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“Aw, Chella, Lug wouldn’t rip your face off. He knows true beauty when he sees it.” Parker pressed another kiss to Chella’s cheek and whispered something into her ear that Brandy couldn’t hear.
Thank God.Two minutes into the evening and she’d had enough of their lovey-dovey shit. Time to turn her attention to something else. Something tall and delicious.
“So, Reardon, do you work with animals? You seem to know about them,” she asked as she put the wine bottle down on the dining room table.
Reardon followed her and said, “No. It’s common sense that an animal sniffs to find out about what’s around them.”
“True.” She turned to face him. “So what do you do then?” Was it wrong of her to try to get to know him? She wished she could sniff and know him like the wolves could. Drawing in a breath, she did pick up on Reardon’s scent. Something woodsy and clean and fern-like. Pleasant. Reminded her of the pond outside the sanctuary’s boundaries. She’d gone swimming in that sun-warmed pond before and had enjoyed the smell of the aquatic plants bordering it. Reardon smelled like that. An earthy, comforting scent.
He scratched at his beard and an image of Alator sitting on his haunches using his hind leg to scratch his chin popped in her head. She shook the vision from her mind and focused on Reardon’s mouth that was moving.
“…a soldier.”
“You’re a soldier?” That explained the badass aura and his ability to risk his life to save hers and Dylan’s.
“I was.” He cleared his throat, and Brandy got the impression he didn’t want to talk about being a soldier. Maybe he had some PTSD or something. That made her heart hurt for him.
“And now you’re here.”
He nodded.
“Well, okay. Good enough for me.”
An expression of relief washed over his features and a smile turned up the corners of his lovely mouth. “It smells wonderful in here. What’s for dinner?”
“Steak. Parker likes to grill. It makes him feel manly.”
“I heard that.” Parker appeared in the dining room and leaned against the threshold, Chella draped along his side like a blanket.
“Is it a false statement?” Brandy put her hands on her hips in challenge.
Parker let his head hang on his shoulders. “No. Point me to the meat.” He grunted and scratched himself in imitation of a caveman.
Brandy led him to the kitchen and handed him the tray of seasoned steaks. “Have at it, Chef Daniels.”
“Oh, these look great. C’mon, Chella. I need an assistant.”
Chella giggled and click-clacked her way after him out onto the back deck where the grill was set up.
When Brandy turned around, Reardon raised his eyebrows at her.
“What?”
“You don’t like her.” He gestured to the door.
“She’s fine.” Brandy waved a hand. “I think Parker could do better, but he’s a big boy and can make his own decisions.”
“Have you and Parker…”
“We have, but it wasn’t a love connection. Not like that anyway. He’s like a brother to me.” Was that a jealous little flare in Reardon’s green-gold eyes?Interesting.
“Aye, he called you a sister when I met him out at the gates.”
“So our stories check out then?” she teased.
“They do.” He grinned then looked around the kitchen, pulling free the bag he had pinned under his left arm. “Where’s your boy?”
“He’s feeding the wolves with my mother. She lives in the cabin next door. They’ll both be along shortly.”
