“Kind of, but you guys will get through it. When he wakes up, I think the two of you should go somewhere to talk alone.” Darrylrubbed his hands together as he turned toward the car. “The first thing I’m gonna do when I get back is get stoned and lay on the beach—and maybe wreck some human’s ass. We’ll see how the day goes.”
“Call us when you get there,” I said, giving Darryl one last hug.
“I will.”
The werewolf trotted across the yard, then tossed his bags and guitar case in the backseat before opening the SUV’s passenger side. He gave the man driving a flirty smile before saying something I couldn’t hear. The human’s eyes widened when Darryl shut the door.
“Hope he’s got lube in his bags,” Roscoe said, standing next to me.
“I’m sure Darryl doesn’t fuck everyone he meets.”
“He has this weird way of talking people into it without sayin’ much. I knew a human guy once who was straight as a board. After an hour surfing with Darryl, they disappeared somewhere, and later on he was limpin’ back to his hotel with one of Darryl’s towels around his waist.”
“I’m calling bullshit.”
“I swear, it’s true! Surfers go to the beach to ride the waves, but they always end up ridin’ Darryl.”
“Was he really as carefree as you said he was earlier? That doesn’t seem like him at all.”
“Yeah, he was a lot more fun before… Well, you know.”
I opened the door and we stepped back inside. The toilet flushed and Austin crept through the hallway toward the living room.
“Austin?” I asked, waiting for Adam to emerge, but he didn’t follow. “Did you go to the bathroom all by yourself?”
He didn’t respond, tears welling in his emotionless eyes as usual. After staring at nothing for a solid minute, he finally sat down on the sofa.
“Maybe he’s getting better,” I said, turning to Roscoe who grabbed a plate of cold bacon from the table. “What are you doing?”
“A little test,” he said, holding the plate in front of Austin’s nose. “Ya hungry big guy?”
The blond werewolf’s stomach growled, and Roscoe sat the plate in his lap before backing away. We observed him for about five minutes, hoping he’d start eating, but he showed no interest.
“Nope. He’s still fucked. No werewolf I know can resist a plate of bacon.”
“Well, he’s going to the bathroom on his own. That’s a start.” I stood behind the sofa, rubbing Austin’s ears. “I sure hope they can help him.”
“He’ll either snap out of it, or he’ll end up stayin’ out there. Nothing we can really do.”
“We were just starting to get close.”
“That’s somethin’ I’ve been wondering about. How close did you guys end up gettin’?” Roscoe eyed me from the side.
“He was opening up about everything, showing some real emotion.” I let out a slight chuckle. “He even said he was in love with me. That’s something you’d never expect to hear from Austin.”
“Ahh,” Roscoe said in his usual tone. “I figured as much.” With a smile, he padded toward the kitchen. I followed, watched as he opened the cabinet and grabbed the half-empty bottle of habanero sauce. “I’m gonna make him something special fer breakfast.”
“Roscoe, no,” I shouted. “We had a long talk about it, and we came to an understanding.” I snatched the bottle out of his hands. “Can you just say what’s on your mind instead of trying to kill people with hot sauce?”
“I’m makin’ breakfast.”
“You already made breakfast.”
“Second breakfast.” He grabbed the bacon grease-covered frying pan and a large bowl. “I’m in the mood for hoecakes. Ever have those?”
I pushed myself between him and the stove. “I’ve noticed a pattern here. Every time you’re upset, you eat.”
“Yer wrong. I ain’t upset.” His stomach growled as he gently pushed me aside. “I’m hungry.”
