The stag yowled so loudly it actually made Keith’s head hurt. He blinked, trying to work his way through the sudden ache as Stacy’s eyes widened. “Oh my God. You’re not married, are you?”
“What? No. No, nothing like that.”
“Gay? About to flee the country because the Feds are after you? No, wait.” Her gaze went very serious and she leaned in, too. “Keith. Give it to me straight: are you not a natural redhead?”
Tell her that!his stag wailed.Don’t tell her thetruth. Notnow!
“I—” He had never really tried to do something the stag really didn’t want him to. It was much more difficult than he’d ever imagined. “No, no, I’m a redhead.”
“Whew.” Stacy sat back. “So which is it, then, the Feds or a secret boyfriend?”
“Neither!”
“Well, good, because I’m a one-guy kind of woman and I’d rather have a one-person kind of guy.” Stacy waved a hand. “I mean, I don’t care if you’re bi, just as long as I’m the only one you’re dating.”
“Am I dating you?” Somehow Keith felt as though he’d completely lost control of the situation. Worst of all, he was almost relieved. Or maybe it was his stag’s relief, but either way, he didn’t think he could explain about his shifter animal right then.
Or ever, his stag said with relief.At least not until Esther.
…you mean Easter?
The stag shrugged.
Stacy, however, smiled with a mix of hope and embarrassment. “I don’t know. Are you dating me? Weareon a date, but I’m not sure if one date counts as dating.”
“Do you want it to?” Keith sounded as hopeful as she looked, and then, with the sudden certainty that laying it out on the line would be a good idea, added, “I want it to. If that’s not too much.”
Stacy lit up, her smile getting not bigger, but brighter somehow. “I think I do too. Which seems crazy, but crazy sounds great right now. Even if it comes with assaulting people with reindeer antlers.”
“Ipromisethat is not normal for me. I hardly ever assault people with any kinds of antlers at all.”
Her gaze grew distant and thoughtful. “Now I’m trying to decide whether that means you don’t assault people who wear antlers, or whether you don’t wear antlers when you assault them.”
“Both! Neither! No assault! Only deer!”
Stacy blinked at him. “You assault deer?”
“Only during—” He couldn’t possibly say ‘rutting season.’ His panicked mind grabbed onto that, at least. Not that he was in the habit of rutting with deer, either, for God’s sake, but this was already getting away from him. “—hunting season?”
His stag gasped in absolute horror.You’ve beenhunting deer?
No! Of course not!
Stacy didn’t look much happier than the stag sounded, although at least she sounded a little more surprised than revolted. “You’re a hunter?”
Keith wailed, “No! I don’t know why I said that! Because my family was talking about hunting season earlier.” He calmed down a little, realizing that, while his stag was still having palpitations and Stacy looked as if she was trying to work her way through what had been a very unusual evening so far.
Cautiously, after a moment, she asked, “Aretheyhunters…?”
“No, but…” Keith took a deep breath, steadying himself. “But we all do like to get out into the woods and spend time in the wilderness, so we keep an eye on when the hunting seasons start and finish.” That was even true, and made his stag relax slightly, although it still eyed him a little suspiciously from the inside of his own head.
“Oh, okay. Yeah, that makes sense, kind of, although you’re a little strange, Keith.” Stacy didn’t say it like it was a bad thing, but he felt a lurch of worry drop through his belly. He didn’t want her to think he was strange. He wanted her to think he was—
Beautiful, the stag whispered almost tragically.Wonderful. Handsome. Kind. Beautiful.
You said that already.
It’s very important!
