Page 62 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

“I don’t …” He ran a hand down his face. “I don’t know. I tried talking to her this morning. I tried to ask her … She seemed, I don’t know, embarrassed.”

“What do you mean?”

“She wouldn’t even look at me.”

He couldn’t believe he was talking about this, least of all with his sister. He still liked to pretend his sister didn’t have a sex life and tried very hard not to think about how she got pregnant. After all, he liked Samuel and didn’t want to feel the need to rip his throat out. Yet here he was, spilling his guts. What was wrong with him?

“I see.” Maria rubbed circles over her swollen abdomen, thinking. “This was what, your fourth date?”

“Second,” he grumbled.

“Second? Oh, Tom, she’s probably just worried she put out too early. Now she’s going to think all you want from her is sex.”

“Why would she think that?!”

“Because if you’re a girl and you put out, so to say, everyone makes you feel like a slut.”

He winced, remembering her chastising herself in the car.

“And if you don’t put out, everyone makes you feel like a prude. It’s ridiculous. When you’re a girl, you get so much chatter and noise in your head about sex, when you should or shouldn’t; it makes life more complicated than it should be.”

“Great,” he said.

“What did you tell her this morning?”

“Maria, I’m not doing this with you.”

“Don’t be such a pussy. You want her back, let me help you. What did you say to her this morning?” she asked.

“Maybe it’s better this way. There’s nothing tying her to the dangers of the supernatural underground and nothing distracting me. I need to be able to take care of the family. The first few years of being Alpha are vital. I shouldn’t even be dating now.”

“Thomas, you’re thirty-five. You take great care of the family, it’s about time you took care of yourself and let yourself be happy.”

“You and I both know when I took this job I forfeited the luxury of my own happiness.”

“Thomas,” Maria whispered, her brows pulling together. Eyes welling, she looked close to tears.

“It’s fine, Maria.” He held up his hands to soothe her. Part of the reason he took the position was so she and Sam could focus on being parents. He didn’t want her to think he regretted that sacrifice for her.

“So, what did you say to her?” she asked, blinking hard.

“I told her I wanted to see her again tonight,” he admitted.

“Oh …”

“I offered to take her to the park! There’s nothing insinuating about going for a walk.”

“No, you’re right. Hmm, I wonder. I think you should invite her to the picnic.”

“The family picnic?”

“Yes.”

“The one all the shifters across the Midwest were invited to? Yeah, no. I’m not having her within twenty miles of that.”

“Why not?” Maria asked.

“Because she doesn’t know.”