Laughter escaped us both as he bent over and placed one light kiss on the corner of my mouth before rising out of bed and taking his keys out of his pocket.
“See you around friend,” he said heading for the front door. It wasn’t until he was almost there that he turned around, throwing a smirk over his shoulder. “Or should I say neighbor?”
“What?!” I questioned, fully awake now.
“Don’t forget to lock your door this time!”
The sight of his retreating back and the subsequent sound of his truck starting was my only answer.
I knew Janet had said the boys were close, but fuck me, she could have told me they lived together.
Chapter7
Autumn
With my mind clear and my body way more relaxed than I’d like to give Hunter credit for, I enjoyed a cup of coffee. It was an amazing fall roast I’d picked up from Claire’s the other day while running errands. Now that I had coffee in hand and partially consumed, I focused on getting ready for the important day ahead of me.
As I showered I made sure to use the scent eliminating soap I’d rummaged through my boxes to find, the bottle basically full from its lack of use. Let’s just say my romp with Hunter wasveryneeded. I let my mind have one more moment of enjoyment of my previous night’s activities before facing the reality of my day.
I’d just finished getting dressed and running a handful of mousse through my wavy locks when I heard the knock at the front door.
“It’s open!” I called, knowing that Riley had probably just shown up a few minutes early.
I heard a shove against the frame. “Not so much, babe.”
Seems like Hunter hadn’t wanted to wait for me to get out of bed and locked the bottom twist lock even while trying to boss me around with his warning.
I opened the door, watching as Riley took a few steps. “Sorry about that.”
“I don’t care about the door, but you could warn a beta before you air out your love den, holy shit.”
I fought the urge to blush, stepping onto the porch and leaving the door open while closing the screen. “Why don’t we go over everything in the barn?”
Riley took my cue as I slipped on my shoes and the two of us walked through the yard back to the barn.
He maybe lasted all of two minutes before the questions started. “Does the good sheriff’s baton live up to the hype?”
“For fuck sakes Riley, you can tell it was him?”
“Easy babe, you don’t smell like him now. I may have been out to dinner myself last night with Claire and saw you leaving Holiday Brews with him. It looked like you were all for it, but if that’s your reaction then you need to tell me whether or not I’m going to have to kick his ass. I’ve been practicing apple throwing lately for the festival. I can probably beam him really good in the eye and bruise him up. Honestly that’s probably the only fighting skills I have to my name.”
My shoulders relaxed. “Oh gods, no. He was actually nice about everything. I just didn’t want everyone in town thinking we were an item or something. I know how fast word travels around here.”
“Nice?Nice?! One does not sleep with the town’s most eligible bachelor and then say it’snice. Need I remind you how I’ve shared my fair share of dating woes with you over many late night calls? Dish.”
I shook my head, knowing Riley wouldn’t relent, and honestly, I did want someone to talk to. He’d been an amazing friend, and I knew he didn’t have a judgmental bone in his body.
“It was more than nice, okay,” I said, as we finally came into the barn. My cheeks were redder than a red delicious now. “Multiple times nice that I won’t soon forget. Not that I’d tell him that and let it get to that big ego of his.”
“Yes!” he said with a grin. “Gotta keep those alphas in check. So…what now?”
“Business as usual?” I said with a shrug. “We both knew it was a casual thing and we agreed to being friends. I need to focus on the farm right now anyway, we’ve got plans to make, mister.”
Riley raised his hands in response. “Fine fine, I can tell when someone isn’t looking to get packed up.”
Truth was, even though my parents' relationship had left a sour taste in my mouth, it had never turned me away from the thought of having a pack one day. If anything, having a pack might have changed the situation.
My mom and dad had decided against having one, both of them wrapped up in the progressiveness of city life, so when mom passed there wasn’t a real support system like a pack to rally behind. My father wasn’t a bad dad, he had just never been what I’d call empathetic. I got the obligatory phone calls and cards on holidays and my birthday, but besides that, that was it.