Read Online Bite Me (Woodland Creek) by Woodland Creek, Mandy Rosko - Free Book Online
Authors: Woodland Creek, Mandy Rosko
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wasn’t important.
Something was different about her. Maybe it was the way her shoulders seemed to slouch as she scraped her fork across the last of her hash browns, but she seemed almost…depressed.
Maybe that was too strong a word, but this wasn’t the lively, flirty, fun girl he knew from all those years ago.
How much of her he even knew was debatable. How much of that attitude and bravery had been her real personality? And how much of it had just been a front she’d put on to defend herself against all the dangerous people she’d been surrounded by was anyone’s guess.
Even if it had been her actual personality, that was almost ten years ago. She’d been a girl back then, still nineteen. Her personality could have changed. People changed all the time just from the passing of time. Alice had bigger reasons to change. The sense of invincibility young people had when they were doing dangerous shit could have left her. Hell, he wasn’t kidding himself; it had left her, and that was a good thing.
Okay, so if it wasn’t that, then the years of being on the run could’ve gotten to her. Her life had been on hold ever since she’d been forced into taking on her father’s debts.
Putting Bobby away, along with the men he’d been trying to impress, was supposed to end that. When Jake let her go instead of arresting her, when he’d vouched for her during his hours and hours of questioning and interviewing, it was also supposed to end that.
And yet, there they were.
He didn’t like seeing her so sad.
Jake barely realized he’d stopped talking, that the laughter that had started up when he’d been telling his stories had died down. When he blinked out of it, turned away from Alice, and looked back at his new friends, with the exception of Rickman, everyone smiled some knowing smile at him.
Fuck.
Rickman cleared his throat and reached for his wallet. “I think we’re done with breakfast,” he said, tossing some bills onto the table. His other officers did the same as they got up from their chairs.
Jake reached for his own wallet as he got to his feet, but Rickman shook his head. “You’re both on me. You’re still my guests in this town.”
“Thanks. Anything fun to do around here?”
Rickman smiled. “Lots, but most of it’s seasonal. You should stick around for Halloween. That’s gonna be something.”
Halloween? Maybe they had something geared toward the shifters.
“We’ve got some things for the ladies, though,” said Officer…Jake couldn’t remember his name. “There’s Mora’s Massage. My wife likes it there, and then Carter’s Books and Gifts. We’ve got fishing, too.”
“Sounds great,” Jake said, and he looked to Alice, knowing she wasn’t much of a fisher. “What do you say?”
Good girl that she was, she forced a smile, not wanting to insult their hosts. “All those sound nice.”
*****
Jake wanted to take her to the bookstore first. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to buy her something. Bobby and his goons had destroyed a lot of what she’d left in her room back at the inn, and for some reason, walking with her like this, even knowing there was a cop car slowly following twenty feet behind them, it made him feel like he was on the first date he’d had in years.
“Pick out whatever you want. Within reason,” he added, smiling. “On me.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to,” Jake said, but he didn’t want to ruin it by making it all uncomfortable. “Seriously, I need to pick up some stuff here anyway, maps of the area, and I don’t think I ever gave you a proper thank you for, you know, saving my life and everything.”
He couldn’t believe how much of a hard time he had just getting those words out. His entire body felt warmer. He was still wearing his leather jacket, but it wasn’t like it was hot out. Fall was coming, the leaves were yellowing, and it was a cool morning, even for being late summer.
He
Something was different about her. Maybe it was the way her shoulders seemed to slouch as she scraped her fork across the last of her hash browns, but she seemed almost…depressed.
Maybe that was too strong a word, but this wasn’t the lively, flirty, fun girl he knew from all those years ago.
How much of her he even knew was debatable. How much of that attitude and bravery had been her real personality? And how much of it had just been a front she’d put on to defend herself against all the dangerous people she’d been surrounded by was anyone’s guess.
Even if it had been her actual personality, that was almost ten years ago. She’d been a girl back then, still nineteen. Her personality could have changed. People changed all the time just from the passing of time. Alice had bigger reasons to change. The sense of invincibility young people had when they were doing dangerous shit could have left her. Hell, he wasn’t kidding himself; it had left her, and that was a good thing.
Okay, so if it wasn’t that, then the years of being on the run could’ve gotten to her. Her life had been on hold ever since she’d been forced into taking on her father’s debts.
Putting Bobby away, along with the men he’d been trying to impress, was supposed to end that. When Jake let her go instead of arresting her, when he’d vouched for her during his hours and hours of questioning and interviewing, it was also supposed to end that.
And yet, there they were.
He didn’t like seeing her so sad.
Jake barely realized he’d stopped talking, that the laughter that had started up when he’d been telling his stories had died down. When he blinked out of it, turned away from Alice, and looked back at his new friends, with the exception of Rickman, everyone smiled some knowing smile at him.
Fuck.
Rickman cleared his throat and reached for his wallet. “I think we’re done with breakfast,” he said, tossing some bills onto the table. His other officers did the same as they got up from their chairs.
Jake reached for his own wallet as he got to his feet, but Rickman shook his head. “You’re both on me. You’re still my guests in this town.”
“Thanks. Anything fun to do around here?”
Rickman smiled. “Lots, but most of it’s seasonal. You should stick around for Halloween. That’s gonna be something.”
Halloween? Maybe they had something geared toward the shifters.
“We’ve got some things for the ladies, though,” said Officer…Jake couldn’t remember his name. “There’s Mora’s Massage. My wife likes it there, and then Carter’s Books and Gifts. We’ve got fishing, too.”
“Sounds great,” Jake said, and he looked to Alice, knowing she wasn’t much of a fisher. “What do you say?”
Good girl that she was, she forced a smile, not wanting to insult their hosts. “All those sound nice.”
*****
Jake wanted to take her to the bookstore first. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to buy her something. Bobby and his goons had destroyed a lot of what she’d left in her room back at the inn, and for some reason, walking with her like this, even knowing there was a cop car slowly following twenty feet behind them, it made him feel like he was on the first date he’d had in years.
“Pick out whatever you want. Within reason,” he added, smiling. “On me.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to,” Jake said, but he didn’t want to ruin it by making it all uncomfortable. “Seriously, I need to pick up some stuff here anyway, maps of the area, and I don’t think I ever gave you a proper thank you for, you know, saving my life and everything.”
He couldn’t believe how much of a hard time he had just getting those words out. His entire body felt warmer. He was still wearing his leather jacket, but it wasn’t like it was hot out. Fall was coming, the leaves were yellowing, and it was a cool morning, even for being late summer.
He
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