Anthea gave her a thumbs up and smiled, her mouth full of muffin.
“Good plan,” she said, and a piece of muffin fell out of her mouth onto her lap.
“Just for that, I’m telling everyone that you guys are super nice and a couple of big softies who love hugs,” Dakota said loftily, and turned to go.
“She knows if she does that I’ll make her pelt into a rug, right?” Bryant said to his sister as Dakota walked away.
* * * * *
A few more days passed, and everything stayed peaceful. A new bus full of shifters pulled into town…and didn’t even bother to stop, just headed straight into the eastern territory. Apparently the troublemakers had been warned, and they knew better than to try anything.
One evening, after Dakota had helped the kids do their homework, she was walking back to her cabin when Jefferson walked up to her and handed her a note. It was from Macy.
I need to talk to you tonight,the note said.I think David is cheating on me. Can you come meet me at the bar now?
She felt a bolt of fury shoot through her. She knew what it felt like to be cheated on. Which skanky wench would do that to Macy? Macy might be small in shifter form, but she was pretty fierce. Maybe one of the new arrivals?
It didn’t matter. She would not let her friend be treated like that. “Son of a bitch,” she hissed. “I will skin him alive.”
“Everything okay?” Jefferson asked.
“Is Miles here? I need a ride into town.”
“He’s still working on the job site. I can give you a ride if you want.”
She didn’t want to interrupt Miles; he was helping to build a cabin for a family who’d arrived a few weeks ago.
“That’ll work,” she said, and they headed over to Jefferson’s car.
The whole way there, she sat and fumed. What was David thinking? Macy was awesome. Macy was amazing. Why did some men have to think with their dicks?
To her surprise, when she got there, the Watering Hole was empty. She walked in and looked around in confusion. The bar should have been packed.
Instead she saw that only one table had been set, and there were two place settings on it, with a big juicy prime rib on each china plate.
She looked around and saw David washing off a table top with a wet rag. She stormed over and grabbed him by the neck with one hand.
“Cheat on my friend, will you!” she yelled, squeezing hard. He flailed his arms in panic as his face turned red.
Macy rushed out from the kitchen. “Dakota, no! He isn’t cheating on me! I just said that to make sure you’d come here right away!” she cried.
“Urk?” David made a strangling noise and gestured at his neck.
Dakota let go of him at once. “Oh, David, I am so sorry.” Then she looked at Macy. “What the hell, Macy? I nearly murdered your mate.”
David gave Macy a wounded look, rubbing his neck and backing away from Dakota. “Why would you tell her that? You know I’d never cheat on you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“You got that right,” Macy agreed. “But I had to make it sound urgent.”
Miles strode out of the kitchen, and he had a huge grin on his face.
“What’s happening, and why are you guys all acting weird? Why is the restaurant empty? Guys, where are you going?” Macy and David were hurrying out the side door.
“It’s just you and me,” Miles said. “I booked the whole bar.” He gestured at her to take a seat, and she sank down into her chair, surprised.
“For me?” she said, looking around.
“Of course, for you,” he said. She turned back to look at him, and he was down on one knee.