Joy to the Wolves (Red Wolf #1) - Terry Spear Page 0,31
don’t know.” She pulled out her phone and logged into her bank account online. “No. There wasn’t any charge for it.”
“Maybe Mr. Lee wanted you to have the wolves for free,” Josh said.
“But why?”
“That’s what we have to find out,” Ethan said. “And who he really is. Thanks so much for the coffee and the roll. I’ve got to run. I’ll let you know once I learn anything more.”
“Thanks, Ethan.” She let him out the door.
Josh took her hand. “Are you going to be okay after learning all this, Brooke?”
“Uh, sure.” Then she smiled and kissed him. She meant for it to only be gentle, nonintrusive, but he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly, like he’d wanted to do this to her in the beginning. She parted her lips for him, and he took advantage, sweeping his tongue over hers, when they saw movement in the glass door. “Hmm, Josh, now that’s a nice way to start the day.”
He sighed and rubbed her shoulders. “I planned to do that with you under the mistletoe.”
She smiled. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get together later today.”
“I sure hope so.” But Josh sounded skeptical.
Chapter 8
Brooke unlocked the door and let her customers into the shop while Josh took off in his car to get on with his own work.
Traffic was slow in the shop for the first couple of hours, and all she could think about was what Ethan had told her concerning Mr. Lee. She wanted to find his business card tonight and give him a call to learn what she could, if he’d tell her the truth about anything.
Her last paying customer left the shop, and then Josh called to say he was busy on a case. “Maverick’s on his way to bring lunch. I’ll join you when I can.”
“That works. Who wouldn’t want two dashing wolf lunch mates?”
“No customers?”
“No, I’m not as busy as you. I keep working on stuff. I have a ton of boxes of my great-aunt’s inventory to go through.” Brooke had sold off everything in the Phoenix shop.
“All right then. See you later.”
Maverick arrived a half hour later, just as she was checking out a customer. “I’ll join you in a moment,” Brooke told him. “Just take it in the kitchen, if you would.”
She wished the customer a Merry Christmas and waited until the shopper left before joining Maverick in the kitchen. She served up glasses of water, then sat at the kitchen table to eat with him. “Thanks for bringing lunch.”
“It was all Josh’s idea. He’s busy with a couple of robbery cases. I, uh, got you the lunch portion, per Josh’s orders. I think he wanted to have dinner with you tonight.”
“Okay. Does he talk to you about his cases?” She was enjoying her beef Stroganoff and Maverick’s company and was curious about Josh’s work.
“When he wants to bounce ideas off me. Though people in law enforcement shouldn’t discuss cases, we’re wolves, family, pack members. We keep the secrets to ourselves.”
She wanted to ask what the cases were about when the door to the shop opened. She sighed. “I’ll be right back. I have to assist a customer.”
Because she had so many customers after that, Maverick came and relieved her at the cash register once he was done so she could finish her lunch. Then she relieved Maverick of his job.
“Thanks so much, Maverick, for lunch.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tonight at the ranch.” He didn’t mention a wolf run because Brooke still had customers in the shop.
“Sounds good.”
Maverick left the shop, and Brooke received another delivery.
A man hurried up about that time, and when she signed for the item, he offered to carry the box inside for her. He didn’t look like her usual kind of customer.
He was wearing a heavy black sweatshirt with a hoodie, blue jeans, and heavy black boots. His hair, mustache, and beard were dark brown, and his blue eyes kept glancing down at the box in his arms.
“Thanks so much,” she told him and had him set it in her office. She’d check it in on her laptop later. “Were you looking for anything in particular?”
“Something for my mother. I’ll look around and see if I can find anything.”
“Call on me if you need anything.” She checked out another lady and had several more customers after that. She realized she’d never seen the sweatshirt dude leave the store. It was time for closing as she checked out her last customer, then started to look through