Joy to the Wolves (Red Wolf #1) - Terry Spear Page 0,10

wolf pack in the area?” she asked.

“Yeah, Leidolf and Cassie Wildhaven’s red wolf pack. They live on a ranch with over thirty thousand acres of land. We all go down there when we want to run as wolves. There are other places, too, but with that much acreage, there’s so much to see and explore that we never get tired of it. Best of all, it’s safe. Though we also have four thousand acres on the reindeer ranch, and you’re free to run there as a wolf anytime.” Maverick gave her the pack leaders’ phone numbers and his own. “Just call them. They’d love to meet you. If you’d ever like to have dinner, just call or text me.”

“Thanks. As soon as I have time, I will.” She might. Just not right away.

Josh said into his phone, “I’m on my way.” He hurried off without saying goodbye, which suited her fine.

“Don’t mind my brother. He’s concerned the calf was stolen from our ranch. Then, for whatever reason, Jingles was dumped off at your place, or maybe some distance from here, and found his way into your courtyard and had his holly-berry breakfast. Josh doesn’t really believe you took the calf.”

“Thanks.” Though Brooke didn’t believe Josh had absolved her of the crime yet. She’d freely admitted she had benefited from the reindeer calf being here. Though if she’d been that devious, she would have planned things a little better. “Did you want me to pay for Jingles being here all day?”

“Absolutely not. We’re just glad he was safely here with you. I need to get him home to the herd. We’ll talk later.”

“Thanks again.” She returned to the shop and closed and locked the door. And smiled. Man, was that the best open house ever. Even better? She’d met two members of the wolf pack she wanted to be part of once she got a little more settled in. Maverick was super nice. Josh was…the one she couldn’t quit thinking about. Arrogant, annoying, antagonistic!

Brooke hoped Josh could learn the truth about how the reindeer had ended up in her courtyard. She was ready to be off his suspect list.

Chapter 3

Josh knew as soon as he joined his brother for dinner that night that Maverick would give him hell for even thinking the little red wolf had stolen their reindeer. But he was a police detective, and that was what he did. The person in possession of the stolen item was usually the one who stole it.

It seemed reasonable to him to believe she did it to get publicity for her open house. That certainly could be a motive. If someone had stolen the calf to keep or sell it, why leave it in her courtyard? Sounded suspect to him. Though she was a wolf, new to their territory, and probably interested in joining the pack. That made it seem unlikely she would want to do anything illegal, particularly when she could rent reindeer from them for special occasions. Except that she couldn’t rent the calves.

When Josh arrived at the reindeer ranch, he parked his car and headed inside the sprawling ranch house to have pizza and beer with his brother.

“What was that all about?” Maverick frowned at him as he brought the pizza out of the oven.

Josh pulled a couple of beers out of the fridge, and they sat at the table to enjoy their cheese, pepperoni, hamburger, and sausage deep-dish pizza. “If you mean questioning the she-wolf at her shop for being in possession of Jingles, I was doing my job.”

“She’s a red wolf.”

“I noticed.” Josh pulled off a slice of pizza and took a bite.

“She wouldn’t have done it.”

“She had motive.”

Maverick shook his head. “You know, when you’re like this, it’s because you’re interested in the woman but you don’t want to show that you are. How many years are going to go by before you give another she-wolf a chance?”

Josh frowned at him. “It’s only been six months.”

“I know. But it could be years the way you were so upset over Joy’s death. Listen, you couldn’t have done anything more for her. Joy was a rookie cop. She was too impulsive, too roguish. She wouldn’t listen to you and was too ready to disobey your orders to prove she had what it took to be a good cop. And then she died. It wasn’t your fault. She wouldn’t have been the right one for you, even if she hadn’t been secretly mated.” Maverick shook his head. “You need