Page 39 of A Wolf After My Own Heart
“Genau,exactamente.”
His small face lit up. “You speak German? And Spanish?”
“No,” she deadpanned. “Was there anything else?”
“I dunno. Was there?”
Lila looked at the boy and thought about the fox. It had come frisking up to her with no signs of aggression, tame as a domesticated dog, running up to her, darting away, then coming back. At one point, it gently rested a white paw on her shin and looked up at her with beseeching eyes, which was when she was totally subsumed by the cuteness and picked it up.
What the hell, I’ve had my rabies booster.She knew it wasn’t actually smiling—she rolled her eyes when people anthropomorphized animals—that it was just the way the fox’s mouth tipped up at the corners. Still, the thing was cute AF, its fur coarse and plush at the same time, warm little body wiry but cuddly.
And it got Garsea out of the house in half a heartbeat, so there was that.
Devoss broke through her thoughts. “Youknow, don’t you?”
“Sorry?”
“You know what I am,” he elaborated in a tone of puzzled wonder. “You’ve seen my other self. Youknow. Like you know about Sally. And you’re not going to ask. About any of it. You just won’t.”
Lila shrugged.
“You’ve gotta be the most incurious Stable I’ve ever met. I can’t tell if that’s great or terrible.”
That word again. “Or I’m just invested in minding my own business.”
“Oryou’rethe trap,” the child pointed out. “You’re, like, luring us into a false sense of whatever so you can pounce.”
“I’mnot the pouncing type.”
“See? See? That! What does that mean? Does it mean just what you said, like I shouldn’t be reading anything into it, or are you implying that wearethe pouncing type and you’ve got secrets?”
She handed him his jacket with one hand and a Target bag with the other, to shield prying eyes from spotting Osa.
Half an orphan.
I live with Mama Mac.
That tattered bear was probably the only thing the kid grabbed when he ran away. Or was removed.
“You’re showing me to the front door,” he observed.
“Yep. Thanks for stopping by, Google ‘business hours’ when you get a chance, I’ll cover for you if anyone comes around, and remember what I said about using a dryer.”
“Wait! I didn’t pay you.”
“No charge. And if you tell anyone, I’ll set Osa on fire.”
“Would not. Not after you worked so hard on—o-kay, I’m going! Jeez!” And then as she closed the door in his little fox face, he hollered, “Oz really likes you!”
Oh, goody. Because I don’t have enough problems.
The teeny thrill she got from Dev’s words was annoying.
Chapter 16
“You didwhat?”
“Um…” Oz blinked in the face of the older woman’s noisy surprise. “Ate the last piece of pie?”
