Annabelle pressed her hand to her chest in mock shock. “Are those yours?”
Raven grinned and nodded. “Uh huuuuh.”
“And…are they Wranglers?”
Another grin, another nod, another, “Uh huuuuh.”
“You’re so different now,” she teased, standing to get a better look at them. Basically, she picked the biggest pair and hoped they would fit. She was a little curvier than Raven.
“Cheyenne and I are wearing tank tops under flannel shirts if you want to match!”
“Oh, I didn’t bring a flannel.” Or even really knew what one was. She thought they were plaid perhaps?
“Oh, girl, I’ve got you,” Cheyenne said. She unzipped a suitcase that was sitting on the living room floor next to her and pulled open the lid. There were three warm-looking plaid shirts with diamond stitching on the insides. One was pink and red and black, one was green and black, and one was blue and teal. She picked that one because she’d brought a teal tank top with her.
Sweet. Outfit chosen. Perhaps she wasn’t going to look particularly sexy tonight, but that’s not why she was here. Mostly.
She thanked Cheyenne, grabbed her clothes, and changed in the bathroom while Raven and Cheyenne did their makeup in front of the mirrored closet doors in Quickdraw’s bedroom.
While she was changing, she listened to them chattering comfortably, and a little pang of envy filled her chest. Raven had always been her best friend since they were kids. Raven had never had friend-chemistry like this with anyone else as long as Annabelle had known her.
She’d had a moment of jealousy, but that wasn’t fair. Raven was happy, and Cheyenne, even though she was human, was a part of Raven’s herd. Of course, they should be close.
Why did Annabelle feel so left out?
No, that wasn’t fair either. It was Annabelle’s choice not to include Raven in what she was going through. She’d caused a gap between them, not Raven. Raven had called and texted her every day.
She was glad her best friend was happy, even if it wasn’t in their hometown with Annabelle. Raven had always been meant for something bigger.
Annabelle looked at herself in the small bathroom mirror. She still had on her sunglasses, but that wouldn’t fly in a bar at night. Self-conscious, she removed them and tried to hold her own ice-blue gaze in the reflection.
She couldn’t. Her wolf was frozen there inside of her. Broken perhaps?
She needed to take a pregnancy test and either deal with her new future or tell the wolf she was being ridiculous. Maybe force a change out in the woods. Maybe pee on a few trees. Maybe eat a bunny or two. You know…normal werewolf stuff.
She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and straightened the flannel on her shoulders, then walked out to touch up her makeup with the girls.
In Quickdraw’s bedroom, there were flowers on the bed, and Annabelle hesitated.
“Whoa,” Raven said. “Hello, Wolf. You look calm enough but your eye color says you are riled up. Are you okay?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m great. Just nervous to be here.” Lie. God, she didn’t even believe her tone.
Her best friend cocked up one dark eyebrow. “Okaaaay. Well, those are for you. Quickdraw asked me what your favorite flowers are.”
Gingerly, Annabelle picked up the small bouquet of Azaleas from the bed and did her best not to tear up. Her dang emotions were all over the place. There was a letter, so she unfolded the notebook paper and read it silently.
Dead said girls like flowers. I have no idea why I’m listening to him, but I also watched this corny chick-flick the other night and this guy gave the girl he liked flowers. She cried or some shit and Dead explained that sometimes you girls do that when you’re happy. That’s terrifying, so just in case you cry, I got you another present. Open it before you read the rest of this.
With a frown, she picked up the small package that had been sitting under the flowers and note. Inside was a pair of cherry-flavored edible underwear.
She snorted and read the rest of the note.
They’re supposed to taste like fruit roll-ups. No crying. You can always count on me to get you weird shit to go with flowers. Or just count on me.
Quickdraw.
Annabelle wrapped the fruity lingerie back into its packaging and held it to her chest. Why was he being so nice to her? Why was he so interested? They’d only spent one night together four weeks ago, and she wasn’t stupid. A man like Quickdraw could have any girl he wanted.
“You look confused,” Raven murmured, sinking onto the edge of the bed. “What are you thinking?”
Annabelle swallowed hard and sat on the bed with her. Stalling, she smelled the flowers. They were fresh cut and smelled way better than the strong perfume Cheyenne had doused the place in.
“He does seem interested, but it’s a little intimidating.”
“Quickdraw is?” Cheyenne asked, laying down on the other side of the bed on her side, facing them. “Maybe to the bulls and riders in an event, but to us, he’s just…Quickdraw.”
“Yeah, but Quickdraw is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He has tons of girls watching his social media, just waiting for a picture of him. How does a woman like me even compete with that?”
Raven frowned. “Your eyes are staying blue. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Just having some wolf problems.” It wasn’t totally a lie, and Raven-the-lie-detector didn’t call her out, thank goodness.
“If it eases your mind a little,” Cheyenne said softly, “I’ve never seen him bring any girls in here. Or to Two Shot’s ranch where he stays with us when we have time off between events.”
Hope was a fragile thing but important, nonetheless. “Really?”
“I’ve never even seen him talking to girls at the events.” Raven shrugged. “Even when he’s signing autographs at his table, he won’t put his arms around girls for pictures. He just stands there with his hands clasped behind him. His focus is on winning. That’s why he’s the best in the world. When he started asking about you, we were shocked as hell. That man only bucks, practices bucking, eats to buck, and dreams of bucking.”
Cheyenne propped up on her elbow. “The boys rib him constantly about you. He’s probably going to murder one or both of them at some point.”
“Don’t bring old relationships into new ones,” Raven said softly to Annabelle. “I can see what you’re doing. Quickdraw isn’t Matthew.”
“What happened with Matthew?” Cheyenne asked.
At the mention of her ex, Annabelle cringed.
Raven tactfully explained, “He was a cheating lowlife and a pencil-dicked, soft-handed, lying little pube that had no business dating so far out of his league in the first place. Annabelle isn’t a girl you burn. She’s the one you take home to Mom. He led her on for seven years, promising her a ring, a life, a family, all of it. He wasted her best boob years.”
Annabelle snorted. “I’ll have you know my boobs are still in their prime. At least, that’s what I tell myself. He did waste my time, though. Men who can drag a woman through their life like that without the commitment? They gotta break you down and make you think you don’t deserve the ring. So, yeah, I’m not in a rush to get back into a relationship unless I know that man is on the same page as me.”