Joy to the Wolves (Red Wolf #1) - Terry Spear Page 0,131

herself. The only thing stopping her was that the fight had been her mate-to-be’s fault.

Lana joined Heather behind the counter. “Did I tell you Enrick MacQuarrie came in when you were gone yesterday afternoon?” Lana raised a brow and gave her a smile.

Heather frowned. “On purpose?”

“Of course he came in on purpose.”

Heather let out her breath in annoyance and folded her arms. “He came into the shop when he knew I wasn’t going to be here?” As owner, manager, and general hand-on-deck, Heather was nearly always there, though she was training Lana to take over whenever Heather had to be away.

Lana let out a long-suffering sigh, placing her hands on her chest and looking heavenward. “Aye, if ’twere up to me, I would chase the hunky Highlander all through the heather until I had him pinned down to a mating. But alas, he sees not me as a prospective mate.”

Heather continued to frown. “Me then? Why come when I wasn’t here? On purpose.”

“He is a hardy warrior but with feelings running deep for ye.” Lana was keeping in character with her role here at the shop. The medieval Highland theme of the shop and the food was what brought in customers locally and from around the world for a unique dining experience. Who wouldn’t want to try something both different and authentic?

“’Tis you he wished to see, but he fears you’re still in mourning over Timothy and doesn’t want to approach you too soon for a courtship.”

Heather didn’t lose the frown. Lana couldn’t be serious. Was she up to a bit of matchmaking where none would be possible? “He has never had time for me…ever. He’s a workaholic, he doesn’t believe in having fun. He’s a…stick-in-the-mud.” With her. Not with others. She let her breath out in a huff. “Okay, so then what did he do?”

“He asked me how you were feeling.”

“And you said?”

“Good.” Lana laughed.

Heather curbed the urge to sock her.

Lana sighed again. “That you were ready to date if he would get on with it and start making an overture. Don’t expect too much at first. I’m not sure he took me at my word.” Lana smiled, then frowned. “Just think if he were your mate.” She motioned to the windows where the Kilpatricks still looked unsure about coming inside or not. “He would toss them out on their ear if they came in. Or at least Enrick would make them shake a bit in their boots. They wouldn’t be so cocky then.”

But Enrick wasn’t here to serve and protect, so she was on her own.

Protective, oh, yes. Enrick and his two brothers were protective of her when Heather chanced to go to the MacQuarrie castle. But the brothers thought she was too wild, too impetuous. And that irritated her. She’d overheard them talking to her brothers about it, how difficult it was to keep her in check. She sure didn’t need a mate who felt that way about her.

She was seriously surprised Enrick had come to talk to her friend and feel her out about how Heather felt about dating again. As much as she’d had a crush on the wolf forever, he wasn’t the one for her. She’d figured that out a long time ago.

What was wrong with wanting to do things on the spur of the moment? To take a chance and do something fun and whimsical? That was who she was, and she wasn’t changing who she was to fit some concept a male wolf had of the perfect she-wolf.

Take her business here. It had been a risk to start something like this and a few said she couldn’t do it. Well, she had proved she could. She’d worked hard to make her dream come true. And it was her dream, no one else’s.

“Oh, I’ve got to tend to the bread.” Lana hurried off to check on it while Heather glanced back at the glass door.

She’d heard the Kilpatricks and their McKinley cousins had been furious they hadn’t gotten the film contract to have a new fantasy film shot at the McKinley’s castle in the Highlands. They would be even madder once they learned the MacQuarries had gotten the contract to have it filmed at their castle and grounds instead. Since some of the MacNeill wolves, her own clan, would be participating with the MacQuarries as extras in the film, and the MacNeills were McKinley rivals, there was bound to be trouble. Had the Kilpatricks already learned where the shoot was going to be