Page 82 of Havoc's Fox

It was close to three o’clock when Analise, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, dressed in a pair of black leggings and a navy-blue sweatshirt and tennis shoes crossed the road onto Brandt’s property. She was experiencing all kinds of nerves because the last time she’d done this, she’d spent the night with Havoc, but she fought her insecurities and powered through. There was a little girl expecting her, and she wasn’t going to disappoint her. She turned left at the road Havoc lived down and could hear the sounds of his hammer before she got close enough to actually see him. When he finally came into view, she just about swallowed her tongue. He was shirtless, sweating with the sun gleaming down on his back. His long, auburn-streaked deep-brown hair was held out of his face with a bandanna that had been folded and tied around his forehead. The only thought running through her mind was that he was all male. “My male,” she murmured before she caught herself.

As soon as she heard her own voice her brows slammed down close to her eyelids in consternation. “He’s not mine,” she grumbled. “Definitely not mine.”

Her Fox chose that exact moment to start pacing circles in her head. Lick ours. Now.

“We are not licking anybody!” Analise snapped aloud at her Fox.

Her Fox snarled a warning in her head.

“Stop that now or I’ll never let you lick anybody!” Analise ordered.

“Everything alright?” Havoc asked, having noticed her coming and stopped to watch her visibly argue with herself.

“Of course,” she answered with no small amount of attitude.

“Just checking. You look like you’re having quite the conversation.”

“I’m not. But if I was, it’d be none of your business.”

He raised both hands. “That’s fine. It’s all good with me either way.”

“Where’s Harley?” Analise asked.

“She’s inside. I didn’t tell her you were coming.”

Analise started to ask why, but then she suddenly understood why. “Because if I didn’t come, she wouldn’t be disappointed.”

Havoc gave her a hesitant nod.

“I wouldn’t do that to her.”

“There’s a lot of things pushed right up against the line with us. I didn’t want to take a chance that asking you to take her for a walk would be too much and you’d back out.”

“That is true, and thank you for understanding, but still, I wouldn’t disappoint her. I really enjoy her.”

“She’s something,” Havoc said, grinning.

“She’s got some Hellen in her, and a whole lot of you. She’s going to do just fine in this world.”

“Yes, she will.”

Analise took a moment to look up at the house and then the fence he was building. “It’s a beautiful house.”

“I like it. I’m particularly attached to it.”

She yanked her gaze from the house back to Havoc in response to his comment.

“I miss you,” he said.

“I’m not gone, yet.”

“Are you planning to be?”

“I haven’t decided. I’m leaning toward going back to work, they’re expecting me the end of next week.”

“Doesn’t leave much time.”

“For what?” she asked irritatedly.