Chapter Three
Finally, life started to turn around, the good slowly transforming her once-bleak existence into something exciting. Many might not see making minimum wage plus tips at a coffee shop all that great, but Juni saw a light steadily growing from the end of a very long tunnel.
“You’re picking all this up quickly,” Keegan complimented.
A rush of satisfaction filled Juni at the praise.
Having a job meant everything. It meant freedom.
It meant stability. No more living a life of scraps.
Of eating whatever furry creature Ezra Parsons happened to catch.
Or not eating when he caught nothing. She and Clover would never go to bed hungry ever again.
There was a lull between morning and afternoon, so during that time, Keegan showed her how to make a lot of the specialty drinks. Taste testing was her favorite, and it was good to know what each flavor was so she could help customers who didn’t know what to choose.
At the end of the day, she helped clean all the equipment, mop the floor and wipe the tables. It was easy work, at least to her, because she always cleaned the trailer. At closing time, she stepped outside and waited while Keegan locked up.
“Going to pick up Clover?” she asked.
Juni nodded. “First day. She was a little nervous.”
“Circe is a great teacher.”
“I met her husband, Miles,” Juni told her. “He helped rid the planet of the trailer me and Clover lived in.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry about your dad.”
Juni shrugged. “I’m not. He wasn’t the best person. Was an even worse father.”
“That sucks. I’m glad you’re here now with the pack.”
“Me, too. So is Clover. She doesn’t have her wolf yet, but as soon as she’s allowed to participate, she’s gonna be running full steam ahead.”
“What about you?” Keegan asked.
“I definitely will be running. I’ve wanted to for a long time.”
“It’s fun. My cousin was my running buddy, but she’s gone back to Scotland, and I hate running alone. Wanna explore together?”
Juni nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely!”
“Okay then. See you tomorrow?”
“Yep.”
Juni thew a wave and headed toward the school. The hours at the coffee shop were perfect. They closed every day at 3:00 and left her enough time to get to the school.
“Juniper.”
Startled out of her mind, she emitted a little yelp as she spun around.
One foot tripped over the other, and she was falling like a tree.
Arms came around her. Strong, muscular arms. For a breathless moment, she stared into Asher’s silver eyes.
They were even prettier in the sunlight.
His scent floated over her and her senses exploded.
A fluttery feeling had her heart racing as the world faded around the two of them.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and suddenly they were bone dry so she licked them.
That made his nostrils flare and his arm tightened around her, drawing her closer.
Juni couldn’t help but wait, suddenly wanting his kiss more than anything.
Then a slam of a car door and a kid yelling at his mom jolted her out of her daze. The world returned to normal and she quickly straightened and pulled away.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to fall into your arms.”
He slid his hands into his pants pocket. “I didn’t mind it.”
“Okay.” She stood there staring at him while he stared back. Awkward. “I have to go.”
She stepped past him and walked away, but all he did was fall into step.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“Walking.”
“But why are you walking next to me? Aren’t you afraid people might see you talking with the pack outcast?”
“Outcast? You?”
“Don’t make fun.”
“I wasn’t aware that I was. And, by the way, why would you think I’d be afraid of people seeing us together?”
She stopped and confronted him. “Don’t even pretend. I was there. You said you wanted to make sure no one knew about us.”
He laid his hands on her shoulders after he pulled them out of his pockets. “Because you have custody of your young sister.”
Confusion swirled through her. “You were looking out for Clover?”
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“Yes, because why?”
He sighed. “Because if you were to ask anyone in this town to describe my character, they will tell you I like women. Many women. Different women. I sleep with tourists because they leave. I’ve never slept with a woman from Sheridan. Human or shifter.”
“Oh. So, you’re a womanizer.”
“Womanizer has such a negative connotation to it.”
“Would player be a better description?”
He grimaced. “No, not really.”
She bit her lip, trying not to smile.
He pointed. “Ah! You find me funny.”
“You think you’re charming?”
“Well, at least you do, since you asked me to be your first.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “If you’ve had sex with all these women, then you must know what you’re doing.”
“I would say that is a fair assumption.” He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Never been kissed. Never been fucked. I’m going to make sure you scream my name, Juniper.”
His warm breath tickled her ear and shot pure lust into her body.
“Come to my bar tonight at 8:00.”
Then he kissed her cheek. Not the type of smooch she would’ve thought, but it still gave her the warm fuzzies. Then he left her, striding down the sidewalk. She touched the area where his lips had been, and couldn’t help but stare at his ass once again.
****
“You’re late,” Clover grumbled. Her arms were crossed and she had a very grown-up annoyed frown on her face.
“Yeah,” Juni admitted. She gave a nod to Circe over her head and Clover fell in step next to her as they started their journey home.
“Sorry. My boss and I got to talking and then I ran into a friend. Keegan, my boss, told me you can run under the full moon as soon as you get your wolf. I got mine at sixteen, so you should only have to wait a few years.”
“Wait. Go back. You don’t have friends.”
“Kinda hoping you’d forget I let that slip.”
“Do you not know me at all? Come on. Give it up. Who’s this friend?”
Juni sighed. “You’re like a bloodhound.”
“It’s my superpower.”
“To have a superpower you’ll need a cape. Would you like a cape?”
“You’d get me one?” Then she scowled. “Cut it out, you’re trying to distract me. Which can only mean one thing. This friend must be a boy.”
“He’s not a boy. He’s a man. A gorgeous hunk of a man.”
Clover gave a high-pitch squeal.
“Ugh!” Juni cried. “You almost pierced my eardrum.”
“You have a boyfriend?” Clover asked, skipping around. “I knew it! I knew once we moved to town, you’d find your mate!”
“Whoa, there, girlfriend. Not a mate. A friend.”
“Did he ask you for a date, because if he did, then he’s your mate friend. What’s his name?”
“None of your business.”
“Juni and None-of-your-business sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” she sang.
“Where’d you hear that song from?”
“Some of the kids were teasing this girl and boy in my class.”
Juni latched onto that in a nanosecond. “Speaking of which, how was your first day?”
“It was...” Clover trailed off and lowered her head.
Juni stopped and laid a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “What happened?”
Clover still wouldn’t look at her. “I’m trying hard not to be shy. Or scared. But that’s hard to do when everyone is a stranger.”
She pulled her into her arms. “Oh, baby. It’s going to take time. You never had play dates as a toddler so you never learned to socialize.”
Clover looked up at her. “That’s a thing?”
“I read it in a library book. Remember? When dad used to allow me to come into town for tampons and stuff?”
When their mother died, Ezra didn’t want to deal with any girl mess.
His words not hers. However, that changed the moment Circe Tolliver visited to wonder why Clover hadn’t come to school.
She didn’t blame the teacher at all, because she knew that she was looking out for her students.
Or lack of a student. Those visits into town were how she’d snapped the picture of Circe to send to Miles for the reward money.
She planned to use that cash to leave Sheridan, but things hadn’t gone that way.
Now, it was in the bank, gathering interest. A nest-egg for a rainy day.
“Hey, want some ice cream?”
“Are you trying to distract me from your mate?”
“Is it working?”
Clover thought for a moment. “Most definitely.”