My eyebrow shot up. “He did?”

“He asked me on a date. That doesn’t qualify as inappropriate comments.”

“Where were his hands if he didn’t keep them to himself?” Angel asked, confusion etched on her brow.

“Angel, seriously, don’t you have an elsewhere to be?”

“No. I want to know about Adam’s hands. Was he a umpiretee? Did they come off like Uncle Joseph’s leg?”

“I think you mean amputee, Munchkin.”

Talley quit glaring at Jase long enough to ruffle Angel’s hair. “There was nothing wrong with his hands. Your brother just over-reacted.”

“Over-reacted?” Jase bolted from the couch. “I over-reacted?!?! You’re the one who told him to back off!”

“Which he did! There was no need for further action!”

Screw the daytime soaps I was missing. This was getting juicy. “Could someone please tell me what happened, from the beginning?”

“Our supervisor at the pool, Adam, has been expressing interest in me. He’s always coming by the snack bar, goofing off and talking to me for way too long about individually packed pickles.”

“I like those,” Angel interjected. “They’re always super-salty and crunchy.”

“Well, a couple of days ago he started asking me out. I tried to turn him down nicely, but he wasn’t taking the hint.”

“Which was when you should have said something to me,” Jase added.

“There was no need for you to get involved! I can take care of myself!” It was a shame Jase wouldn’t spar with Talley. I think they may have been able to work whatever this was out better if they were able to throw a few punches at each other.

“You were really doing a bang-up job of it in the store room today.”

“Guys, really. Do we need to make Angel leave the room for this?”

Angel sat up straight in her pink Disney Princess beanbag chair. “I can handle it, Scout. I’m seven now, you know.” She turned to Talley with an expression of the deepest concern and understanding. “He tried to kiss you, didn’t he.”

The corners of Talley’s mouth twitched. “Yes, he tried to kiss me.”

“And you didn’t want him to?”

“No, I didn’t. Which I told him in no uncertain terms.”

I felt like I knew where this was heading. “And Jase…?”

“Jase thought the point needed to be emphasized with his fist.”

Of course he did. “And then you both got fired.”

“No, he told me that I was going to have to apologize, or he would fire me. I told him that Hell would freeze over before I apologized, and then I quit.”

Angel’s eyes were the size of saucers. “You said a cuss word to your boss?”

“What about you?” I asked Talley. “Surely he didn’t fire you because you wouldn’t kiss and Jase punched him. That would be a sexual harassment and wrongful termination suit all tied up together with a great big money-colored bow.”

“Jase needed some ice for his hand,” she gave in way of an explanation.

“And…?”

Now it was Jase’s turn to fight the smile threatening to break across his face. “He said if she followed me out, then he would accept that as her resignation.”

“And she followed you anyway?”

“Jase needed ice,” she said again.

“Sorry, Tal, but I’m with Jase on this one. You both quit.” I pointed a finger at Angel. “And that is the only story that our parents will hear, do you understand?”

“Talley and Jase quit their job because their boss was bad. Got it.”

Of course, that wasn’t exactly what she told our parents, which led to a rather embarrassing conversation between my mom and Talley about not allowing men to take advantage of you, but she did manage to skip the part about Jase punching the guy in the nose. The part about him saying a cuss word, however, was the lead-in.

Both Jase and Talley had new jobs by the end of the week. Jase was hired by the 4-H camp to teach four basketball classes a day during the week, and Talley took a part-time job at the local Piggly-Wiggly. It turned out to be the best thing for both of them. Jase found he really liked coaching, and Talley was forced to talk to her mother at least once a week. By the time the next full moon rolled around, Mrs. Matthews was begging Talley to move back home, but Talley said she would rather stay with her Pack.

I found myself eagerly awaiting the return of the full moon. I knew it was mentally unhealthy. I knew I was setting myself up for disappointment. I knew he wasn’t supposed to be real, but still I was anxious to see if the gray wolf whose scent I swore I ran across occasionally on my jaunts in the woods would show up again.

Interestingly, the lure of seeing the wolf who didn’t exist wasn’t the only reason I longed for the full moon. I realized I hated the way my new senses weakened as the moon waned, although they never disappeared all together. I was still able to hear everything going on in the house and knew who was in the shower by the smell floating in the steam under the bathroom door. Of course, the strengthening of the wolf had some issues all its own.

“Dear God, will I always be this hot?” I asked, positioning myself above the air conditioning vent in Jase’s room. I had just got out of an ice cold shower, was wearing nothing more than my boy cut bikini bottoms and a tank top, and was walking around with wet hair in a house whose thermostat I had moved down to sixty-five degrees, but I was still on the verge of a heat stroke.

“No, one day your face will wrinkle, your boobs will sag, and your hair will grow thin. But don’t worry. I’ll still love you anyway.”

I glared at my brother. “Not what I meant.”

“Were you wanting me to point out that you may think way too highly of yourself?”

“I was wanting you to assure me I’m not going to spontaneously combust.” I made a tent out of my tank top so I could capture all the cool air. “How do you deal with this every month?”

I knew Charlie was coming up the stairs. I knew the moment he turned onto our road five minutes ago, but I still jumped when he opened the door. It seemed like I was never quite ready to deal with Charlie.

“I didn’t realize this was a clothing-optional meeting,” he said, risking one disgusted glance in my direction before flopping down on Jase’s bed. “Seriously, Scout, would it kill you to put some clothes on?” he asked the ceiling.