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And Bjorn? A voice said in her head. What about that fiancé? What about him, she asked the voice. Did he come for me? Before or after? No. But she knew the voice was partially right. She wasn’t finished with Bjorn Hansen. And she needed to do that.
And then what? She didn’t know. She thought the Alpha of Hat Island would find a place for her, orher great-grandfather, who was an assistant security chief there, would; he’d said so. But was that what she wanted? She wasn’t sure. Well she had time to figure that out — she had to find Bjorn first. Settle that, and then she could worry about the future.
“Relax,” Ryder murmured. “Give that sexy, smart brain a rest.”
She gave him a half-smile, bewildered by what he meant. He just smiled, and pulled her into another dance, this time a little tighter. She found she didn’t mind. She didn’t mind at all.
They danced for a while, and then Ryder started to escort her back to the table —Benny was still there, tipped back in his chair, chatting with the waitress. She rolled her eyes. That man. But then, the waitress was probably the best source of information in the room. “I’m going to follow the women into the restroom,” she murmured to Ryder. “See what they have to say.”
“Good idea,” he approved. She chatted with Benny for a few minutes, while Ryder sat down, and the waitress fetched more beers without being asked.
“Are you known here?” Jessie asked.
Ryder nodded. “We’re through here probably once, twice a year. So Ryder’s Wolves are known. The men change, of course.”
Yeah, that perennial problem for shifters who didn’t age. Sometimes she thought it would be easier if shiftersdidcome out to the human population. Just said: here we are, deal with it. She knew it would be bad, at least everyone seemed to think so. Chen had thought that Alpha Tanaka and ‘that bitch on Hat Island’ were going to get them outed. It was how he justified his plans to overthrow Tanaka as Chairman of the World Council. And all the while he’d been kidnapping so many women that the Vancouver police had started looking for a serial killer —and had come to Chen’s pack house to ask questions.
She shook her head but set those thoughts aside when she saw a group of women head for the rest room. She followed.
The rest room was surprisingly clean, Jessie thought with relief. And the women were chatty. “You’re with Ryder?” one of them said. “I’m envious, girl. That’s a real man you got there.”
“Is he as good as he looks?” another said, glancing at Jessie in the mirror as she fixed her hair. “Because he looks yummy. All that brown skin, the dark hair pulled back? And those arms.”
“Those arms are to die for,” Jessie agreed. “Well, swoon in at least.” She giggled a bit — just a young, tipsy girl with a great guy. She’d played this role before — sorority sisters weren’t all that much different than these women. They might be cattier, even.
The women laughed with her. “Yes, we could use a few new men like that,” another woman said. “Not many new men come to Penticton.”
“That new manager at the feed store,” someone said. “But for all helooksgood, he acts like his shit don’t stink.”
Jessie giggle at the description. “Yeah, I know the type,” she agreed. “They look down their noses at me and think they’re so smart because they wear a suit and tie to work.”
“You got it,” the same woman said. “I work there. And he’s expecting all of us to call him Mr. Hansen. Like, get over yourself. In Penticton? We don’t even call the preacher mister.”
Jessie forced herself not to flinch at the name. So that’s what Bjorn was doing? Managing the feed store? It didn’t seem like his kind of job, unless the store was bigger than she pictured. And it might be, she conceded. What did she know about feed stores?
“You got to keep your eye out for the newcomers,” Jessie said seriously. “Grab them early, train them right.”
The women laughed. “For sure,” one said. “I might just do that, if I find me a good one. Wouldn’t mind a couple of kids someday. And this crowd isn’t going to settle down.”
Jessie suddenly pictured Ryder with a couple of kids who looked like him, and it made her heart hurt. Was that impossible for him?
Be honest, girl, she told herself. What you really mean is that impossible for you?
She blew out a breath of air. “Bet you guys could name all the newbies in town,” she teased as they left the room. “We should play a drinking game, see how many you can name. And we drink for each one.”
“Grab your beer, then, girl,” one of them said, “’cause I’m game.”
They crowded around the bar, and the bartender good-naturedly served them beers. “Keep it flowing,” one woman ordered. “And we can start with a toast to the shit-don’t-stink manager at the feed store, Bjorn Hansen.” All the women solemnly drank.
Jessie kept egging them on, but Titus Black’s name didn’t come up. If he was here, they didn’t know about him. That didn’t bode well for the man.
Ryder wrapped his arms around her from behind. She controlled her flinch and leaned back and smiled up at him. “Dance?” she asked.
He smiled lazily at her, but his eyes were watchful. Damn it, he’d felt the flinch. But he didn’t ask about it, just led her back to the dance floor. They danced like they had before — didn’t matter if the music was fast or slow, Ryder danced the way he wanted to dance. And he wanted to hold his woman.
“How long are we here for?” Jessie asked after she finished telling him about Bjorn and the feed store. “Tonight, I mean.”
“We close it down,” he answered, taking her back to the table again. “So, 2 a.m.”
