The Alpha Claims A Mate(17)
“You look nice today,” Loch said, giving her an appreciative once-over.
Ginger blushed. “Why, thank you,” she said. “Just something I threw on.” After half a dozen outfit changes. “What’s on the agenda for today?”#p#分页标题#e#
“This morning we’ll just cruise around town for a little while. I thought you might like to go for a run later. I could show you some of the sights.”
“A run? In the woods?” Ginger asked, startled.
He gave her that smile again, the slow, amused curl of his lips that made her heart beat faster and heat pool between her legs. That smile should be registered as a lethal weapon, she thought. It was just unfair.
“That’s where we usually do it out here. We can run through the center of town, if you want.”
“You mean, like, a run…without our clothes on?” a blush crept over her cheek and up her throat.
“Well, darlin’, I’ve never shifted and run in my clothes. Have you?”
“Er, no. But I’m a little self conscious about my body,” she muttered. A little? A little didn’t even begin to cover it.
He glanced at her, his gaze running slowly up and down her body like a warm caress, and she quickly crossed her arms over her chest to cover the hardening of her nipples.
“Why? You’re blessed, the way I see it.”
She’d never seen it as a blessing. The constant stares and questions had started in kindergarten and had never let up. “My, you’re quite…unusual looking for a werewolf.”
She had to admit, though, the appreciative stares she’d gotten from men ever since she’d arrived in Blue Moon Junction were quite gratifying.
Before he could pursue the topic of going for a run any more, his cell phone jangled in his pocket and he pulled it out.
“Hello, grandmother. Right now? You sure you need my help right now? Maybe I could send over one of the boys instead? All right, fine, I’ll come over.”
He sighed. “We’re taking a brief detour over to my grandmother’s house. Hope you don’t mind.“
“Of course not,” she said with a smile. Especially because, if his family was anything like hers, there was major potential for watching his grandmother embarrass the heck out of him. Ginger was supposed to behave herself around the sheriff, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t live vicariously.
His grandmother lived on the outskirts of town, in an old red farmhouse with an iron rooster weathervane on the roof.
She was waiting for them on the front porch when they pulled up. She waved at them as they walked up her driveway, beaming at Ginger. She was short and chubby and her hair was piled high in a bun on top of her head.
“Well, hello, hello!” she smiled, and held out her hand to shake Ginger’s hand. “I’m Wilhelmina, but my friends call me Willie. Do come in, I’ve made iced tea.”
“I thought you said the fence needed mending.” The sheriff shot a narrow-eyed look at his grandmother. “You said all the horses were going to get out and run into the road.”
“Oh, it was just one fence post was leaning over a little bit. I pushed it back up. Iced tea’s on the kitchen table. Don’t be rude to your guest, now.”
“Grandmother….” Loch said, shooting his grandmother an indignant look as they trooped inside.
“Yes? By the way, she’s every bit as pretty as everybody’s been saying.” Willie’s voice sank to a whisper. “She’s got childbearing hips. I approve.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Grandmother! Seriously! I will turn around and leave right now.”
Ginger was delighted to see a stain of red on those broad, high cheekbones. The sheriff was actually blushing.
The sheriff, usually so self assured and in control, was utterly mortified by his grandmother, and there was not a thing he could do about it.
The kitchen was decorated with pictures of wolves of all ages. There was a long wooden table in the center of the room. Willie had set out sweet tea in mason jars topped with sprigs of mint, along with plates piled high with meltingly sweet chocolate brownies.
“This tea is delicious. I’ve never tasted anything like it,” Ginger said.
“Ancient family recipe. Of course, if you were going to settle down here, I’d share it with you.”
“You’ll have to excuse my grandmother,” the sheriff said, shooting Wilhelmina a warning look, which she ignored as she poured more tea for Ginger. “She’s becoming extremely senile.”