Stasia sighed and closed the notepad. That would have to be it for the day. Billy had closed tighter than a clam on a precious pearl. She’d have to work the story out of him, little by little. It didn’t bother her. She was a patient werewolf. It was her boss who wouldn’t be so understanding. Already, she expected three emails and a voicemail to be waiting for her once she got back to her motel room.
“Tomorrow,” she repeated to Billy as she passed him out the door.
He glanced at her, tight-lipped, and averted his eyes.
It was going to take every charm Stasia possessed to get Billy Finley to reveal his secrets. She only hoped it was enough.
Chapter Eight
Billy wiped his hands on a greasy rag and stood back from the Chevelle, admiration evident in his bright eyes. “What do you think? A work of art, isn’t she?”
Garret pressed his lips into a thin line and squinted at the car. He tilted his head to one side and then the other. “If you say so. Looks more like a heap headed for the junk pile, if you ask me.”
Billy pressed a hand to his heart and grunted, staggering in place. “Take it back, man. Take it back.”
“Alright, I take it back.” Garret raised his hands in surrender. His squinted once more at the car. “Do you think a car like this could get your sister to go out with me?”
“Man, I don’t want to have anything to do with that.”
He’d spent the entire day in the garage working on the classic. No interruptions, no nagging, no worries. A man’s paradise. As of yet, there was no sign of Stasia. Maybe, she’d just given up the whole project and gone back home.
A werewolf could dream.
Garret grinned and stretched his arms high above his head. “Are you coming to Bruce and Rita’s wild hare party tonight, or not? Last chance to join in on the fun.”
Billy shook his head. A wild hare party was just the kind of thing he usually tried to avoid. It was a customary celebration prior to a mating ceremony between two werewolves. An excuse to let loose and do irresponsible things. Most of the town would be there.
“I can think of a million better ways to spend my night,” he said, tossing the greasy rag aside. “Pigs will fly before you get me to join you.”
A black Lincoln pulled into the drive at that moment and he groaned. So much for Stasia abandoning the plan. She popped out of the passenger’s side, a smile stretching from ear to ear as she waved at them. Her short white skirt showed off her particularly shapely legs and Billy had a hard time tearing his eyes away.
“Ready to get started?” She approached them, an annoyingly cheerful skip in her walk. “I drafted up a whole new list of questions for today.”
Billy sucked in his cheeks and wracked his brain for a reason to get out of their impending torture session. Anything but that. Unfortunately, hours of inhaling engine grease fumes had left him feeling a little fuzzy. He reached for the first excuse he could find.
“Can’t right now. Garret and I were just leaving for a wild hare party.” He clamped down on his tongue, wincing at the words coming out of his mouth.
Garret’s mouth fell open. “But, you just said...”
“I was just saying that I can’t wait.” He stared pointedly at his friend. “And that I’ve been looking forward to this night all week. Wasn’t I?”
Garret stared at him, his mouth hanging open and confusion knitting his brow.
Stasia’s face fell and she fidgeted with her fingers. “Well, if you’re already booked...”
“All booked up.” He leaned his elbow on the hood of the car and flashed a toothy grin. “Solid.”
“In that case,” she looked up at him through her long dark eyelashes and shrugged innocently, “guess I’d better come along. No harm in having fun while getting the work done. That’s my motto. And besides, I’ve never experienced a wild hare party. The idea of them have always fascinated me.”
Billy had to grasp the car to keep himself from falling over. That wasn’t the plan.
“Am I allowed to crash the party?” Stasia turned to Garret. “Is that acceptable?”
He smiled big, the gap in his front teeth visible. “Definitely.”
“Is the princess sure she wants to mix with us common folk?” Billy asked, the corner of his mouth curling up into a cocky grin. Inside, his stomach churned. “I can guarantee that this won’t be anything like the fancy parties you’re so accustomed to back at the castle. In fact, it might even be a bit dangerous.”
She raised her chin and placed a hand on her hip. “This princess will do just fine, thank you very much.”