The Alpha Claims A Mate (6 page)

“Lover boy’s here!” Marigold trilled.

“Watch yourself, or I swear I’ll…I swear I’ll…”

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll make empty threats of violent retribution which I have no intention of actually carrying out,” Ginger snapped.

“Yeah, I thought so. Enjoy. Especially when he asks you out on a date.
And you’re not allowed to say no because you promised,” Marigold said smugly.

When she got outside, the sheriff was standing outside the cruiser
holding her door open for her. Ginger grudgingly had to admit that, even if the sheriff was the biggest flirt in Blue Moon County, at least he was a gentleman. She tried to remember if Ashmont had ever opened doors for her. Ashmont was big on women’s lib, which was usually nice, but every once in a while, a woman just wants to be treated like a lady, Ginger thought.

“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?”

“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.”

“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 decor
ated 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.”

“Nonsense. How are your brownies
, dear?”

“Incredibly delicious,” Ginger grinned.
This trip had turned out to be an unexpected treat. The sheriff had been making her squirm for days now; it was fun to see the tables turned.

“
In fact, we’re thinking of putting her in a home,” Loch continued, glaring at his grandmother. “She’s a danger to herself and others.”

“Why, I think your grandmother is delightful.” Ginger flashed a smile at the sheriff. “I could come here every day. Especially if it meant more of this iced tea. And these brownies? Heaven.”

“Yes, my grandmother sure can cook.  Grandmother, we really need to be going. I’ve got work waiting for me back at the station.”

“All right, but you bring your new girlfriend here any old time
that you want. How about this  Sunday? Sunday works for me.”

“We’ll see,” he muttered.  He glanced at Ginger, who was holding a brownie in front of her face to smother a laugh.

Ginger turned to Willie. “Willie, would I be able to take a few of these brownies with me? It’s for a good cause.”

“Certainly,” she
said happily, and grabbed a Tupperware box from a cupboard. She quickly put a dozen brownies in it. “There’s more where those come from. You come by any time.”

As they started to walk out the door, his grandmother
put her hand on Ginger’s arm. “Why did you turn my grandson down when he asked you to dance?”

Ginger paused, startled. “Well…it was the way he asked me. He just marched rig
ht up and barked ‘Dance with me’…not even so much as a please.”

Willie
shot him a look, and cuffed him on the side of the head.

“That is not how we raised you,
Lochland Connall Armstrong.”

He groaned and rolled his eyes. “Grandmother, please.”

Ginger sighed. “Why can you get away with that and I can’t?”

“Well, dear, as family I do have certain privileges. But he’s the Alpha of our pack, so while I may chastise my grandson, I do it discreetly. And not in public.”

“Point taken,” Ginger nodded, and followed him out to his patrol car.

“That was
delightful
,” she said as they climbed in the car. “Can we go there every day for a nice long lunch?”

“No, we
can not.” He glowered. “Are you giving me a hard time? Aren’t you supposed to be trying to please me so I give a good report to your Alpha?”

“You know, you’ve got all these women in town simpering over you and kissing your butt. I think I’m going to take a different approach.”  She buckled her seatbelt. “Can we go check on Cletus before we go to your office?”

“Sure thing.  And don’t think you’re escaping punishment for your sassy behavior back there, young lady.”

“Oh really? What did you have in mind?”

“Let’s just say you’re lucky you’re not a member of my pack, because I’d likely put you over my knee.”

A sudden image of her over the sheriff’s knee flashed through her mind, and a wave of heat rolled over. She stifled a whimper.

In her mind’s eye she was naked, and squirming, and he was firmly restraining her with one hand and bringing his other hand down on her bare buttocks.

She pressed her lips together
tightly and tried to think un-sexy thoughts as they drove. Ashmont’s image flashed through her mind.  How they always had sex with the lights off. How he only liked it missionary style.

“Here we are,” the sheriff said, pulling up in front of the community center
, which was smack in the middle of the Main Street shopping district.   They were on a big lot of land, set back from the sidewalk that led to all the little shops up and down the street.  Like the sheriff’s office, it had a big sign with the Blue Moon junction logo of a wolf howling at the moon. 

They both climbed out of the car. “Can you follow my lead?” Ginger asked. “Just agree with whatever I say.”

Cletus was in the garden, running his hoe through the dirt.  He wore a handkerchief on his head.

“Hey, Cletus, glad to see you made it,” the sheriff said.  He glanced at the garden. “You made some good progress here. If this keeps up, I might be able to recommend you to the town’s public works department
for a full time job.”

“Really?” Cletus looked startled.

“Swear to God. I’m impressed.”

“By the way, Cletus, I thought maybe you could help me out with something.  I’m trying to learn to cook, and I made these brownies this morning, but nobody will try them for me.”

She pulled the Tupperware container full of brownies out of her purse and held them out to him, making a sad face. “Everyone says that city girls can’t cook. Even the sheriff wouldn’t try one.”

Sheriff Armstrong sighed,
but nodded. “Yep. That’s true.  I don’t believe city girls can cook.”

Cletus took the
container of brownies, bit into one, and his face lit up. “City girls sure can cook! Wow. I got to find me a city girl.”

“See? I told you!” Ginger flashed an ingratiating smile at the sheriff.

“Okay, I believe you. In fact I think I’ll try one.” He reached for the Tupperware container.

“You had your chance!” Cletus walked off quickly, shoveling
two brownies into his mouth at the same time.