“Well, he…um…we kinda connected. And he was staying.”
Her sister quickly muffled her squeal of surprise behind both her hands. But her eyes said a lot more as they danced in delight.
“Stop it,” Julie said, her voice low.
Ellen peeled her hands down and whispered. “Spending the night as in on the couch? Or?—”
“On the front porch.”
Her sister’s shoulders dropped. “Oh.”
“It was this morning in the bed.”
“Oh, yummy!” She leaned forward. “Well, if it couldn’t have been me jumping his bones, I’m glad it was you. So tell me the truth, was it good?”
Julie felt her face heat. “It was great. Right up until—you know.”
“Oh, yuck. How awful. Did you at least get to the good part? Or was it all interrupted?”
“Afterglow was really short.”
Her sister squeaked, this time an abbreviated giggle of delight. “Awesome?”
“Beyond awesome. And he’s the one who heard the noise. He rushed out to…” Julie’s insides softened at the memory. “He ran out to protect me.”
“Ooooh. Protecting his woman, huh?”
Julie nodded. “You have no idea.”
“Oh, God, I’d like to.”
“No. No, no, no. After that it was awful and horrible and…” Bizarrely magical. Julie shuddered, the words caught in her throat.
“Wow, no wonder you’re jumpy.”
“It’s not just that,” she said, surprising herself with her words. “I don’t know what to do about this. I mean, I live in Chicago. He’s in Gladwin. And he’s got…issues.”
Ellen rolled her eyes. “Who doesn’t? Look, you’re worried about the wrong things here. With Dad sick, everything’s in upheaval. So why not blow off steam with the hottie from high school?”
“I usually just ride my bike.”
“Well, now you can ride him.”
Julie huffed out a breath, wishing she could explain that sex with Mark wasn’t the usual kind of sex. Well, it was, but he wasn’t the usual kind of guy. In any respect. And her brain just couldn’t process any of it. Bear-shifters? So ridiculously not possible. And yet it was true. Meanwhile, her sister grabbed her hand.
“Look, you’ve got reason to be freaked, but don’t link him with the…crime thing. Did you have a good time with him?”
Julie nodded. “It was great.” Right up until he changed into a freaking bear.
“Then don’t look further than that. Not everything is about long-term thinking or life plans.”
“Says the woman in a seven-year PhD program.”
“Which means I know exactly what I’m doing long term and what is an of-the-moment kind of thing. Hottie from summer loving? Of the moment. Promotion at the law firm? Long term. Don’t make it any more complicated than that.”
Good advice, but it didn’t even begin to address the whole magical creatures thing. Julie took a deep breath—in and out—as she tried to work out exactly what to say. As usual, her sister didn’t give her the chance to talk.
“Julie, you gotta go back there.”
