saw what he was wearing. Oh, the jeans were fine, the ends rolled up around his ankles. He wore cheap flip-flops. But it was his shirt that almost made me fall out of the booth.
It was pink.
And had rhinestones on the front, spelling out the word DIVA.
“What the fuck,” I said faintly.
He frowned as he looked down at himself. “What?”
“I don’t think that’s the right shirt,” I managed to say.
He scowled at me. “Why? It’s shiny.” He poked the rhinestones on his chest. “I like shiny.”
“It’s for girls.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Dominique said, squeezing his arm. “Toxic masculinity rears its ugly head yet again. You can wear any old thing you want. That one’s mine, so I know you’ve got good taste.” She tugged on the shirt, pulling it tight against his arms. “A little small, but you’re skinny. Too skinny. Go sit down. I’ll bring you out something to eat. And you better eat it all.”
“Bacon?” he asked hopefully, and if he was shifted, his ears would have perked up.
“Bacon,” she agreed. “Sit.”
He practically strutted as he came back to the table. He looked ridiculous, and I was struggling not to laugh in his face. I wasn’t surprised when, instead of sitting at the other end of the booth, he crowded against me on my side, forcing me to scoot over. “There’s plenty of room over there,” I told him, knowing it was useless.
“I sit here.”
“I see that. I’m just saying you don’t have to. And don’t give me that look. You can’t be pissed off when you’re bedazzled. It doesn’t work like that.”
But oh, he was trying.
And the others in the diner were staring at him, wide-eyed.
I bristled. “What? He can wear whatever the fuck he wants to.”
Will shook his head slowly. “Of course. Just… this is the first time we’ve seen him walking around on two legs.” He grinned. “Looking good, Gavin. Might be something there after all to being a shape-shifter. Better watch out in case I decide to take the bite. Might have to make a little mystical moon magic connection of our own.”
The other men cackled as I banged my head on the table.
“Don’t,” he said, putting his hand between my forehead and the table. “Stop.”
I sighed as I sat back up. “This is stupid. All of this is stupid.”
“What is?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter. You’re not going to move, are you?” Our thighs were pressed together, and his arm brushed mine every time he moved.
“No. I stay right here.”
“Personal space is a thing that exists.”
He grunted. “I’m a wolf.”
“That’s not an excuse.”
“It’s a fact.”
I gaped at him.
He looked smug.
Before I could retort, the bell rang overhead as the door opened. Gordo walked in, nodding at the men at the counter. The shop was closed, the others all still at the house, but he’d come into town to do some paperwork. He started to wave at us, but he must have seen Gavin’s shirt, and he nearly tripped over his own feet.
It certainly didn’t help that Robbie entered the diner a moment later, rubbing his arms, a smile on his face. That smile froze when he saw us sitting in the booth.
“I don’t want to know,” Gordo said, shaking his head. “I really don’t.”
Unfortunately Robbie did. “What the hell are you wearing?”
Gavin shrank away from him, but he had no place to go. I glared at Robbie. “Leave him alone. It’s shiny. He likes it. Nobody else gives a shit, so why should you?”
Robbie balked but recovered quickly. “Oh, hey. Totally. I wasn’t trying to—sorry, Gavin. You look good. It suits you. I don’t think I could pull off something like that.”
Gavin scowled at the table. I reached over and took his hand without thinking. His grip was tight.
I sighed. “Just let it go, all right? What are you doing in town anyway? I thought you were at the blue house.”
Robbie shrugged before Gordo shoved him into the other side of the booth. “Figured Gordo could use some help. Get done quicker that way.”
“Pain in my ass,” Gordo muttered, but he was full of shit. They had a dynamic none of us expected. Robbie should have made Gordo want to pull his hair out. He sometimes did. But when Livingstone had taken Robbie, Gordo had been almost as bereft as Kelly, and twice as angry. “Didn’t need help.”
Robbie snorted. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that. You’d be lost without me.”
Gordo didn’t argue. He just ignored it entirely. He looked across the table