“Squirrels,” Roderick says once he’s standing on the ground again.
“Koalas,” Tanya replies.
“Penguins.” I say, belatedly surprised I can joke with a werewolf.
The electrician scowls between us.
“It’s your turn, Roderick!” The teenage werewolf pokes her brother in the stomach again. “Say another random animal!”
“I wasn’t saying a random animal.” He ignores her goading to face me, gaze steady. “There’s a hole in your attic. Squirrels are getting in. They chewed your wires.”
Oh. Gosh. Taking a second, I absorb this new knowledge. Admittedly, it could be much worse. Like rats or a raccoon. Squirrels are at least small and fluffy and cute. An infestation of them in my house is a lot less disconcerting than most potential vermin.
“Can you fix it?” I ask.
“The wires? Yes.” Roderick crouches in front of his toolbox, rummaging through the contents. “But they’ll just chew them again. You need to keep them out, and patching holes isn’t what I do.”
“Warner will fix that,” Tanya offers, like I should know who Warner is.
“Is that a repair guy?”
“Kinda. He’s our brother, and he works construction.”
“Another brother?”
Their mom had a whole litter.
“Yep.” She grins. “You’ll like him. Everyone likes Warner.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Roderick’s face went to an all-new level of stoniness.
Does Roderick not like his brother? Maybe the guy is even bigger and more muscly than he is. Or maybe this Warner guy just knows how to hold a casual conversation without glaring.
“Here, give me your phone. I’ll program Warner’s number in.”
Tanya holds her hand out, demanding I trust her. And for some unknown reason, I slip my hand in my back pocket and hand the device over.
“While you’re at it, do you know a good security company in town?” I ask.
The two wolves stare at me, as if confused by my question.
“A locksmith?” Roderick asks.
My God, have I traveled back to the dark ages?
“No. Although those may need replacing too. But I’m looking for someone to install an electronic security system. With an alarm. And a doorbell camera. All that cool gadget stuff.” I feel like I’m explaining what fire is to a caveman with all the emotion Roderick is giving me back.
After a pause, he finally responds, “We’re not that kind of town.”
My initial urge is to snort. But then I realize he’s not joking.
This guy honestly believes there’s no point for a resident of Pine Falls to have a security system for their house.
“What kind of town?” My voice drips with sarcasm. “Like, one with people?”
He frowns. “This is a safe place.”
“And you’ve got Hester Willowborne next door,” Tanya says, as if this fact is somehow pertinent.
