Roderick Jameson is not looking to bind me to him forever in matehood. I soothe myself.These wolves will leave me alone if I do the same.
My past troubles arose because I got romantically involved. A wolf with a sadistic streak thought he had a claim on me.
Roderick is just here for a job, and he has no idea that I know what he is. This is fine.
“By all means, come on in.”
Roderick nods just as I turn my back to him, leading the wolf into my woodland cottage. Catching sight of myself in a mirror I hung in the hallway, I realize I pulled a red hoodie on this morning.
Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad—more like Grumpy—Wolf.
I snort, then shoo away my dark humor, as I detail the areas of the house where my lights still turn on and point out the rooms that went dark. We end in the kitchen at the back of the house after only a couple of minutes. The place isn’t big.
When I face Roderick, the guy is writing notes on his clipboard.
“Did you check the fuse box?” he asks as I pick up the mug I abandoned at the sound of his arrival.
Before I can answer, the creak of the front door proceeds a new arrival.
“The Tool Bitch is here!”
I choke on my tea, coughing up the warm liquid as a teenager waltzes into my house, lugging a huge metal toolbox.
Roderick glares at the young woman. “That is not your job title.”
“Technically, you haven’t assigned me a job title. And it’s important I have something to put on my résumé and college applications.”
“And you think Tool Bitch is appropriate?”
“I think it’s accurate. And accuracy is an important component of honesty.” The way she says that last bit, deepening her tone and affecting a stern face, makes me think it’s something the man next to me has spouted at her before.
“Hi.” I step forward, hand outstretched. “I’m Juliet.”
“We spoke on the phone!” The girl sets down the toolbox at her feet, and I’m surprised at the gentleness she uses. I almost expected her to drop the giant thing and chip my cheap linoleum floor. “I’m Tanya Jameson.” Her hand is warm and rough in mine.
“My sister,” Roderick grumbles, as if to explain why he would hire such a wild employee.
“This is a family business?”
“A summer internship,” he corrects.
“I wanted to make money,” the teenager explains, “and nothing is better than prying that paycheck out of my brother’s white-knuckled hands.”
“Tanya.” The way he says her name—with a bite—has me bristling in defense of the eager girl.
But she just rolls her eyes, clearly not fazed in the slightest by the mammoth of a man.
“Admit it.” She pokes his shoulder. “You like having me around. I add a certain spice to your days. Just imagine what it would be like, working with Isaac.”
“It would be quiet.”
“It would be boring.”
“Who’s Isaac?” I can’t help asking.
“Another brother,” Tanya says. “My twin. I love the guy, but he does not know how to hold a conversation. He’s worsethan this one.” Tanya throws a thumb at Roderick, who does a good job of ignoring her antics. “You want to know where Isaac decided to get a summer job?”
I do. I’m surprised by how much I want to know about this odd Pine Falls family of werewolves.
