Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 20

"Bad day?"

Ryker glared at him for pointing it out while Charlie just laughed. "Not helping," Ryker growled at his Beta.

"Wasn't meant to," Charlie said with a shrug, still smirking as Seth rang up the purchases.

"No trouble for the town, I hope?" Seth asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ryker shook his head, then rubbed his temple. "Not yet, at least." He had to figure out how to handle this mate thing, fast, because if Duncan kept coming to the class, it was only a matter of time before he figured out what Jo meant to Ryker.

"Well, let me know if there's anything I can ever do," Seth said as Ryker paid.

"Thanks, Seth," Ryker said, nodding at him with true appreciation. The dude had a personality that was steady as a rock, just like his grandma had been and her dad before her. It was one of the reasons his family had been trusted as a human liaison to the werewolf pack for generations. But with him being the liaison, it was also one of the reasons Ryker didn't exactly want to share any brewing troubles just yet. It wasn't his place to do that, not before talking to his dad at least.

"Let's go," Ryker said, nodding at Charlie before grabbing the cans and heading toward the door. Charlie headed home, while Ryker made a quick stop for pizza before continuing the drive to Jo's. Even just nearing her place, he felt himself starting to relax, knowing he was about to see her, knowing she'd be safe while he was with her.

Also, knowing that stupid useless door of hers was about to be fixed.

Too bad she probably wouldn't go for replacing her windows with bullet-proof glass.

As he got out of the truck, the door swung open. "You know, we don't have to paint. We can just eat pizza like normal people, without a home improvement project."

"Normal people do home improvement projects," he said as he grabbed the pizzas from the passenger seat. It might look excessive, but he'd finish off half of a pizza easily and he might get hungry later. The pizza he had gotten was a meat lover's with extra bacon. And there was no way he was eating any of hers. Pineapple on a pizza...it was indescribably gross.

"Okay, but don't start complaining when we get halfway through the living room. It was your idea." She headed toward him, her black ponytail swinging as she came down the rickety steps faster than she should have with an ankle that was still healing. Annoyance that Brett agreed she didn't need the crutches anymore swept through him again. At least the crutches would slow her down while her ankle healed some more.

"I've got it," he said, closing the truck door.

"I can get a paint can or two," she said, her chin lifting.

Ryker made a face. She wasn't going to let it go. He hadn't known her for long, but he already knew that about her. "You carry the pizza, then."

Judging by the not-very-well-hidden smug look on her face as she took the boxes from him, that had probably been her aim all along. "Are you sure you got pineapple?"

By the way it smelled to him, that was all he had gotten. The pineapple scent, even though it was only on half of one pizza, was very strong. "No, I left that out. I thought you wanted anchovies."

"Ryker," Jo growled at him, punching his arm lightly with her fist. While it wasn't a werewolf's growl, the fact that his girl had just made that noise was a major turn on. Like...a lot. And then she went and got all aggressive on him. Ryker gripped the side of the truck tightly and took a deep breath. Down boy.

Luckily, she was focused on the pizza boxes and so didn't notice his reaction to her. "You can't tease about pineapple," Jo was muttering, lifting a lid to inspect the pizza. The pineapple one was on top, so she was quickly assured of the lack of anchovies. She turned toward him, making a face as she shook her head. "Anchovies, really..."