grabbed her purse. “Great! I have a date now, so see you tomorrow.”
I watched her flounce triumphantly out the office. “Suckered me right into that one, didn’t she?”
Jason chuckled. “Yes, she did.”
Half an hour later, I drove up in the SUV and parked in Griffin’s driveway. Ringing the doorbell, I stomped my feet to stave off the cold. I kept moving while I peeked through the side window to see if anyone was coming and spotted Griffin walking around the staircase from the back of the house. Today he had on dark brown cords and a tan Henley. He definitely knew how to dress.
He opened the door and stood back when I came charging in from the cold.
“Kyle, thank you for coming.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?” A bit snarky, I know, but I was irritated about Dolly conning me.
His eyes narrowed. “You always have a choice. I doubt anyone could force you to do something you didn’t want to do.”
“You’re right about that.”
“Kyle!”
I jumped slightly. Trina was standing right next to me. I hadn’t heard her approach.
“Hi, Trina.”
“You dyed your hair.” She tilted her head to the side and studied me. “I like it, but purple is still my favorite.” She looked around. “Is Jason here?”
“Not tonight.”
She shrugged. “I thought I could smell him. Did you come here to see me?”
Griffin answered her. “Pet, she is here to see me tonight. Did you finish your homework?”
“Yes. But I promised Molly I would read her a story before she went to bed.”
He smiled down at her. “You better run along, then.”
She hugged me and then backed off, eyes wide. “You smell like Jason. Is he your boyfriend?”
I flinched. I forgot how direct shifters were. “No, we’re just friends.”
She giggled. “He’s cute.” She turned toward the stairs, singing out over her shoulder, “Night, Uncle Griffin.”
We watched Trina jog up the stairs in an awkward silence. I unbuttoned my jacket, and he held out his hand. I guess I was going to be sticking around for a while. If I wasn’t mistaken, when I handed him my coat, his nostrils flared ever so slightly. Was he sniffing me too? After Griffin hung my jacket in the hall closet, he led me to the right. Instead of going into his office, he took me past it to a living room with a mammoth stone fireplace.
“I thought you might want to warm up by the fire.” He gestured to one of the chairs by the hearth.
“Thanks.” I sat down and nearly moaned out loud. The chair was perfect. So soft I wanted to sink into it and curl up with a good book. The nubby fabric felt warm from the fire as I ran my hands over the arms. After a few seconds of silence, I glanced up. Griffin was staring at me with amusement.
“Does the chair meet with your approval?”
“Yes. It’s great. How’s Trina doing?”
He sat down across from me. “She’s sad she can’t go to school. I have a tutor working with her so she doesn’t get behind in her studies, but she misses her friends.”
“It’s good of you to take them in.”
He frowned quizzically. “They’re my pack and my responsibility.”
Somehow I felt sure it was more than that. “What can I do for you tonight?”
“I was curious about your plans for the investigation.”
“Jean Luc got a glimpse of the passenger in the 4x4, and Misha is running his description through facial recognition software. We’re also checking out the body shop where Mark Brennan worked.”
“How?”
“Misha is digging up any dirt he can find on the owner and everyone who works for him, and Jason and I went there today.”
He jerked toward me. “You what?”
“We went there today on the pretense of needing body work for Jason’s truck. We’re supposed to take it back in tomorrow.”
He stood, walked behind his chair, and rested his hands on the back. “And you think this is safe?”
I knew where this was going, and I didn’t like it one bit. “When you brought me back here, you
I watched her flounce triumphantly out the office. “Suckered me right into that one, didn’t she?”
Jason chuckled. “Yes, she did.”
Half an hour later, I drove up in the SUV and parked in Griffin’s driveway. Ringing the doorbell, I stomped my feet to stave off the cold. I kept moving while I peeked through the side window to see if anyone was coming and spotted Griffin walking around the staircase from the back of the house. Today he had on dark brown cords and a tan Henley. He definitely knew how to dress.
He opened the door and stood back when I came charging in from the cold.
“Kyle, thank you for coming.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?” A bit snarky, I know, but I was irritated about Dolly conning me.
His eyes narrowed. “You always have a choice. I doubt anyone could force you to do something you didn’t want to do.”
“You’re right about that.”
“Kyle!”
I jumped slightly. Trina was standing right next to me. I hadn’t heard her approach.
“Hi, Trina.”
“You dyed your hair.” She tilted her head to the side and studied me. “I like it, but purple is still my favorite.” She looked around. “Is Jason here?”
“Not tonight.”
She shrugged. “I thought I could smell him. Did you come here to see me?”
Griffin answered her. “Pet, she is here to see me tonight. Did you finish your homework?”
“Yes. But I promised Molly I would read her a story before she went to bed.”
He smiled down at her. “You better run along, then.”
She hugged me and then backed off, eyes wide. “You smell like Jason. Is he your boyfriend?”
I flinched. I forgot how direct shifters were. “No, we’re just friends.”
She giggled. “He’s cute.” She turned toward the stairs, singing out over her shoulder, “Night, Uncle Griffin.”
We watched Trina jog up the stairs in an awkward silence. I unbuttoned my jacket, and he held out his hand. I guess I was going to be sticking around for a while. If I wasn’t mistaken, when I handed him my coat, his nostrils flared ever so slightly. Was he sniffing me too? After Griffin hung my jacket in the hall closet, he led me to the right. Instead of going into his office, he took me past it to a living room with a mammoth stone fireplace.
“I thought you might want to warm up by the fire.” He gestured to one of the chairs by the hearth.
“Thanks.” I sat down and nearly moaned out loud. The chair was perfect. So soft I wanted to sink into it and curl up with a good book. The nubby fabric felt warm from the fire as I ran my hands over the arms. After a few seconds of silence, I glanced up. Griffin was staring at me with amusement.
“Does the chair meet with your approval?”
“Yes. It’s great. How’s Trina doing?”
He sat down across from me. “She’s sad she can’t go to school. I have a tutor working with her so she doesn’t get behind in her studies, but she misses her friends.”
“It’s good of you to take them in.”
He frowned quizzically. “They’re my pack and my responsibility.”
Somehow I felt sure it was more than that. “What can I do for you tonight?”
“I was curious about your plans for the investigation.”
“Jean Luc got a glimpse of the passenger in the 4x4, and Misha is running his description through facial recognition software. We’re also checking out the body shop where Mark Brennan worked.”
“How?”
“Misha is digging up any dirt he can find on the owner and everyone who works for him, and Jason and I went there today.”
He jerked toward me. “You what?”
“We went there today on the pretense of needing body work for Jason’s truck. We’re supposed to take it back in tomorrow.”
He stood, walked behind his chair, and rested his hands on the back. “And you think this is safe?”
I knew where this was going, and I didn’t like it one bit. “When you brought me back here, you
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