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“No, he’s not there.” Meredith had stepped into the hall between the front door and the stairs so she could see Brandy.
Reardon could not see her, which meant she could not see him. He stood stone still, wishing he had a better engineered plan.
“Alator’s not here, but someone else is.” Meredith gave Reardon a wink. “C’mon, Dylan. Let’s get some French toast started.” She nodded at Reardon, and he loved the woman for taking it easy on him.
Brandy came around the corner and stopped short at the sight of him. “Oh.” The word escaped on a breath and he couldn’t help grinning a little. When her eyes narrowed, however, he knew to wipe that grin off immediately.
“Hello.” He met her gaze and held it, but the shame of not showing up last night—in the way that she’d expected him to—made him look to the floor.
“Hello? That’s your opening? Hello?”
He was in more trouble than he’d imagined.
“Brandy, please allow me to explain.”Although I’m not sure how to.
She folded her arms across her chest. Her bosom plumped under her tank top and Reardon had to force himself not to moan his appreciation. That would score him no points right now and heneededpoints.
“Well, go ahead,” she said. “Explain. I can’t wait to hear this one.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t say anything when Brandy walked around him and entered the living room. She took one look at the empty wolf bed and said, “Where’s Alator?”
Right here.
“I don’t know,” he said instead.
Brandy marched into the kitchen where Dylan and Meredith were pulling out the necessary ingredients for breakfast. “Where’s Alator?”
Dylan closed the refrigerator and placed the carton of eggs he’d been holding onto the counter. “I already asked that, but I figured you had him upstairs. You don’t?”
“I couldn’t carry him up there, sweetie. He’s a big wolf. I’m a strong woman, but not that strong.” She checked the dining room, ducking to look under the table, and went back to the living room. “I don’t understand. I left him in the living room last night. He was on the bed.”
“Maybe he got out of the house somehow,” Meredith offered.
“Should we go look for him?” Dylan asked as he put the eggs back in the refrigerator.
“Yes,” Brandy said.
“No,” Reardon said at the same time.
Brandy whirled around to face him. “What do you mean no? One of my wolves is missing. One of myinjuredwolves is missing. We have to find him. And you don’t get a say in what hap—”
Reardon stepped forward and put his hands on Brandy’s shoulders. “I really need to get my explanation in before you go on a full-scale wolf hunt.”
“Oh, you need to, huh?” Her words were laced with an attitude that wasn’t altogether friendly. She shrugged out of his grip and took a step closer. “I needed you to show up last night.” Her voice was low and a little bit lethal.
She’s got fire. I’ll give her that,Flidae said in Reardon’s head.
Aye, fire.And didn’t he love that about her?
“Listen, let me talk to you privately for a few moments. Things will make sense after that.”Or they’ll sound crazy.Either way, he had to tell her what he was so she wouldn’t go on a search for Alator.
“I might—might—let you talk to me,” she said, “after I find Alator.” She brushed past him and left through the front door.
Reardon caught up to her and was about to insist again that they talk, but Parker was out there, the rifle in his hands pointed at Reardon.
“Don’t move.”
Chapter Fourteen
