Page 9 of Falling for the Werewolf
“I’m sorry.”
Dani looked down at her hands. “Thanks. It was a long time ago. And I have Aunt Bess. She and my mom were twins, so in a way, it’s almost like she’s still here.”
That was something Jace could relate to. His father and Amos weren’t twins, but they were brothers. Having Amos to turn to had helped him tremendously.
Jace opened the passenger door and waited until she was seated before walking to the other side and sliding into the driver’s seat. He was pleased to hear her soft sigh of appreciation as she sank into the buttery-soft leather, a custom modification.
“Any brothers or sisters?”
“One older brother. I don’t see him very much. He’s in the Navy and spends more time overseas than here. You?”
“Four brothers. They’re still back in Ohio, working the family farm.”
“Four! Wow. I bet your house was active.”
He laughed. “That’s an understatement.”
“So, what brought you to Kenner’s Mills?”
“I got a football scholarship out of high school to attend the university out here. Long story short, I busted up my knee my second year and lost my scholarship. Amos took me in, let me work days with him so I could go to night school and finish my undergrad, then went for my Master’s. Took a while, but I just finished up a few months ago, in fact.”
“In what?”
“Finance.”
Her expression turned thoughtful. “Is that why you were in the city last week? You were interviewing?”
“Yeah,” he admitted. “Didn’t work out, though.” Jace didn’t go into any more detail than that. He certainly didn’t mention that they had extended an offer nearly double what he had expected, or that he had turned them down. “How about you? Amos said you were looking for a teaching job.”
“I am. Like you, I did the work during the day and go to school at night thing, so I feel like I’m a little late to the game. Bess said this is a great district, though, and suggested I apply. I put my resume in at the local schools, but there’s no guarantee I’ll get a position. Competition is fierce. I thought I might have a better chance in the city.”
The thought of Dani teaching in the city wasn’t one that Jace found appealing. The inner-city schools were known for their violence. He had nightmarish visions of what might happen to someone as slight and feminine as Dani.
He kept his thoughts to himself, however. He couldn’t help that his kind were a naturally protective, possessive species. Even though his wolf had been drawn to her from those very first moments, Dani was human and might not appreciate his candor.
Besides, he wasn’t even sure she knew what he was. Bess knew about Amos, but that didn’t mean she had told her niece. It was a subject they would have to broach soon, given the intensity of his attraction toward her, an attraction that appeared to be mutual.
“Either way, I’ve given myself until the end of the summer to find a job.”
“What happens then?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t figured that out yet.”
All too soon, they pulled up in front of Bess’s house. Dani began opening the door before Jace could get out and do it for her. She grinned sheepishly when he gave her an admonishing look.
“I really appreciate the ride, Jace. This is one sweet car. You should be proud of it.”
“I am,” he said truthfully as he walked her to the door. “Maybe you’d like to drive it sometime.”
Dani’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I would love that!” she practically squealed. Then her eyes dimmed. “But I can’t.”
“Why not?”
When Dani pulled the house keys from her bag, Jace took them and opened the door for her.
“Because I, uh ... kind of lost my license for a while.”
Jace raised his eyebrows as Dani turned red.
