She shot me a small, narrow-eyed look before whipping open the restaurant door and storming outside. “What I mean is, this was not a date. What don’t you understand about that?”
I rushed ahead and opened the truck door for her, which only earned me another withering look. My smile just grew. I stood there with my arm on the top of her door as she climbed in. “When two single people share a meal together, doesn’t that make it a date?”
She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, chin lifted. “How do you know I’m single?”
I leaned in close, her rose scent filling the air between us. “There are no secrets in a pack, remember?”
“That still doesn’t make it a date,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
I leaned against her door and propped a foot up next to her seat. “Then what would you call this?”
“Lunch! Just lunch!”
I had to press my lips together to suppress my smile, but I didn’t think I was doing that good of a job because she let out another annoyed sigh. “Okay, so then this was just a warm-up. Got it. Next time we’ll go on a real date.”
“There will be no next time, Carter.”
“That’s not what you said a minute ago.”
“Well, I take it back.”
“So, what happens if you get hungry again next week after I take you to the lab? Am I just supposed to let you starve? Or do I take you on another date?”
“This wasn’t a date. And I’ll bring a snack.”
I shook my head. “After the way I saw you tear into those bacon cheeseburgers, I don’t think a snack is gonna cut it.”
She turned her head slowly to face me, her eyes narrowed and pointed at my chin. “Wyatt Carter, if you don’t shut my door and get your butt in your own seat, so help me.”
“You know, you sure talk about my butt a lot.”
“Wyatt!”
A loud laugh shot out of me as I took a step back. “Okay, okay.”
I could still hear grumbling as I shut her door and walked around to the driver’s side. I was convinced in that moment that nothing could wipe the stupid smile from my face. Even once I climbed into the truck and Callie laid into me, the grin wouldn’t budge.
“You know, you can’t just go around asking people to a simple lunch and then calling it a date. If you want to date someone, you ask them properly. You don’t just… sneak attack date them!”
“Is that what I did? Sneak attack dated you?”
“You certainly tried!”
I laughed loudly, which earned me another huff from her direction. Riling her up was a hell of a lot of fun, but that wasn’t what all this was about. That’s not all I was about. So, as I turned onto the main road leading out of town, I sobered up a little and shot her a small glance.
“Can you blame me, Callie? You’re beautiful, you’re crazy smart, you’re funny, and you’re beautiful. How could I resist?”
She was quiet for a long time as I drove us back toward pack lands. Finally, she said, “You used beautiful twice.”
Knew she’d catch that.
I smiled wide. “That’s because you’re so beautiful, it’s worth mentioning twice.”
She shook her head, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught her pink cheeks and her mouth twitching with a smile. That was all I needed.
She could protest all she wanted, but I was getting somewhere. Wearing her down little by little. And, with the promise of having this alone time with her every week while driving her to the lab, I knew it wouldn’t be long before she stopped fighting it and gave into this.
Whatever this was.
My phone rang in my pocket, and when I pulled it out, Wes’ name was scrawled across the screen. “If you’re looking for your truck, we’re on the way back now,” I said instead of greeting him.
“I don’t care about the truck.” He was quiet for a moment as I frowned at the windshield in front of me. “Can you talk?” he asked softly.
I knew Callie could still hear our conversation if she wanted, so I answered honestly. “Not really. Why? Is everything okay?”
“No. I’ll be next door when you get back,” he said before hanging up.
I shoved my phone back in my jeans pocket while my mind raced. We had neighbors on either side of us, but I knew he wouldn’t be calling to tell me he was visiting Aubrey. That meant he was at Doc Monroe’s place. That meant something was wrong with Mom.
I pressed harder on the gas, wishing the SUV had wings instead of wheels and could transport us home as fast as possible.
Every imaginable set of circumstances sped through my mind as I did my best to race back to pack lands.
Maybe she got hurt.
Maybe she had another fever.
Maybe the disease had finally reached one of her organs and it was failing right now as I sat here miles away.
I ground my teeth and squeezed the wheel tighter.
This had been a colossal mistake.
I had no business being so far away when she could need me at any moment. Sure, she had Wes, but it was clear he needed me too, and I was too far away to help.
I glanced at Callie and my stomach churned harder.
I’d thought this was a perfect afternoon, but it had just been an escape from my reality. I didn’t have time to date because I had a sick mom to take care of. I couldn’t have lunch downtown because then I’d be too far away if something bad happened.
And worst of all, I had no business pursuing the alpha’s sister.
If she knew
