Moon Kissed (Mirror Lake Wolves - Book One)

CHAPTER TWO

I plastered a smile on my face just as fake as the one on hers. "No, I'm fine."

There was no way I'd ask for a lemon now. The chances of it coming from the floor were pretty high based off the look on her face. Apparently, she'd noticed Alec's hand on my thigh.

Good. She needed to know whom he belonged to.

"Your food will be out soon."

"Thanks," Alec said as she walked away. "I'm getting the impression you two don't get along."

"Your impression wouldn't be wrong," I said as I took a sip of my water, holding his gaze. His smile dimmed, and I felt myself deflate. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. "Honestly, I don't know her so I can't say for sure if I like her. What I can tell you is she doesn't like me."

"I'm sure that's not true. Lilly is really a sweet girl if you give her a chance," Alec insisted. His words seemed defensive of her in a way that made me uncomfortable. "I've known her since we were little kids. The edge of their land butts against my backyard. I used to fish out of their pond every summer and play with their animals."

He had a soft spot for her. Great. "I didn't realize you were neighbors." My words were sharp and harsh.

"Yeah, but I guess that's not helping how you feel about her, is it?" he asked as a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. Had he been trying to get a reaction out of me? Something in his eyes made me think he might have been.

"No."

Alec leaned in closer, so close I could feel his warm breath tickle my face. "That's okay. Have I ever told you I like your feisty side?"

A throaty laugh burst past my lips. He had been trying to get a reaction out of me. "Really? Well, let's just say you haven't seen my true feisty side yet."

No matter what I tossed him, he still stuck around for more. Yep, Alec Thomas was definitely a keeper.

"Alec. Hey, what's up?" a guy everyone referred to as Benji said as he reached for Alec's hand and did the weird shoulder bump thing guys always did. "We still on for Sunday?"

"Heck yeah. Right after church, meet me at my house. You can help me strap the four-wheelers to my dad's trailer and then ride to the track with me."

"He's letting you take the trailer, then? Cool," Benji said with a grin. There were remnants of something black stuck in his teeth. When he reached for a circle canister from his back pocket, I knew it was dip.

Yuck.

"It took a little convincing and some extra chores, but he eventually agreed. I just have to be careful, or he'll never let me use it again."

"That would be a bummer. It's so much easier to get them off a trailer than out of the back of a truck." Benji glanced at me, as though he'd only now noticed me. "I'll let you get back to whatever you two were doing. See you at church, man."

"See ya." Alec took a swig of his sweet tea.

"Four-wheeling?" I knew Alec was a rugged southern boy, but I didn't realize he had a four-wheeler. I'd always wanted to ride one.

"Nothing better than slinging up some dirt after praising the almighty for a few hours."

"Um. Doesn't that contradict what you do in church?"

"Why would it?"

I took a small sip of water, thinking about what I was trying to say before I actually did. People in this town easily became offended when someone downplayed the importance of going to church. Maybe that was another reason they thought I was odd. My family didn't go to church. No one in the park did.