, her friends, her business, everything going on in Charlie’s world. Yet, she’d forgotten to mention the event? I didn’t buy it.
“Charlie…”
“No, Holt. You have to come. It’s nothing crazy. It’s important to my friend, Sonnie, that people show up is all, and I promised that you and I would help support her.” She tilted her head to the side and gave me her puppy dog eyes.
I sighed and shrugged. “I don’t have anything else to do.”
She clapped and gave me a big hug. “Thanks, Holt! It’s going to be fun.”
An hour or so later, after she’d gone back to work, a stroll through town revealed what Charlie hadn’t said. Speed dating. Of course she’d push it on me, she was desperate to get me hooked up with someone.
I’d already agreed to go, so I’d tough it out, but there was no way I was going on an actual date with someone I met at speed dating. How desperate did my sister think I was? I knew Charlie meant well. She hoped I’d meet someone local and that would, in turn, lead to me settling down in Helen’s Corner. She wanted me around and that was sweet.
I couldn’t remember the number of girlfriends I’d left behind each time I returned to active combat, or the number of Dear John letters I’d received over the last decade and a half. It turned out that it was hard to stay committed to a man who only showed up in the flesh a few times a year. And, apparently, not knowing for weeks at a time if someone was alive or dead was damaging to a relationship, too.
When I spotted It’s Sonnie Out Flowers, a tingle worked its way down my spine. I paused for a second, puzzled, and stared across the street at the little flower shop. There was a large hand lettered sign announcing it as the location for the speed dating event. That tingle snaked its way through my body. I couldn’t see inside, partly due to the overwhelming amount of plants and floral arrangements in the windows. I was tempted to move closer, but it was time for another scheduled run. This time for my wolf.
I shook off the weird feeling, jogged over to the woods, and gave in to him. The land around town was perfect for running, yet oddly, he kept wanting to return to the center of town. I fought against that. Best to avoid giving any humans heart attacks from seeing a wolf, or a naked man, running along Main Street.
I spent hours in the woods blissfully unaware of how much time had passed. By the time I got back to Charlie’s and showered, she was already knocking on my door asking if I was ready.
I dressed quickly, ran a hand over my buzzed hair, then went out to meet her. She was wearing a dress and had curled her long hair. She looked beautiful.
“You grew up well, kid.” I ruffled the top of her hair and laughed when she slapped my hand away.
“Stop it, jerk. I’m almost thirty-three. You can’t ruffle my hair like I’m six. You mussed it!”
I shrugged. “Looks great.”
“Didn’t you bring dress clothes? Maybe a button down and a pair of nice pants?”
I glanced down at my worn jeans and T-shirt. “What’s wrong with this?”
“It’s an event, Holt.” She stared at me like I was dumb. “You look like you’re going to watch football and drink a six pack with your buddies.”
“Well, gee, I must have left my tuxedo in my other luggage. Besides, this is me.”
Charlie rolled her eyes and blew out a breath. “Oh, well.”
I chuckled. I knew why she wanted me to look nice. I just wasn’t giving in.
We drove in her car, which I vowed to never do again. Not only was she a terrible driver, her car was nothing but a tin can that I had to practice contortionist moves to even fit in. My wolf was scratching at my skin when she took turns too fast. He wanted to get out and run the rest of the way there. His instincts had saved me on more than one occasion overseas, and I promised that on the way back, I’d steer clear of her death trap—if I could unfold myself enough to ever get out of it.
“So, my best friend Sonnie is hosting the event.”
“And what would this event be?”
Charlie had the decency to look embarrassed. “Speed dating.”
I stared at her. “Mama.”
She parked on the side of the road, a few shops down from the flower shop, and narrowed her eyes at me. “That’s not nice.”
“You’re manipulating and scheming to set me up with someone. How am I not nice? And, how is that not Mama Jean?”
“I don’t need to dignify that with a response.” She turned to me fully. “Come on, Holt. It’ll be fun. You can meet some new people and have a fun night. I think you’ll enjoy yourself. You haven’t been out enough since you got here.”
I held up my hands. “I’m here. That’s all I’m promising.”
She grinned. “Okay, come on. My friend Dana is probably here already.”
I walked into the shop with her and was instantly struck by the most delicious aroma. Wild berries and the fresh scent of the forest after a good rain. I inhaled deeply and almost groaned aloud. It was a strangely erotic reaction.
“Sonnie did such a great job and getting this place done up.”
I scanned my surroundings. Small tables were set up around the room with chairs on either side. Each table held a lit candle. There were plenty of people filling the space, but at the front of the room, next to a couple of men, was a sight that took my breath away.
She was small, curvy and soft, and human. Her silky black hair stopped just under her chin, and from where I stood, her eyes looked just as dark as her hair. Her ass was round and full, and every luscious curve was on display in a clingy black dress. With a neckline that dipped to daring depths, the slopes of her breasts were a sight for my eyes to devour and I found myself desperate to taste her pale skin.
“Hmm, I don’t see Dana yet. C’mon. I’ll introduce you to Sonnie and Muddy.”
Charlie led us across the room, towards the deliciously sexy little human. I followed her, hypnotized by the woman. When she stopped in front of the dark haired beauty, I swallowed hard.
“Sonnie, this is my brother, Holt. Holt, this is one of my best friends, Sonnie Chaplan. She owns the flower shop and is the founder of Helen’s Corner’s first speed dating event.”
Sonnie’s dark eyes met mine and a light blush touched her cheeks. “Hello.”
5
Sonnie
Fuck. I was pretty sure that Charlie’s brother was the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on. I was also pretty sure that that was a huge understatement. His t-shirt strained over broad shoulders that led to strong, heavily muscled arms, and defined pecs. He was so hot that my nipples pebbled at the mere sight of him.
I’d said something. What had I said?
Holt stepped forward and offered me his hand. Christ on a cracker, even his forearms were corded with tight muscle, tapering down to strong, large, male hands. Blonde hair dusted them and I had an image, instantly, of him on a beach wearing nothing but…well, nothing.
I reached, and when I slid my hand into his, the most overwhelming feeling of raw lust shot through me like a lightning bolt. My mouth went dry. I tilted my head back and blinked up at him, way up, trying to remember what planet I was on. My head swam.
“Pleasure to meet you.”
Pleasure? Was he hitting on me, because why else would he be so hot and use a word like pleasure? I could barely breathe as it was. And, here he was saying things like pleasure.
I realized I was still holding his hand and dropped it like a hot poker. I had to get it together. Even if he was Helen’s Corner’s very own Brad Pitt, circa 1990’s. Only bigger, and tougher looking. And hotter. Okay, not really Brad Pitt. No, this guy had his own thing going on.
“Charlie is really excited to have you here. She’s been trying to find a way all week to get me to rig the system for you.”
Holt lightly shook his head and glanced over at his sister before giving me the full attention of his baby blues. “I hope you didn’t listen to her.”
I grinned and ran my hands down my dress, nerves getting to me. “I hardly ever do.”
His eyes followed my hands along my body and then moved back to mine. I watched his blue eyes turn a striking silver as they practically devoured me. I shivered under his gaze. He was tall, probably a solid foot taller than me, even in my heels. He was also obviously strong, with those wide shoulders and large arms. I had little doubt the man could toss me over his shoulder and carry me off and into his bed with no effort at all.
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