Page 38 of Big Bad Wolf

Rafe’s lips tipped into a smile, his gaze never leaving her face as she spoke.

“But I loved my aunt. She was smart and funny, and she took good care of us. And I had my sister. Lena has always been my best friend. But…”

Ruby shifted, the sun-warmed wood comforting beneath her palms.

“But?” Rafe’s voice was soft, not pushy or demanding, just curious.

“But after it happened, it was all anyone saw when they looked at me. Oh, there’s poor Ruby, the girl who lost her parents.” She shrugged. “Anyway, my aunt would take out the Ouija board when we got sad. She would say, ‘Let’s call up Mom and Dad and tell them about your day.’ I know that sounds insane and kind of morbid, but it helped. I still talk to them.” She was rambling, telling this man whom she hardly knew, way too much, but he made her feel so comfortable.

“It doesn’t sound insane at all.”

Ruby smiled.

They sat in silence for a while. As much fun as it was to give Rafe crap about wanting to stick around, she really did like spending time with him.

“So, do you talk to anyone in your family?” she asked, not wanting to let the conversation end.

“My younger brother, sometimes. As little as possible.”

“Why?”

“Why do I talk to him? I ask myself that every time.”

Ruby laughed, turning to face him again. “No, why do you talk to him as little as possible?”

Rafe shrugged. “Because he’s a pain in the ass.”

“Nice to know werewolf families are just like human ones.”

His expression darkened. “In some ways.”

“But not others?”

Rafe stood abruptly. “Don’t you need to get ready for work?”

“Uh … pretty soon. Rafe, are you⁠—”

“I left my truck in town last night. I’ll get it and meet you out front in an hour.”

He didn’t even wait for an answer before striding off.

He really didn’t want to talk about his family.

Chapter Sixteen

Ruby came home from her shift at ten to find Callie and her sister at the kitchen table playing gin rummy. Rafe had dropped her off out front with a grumbled promise to pick her up again tomorrow. He hadn’t been particularly chatty. Apparently, their afternoon conversation had been some kind of anomaly, and he’d reset to his usual reticent self.

Maybe it was for the best. Ruby wasn’t sure she could handle anymore werewolf fun facts at the moment.

“Ooh, what did you bring us?” Callie asked, looking up from her cards.

“Shepherd’s pie.”

Lena crinkled her nose. She looked a bit better than she had this morning, but Ruby had already heard plenty of whispers at the bar about what had happened at Gert’s diner.

“Sorry,” Ruby said. “It was tonight’s special and it wasn’t exactly a big hit. But that means there were plenty of leftovers!”

She plopped herself down in the chair next to her sister, laying the Styrofoam take-out containers on the table. When she looked up both women were staring at her.