Joy to the Wolves (Red Wolf #1) - Terry Spear Page 0,89

she was doing now.

“That’s what I figured. I think it will be an adjustment for them, just like it will be for me, but I really believe we’ll all be happier. If things don’t work out with any of the families at the ranch, I could always move in with you,” Lucas said.

Brooke laughed. Josh didn’t.

“I’m sure you’ll like one of the families,” Brooke said.

“You’ll be just in time for the Christmas party the pack is holding.” Josh was glad Lucas would be able to attend the party with the pack soon. “Lots of food and fun.”

“Adam was telling me about it. I can’t wait. We’re here at my foster parents’ home. Adam said he’d call you if I have any trouble with them.”

“Okay. See you soon. At the party at the latest.” Josh ended the call and said to Brooke, “Sorry. I should have thought about the issue with Christmas and the family.”

“I was thinking about how it would have been if I’d done that to my own family, which isn’t the same at all. It sounds to me like he’s going just where he needs to be. There will be ups and downs. Everyone has to go through that. He would have, had his own parents still been alive.”

“That’s so true. I hope he settles down with the new family. I’m working the investigation here for the next two weeks while this business with the armed robbers is unresolved, by the way.”

“I really appreciate that, Josh.”

Josh opened one of the boxes they’d hauled over from the shop earlier. “All the guys at the station are ribbing me over it. Adam especially.”

“You sound like you’re enjoying it.”

“You bet.”

Brooke smiled. “It’s getting late. Let’s go to bed.”

“I haven’t ever felt this way about another woman,” Josh said as he and Brooke headed for her bedroom. In the room, he pulled her into his arms. “You are the one for me. We can date for a few weeks if you need more time, or we can—”

“Mate?” she asked, running her hands up his red-and-black-plaid shirt, her brows raising, an almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.

“If you feel the same way about me.”

“As in I love you?”

He smiled. She wasn’t making this easy for him. “Like I love you. I’m seriously ready to give up everything to be with you.”

Her lips parted in a look of surprise. And then she gave him a more impish smile. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“You mean you intend to give up your job? So you can help me unpack boxes and tag merchandise and help sell to customers? So you can—”

“Go on treasure hunts and provide personal protection and security for the store.”

“Hmm.” She pulled his shirt up, and he finished removing it. “It’s tempting.”

“But more. Hell. I’m not doing this right. I want to enjoy the time with you while you’re working, we’re working together. Take in estate sales on our days off. You won’t have to spend all your free time managing the store because I’ll be helping you sort out everything. We can keep Lucas on as our web designer. We can hire someone else to help out with the shop so we can—”

“Spend more time with each other?” Brooke ran her hands up his chest, her palms sliding over his nipples, making them erect and sensitive to her sensuous touch.

“Yeah. The nights will be ours. Running as wolves in the park or at the ranch, spending time like this.” He pulled her soft red sweater over her head and dropped it on the floor. “And on the two days the store is closed too.” He helped her sit down on the bed, then pulled off her boots. Then he sat down beside her and pulled off his shoes.

“But your job? I wouldn’t want you to quit it unless you really were ready to. You had to have worked hard to get where you are. You must enjoy what you do.” She knelt down before him and removed his socks.

“I did work hard to make detective. But I can retire at any time. With our longevity, I only look like I’m around thirty-five—like Adam and Ethan do—because of our slower aging process. We’ve all put in our twenty years. It’s time to retire. It’s time to do what I want to really do. Settle down with a she-wolf—not any she-wolf,” he quickly added, “but you. Hell, I haven’t had time to rehearse what I wanted to say to convince you I want to be your mate