Coal purses his lips and gives a casual shrug, tucking all his papers back in his jacket. “I don’t usually get much pushback from cops or rangers. And I do just need a small bit of cooperation in this case.”
Forest and I exchange looks, having a nonverbal discussion before looking to Hawk as well. We’re all pissed as hell over what happened to Finn, and we do have our hands full with the mountain lion. It takes something off our plate with a side dish of poetic justice. All three of us nod imperceptibly.
Forest turns to him. “Come to think of it… I think our trail cams might be due for a downtime reboot.”
Forest requestedone last thorough patrol in my zone before I cut out. That will give me enough time to beat Molly home and surprise her. Leaving Forest to square away a covert plan with the mysterious Coal, I venture out across the dirt lot toward my truck.
“Hey, Wolf,” Uncle Bert calls to me from the utility shed off the main lodge.
I tip my chin at him and reach for the driver’s side door handle.
He ambles over slowly, winding a garden hose around his arm. “I just want to drop my two cents in about your…impending plans.”
“Jesus Christ!” I drop my hands to my hips and look off to the side and then back at him.
“Your brothers are morons.” Bert ignores my little fit of a protest. “There’s a reason none of them have nailed down a lady, and it’s not because they’re too busy, they don’t want to,or they’re some kind of golden penis award-winning playboys.” He rolls his eyes. “Although Forest was on to something with thedoing what comes naturaladvice.”
“Great, so what have you got for me?” I huff out a breath, wanting to get this the fuck over with.
“Just enjoy each other.” He gathers up the hose.
I wait for more. “And?” I prod with a dip of my chin. .
He looks up, surprised. “Nothing, that’s it. Whatever you do or don’t do, don’t worry about it. Just focus on enjoying each other, and that’s all there is to it.”
He turns his back—apparently finished imparting wisdom— and carries the hose over his shoulder toward the shed.
I stand there like a tool of my own regard. “Well, all right then,” I finally grumble, opening the door and hopping up into the cab. Reaching over to the passenger seat, I rifle through my work duffle until my fingers wrap around one of the paperback books I surreptitiously liberated from Molly’s library nook. I fan through the pages, assuming the steamy scenes are planted somewhere around the middle to back end of the book. My eyes scan over some flowery verbiage that takes me down some fantasy path of foreplay before taking a sharp turn into what-the-fuck territory.
Tossing the book back on top of my bag, I take my hat off to rub my eyes. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I mumble to no one before slapping my hat back on and turning the engine over. As the car heats up, I try to prepare myself for when I get home. It doesn’t have to be tonight, but I can’t think of a better way for Molly and I to reconnect than to pick up where we left off last time.
Fuck it. Just because she reads these things doesn’t mean they have to be followed like instruction manuals.
Tonight, I’m going to do everythingmy way. Just because I haven’t done it before doesn’t mean my instincts won’t tell mewhat to do. The foreplay, the touching, when I enter her—it’s going to be done my way. As long as she’s open and responsive, we’re going to be okay. Better than okay. She’s going to love it. We both are.
I put the truck in gear, just about to tear off, when a prominent knock on my window scares the shit out of me. I press the brake harder and roll my eyes—Uncle Bert stands beside my truck.
“Jesus, what the hell?” I ask, putting the window down.
“This is your friendly reminder to START. WEARING. A WEDDING RING. JACKASS.”
I look at my left hand as Uncle Asshole wanders back off to his chores. Guess I better make a stop or two on the way home.
23
MOLLY
Take our clothes off. See what happens… Take our clothes off. See what happens…
I’m mouthing the words to myself as I steer my truck down the bumpy, dirt road. The evening sun has turned the tree trunks a brilliant orange, and the grass seems to bask and dance in the glow. The warm breeze coming in my window tousles the hair in my loose ponytail. It’s like all of nature has joined in this song and dance to let me know everything’s going to be all right, that this is an exciting thing. And it is.
It’s avery confusingexciting, mind you. Scary and nerve-wracking endorphins have jumped in the ring to duke it out with the exciting ones, and though they’re still winning, the other two are for sure making their presence known.
I pull around the last bend of trees to find Wolf’s truck in the car park. He’s home early. This is good; it’s like he promised but…now I have less time to prepare, less time to psych myself up tosee what happens.
Even after cutting the engine, I stay in the vehicle a moment. Gripping the wheel tight, I pull in a deep breath and let it out. I’m still in my scrubs, including the white top with neon dogbones all over it, and though Wolf has seen me in my work clothes plenty, I was really hoping his first glimpse of me tonight would be… I don’t know, but not this. I pull at the collar and sniff the material. It doesn’t smell like anything really, but I could be nose blind to all the dander, and for all I know, I smell like wet dog. I make awkward work of yanking the top off over my head while still behind the wheel, leaving me in a white tank top that I hope looks at least marginally sexier.
After dropping my work bag and shoes at the front door, I venture further into the open floor of the living room kitchen area. The glass slider is open, and out on the warm, sunlit porch is Wolf, his expansive bare back turned toward me as he mans the grill. He’s wearing a pair of cargo shorts that ride low on his waist, and I take advantage of this position to gawk, watching his deltoid muscles flex as he pokes at whatever meat he has cooking and reaches for a beer bottle off the rail next to him.