Caleb’s [POV]
“…so great. Did you see their faces when you threw your head back and roared!” Ren laughed, skipping into the house with Trey and Cole behind her, carrying grocery bags.
Suppressing a snarl because they were all laughing together, I kept my big ass at the table and kept my mouth shut before I said or did something I’d regret. Like beat my brothers to death, using their arms, I thought, my mouth slashing into a mean smile as the image formed in my head.
“Babe, I think Jenna Farmer broke Alice’s fingers when they stampeded and stomped over her fat ass.” Trey laughed, his shoulders shaking under a fancy suit jacket that made me sneer at him.
He wasn’t even working, dammit. Why the hell was he dressed up, and why the fuck was he standing so close to my…housekeeper!
“Oh, she did. I heard Alice scream bloody murder before she managed to get up and run. My favorite part was when Trey told Lisa she’s so rank even a flea wouldn’t mate-bite her!” Ren yelled, her laughter maniacal and so beautiful I finally lost my temper, threw my head back, and roared.
It wasn’t my finest moment. I’d cop to that, but I’d just spent all morning pacing and waiting for Ren, and now she was laughing with these two hyenas and hadn’t even noticed me.
“What the hell is going on, and where the hell have you been? You went to the store three hours ago.” I snarled, giving Trey a nasty look when he opened his mouth.
Shutting it, he blinked at me before I turned to Ren with a scowl.
“Uh, erm, sorry? I got a little caught up,” Ren said, frowning when I growled again. “You okay?”
“What did they do to you?” I asked, already up to speed on everything that’d happened after listening to the trio laugh their asses off.
I didn’t find it funny, not even a little, and I knew if I didn’t do something about it, I was going fucking explode. I should march into town and break the legs of every male married to those females. Leave a little reminder to them to keep their wives from cornering Ren again.
“Nothing! It wasn’t that bad, I swear. They’re just mean, that’s all.” Ren huffed, turning to pack the food away while I glared at my brothers.
“Mean?”
“Nasty. The women say nasty things, okay. But I don’t care. I mean, they’re just words. No big deal. Chill out, Caleb. Seriously, I’m fine. Now, what should I make for lunch, huh? I was thinking of a chicken pita with garlic chicken and lots of salad greens.” She mused, bustling around while I gaped and shook my head in wonder.
Was this female for real?
“Come on, you can walk us out,” Cole murmured, smiling when I shook my head again and followed my brothers down to their trucks.
“She’s so great.” Trey groaned, stopping to lean on Cole’s truck while I struggled with my temper and bewilderment.
“You should have seen her in the store, man. She was so pissed. I don’t think she even realized she was shifting in and out.” Cole whispered, his shoulders shaking while Trey snickered and bent over to grab his belly.
“She grows a beard, man. Cutest shit I’ve ever seen.” He wheezed, his laughter snorting out while I gaped and felt a bubble of laughter rising from deep within.
“A beard?” I croaked, a full-blown bark of amusement leaving me when Cole grunted and shoved his phone at me to show me a picture.
“Took that before we decided to step in. I don’t think Ren even knows this, but she’s got one hell of a temper, man. She was practically half-shifted by the time we intervened. She thinks those females ran from us, but the truth is, they were shitting themselves already by the time we got there. Alice and Mary kept running their mouths, but it was all bravado, and I don’t blame them. Ren looks scary as shit when she’s angry.” Trey whispered, sputtering again when I flicked through the photos on Cole’s phone and landed on one where Ren’s face was almost full human, but for the half muzzle and razor-sharp teeth.
“This isn’t funny,” I whined, still clinging to my mad because it beat the warmth that rose within me as I stared at Ren’s picture.
Jesus, she’s so cute, I thought, sighing with a resigned sense of defeat that I was willing to admit it.
“It is. Even you can’t deny it’s amusing, and I hate to tell you this, but she was right. She does grow on you.”
“Like a fungus.” Cole laughed, making me snort before I schooled my features and scowled.
“You gonna take care of this, or should I drive into town?” I asked.
“Bro, there’s no fucking need. I bet those bitches won’t ever start shit with Ren again.” Trey murmured, his expression filled with so much tenderness that it reminded me of how we once were.
A long time ago.
“Especially not when they realize she’s ours. Our family.” Cole said softly, grinning when I ignored him and turned sharply, walking away without greeting.
It was true, though. She was ours.
But not mine, I reminded myself as I took the porch at a leap and practically ran into the kitchen, unwilling to admit I couldn’t stand to be away from Ren for more than a few moments.
Ren Sheppard couldn’t be anything to me. We were friends, and she worked for me, and that was all we would ever be to each other. To think of anything more, to let myself feel anything, was a bad idea, and yet, I was smiling as I all but ran back to her and retook my seat to watch her bustle around.
That smile, just being near her, was pure magic, and no matter how much I told myself I didn’t feel something, I was starting to think I was full of shit. I sure as hell had to be when she looked at me, and instead of wanting to run, I smiled back and felt myself settle.
“You okay?” she asked, turning from the stove to smile sweetly while my emotions roiled, deep, and unsettled.
No, not really. I wasn’t okay at all, and I didn’t know how to deal with that.