Page 389 of His Hungry Wolf

“That’s not the handyman’s truck. That would be mine,” I said with a wave.

She couldn’t look further down her nose at me if she tried.

“And who are you?”

I turned to Lou who stared back. After another deep breath, he clamped my hand and turned to his mother.

“Mother, this is Titus. He’s my fiancé. Don’t you remember? He asked me to marry him with the choir. You were there.”

“Ah yes,” she said unimpressed.

“Someone parked their service truck out front again,” a younger voice said stealing our attention.

This one was attached to someone who couldn’t look more like a James Bond villain in training if he tried.

“It’s not the handyman’s truck,” Lou said snapping at him but trying to remain calm.

The guy approached with his eyes set on me.

“And who’s this?”

“Chris, this is…”

He cut Lou off when he was immediately in front of us.

“Don’t know. Don’t care,” he said and then patted Lou on the cheek.

The fire that ripped through me when I saw it was blinding. “Don’t touch him!” I growled, my wolf tearing at me to get out.

He turned toward me again. He wasn’t nearly as afraid as he should have been.

“Did you bring a bodyguard to your grandmother’s will reading?”

“No. I brought my fiancé,” he said struggling for courage.

He looked me up and down taking in all of me.

“You never fail to disappoint, do you, brother? At least you’re consistent,” he said before walking off.

“Wait, you can’t just talk to him like that,” I said ready to take this guy out.

“Don’t,” he said putting a second hand on mine. “Don’t. That’s just how they say hello.”

“What?”

I looked up to where his mother was standing. She was gone. So was his brother.

“Any other fine folks I’m gonna meet.”

“Just my father. But he lets my mother do his talking for him. It’s easier since she’s already doing his thinking.”

I looked at Lou surprised.

“And yes, they’re horrible people. I know they’re horrible people. They know they’re horrible people. But it’s hard when you grow up knowing that the only person who will ever love you is yourself. So…”

“Wow!” I said amused by my realization.

“What?”