“Are you trying to impress me?” I asked.
Snarl nodded. “I am, but I’m more interested in what you were saying about the lone wolf.”
“Plenty of wolves break away from their packs. That’s true. Mostly males who’ve failed at attaining pack dominance or finding a mate within the extended pack. Usually, they do so once they’ve gotten older, sometimes to help ensure packstrength through their absence. These lone wolves are the most vulnerable to predators and starvation and typically do not make it through their first two seasonal changes before dying. That is, if you believe the most current research, which I do.”
Snarl smiled. “Before you took your little unscheduled nap there, I was trying to charm you enough to go out with me tonight, but I think in the light of everything you should take the remainder of the evening off, and we can leave the dancing to another night. What do you think?”
“I think you worded that question in a way designed to get me to agree to going out with you, no matter how I answer it.”
“How about we get you and Granny onto the couch, I’ll pop somepopcorn, and we can all watch the Wheel together? Unless you’re one of those people who yells out the answer before the rest of us have had a chance to figure it out.”
“Sir!” I scoffed. “What kind of woman do you take me for?”
“Okay, Dizzy. Let’s get you on your feet and then we can continue our first date in the living room under the supervision of your family.”
“This is our first date, now?” I asked.
He shrugged giving me another sexy grin. “Well, sure. You would have said yes to my invitation earlier, so all the getting to know you chit chat we just had would have happened over a few drinks instead of a possible concussion.”
“Interesting point,” I said. “If I’dsaid yes, of course.”
“If you’d said no, I would have kicked your young, single ass out of my apartment,” Granny said. “Now shut up, the both of you. Wheel’s coming on!”
Snarl
THE NEXT MORNING, I rode out to Monument to meet Sundance at the cabin and Lennon was on my mind the entire time. I literally could not stop thinking about her. I’d try to focus onsomething else, but she’d invade my thoughts within a matter of seconds. The last thing in the world I needed right now was to get hung up on a woman, but Lennon Whitman had grabbed my full attention. It was as simple as that. I wasn’t going to waste time trying to convince myself that she hadn’t. And even though I knew pursuing her was a bad idea, I also knew it was something I had to do. Driven by pure animal instinct.
I pulled up to the cabin a little after nine o’clock to find it buzzing with activity. In fact, the place was busting at the seams.
“Sundance around?” I asked a young prospect who was busy loading up a truck parked outside.
“Yeah, he’s in his office,” he replied.
“Thanks,” I said.
The cabin was the Howlers’ base of operation, so I walked up the porch steps and into the giant building that looked like something out of a magazine with its log beams and wide planked floors. Bikers filled the room, along with a few women, who paid me no mind as I glanced around. One entire wall was filled with pinball machines and the wall by the windows was set up with pool tables. Sofas and coffee tables took up the center of the room, while above the pool tables was the biggest TV I’d ever seen.
“Holy shit, the prodigal son returns,” a familiar voice called out and I turned to see Orion moving toward me. Orion was Sundance’s son and one of the most solid brothersyou could ever hope to ride with.
I embraced my old friend, mussing up his hair. “Your shit’s almost as long as mine, son. You trying to take my place around here?”
“You’re never around so what the hell am I supposed to do?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I know. I need to make it back home more often.”
Orion chuckled. “You say that every time you’re here, but by morning you’re already gone.”
“Actually, I’ve been in Denver for a couple of months,” I admitted. “I was already in Colorado when your old man called me home.”
“Are you shitting me? Why didn’t you tell anyone? Does Rocky know?”
“Yeah, he knows. I had some business to take care of in Denver that was gonna keep me in town fora week or so and while I was looking for a place to stay, I found a pay by the month apartment in town, and before I knew it, I’d signed a rental agreement. I’m really not sure why. Something inside me said to do it so I did.”
“Well, Pop’s gonna be glad to hear you’re sticking around.”
“I didn’t say that,” I snapped back, reflexively.
“It’s alright, Easy Rider. I know you’re a rolling stone.”
